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Stephen M. Crotts

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Worship Wars! -- Luke 18:9-14 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - C -- 2003
We pastors call it The Worship Wars.
The Process Of Love -- Luke 19:1-10 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Proper 26 | Ordinary Time 31 - C -- 2003
In William Shakespeare's play, A Midsummer Night's Dream, the actors roam the stage looking for a sc
O Perfect Love! (Where Are You?) -- Luke 20:27-38 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - C -- 2003
Click here for
Maximum Marriage -- Mark 10:2-16 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - B -- 2002
A fifth grade teacher asked the children in her art class to draw pictures of what they want to be w
No Salt In The City? -- Mark 9:38-50 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - B -- 2002
Last fall the phone rang in my study.
Is Your Love Shy? -- Mark 9:30-37 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - B -- 2002
When I was in college my post office box was right next to a pretty little blonde's.
Have You Gone Far Enough? -- Mark 8:27-38 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - B -- 2002
When I was in divinity school some student had written graffiti on the bathroom wall.
Deliverance: The Forgotten Third Of Jesus' Ministry -- Mark 7:24-37 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - B -- 2002
Russian novelist Fydor Dostoevsky wrote, "God and the devil are at war in the universe and their bat
The Dangers Of Being Religious -- Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2002
Jeff Foxworthy has made a career of telling "redneck" jokes.
To A Life Beyond -- John 6:51-58 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - B -- 2002
The torches burned long into the night in the banquet hall.
A Landmark Event! -- John 6:35, 41-51 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - B -- 2002
During World War II allied armies marched into Germany on their way to Berlin.
The Dark Didn't Catch Me! -- John 6:24-35 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - B -- 2002
Remember how it was in grade school when your class went out on the playground during recess?
The Hillside And The Basket -- John 6:1-21 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - B -- 2002
There is a certain rock known as a geode. From the outside it is but a dull-looking stone.
King Forever! -- John 6:56-69 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - B -- 2002
Norman Rockwell has a painting titled Lift Up Thine Eyes.
The Christmas Prophet -- Isaiah 2:1-5 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- First Sunday of Advent - A -- 2001
Isaiah. It's a strong name. A good Hebrew name.
Still Small Voice -- Isaiah 11:1-10 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Second Sunday of Advent - A -- 2001
Ask any child at Christmas!
What Good Music Can Do For You -- Isaiah 35:1-10 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Third Sunday of Advent - A -- 2001
It is a scientific fact that when the music of Mozart is played in a henhouse, chickens lay more egg
Now Playing: God, Live And In Person! -- Isaiah 7:10-16 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - A -- 2001
Some years ago I was in a London theater watching a Harold Pinter play.
One Born Among Us -- Isaiah 63:7-9 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - A -- 2001
Have you ever noticed the importance children play in history?
When A Halo Slips -- Jeremiah 31:7-14 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Second Sunday after Christmas - A -- 2001
Many things are written with all of the excitement of some fresh truth recently received.
Shine! That's The Style! -- Isaiah 60:1-6 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Epiphany of the Lord - A -- 2001
It is appropriate on this day designated as the Epiphany Of The Lord to explore some questions we mi
What Does Your God Say About People Like Me? -- Isaiah 42:1-9 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - A -- 2001
London, England, the Bloomsbury District, tenth floor of the old Ivanhoe Hotel, autumn, 1971.
Christopher Columbus Speaks! -- Isaiah 49:1-7 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - A -- 2001
Five hundred years ago a man dreamed of reaching the east by sailing west.
What's All The Fuss About? -- Micah 6:1-8 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - A -- 2001
Micah is the sixth minor prophet.

