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Keith Wagner

Rev. Dr. Keith Wagner is the pastor of St. John's UCC in Troy, Ohio. He has served churches in Southwest Ohio for over three decades. He is an ordained minister of the United Church of Christ and has an M.Div. from Methodist Theological School, Delaware, Ohio, and a D.Min. from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. He has also been an adjunct professor at Edison Community College, Piqua, Ohio. He and his wife, Lin, live in Springfield, Ohio.
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Walking Through Fire -- Luke 3:15-17, 21-22, Acts 8:14-17, Isaiah 43:1-7, Psalm 29 -- Peter Andrew Smith, Keith Wagner -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 2019
Contents “Walking Through Fire” by Peter Andrew Smith
The Challenge to be Humble -- Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10, Psalm 19 -- Keith Wagner -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - C -- 2019
Contents “The Challenge to be Humble” by Keith Wagner
Holy Self-Defense -- Joel 2:1-2, 12-17, Psalm 51:1-17 -- Keith Wagner -- Ash Wednesday - C -- 2019
Contents “Holy Self-Defense” by Keith Wagner
Something Worthy -- Luke 13:1-9, Isaiah 55:1-9, 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 -- Peter Andrew Smith, Keith Wagner -- Third Sunday in Lent - C -- 2019
Contents “Something Worthy” by Peter Andrew Smith
Love Conquers All -- John 13:1-17, 31b-35, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 -- Keith Wagner -- Maundy Thursday - C -- 2019
Contents "Love Conquers All" by Keith Wagner
Witness to These Things -- John 20:19-31, Acts 5:27-32, Revelation 1:4b-8, Revelation 1:4-8 -- Peter Andrew Smith, Keith Wagner -- Second Sunday of Easter - C -- 2019
Contents "Witness to These Things" by Peter Andrew Smith
The Nurturing Trait of Faith -- Acts 16:9-15, Psalm 67 -- Keith Wagner -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2019
Contents “The Nurturing Trait of Faith” by Keith Wagner
When the Spririt Moves -- Acts 2:1-21, Romans 8:14-17, John 14:8-17 (25-27) -- Peter Andrew Smith, Keith Wagner -- Day of Pentecost - C -- 2019
Contents “When the Spririt Moves” by Peter Andrew Smith
The Uplifting Power of God -- 2 Kings 5:1-14, Psalm 66:1-9 -- Keith Wagner -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - C -- 2019
Contents “The Uplifting Power of God” by Keith Wagner
Is that a Knock at the Door? -- Luke 11:1-13, Hosea 1:2-10, Colossians 2:6-15 (16-19) -- Keith Wagner, Peter Andrew Smith -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C -- 2019
Contents “Is that a Knock at the Door?” by Keith Wagner
The Gift of Grace -- Jeremiah 1:4-10, Psalm 71:1-6 -- Keith Wagner -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - C -- 2019
Contents “The Gift of Grace” by Keith Wagner
In Our Hearts -- 1 Timothy 1:12-17, Luke 15:1-10, Psalm 14 -- Peter Andrew Smith, Keith Wagner -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - C -- 2019
Contents “In Our Hearts” by Peter Andrew Smith
Letting Go -- Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7, Psalm 111 -- Keith Wagner -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - C -- 2019
Contents “Letting Go” by Keith Wagner
Let There Be Light! -- Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18, Ephesians 1:11-23, Luke 6:20-31 -- Keith Wagner, Peter Andrew Smith -- All Saints Day - C -- 2019
Contents “Let There Be Light!” by Keith Wanger
Counting on God -- Jeremiah 23:1-6, Psalm 46 -- Keith Wagner -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - C -- 2019
Contents “Counting on God” by Keith Wagner
Shining in the Darkness -- Luke 3:1-6, Philippians 1:3-11, Luke 1:68-79 -- Peter Andrew Smith, Keith Wagner -- Second Sunday of Advent - C -- 2018
Contents “Shining in the Darkness” by Peter Andrew Smith
Yielding to God -- 1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26, Psalm 148 -- Keith Wagner -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - C -- 2018
Contents “The Challenges of Serving the Lord” by Keith Wagner
New Beginnings -- Mark 1:4-11, Psalm 29 -- Keith Wagner, Peter Andrew Smith -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B -- 2018
Contents "New Beginnings" by Peter Andrew Smith
A New Strength -- Mark 1:29-39, Isaiah 40:21-31, Psalm 147:1-11, 20c -- Keith Wagner, John Fitzgerald -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - B -- 2018
Contents "A New Strength" by Keith Wagner
Looking for the Rainbow -- Mark 1:9-15, 1 Peter 3:18-22, Genesis 9:8-17 -- Peter Andrew Smith, Keith Wagner -- First Sunday in Lent - B -- 2018
Contents "Looking for the Rainbow" by Peter Andrew Smith
A God of Second Chances -- John 12:20-33, Jeremiah 31:31-34, Hebrews 5:5-10, Psalm 51:1-12 -- Keith Wagner, John Fitzgerald -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2018
Contents “A God of Second Chances” by Keith Wagner
For Our Sakes -- Isaiah 52:13--53:12, Psalm 22, John 18:1--19:42, Hebrews 10:16-25 -- Peter Andrew Smith, Keith Wagner -- Good Friday - B -- 2018
Contents “For Our Sakes” by Peter Andrew Smith
Living Without Fear -- Acts 4:5-12, John 10:11-18, 1 John 3:16-24, Psalm 23 -- Keith Wagner, John Fitzgerald -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2018
Contents “Living Without Fear” by Keith Wagner

