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Philippians 1:3-11

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Many will remember the adages... -- Philippians 1:3-11 -- Second Sunday of Advent - C -- 2003
Many will remember the adages from Benjamin Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanac: "Haste makes w
Giang A Ca, a North... -- Philippians 1:3-11 -- Second Sunday of Advent - C -- 2000
Giang A Ca, a North Vietnam Hmong tribesman, was sentenced to three years imprisonment (1997).
Paul's prayer for his beloved... -- Philippians 1:3-11 -- Second Sunday of Advent - C -- 2000
Paul's prayer for his beloved Philippian Church that has literally been faithful in good days and ba
When I was a teenager... -- Philippians 1:3-11 -- Second Sunday of Advent - C -- 2000
When I was a teenager I attended an ecumenical gathering called an Ashram.
Mr. Starr was the high... -- Philippians 1:3-11 -- Second Sunday of Advent - C -- 2000
Mr. Starr was the high school journalism teacher.
God is faithful to complete... -- Philippians 1:3-11 -- Second Sunday of Advent - C -- 1997
God is faithful to complete the good work he began in you.
In 1939, a German professor... -- Philippians 1:3-11 -- Second Sunday of Advent - C -- 1997
In 1939, a German professor left Union Seminary in New York to return to war-torn Germany.
Americans live life on the... -- Philippians 1:3-11 -- Second Sunday of Advent - C -- 1997
Americans live life on the run. A cartoon shows the picture of a frustrated young man.
Paul unashamedly voices his love... -- Philippians 1:3-11 -- Second Sunday of Advent - C -- 1997
Paul unashamedly voices his love of other Christians.
During a term break, 10... -- Philippians 1:3-11 -- Second Sunday of Advent - C -- 1994
During a term break, 10 Princeton students went to Philadelphia to live at the St.
In 1765 John Fawcett was... -- Philippians 1:3-11 -- Second Sunday of Advent - C -- 1994
In 1765 John Fawcett was called to pastor a very small congregation in Wainsgate, England.
As parents, we have assisted... -- Philippians 1:3-11 -- Second Sunday of Advent - C -- 1994
As parents, we have assisted in bringing forth another life into this world.
Being a messenger for God... -- Philippians 1:3-11 -- Second Sunday of Advent - C
Being a messenger for God is not an easy task, even if you're St. John the Baptizer or St. Paul.
Paul wrote, You are always... -- Philippians 1:3-11 -- Second Sunday of Advent - B
Paul wrote, "You are always in my heart (Philippians 1:7, TEV)!" Paul might be able to accomplish th
Bethany Christian Church in Fort... -- Philippians 1:3-11 -- Second Sunday of Advent - B
Bethany Christian Church in Fort Worth, Texas, has been small since its founding a quarter century a
In the classic Wait Disney... -- Philippians 1:3-11 -- Second Sunday of Advent - B
In the classic Wait Disney cartoon The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Mickey Mouse, as the young appr
The late theologian Joseph Sittler... -- Philippians 1:3-11 -- Second Sunday of Advent - B
The late theologian Joseph Sittler once said, "The self is a center of grateful participation." It i
As a boy, Sir Walter... -- Philippians 1:3-11 -- Second Sunday of Advent - B
As a boy, Sir Walter Scott was left weak and lame by an attack of fever.
A friend has moved away... -- Philippians 1:3-11 -- Second Sunday of Advent - B
A friend has moved away.
Christian empathy; that is what... -- Philippians 1:3-11 -- Second Sunday of Advent - B
Christian empathy; that is what Paul is describing.
And it is my prayer... -- Philippians 1:3-11 -- Second Sunday of Advent - C
"And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment."

The Immediate Word

The Refiner's Fire: From Failure To Forgiveness -- Luke 3:1-6, Philippians 1:3-11, Malachi 3:1-4, Luke 1:68-79 -- Scott Suskovic, Stephen P. McCutchan, Thom M. Shuman -- Second Sunday of Advent - C
In Advent, we live with a truth that is already here and not yet here.

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John Jamison
Object: This is a role play activity.

