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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

The sense of already, but... -- 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2003
The sense of "already, but not yet" penetrates this passage.
It is only a pale... -- Mark 1:4-11 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B -- 2003
It is only a pale comparison of the great love of God for his only begotten Son, but the affection e
Never underestimate the importance or... -- John 1:43-51 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2003
Never underestimate the importance or possibilities of any place or any person.
Paul tells the Ephesian Christians... -- Ephesians 1:3-14 -- 2003
Paul tells the Ephesian Christians that God "chose us in Christ ...
It is often difficult to... -- 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - B -- 2003
It is often difficult to discipline oneself to delay gratification.
Just as the paralytic's friends... -- Mark 2:1-12 -- Epiphany 7 | Ordinary Time 7 - B -- 2003
Just as the paralytic's friends came to his aid by bringing him to Jesus, so Paul Revere of Revoluti
Jesus is at home in... -- Mark 1:29-39 -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - B -- 2003
Jesus is at home in our homes.
Paul invites an appreciation of... -- 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 2003
Paul invites an appreciation of forgoing those practices that might pose a stumbling block to others
Three great figures of freedom... -- John 3:14-21 -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2003
Three great figures of freedom: Moses, Harriet Tubman, and Jesus.
The wilderness has been a... -- Mark 1:9-15 -- First Sunday in Lent - B -- 2003
The wilderness has been a defining feature of American character.
The recent international crisis with... -- 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:10 -- Ash Wednesday - B -- 2003
The recent international crisis with Iraq has involved United Nations weapons inspectors.
Sports fans can be overly... -- John 2:13-22 -- Third Sunday in Lent - B -- 2003
Sports fans can be overly zealous in their love for their sport and their loyalty to their team.
How often we would like... -- Mark 8:31-38 -- Second Sunday in Lent - B -- 2003
How often we would like to refuse to admit or even deny that suffering is the way of life, not only
These things are written ... Writing... -- John 20:19-31 -- Second Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
"These things are written ..." Writing has been a most significant way throughout time for people to
One of the most powerful... -- Hebrews 5:5-10 -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2003
One of the most powerful works in English literature is Charles Dickens' classic, A Tale of Two Citi
You have heard many good... -- John 20:1-18 -- Easter Day - B -- 2003
You have heard many "good news/bad news" jokes.
Clara Barton exemplified in a... -- John 13:1-17, 31b-35 -- Maundy Thursday - B -- 2003
Clara Barton exemplified in a very physical, tangible way what Jesus meant when he said, "Do as I ha
The African American poet Dunbar... -- John 18:1-19:42 -- Good Friday - B -- 2003
The African American poet Dunbar penned these words: "Out of the hell and dawn of it all cometh good
They had been friends for... -- Mark 14:1--15:47 -- Passion Sunday - B -- 2003
They had been friends for 50 years and worked together in the women's suffragist movement in the Uni
When Catherine Zeta-Jones, wife... -- Mark 9:2-9 -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 2003
When Catherine Zeta-Jones, wife of Michael Douglas, was asked what she liked about stardom, she desc
It is ... quite easy to... -- Acts 10:44-48 -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
"It is ... quite easy to say both too little and too much on this subject [the Holy Spirit].
One might think that the... -- Acts 8:26-40 -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
One might think that the eunuch would be a bit "down in the dumps" when Philip, his newfound friend,
Like a bright neon sign... -- Acts 4:5-12 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
Like a bright neon sign might point the way to a destination, Peter saw this act of healing as a sig
Picture your schoolroom! Besides the... -- Acts 3:12-19 -- Third Sunday of Easter - B -- 2003
Picture your schoolroom!
David invites nature into his... -- 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27 -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - B -- 2003
David invites nature into his grief over the death of Saul and Jonathan.

Political Pulpit

Sermon

The Political Pulpit

UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Proper 10 | OT 15 | Pentecost 5
30 – Sermons
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4 – Pastor's Devotions
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Proper 11 | OT 16 | Pentecost 6
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Proper 12 | OT 17 | Pentecost 7
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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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