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Stephen M. Crotts

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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
Committed To The Committed One? -- Luke 9:51-62 -- Stephen M. Crotts -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - C -- 2003
Try this experiment. Turn your radio on. Now dial it to your favorite station.
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
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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