The Village Shepherd

Let Sleeping Dogmas Awake! -- Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12) -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - A -- 2001
There are many doctrines in the Bible that receive light billing today.
UPCOMING WEEKS
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Easter 4
28 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
33 – Children's Sermons / Resources
23 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
5 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Easter 5
33 – Sermons
140+ – Illustrations / Stories
34 – Children's Sermons / Resources
30 – Worship Resources
35 – Commentary / Exegesis
5 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Easter 6
30 – Sermons
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
23 – Worship Resources
31 – Commentary / Exegesis
5 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
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New & Featured This Week

Emphasis Preaching Journal

David Kalas
In the sometimes-tiresome debate over science and scripture with respect to creation, it’s easy to become distracted. While the argument typically requires a focus on the how, we may lose sight of the what. And so, for just a moment, let me invite us to think for a moment about what God created.
Mark Ellingsen
Frank Ramirez
Bonnie Bates
Bill Thomas
Acts 8:26-40
As a local church pastor, I was often asked if I would baptize a child whose family were not members of the church. Some churches rebelled against this, but I remember this scripture — the hunger for understanding and inclusion of the Eunuch and Philp’s response — to teach and share and baptize in the name of our God. How could we turn anyone away from the rite of baptism?

StoryShare

Peter Andrew Smith
“Dad, I think you worked a miracle.” Rolf slowly walked around the tree. “After that windstorm, I assumed this tree was as good as gone.”

“We just needed to give the branches time to heal and come back,” Michael replied.

 “I know, but so many of them were battered and broken I figured that it couldn’t recover. Now though it looks just like it did before the storm.” Rolf paused. “Do you think it will bear any fruit this summer?”

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: A live plant that produces fruit, and a broken branch from that plant. I used a tomato plant from a local greenhouse. Ideally, find a plant with blossoms or small fruit already growing. If you use a different kind of fruit-producing plant, just change the script to fit.

* * *

Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Excellent!

The Immediate Word

Christopher Keating
Katy Stenta
Thomas Willadsen
Mary Austin
Elena Delhagen
Dean Feldmeyer
Quantisha Mason-Doll
For April 28, 2024:
  • On The Way To Gaza by Chris Keating based on Acts 8:26-40. On the way to Gaza, Philip discovers the startling ways the Spirit of God moves across borders, boundaries, customs, and traditions.
  • Second Thoughts: Abiding by Katy Stenta based on John 15:1-8.
  • Sermon illustrations by Mary Austin, Tom Willadsen, Elena Delhagen, Dean Feldmeyer.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

Jesus is the vine, we are the branches. In our service today, let us absorb from the vine all the nourishment we need.

Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, sometimes our branches become cut off from the vine.
Lord, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes our branches are withered.
Christ, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes we fail to produce good fruit.
Lord, have mercy.

SermonStudio

Stan Purdum
We will meet Psalm 22 in its entirety on Good Friday, but here the lectionary designates just verses 23-31. The lectionary psalms generally illuminate the week's First Lesson, which in this case is about the covenant initiated by God with Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 17. The nine verses from this psalm, while not inappropriate, nonetheless leave us looking for an obvious connection with the First Lesson.

John S. Smylie
I think some people are natural-born gardeners. Our Lord grew up in a society that was familiar with agriculture. The images that he used to explain the ways of his Father in heaven are familiar to his audience. Growing up, my closest experience to agriculture was living in, "the Garden State." Most people, when they pass through New Jersey, are surprised to see that expression on the license plates of vehicles registered in New Jersey. Most folks traveling through New Jersey experience the megalopolis, the corridor between New York City and Washington DC.
Ron Lavin
A pastor in Indiana went to visit an 87-year-old man named Ermil, who was a hospital patient. A member of his church told the pastor about this old man who was an acquaintance. "He's not a believer, but he is really in need," the church member said. "I met him at the county home for the elderly. He's a lonely old man with no family and no money."

Paul E. Robinson
"Love is a many splendored thing...." Or so we heard Don Cornwall and the Four Aces sing time and again. Of course you or I might have other words to describe love, depending on our situation.

Love. "I love you." "I love to play golf." "I just love pistachio lush!" "It's tough to love some people." "Jesus loves me, this I know."

Love.

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