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Timothy F. Merrill

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Where's Jesus? -- John 20:1-18, Acts 10:34-43, 1 Corinthians 15:19-26, Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 -- Timothy F. Merrill, Constance Berg, Richard A. Jensen -- Easter Day - C -- 2013
Contents"Where's Jesus?" by Timothy F. Merrill
Fake Fire -- John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15, Acts 2:1-21, Romans 8:22-27, Psalm 104:24-34, 35b -- Timothy F. Merrill, Richard A. Jensen -- Day of Pentecost - B -- 2012
Contents"Fake Fire" by Timothy Merrill
Sons From Far Away, Daughters In Nurses' Arms -- John 1:(1-9) 10-18, Jeremiah 31:7-14, Ephesians 1:3-14, Psalm 147:12-20 -- David O. Bales, Frank Ramirez, Timothy F. Merrill -- Second Sunday after Christmas - B -- 2008
ContentsWhat's Up This Week
Sons From Far Away, Daughters In Nurses' Arms -- Matthew 2:1-12, Isaiah 60:1-6, Ephesians 3:1-12, Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14 -- David O. Bales, Frank Ramirez, Timothy F. Merrill -- Epiphany of the Lord - A -- 2008
ContentsWhat's Up This Week
Translator's Preface: April, 1919 -- Luke 14:1, 7-14, Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16, Jeremiah 2:4-13, Psalm 81:1, 10-16 -- David O. Bales, Frank R. Fisher, Timothy F. Merrill -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C -- 2007
ContentsWhat's Up This Week
Terminally Shy -- Luke 14:25-33, Philemon 1:1-21, Jeremiah 18:1-11, Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18 -- Scott Dalgarno, Argile Smith, Timothy F. Merrill -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - C -- 2007
ContentsWhat's Up This Week "Terminally Shy" by Scott Dalgarno
A Thanksgiving Miracle -- John 6:25-35, Philippians 4:4-9, Deuteronomy 26:1-11, Psalm 100 -- John E. Sumwalt, Fanny Lee Seville, Timothy F. Merrill -- Thanksgiving Day - C -- 2007
Contents What's Up This Week "A Thanksgiving Miracle" by John Sumwalt
What's The Stick For? -- Luke 23:33-43, Colossians 1:11-20, Jeremiah 23:1-6, Luke 1:68-79 -- C. David Mckirachan, Timothy F. Merrill -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - C -- 2007
Contents What's Up This Week "What's the Stick for?" by C. David McKirachan
Finishing Together -- Mark 1:4-11, Genesis 1:1-5, Acts 19:1-7, Psalm 29 -- Betty Lynn Schwab, Constance Berg, Charles Cammarata, Timothy F. Merrill -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B -- 2006
Contents What's Up This Week A Story to Live By: "Finishing Together"