Free Access

Walking Through Fire -- Luke 3:15-17, 21-22, Acts 8:14-17, Isaiah 43:1-7, Psalm 29 -- Peter Andrew Smith, Keith Wagner -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 2019
Contents “Walking Through Fire” by Peter Andrew Smith
Is that a Knock at the Door? -- Luke 11:1-13, Hosea 1:2-10, Colossians 2:6-15 (16-19) -- Keith Wagner, Peter Andrew Smith -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C -- 2019
Contents “Is that a Knock at the Door?” by Keith Wagner
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
and more...
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
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

New & Featured This Week

The Immediate Word

Thomas Willadsen
Nazish Naseem
Dean Feldmeyer
Mary Austin
Katy Stenta
George Reed
For July 6, 2025:

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: This is a role play activity for the children.

Note: You will need an older volunteer to help with this activity. One option would be to find a teenager with some physical ability. If a teen is not available, an adult could be used instead. For simplicity here, I will refer to my older volunteer as “TOM”. You will also need to select three of your younger children to serve as volunteers in the story.

* * *

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Mark Ellingsen
2 Kings 5:1-14
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Mark Ellingsen
Bonnie Bates
2 Kings 5:1-14, Psalm 30
Naaman seeks healing. He travels hoping healing will come to him when he visits the king of Israel. Yet, healing does not come in that way. Rather healing comes through Elishah. Healing comes from believing and being cleansed in the River Jordan. Healing comes through Naaman’s faithfulness and through God’s grace. Psalm 30 also reminds us to seek healing; to seek God and God will heal and restore us. Do we believe that? Do we believe that God can bring healing?

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.’ (vv. 10-11)

When I visit your church for the first time, consider the possibility that I might be looking for a church home. I am a good-looking old guy, but I have gray hair and I dress down in the summer, so don’t be put off by my cargo shorts and tank top. Talk to me!

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Damien and Ora grinned at each other in excitement. The time had come - at last! They'd been with the Leader for months and months, waiting for this moment. Not that it had felt much like training. They'd simply lived with the Leader, listening to his stories, hearing about the Kingdom, learning to get along really well with all the other people at Mission Headquarters. Now all seventy of them were ready, the spaceship had docked, and the Mission was about to begin. Ora was glad she'd been paired up with Damien again.

SermonStudio

James Evans
Stan Purdum
Carlos Wilton
(See Epiphany 6/Ordinary Time 6, Cycle B, and Easter 3, Cycle C, for alternative approaches.)

Anyone who has ever had the experience of losing a friend because of some conflict or dispute, and then has had the friendship restored because of love and forgiveness, has a unique insight into the meaning of this psalm. Although the poem begins and ends with praise, there is in the middle of the poem a brief moment of confession and contrition that puts the praise portions of the psalm in an entirely different light.

April Yamasaki
A word of encouragement came from an unlikely source the other day in a television interview with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. The former football player, wrestler, and now actor was asked about a low time in his life when he was very discouraged about his career and future.

"How did you make your way back from that?" he was asked.

The Rock replied, "You have to put yourself out there. You have to get out there and fail, and learn from your failures."

Larry D. Powell
In the summer of 1983, I participated in a ministerial exchange program sponsored by my denomination. My assignment was to a circuit of churches on the Isle of Man, a tiny island located in the Irish Sea. The months preceding the exchange included considerable correspondence with the minister on the island with whom I would exchange pastoral duties for six weeks.
Richard E. Gribble, CSC
A wealthy businessman decided to take a walk and eat his lunch at the same time. He strolled by a park. There he purchased a hot dog and a soft drink. As he walked through the park two different "street people" approached him one by one. Each asked, "Can you help me? I am hungry." Each time the businessman looked straight ahead and kept walking. After finishing his lunch, he stopped and bought a chocolate eclair for dessert. As he was about to take the first bite, he was forced to jump out of the way as a young boy raced by on his skateboard. The eclair went flying and landed on the ground.

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