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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Commentary

Communicating God's Love

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Illustration

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Sermon Illustrations for Proper 14 | OT 19 (2010) -- Isaiah 1:1, 10-20, Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16, Luke 12:32-40 -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - C -- 2010
IllustrationsIsaiah 1:1, 10-20
NULL -- Isaiah 5:1-7 -- Ron Love -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - C -- 2010
In 1869, Fanny Crosby was addressing a group of working class men in New York City.
NULL -- Isaiah 5:1-7 -- Craig Kelly -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - C -- 2010
In the 1930s much of America's heartland experienced massive dust storms due to drought and over-far
NULL -- Isaiah 5:1-7 -- Timothy Smith -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - C -- 2010
A retired pastor tells of an experience when he was just starting out in ministry.
NULL -- Hebrews 11:29--12:2 -- Leah Thompson -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - C -- 2010
During the Underground Railroad, people would hide runaway slaves in their homes.
NULL -- Hebrews 11:29--12:2 -- Derl G. Keefer -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - C -- 2010
I visited Israel as a tourist several years ago.
NULL -- Luke 12:49-56 -- Timothy Smith -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - C -- 2010
A friend from work asked Denny if he would like to go on a mission trip with him and other members o
NULL -- Luke 12:49-56 -- Craig Kelly -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - C -- 2010
This may seem to be an unusual statement coming from Jesus: He came to set "father against son and s
NULL -- Luke 12:49-56 -- Ron Love -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - C -- 2010
In the comic strip Beetle Bailey the chaplain is standing in the pulpit.
NULL -- Isaiah 5:1-7, Hebrews 11:29--12:2, Luke 12:49-56 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - C -- 2010
IllustrationsIsaiah 5:1-7
NULL -- Jeremiah 1:4-10 -- Leah Thompson -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - C -- 2010
There is an old, Dutch story about a little boy named Peter who saved all of Holland.
NULL -- Jeremiah 1:4-10 -- Derl G. Keefer -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - C -- 2010
As a youngster my parents did not attend church and were not Christians. A godly aunt asked them if
NULL -- Hebrews 12:18-29 -- Craig Kelly -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - C -- 2010
One of the constants throughout history is that empires and dominions have risen and fallen.
NULL -- Hebrews 12:18-29 -- Ron Love -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - C -- 2010
Labor Day 2000 marked the fortieth anniversary of Betty Haughin's column, "Chit Chat." The column is
NULL -- Hebrews 12:18-29 -- Timothy Smith -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - C -- 2010
Helena was excited about her vacation near historic Savannah, Georgia.
NULL -- Luke 13:10-17 -- Derl G. Keefer -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - C -- 2010
H.G.B.
NULL -- Luke 13:10-17 -- Leah Thompson -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - C -- 2010
Freedom.
NULL -- Jeremiah 1:4-10, Hebrews 12:18-29, Luke 13:10-17 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - C -- 2010
IllustrationsJeremiah 1:4-10
NULL -- Jeremiah 2:4-13 -- Craig Kelly -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C -- 2010
Relief organizations like World Vision or Compassion International often show us pictures of women a
NULL -- Jeremiah 2:4-13 -- Ron Love -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C -- 2010
Stacy Finley knew people would go to any lengths and pay exorbitant sums of money for the promise of
NULL -- Jeremiah 2:4-13 -- Timothy Smith -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C -- 2010
Mike grew up in the church and like many people began drifting away after graduating from high schoo
NULL -- Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16 -- Derl G. Keefer -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C -- 2010
Our world is experiencing one tragedy after another ...
NULL -- Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16 -- Leah Thompson -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C -- 2010
When you are a child, your parents are invincible.
NULL -- Luke 14:1, 7-14 -- Timothy Smith -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C -- 2010
One Sunday morning Greg was struck by something his pastor said in his message.
NULL -- Luke 14:1, 7-14 -- Craig Kelly -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C -- 2010
A number of years back, I worked at a wholesale retail chain, and one day our manager invited Orland

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UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Proper 7 | OT 12 | Pentecost 2
30 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
30 – Children's Sermons / Resources
29 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 8 | OT 13 | Pentecost 3
29 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 9 | OT 14 | Pentecost 4
34 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
26 – Worship Resources
31 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
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John Jamison
Object: A pig stuffed animal.

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Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Excellent! Let’s get started!

The Immediate Word

Christopher Keating
Thomas Willadsen
Katy Stenta
Mary Austin
Nazish Naseem
Dean Feldmeyer
George Reed
For June 22, 2025:

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian,  for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.  As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. (vv. 25-28)

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Mark Ellingsen
1 Kings 19:1-4 (5-7) 8-15a
Life can be frightening sometimes. Thus it is both comforting but disconcerting to find a giant of faith like Elijah to fear the future. On that matter Martin Luther once claimed:
David Kalas
We’re not far from the 4th of July. And while for so many Americans, it seems that the holiday has become more about long weekends, cookouts, and fireworks shows, the theme of freedom is still there at least in the background. We might take advantage of that, therefore, and give some thought to the theme of freedom as it is revealed in our assigned texts for this week.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

The madman cried out to Jesus, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?" In our worship today let us explore what Jesus has to do with us and invite him to heal our brokenness.

Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, we often find ourselves thinking, saying and doing things that we quickly regret.
Lord, have mercy.

SermonStudio

Constance Berg
When Jill was five, she began to have headaches. The headaches were so severe she would throw up. Sometimes she would pass out. They usually came once a month. Jill could be playing, resting, or watching television when the headaches would come. Her only warning was a sudden pain in her head, then a blinding light would appear, and she would be rocked with pain. In her teenage years, they became debilitating, causing Jill to be in bed for three days at a time.
Stan Purdum
I'm not sure when the term "burn out" ceased being only a description of what happened to a campfire when you ran out of firewood to a term describing the experience of long-term exhaustion and diminished interest, usually coming immediately after an extended period of overwork, but the expression seems to fit that later situation, doesn't it? Exhaustion, deep weariness, all used up, nothing more to give, wiped out, burned out -- call it what we will, its symptoms are all too familiar to many of us.
April Yamasaki
In the classic movie, Mary Poppins, Julie Andrews plays a no-nonsense, yet delightful, nanny to two young children. As a nanny to a wealthy family, she is part teacher, part parent, and part disciplinarian. She gets the children up in the morning, puts them to bed at night, supervises their many adventures, and guides them in many ways. While they are in her care, she is responsible for their overall safety and well-being.

Julia Ross Strope
Zoos are no longer in people's good graces.
Religion faces the same problem.
Certain illusions about freedom plague them both.
-- Yann Martel, Life of Pi

Call To Worship
Leader: I'm so glad you're here! There are seats for everyone; there's slight air movement; the windows engender tranquility and imagination and words will stimulate fresh thoughts.

People: It's good to be here, in sanctuary. We're glad for opportunities to gather and to express our gratitude to God and our appreciation for one another.

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