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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

A study at a Midwestern... -- 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2008
A study at a Midwestern school showed that 80% of the women who had intercourse hoped to marry their
Teen facts. Since the popular... -- 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2008
Teen facts.
Are we being desensitized by... -- 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2008
Are we being desensitized by the present evil world?
Carol grew up attending church... -- 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2008
Carol grew up attending church but stopped once she started college.
Dale needed a bigger working... -- 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2008
Dale needed a bigger working surface on his desk at college.
On the Sunday before the... -- John 1:43-51 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2008
On the Sunday before the season's first football game Pastor Matt always talked about football in th
At the close of life... -- John 1:43-51 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2008
At the close of life, the question will not be, "How much have you gotten?" but "How much have you g
Clarence Jordan, author of the... -- John 1:43-51 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2008
Clarence Jordan, author of the "Cotton Patch" New Testament translation and founder of the interraci
If you're not from Ohio... -- John 1:43-51 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2008
If you're not from Ohio or Michigan, it's hard to understand the rivalry between the University of M
Come! Follow me. Come and... -- John 1:43-51 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2008
"Come!
Anger, writes Eugene Peterson in... -- Jonah 3:1-5, 10 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2008
"Anger," writes Eugene Peterson in commenting on this story of Jonah, "is a useful diagnostic tool.
Some people will change when... -- Jonah 3:1-5, 10 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2008
Some people will change when they see the light. Others change only when they feel the heat.
The seminar began with the... -- Jonah 3:1-5, 10 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2008
The seminar began with the leader asking, "What are you avoiding doing that you know needs to be don
Whatever else that can be... -- Jonah 3:1-5, 10 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2008
Whatever else that can be said about him, Adolf Hitler was aware of his ability to use language and
A WWII soldier stated, The... -- 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2008
A WWII soldier stated, "The funny thing about war is this: the 'right' thing to do in one situation
The Danish philosopher, Kierkegaard, tells... -- 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2008
The Danish philosopher, Kierkegaard, tells a parable of a theater where a variety show is proceeding
A change in the way... -- 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2008
A change in the way people view the world is known to historians as a paradigm shift.
The apostle Paul calls on... -- 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2008
The apostle Paul calls on the Corinthians and us for a radical reordering of our lives in the light
There's a Peanuts comic strip... -- Mark 1:14-20 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2008
There's a Peanuts comic strip in which Linus is listening carefully as his sister, Lucy, boas
For as long as anyone... -- Mark 1:14-20 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2008
For as long as anyone could remember Janet and Mary were the best of friends.
Why do people follow leaders... -- Mark 1:14-20 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2008
Why do people follow leaders?
In 1965, Reverend Schwab felt... -- Deuteronomy 18:15-20 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 2008
In 1965, Reverend Schwab felt called to start a unique home -- a place where children from difficult
S. I. McMillen, in his... -- Deuteronomy 18:15-20 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 2008
S. I.
Kathy had seen the book... -- Deuteronomy 18:15-20 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 2008
Kathy had seen the book advertised online, in bookstores, on television.
Most of us think of... -- Deuteronomy 18:15-20 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 2008
Most of us think of a prophet as one who foretells the future, but this is not true of biblical prop

Political Pulpit

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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
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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
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Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

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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?

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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