Note: You will need to select six children to play roles in this activity. If you have a smaller group, you might ask some older youth or even adults to play the parts of the two attackers and the man being attacked. I will give suggestions for how they can play their roles, but feel free to help your children make the story as fun and memorable as you can. I have used boys and girls in the various roles, but you can change those however you want to change them.

* * *

The Immediate Word

Dean Feldmeyer
Katy Stenta
Thomas Willadsen
Christopher Keating
George Reed
Mary Austin
Nazish Naseem
For July 13, 2025:
  • Samaritans Among Us by Dean Feldmeyer based on Acts 2:1-21. Samaritans were despised and dismissed by the original audience who first heard Jesus tell this parable. Who are the Samaritans in our lives and how does this parable apply today?
  • Second Thoughts: The Helpers by Katy Stenta based on Amos 7:7-17.

StoryShare

Frank Ramirez
I say, “You are gods,
    children of the Most High, all of you;
nevertheless, you shall die like mortals
    and fall like any prince….”
(vv. 6-7)

There have been any number of brother-sister acts that achieved a measure of fame. Take the Carpenters, famed for their singing, musicianship, and songwriting skills. Also worthy of mention are John and Joan Cusack who have acted together in over sixteen films.

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Wayne Brouwer
An ancient legend tells of a remote mountain village where people used to send their senior citizens out into the woods to die. The villagers had an eye to the future; they felt that those beyond a certain age would only slow down progress or use up valuable resources to no economically profitable end. Those who reached a certain age weren’t “put out to pasture” or “put out of their misery”; they were simply put out of other people’s way.
Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Amos 7:7-17 and Psalm 82
The tallest building in the world is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. It is more than 2,700 feet high—over half a mile tall. It has 160 floors and is twice as tall as the Empire State Building in New York City. It is home to the world’s fastest elevator which reaches speeds of forty miles an hour. The Burj Khalifa also hosts the world’s highest outdoor observation deck (on the 124th floor) and the world’s highest swimming pool (on the 76th floor).

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Mabel hummed a familiar hymn tune as she made her way to church. She always enjoyed her Sunday morning walk. It was one of the few times she felt safe to walk alone through the inner city, for she knew nobody would be up at 7.45 in the morning. Today was a particularly beautiful morning, with blue sky, warm sunshine, and the song of a few intrepid blackbirds who still inhabited the city.

SermonStudio

James Evans
Often, a distinction is made between the pastoral or priestly work of the church and the prophetic work. Pastoral care has to do with the care of souls, the offering of comfort in times of loss. The priestly character of pastoral work seeks to mediate the presence of God to those who are hurting.

Schuyler Rhodes
Trusting is never easy. Even in the best of relationships, people step into trust slowly. There is wariness -- questioning -- worry. What happens if trust is betrayed? What if this doesn't work? Sometimes it's like a dance. We step in and out of trust, moving to the rhythms of fear. For many, the routine is achingly familiar. Indeed, it's not easy to trust.
John Jamison
It was back in the days when the railroad was the most common mode of transportation. There were automobiles, and some airplanes, but the steam locomotive was the way most folks traveled and the way that most of the goods were distributed around the country. After dinner, people sat in the drawing room and listened to the radio programs, fading in and out from some faraway location, over the magical broadcasting signal.
Robert Leslie Holmes
Not many tourists to Washington, D.C., look for the Federal Bureau of Standards offices. It's the Capitol and the White House, the Supreme Court Building or the Smithsonian most of us want to see when we go there. Yet, at the Bureau of Standards offices something very important is stored, something that impacts your life and mine every single day. Have you ever bought the materials for a new project? When you did, most likely you purchased so many inches or feet or yards. Or, you stopped to buy gasoline for your car and purchased it at a certain price per gallon.
David O. Bales
I have the two best jobs in the world. I teach social studies at Leon Griffith Junior High School (a fairly small junior high) and I am Sunday School Superintendent at Calvary Presbyterian Church (an enormous church school). Each job is my vocation. I tell people that at school they'll find my room where the halls cross. At church they can look but probably won't find me. I'll be in someone's classroom. At each job I practice what I most deeply believe: it's how you see the world that determines how you respond to it. I'll give you an example, actually, two examples.
Erskine White
O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed,
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
(Stuart K. Hine)

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