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Stephen M. Crotts

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Two Harvests -- Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - A -- 2004
All of the Bible is inspired.
What Is Success? -- Matthew 7:21-29 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - A -- 2004
Erma Bombeck wrote, "I can't remember the name of the man who spoke at my high school commencement,
How To Motivate People -- Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - A -- 2004
A few years ago a fellow took me on a tour of his sock manufacturing plant.
God, The Enemy -- Matthew 10:24-39 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 2004
Do you remember when Timothy McVeigh, the man responsible for the bombing of the federal building in
In Our Pastor's Success, So Is Our Own! -- Matthew 10:40-42 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - A -- 2004
Did you hear about the farm boy who always wondered what would happen if he twisted the tail on the
Try This On For Size! -- Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - A -- 2004
One church has an organ that many sweated, sacrificed, and slaved to buy. Its cost was astounding!
His Last Command ... Our First Concern! -- Matthew 28:16-20 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - A -- 2004
In the fall of 1971, I visited Leo Tolstoy's home in Moscow.
Sick And Tired Of Being Sick And Tired? -- Matthew 9:35--10:8 (9-23) -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - A -- 2004
"Heal the sick," Jesus commanded (Matthew 10:8).
Final Touch! -- Luke 6:20-31 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- All Saints Day - C -- 2003
When Sean O'Malley died in Ireland and was dutifully laid out in his casket for viewing at his wake,
The Crowd That Watched God Die -- Luke 23:33-43 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - C -- 2003
Have you ever noticed how people are attracted to the scene of tragedy?
What The Church Should Be Doing Until The Second Coming -- Luke 21:5-19 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - C -- 2003
In folklore and literature there are many famous deadlines.
Whom Christ Commended -- Luke 7:1-10 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C -- 2003
A new soldier, having just completed jump school at Fort Benning, Georgia, stood proudly at attentio
Grace Encounters -- Luke 7:11-17 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - C -- 2003
Several years ago at one of the Lausanne Missions Conferences, something remarkable was decided.
Incident At A Table -- Luke 7:36--8:3 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - C -- 2003
Many of the great events of history have taken place at tables.
The New Man For Our Time -- Luke 8:26-39 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - C -- 2003
This is the time of the year when new cars are unveiled.
How Good News Spreads! -- Luke 10:1-11, 16-20 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - C -- 2003
In 1971 I made a trip to Russia.
How To Break A Bad Habit For Good! -- John 8:31-36 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Reformation Sunday - C -- 2003
After helping his child with homework, a man said to his wife, "I wish we still had those kinds of p
Let's Talk Turkey -- John 6:25-35 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Thanksgiving Day - C -- 2003
Let's talk turkey!
You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet! -- John 16:12-15 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C -- 2003
Before Christopher Columbus, the Spanish flag bore the motto, "No More Beyond." Spain was a mighty e
Who's Afraid Of The Holy Ghost? -- John 14:8-17 (25-27) -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Day of Pentecost - C -- 2003
Ellen Ann is a pretty little six-year-old who has grown up in a lovely home that is next door to a t
A Show Of Hands -- Luke 10:25-37 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - C -- 2003
How does one describe love for another person?
A Woman's Place -- Luke 10:38-42 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C -- 2003
In 1999 I traveled in North Africa.
Thanksgiving When You Don't Feel Like It -- Luke 17:11-19 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - C -- 2003
Have you ever had this experience?
Praying Through -- Luke 18:1-8 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - C -- 2003
No doubt you have heard about the postal service's "Dead Letter Department." That's the place where
Worship Wars! -- Luke 18:9-14 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - C -- 2003
We pastors call it The Worship Wars.
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...

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The Immediate Word

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For July 6, 2025:

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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.

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2 Kings 5:1-14
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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
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(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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