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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

The young boy asked his... -- Joel 2:21-27 -- Thanksgiving Day - B -- 2006
The young boy asked his grandma why she was always so happy. It seemed strange to
Wally stood in the midst... -- Joel 2:21-27 -- Thanksgiving Day - B -- 2006
Wally stood in the midst of his cornfield in disbelief. The night before, a thunderstorm
Do you picture God as... -- Joel 2:21-27 -- Thanksgiving Day - B -- 2006
Do you picture God as a grumpy grandpa? Or as an irritable prude? A stern Superman
Signs beside the highway are... -- 1 Timothy 2:1-7 -- Thanksgiving Day - B -- 2006
Signs beside the highway are scattered across the western United States informing
The author of 1 Timothy... -- 1 Timothy 2:1-7 -- Thanksgiving Day - B -- 2006
The author of 1 Timothy urges us to pray for those in authority. The Episcopal church
There is a funny story... -- 1 Timothy 2:1-7 -- Thanksgiving Day - B -- 2006
There is a funny story about Harry who was on his deathbed. He turned to his wife, Ethel,
George McDonald gives us something... -- 1 Timothy 2:1-7 -- Thanksgiving Day - B -- 2006
George McDonald gives us something to ponder at Thanksgiving. "Let me, if I may, be
The writer, Annie Dillard, in... -- Matthew 6:25-33 -- Thanksgiving Day - B -- 2006
The writer, Annie Dillard, in one of her short but powerful books, tells the story of the ill-
The writer, Annie Dillard, in... -- Matthew 6:25-33 -- Thanksgiving Day - B -- 2006
The writer, Annie Dillard, in one of her short but powerful books, tells the story of the ill-
Babies cry for any number... -- Matthew 6:25-33 -- Thanksgiving Day - B -- 2006
Babies cry for any number of reasons. They might be colicky -- a condition that leaves
Anne invited her family to... -- Matthew 6:25-33 -- Thanksgiving Day - B -- 2006
Anne invited her family to her home for Thanksgiving. It was a huge undertaking -- her
What a day. I tried... -- Matthew 6:25-33 -- Thanksgiving Day - B -- 2006
What a day. I tried to find our septic tank lid. The former owner of our acreage told me
Fads rise and fade away... -- 2 Samuel 23:1-7 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 2006
Fads rise and fade away in clothing, housing, and car design -- also in scholarship. The
One of two accounts of... -- 2 Samuel 23:1-7 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 2006
One of two accounts of King David's last words is found in this lesson. The passage
Last words are important. It... -- 2 Samuel 23:1-7 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 2006
Last words are important. It might be interesting to track down the last occurrences and
Joe Hale must be ranked... -- 2 Samuel 23:1-7 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 2006
Joe Hale must be ranked as, technically, one of the worst Sunday school teachers ever
In Wittenberg-Lutherstadt they told... -- Revelation 1:4b-8 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 2006
In Wittenberg-Lutherstadt they told me a story about a large statue of Christ in front of
John writes that Jesus is... -- Revelation 1:4b-8 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 2006
John writes that Jesus is coming on the clouds and every eye will see him. In April 2005,
Debbie grew up in the... -- Revelation 1:4b-8 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 2006
Debbie grew up in the church and later, when she had her own family, she still attended
We saw a Hollywood friend... -- Revelation 1:4b-8 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 2006
We saw a Hollywood friend while watching a television feature film. He portrayed a
Children do it more obviously... -- John 18:33-37 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 2006
Children do it more obviously. Spouses practice it more subtly: selective hearing. People
Pontius Pilate was never noted... -- John 18:33-37 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 2006
Pontius Pilate was never noted for his religious sensitivity. In fact, his lack of insight into
J. Winston Pearce has a... -- John 18:33-37 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 2006
J. Winston Pearce has a wonderful story in his old book, I Believe [(Nashville:
In the Disney animated film... -- John 16:33-37 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 2006
In the Disney animated film, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, there is a scene
Leonardo da Vinci knew the... -- John 16:33-37 -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 2006
Leonardo da Vinci knew the centrality of Christ. The vanishing point of his painting of

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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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