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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Commentary

Communicating God's Love

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Yaffa Eliach grew up a... -- John 10:22-30 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2001
Yaffa Eliach grew up a Jew in Lithuania.
There was a mother cat... -- John 10:22-30 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2001
There was a mother cat that was out for a stroll with her three small kittens.
Gary Forner, a veteran Fort... -- John 10:22-30 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2001
Gary Forner, a veteran Fort Canby State Park ranger and a sixteen-year member of the cliff rescue te
According to an article by... -- John 10:22-30 -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2001
According to an article by Andrew C.
A hospital chaplain often will... -- John 16:12-15 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C -- 2001
A hospital chaplain often will accompany a doctor into a patient's room to deliver bad news.
Jean was struggling with Alzheimer's... -- John 16:12-15 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C -- 2001
Jean was struggling with Alzheimer's disease when it was discovered that she had breast cancer.
A practice familiar to scuba... -- John 16:12-15 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C -- 2001
A practice familiar to scuba divers involves something called "buddy-breathing." Occasionally one di
How does the Spirit of... -- John 16:12-15 -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C -- 2001
How does the Spirit of truth come to us today, if not in the Bible?
The saying, One bad apple... -- Galatians 2:15-21 -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - C -- 2001
The saying, "One bad apple spoils the whole bunch," isn't always true. Nik is an avid gardener.
Do we live by the... -- Galatians 2:15-21 -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - C -- 2001
Do we live by the law or by grace?
The 1991 movie Defending... -- Galatians 2:15-21 -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - C -- 2001
The 1991 movie Defending Your Life features Meryl Streep and Albert Brooks in a whimsical sto
A theme common in the... -- Galatians 2:15-21 -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - C -- 2001
A theme common in the Bible is that adhering to the Law will not save you; faith in Jesus is what wi
After a long road trip... -- Luke 7:36--8:3 -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - C -- 2001
After a long road trip, there is nothing so inviting as a motel sign: V-A-C-A-N-C-Y!
The phone rang. It was... -- Luke 7:36--8:3 -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - C -- 2001
The phone rang. It was Karen, one of the most committed members in our congregation.
We have a teenage son... -- Luke 7:36--8:3 -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - C -- 2001
We have a teenage son. Recently I overheard my wife sharing a story with a friend about him.
In the Museum of Fine... -- Luke 7:36--8:3 -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - C -- 2001
In the Museum of Fine Arts in Buda-pest, Hungary, there hangs a most captivating painting, Sleepi
As a young boy, I... -- Galatians 3:23-29 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - C -- 2001
As a young boy, I had the privilege of having a hockey coach who came from the "old school," in othe
In Christ there are no... -- Galatians 3:23-29 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - C -- 2001
In Christ there are no longer slave or free, for we are all one in Christ.
Philip Becker's parents had him... -- Galatians 3:23-29 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - C -- 2001
Philip Becker's parents had him institutionalized at birth.
In an article by Matthew... -- Galatians 3:23-29 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - C -- 2001
In an article by Matthew Purdy that appeared in the New York Times, we hear a story about sum
In the United States, we... -- Acts 13:13-26 -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - C -- 2001
In the United States, we love to hear a good motivational speech.
Twins David and Daniel were... -- Romans 8:14-17 -- Day of Pentecost - C -- 2001
Twins David and Daniel were adopted as infants by a couple who believed they were incapable of havin
Being a child of God... -- Romans 8:14-17 -- Day of Pentecost - C -- 2001
Being a child of God may very well involve suffering or persecution.
On Sunday, October 11, 1998... -- Romans 8:14-17 -- Day of Pentecost - C -- 2001
On Sunday, October 11, 1998, Pope John Paul II canonized Teresa Benedicta (1891-1942).
An article written by Micheal... -- Romans 8:14-17 -- Day of Pentecost - C -- 2001
An article written by Micheal Finkel for The New York Times Magazine of June 18, 2000, tells

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John Jamison
Object: You may present this message as a simple story, or have the children act it out as a role-play. I will show the role-play version, but you can ignore the acting pieces and just tell the story if you prefer.

Note: For the role-play version, you will need to select two girls and one boy to play the roles. You might also have a broom and a dust rag if you want to.

* * *

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

The Immediate Word

Mary Austin
Dean Feldmeyer
Christopher Keating
Thomas Willadsen
George Reed
Katy Stenta
For July 20, 2025:

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Bonnie Bates
Amos 8:1-12, Psalm 52
Amos proclaims the word from God that punishes the people. The people are to be punished for their lack of faith, for their focus on practicing deceit, betraying honesty to their neighbors, and being impatient for the time after the Sabbath when they can focus on profit and selling their crops and wares. Oh, my! What a terrible message for people. You have been unfaithful so I will punish you. And then in the psalm, God is proclaimed to be the olive tree, that which brings blessing.
David Kalas
I have tried to find different ways of saying it so that my children don’t tire of hearing it. But the basic principle remains the same, and my kids have heard it a ton. “First things first.” They ask if they can do this or they start to do that, and I will endeavor to redirect them, saying, “Why don’t we make sure we’re doing first things first!”

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. (v. 24)

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
One of Martha's earliest memories was of her little sister Mary singing and dancing in the middle of an admiring crowd of friends. Mary had always been a dancer, from the time she could walk. Privately, Martha thought she'd always been something of a show-off and ought to go on the stage, for Mary loved an audience.

SermonStudio

John E. Sumwalt
Jeanne Jones
Several years ago, before we moved to Wisconsin, I was an honorary nanny for our pastor's son, Jonathan. I took care of him from the time he was able to walk until our pastor moved, when Jonathan was about five. We had wonderful times together. One time, when I was at their house, and we had been doing some spiritual direction together, Pastor Michael asked me if I knew the name of my guardian angel.
James Evans
We are not surprised when we learn about crooks and robbers boasting about "mischief done against the godly" or "plotting destruction" all day long. The image we have in our minds about who "bad" people are, and how they conduct themselves, make such accusations completely plausible. We are less inclined to believe such things about leaders, especially respected leaders among us. We have difficulty believing someone with wealth and power would deliberately plot to do someone else harm.
Arley K. Fadness
Today's gospel from Luke 10 follows the parable of the good Samaritan. Luke positions the good Samaritan and the Mary-Martha story back to back for good reason. The parable and the story are examples of the Great Commandment "to love the Lord your God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself." The good Samaritan parable illustrates "love to neighbor," whereas the Mary-Martha story illustrates "love to God."
Kirk R. Webster
In the early 1990s, Wesley Nunley of Dallas completed a project he had dreamed of for decades. "I tell you, this could be a big thing," he explained. Wes then walked out to a concrete octagon in the middle of his backyard. With a beaming smile, arms raised up in excitement, the energetic retiree said, "This welcomes the UFO to land, which has never been done before."
John W. Wurster
It was the best of times. A time of prosperity and confidence, a time of relative peace, a time when most everything looked pretty good, a time when most everyone felt pretty good. It was a time maybe not unlike our own time.
H. Burnham Kirkland
Words Of Assurance
Our God is both wise and caring: afflicting the comfortable and comforting the afflicted.

Pastoral Prayer
God, we bow before you this morning, knowing that you hear every prayer. We know that in all of Creation, you are the source of life. You are the one who set the light swirling between the galaxies. The breath of your Spirit pulses through all life. You have even become flesh among us. We praise you, Lord, that in all your wonder, you have not forgotten us.

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