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Stephen M. Crotts

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How To Treat Your Enemies -- Matthew 5:43-47 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- 2009
You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy." But I say to
Is Pacifism Biblical? -- Matthew 5:39 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- 2009
Do not resist one who is evil.-- Matthew 5:39Love your enemies.
Confessions Of A Healed Perfectionist -- Matthew 5:48 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- 2009
You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
The Fine Art Of Giving -- Matthew 6:1-4 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- 2009
Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no
Prayer: Moving The Hands That Move The World -- Matthew 6:5-13 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- 2009
And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the sy
It's Called Forgiveness ... And It's On Your Exam! -- Matthew 6:12, Matthew 6:14 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- 2009
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.-- Matthew 6:12
Are You Going To(o) Fast? -- Matthew 6:16-18 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- 2009
And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that t
Is Your Reward Waiting? -- Matthew 6:2, 1 Corinthians 15:58 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- 2009
... they have received their reward.-- Matthew 6:2
What Does The Bible Say About Materialism? -- Matthew 6:19-33 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- 2009
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves
Television: The Plug-In Drug -- Matthew 6:22-23 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- 2009
The eye is the lamp of the body.
How To Worry Like A Christian! -- Matthew 6:25-34, Philippians 4:6-7 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- 2009
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or
You Guys Are Gonna Be Different! -- Matthew 5:1 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- 2009
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to
Poverty Of Spirit -- Matthew 5:3 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- 2009
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed Are Those Who... What? -- Matthew 5:4 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- 2009
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.-- Matthew 5:4
The Beautiful Attitude Of Humility -- Matthew 5:5 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- 2009
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.-- Matthew 5:5
Happy The Hungry Hearts -- Matthew 5:6 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- 2009
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
The Beautiful Attitude Of Mercy -- Matthew 5:7 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- 2009
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.-- Matthew 5:7
The Bliss Of A Clean Heart -- Matthew 5:8 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- 2009
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.-- Matthew 5:8
Peacemaking: The Seventh Beatitude -- Matthew 5:9 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- 2009
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.-- Matthew 5:9
The Bliss Of A Martyr's Way -- Matthew 5:10-12 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- 2009
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven
No Salt In The City? -- Matthew 5:13 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- 2009
You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restore
Light! More Light! -- Matthew 5:14-16 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- 2009
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid.
Go To Heaven? -- Matthew 25:31-46 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - A -- 2004
Judgment day was the preacher's theme, and he thundered about God's wrath, sin and the day of judgme
Pentecost! Slow ... And Sure! -- John 20:19-23 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Day of Pentecost - A -- 2004
Have you ever noticed how we preachers often promote the early church as if it were the ideal?
The Garden Is Doing Fine? -- Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - A -- 2004
Remember the nursery rhyme about little contrary Mary?
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
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
30 – Children's Sermons / Resources
29 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
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Proper 11 | OT 16 | Pentecost 6
29 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 12 | OT 17 | Pentecost 7
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...

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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
Nazish Naseem
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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