SermonStudio

A Song Of Mary -- Isaiah 9:2-7 -- Timothy F. Merrill -- The Nativity of our Lord - C -- 2003
During the fourteenth century, the greatest pestilence swept through Europe that has ever been recor
The Stuttering Syndrome -- Colossians 3:12-17 -- Timothy F. Merrill -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - C -- 2003
Sean Lebowitz is an eighteen-year-old freshman at SUNY-Binghampton. He is also a stutterer.
On The Transplant List -- Luke 23:1-49 -- Timothy F. Merrill -- Passion Sunday - C -- 2003
In August of 1988, Shelly Arrollo was told by doctors that she had a rare disease called "polyarteri
The Re-gifting Dilemma -- Jeremiah 33:14-16 -- Timothy F. Merrill -- First Sunday of Advent - C -- 2003
I confess.
God's Resolutions -- Jeremiah 31:7-14 -- Timothy F. Merrill -- Second Sunday after Christmas - C -- 2003
Last year, I decided to get in better shape.
Fake Fire -- Acts 2:1-21 -- Timothy F. Merrill -- Day of Pentecost - C -- 2003
I live in Colorado, a beautiful place to live.
Cheerleading At Christmas -- Philippians 1:3-11 -- Timothy F. Merrill -- Second Sunday of Advent - C -- 2003
Cheerleading is big -- especially in Texas and Oklahoma.
Cigarette Taxes And Toy Bears -- Luke 10:25-37 -- Timothy F. Merrill -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - C -- 2003
Come July 1 of every year, new laws go into effect in many states across the country.
The Holy Land Experience -- Zephaniah 3:14-20 -- Timothy F. Merrill -- Third Sunday of Advent - C -- 2003
No one in their right mind would want to visit the Holy Land now.
The Super Cell Phone -- Luke 10:38-42 -- Timothy F. Merrill -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C -- 2003
My youngest daughter and I traveled to Hong Kong not long ago.
Bethlehem Hope -- Micah 5:2-5a -- Timothy F. Merrill -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - C -- 2003
Bethlehem in December, 1995, was a far cry from Bethlehem of 4 B.C., or even the Bethlehem of 2003.
The Success Of Failure -- Hosea 1:2-10 -- Timothy F. Merrill -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C -- 2003
Not long ago, Mariah Carey, 31, was released from her contract with EMI/Virgin Records after a serie
No Saints Here! -- Luke 6:20-31 -- Timothy F. Merrill -- All Saints Day - C -- 2003
The area around Brighton, Colorado, some twenty miles northwest of Denver, has until recently been a
Driving Lessons -- Colossians 3:1-11 -- Timothy F. Merrill -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - C -- 2003
Consider this scenario: You're driving on the local Interstate.
Microsoft *#!@&* -- Acts 1:1-11 -- Timothy F. Merrill -- Ascension of the Lord - C -- 2003
I don't want to use profane language in these pages, so I am going to resort to euphemism.
"Will You Watch My Stuff?" -- Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16 -- Timothy F. Merrill -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - C -- 2003
I was on the third leg of a five-part trip that had taken me from Denver to Dallas to Chicago to Cle
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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John Jamison
Object: This is a role play activity.

Note: You will need to select six children to play roles in this activity. If you have a smaller group, you might ask some older youth or even adults to play the parts of the two attackers and the man being attacked. I will give suggestions for how they can play their roles, but feel free to help your children make the story as fun and memorable as you can. I have used boys and girls in the various roles, but you can change those however you want to change them.

* * *

The Immediate Word

Dean Feldmeyer
Katy Stenta
Thomas Willadsen
Christopher Keating
George Reed
Mary Austin
Nazish Naseem
For July 13, 2025:
  • Samaritans Among Us by Dean Feldmeyer based on Acts 2:1-21. Samaritans were despised and dismissed by the original audience who first heard Jesus tell this parable. Who are the Samaritans in our lives and how does this parable apply today?

StoryShare

Frank Ramirez
I say, “You are gods,
    children of the Most High, all of you;
nevertheless, you shall die like mortals
    and fall like any prince….”
(vv. 6-7)

There have been any number of brother-sister acts that achieved a measure of fame. Take the Carpenters, famed for their singing, musicianship, and songwriting skills. Also worthy of mention are John and Joan Cusack who have acted together in over sixteen films.

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Wayne Brouwer
An ancient legend tells of a remote mountain village where people used to send their senior citizens out into the woods to die. The villagers had an eye to the future; they felt that those beyond a certain age would only slow down progress or use up valuable resources to no economically profitable end. Those who reached a certain age weren’t “put out to pasture” or “put out of their misery”; they were simply put out of other people’s way.
Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Amos 7:7-17 and Psalm 82
The tallest building in the world is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. It is more than 2,700 feet high—over half a mile tall. It has 160 floors and is twice as tall as the Empire State Building in New York City. It is home to the world’s fastest elevator which reaches speeds of forty miles an hour. The Burj Khalifa also hosts the world’s highest outdoor observation deck (on the 124th floor) and the world’s highest swimming pool (on the 76th floor).

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Mabel hummed a familiar hymn tune as she made her way to church. She always enjoyed her Sunday morning walk. It was one of the few times she felt safe to walk alone through the inner city, for she knew nobody would be up at 7.45 in the morning. Today was a particularly beautiful morning, with blue sky, warm sunshine, and the song of a few intrepid blackbirds who still inhabited the city.

SermonStudio

James Evans
Often, a distinction is made between the pastoral or priestly work of the church and the prophetic work. Pastoral care has to do with the care of souls, the offering of comfort in times of loss. The priestly character of pastoral work seeks to mediate the presence of God to those who are hurting.

Schuyler Rhodes
Trusting is never easy. Even in the best of relationships, people step into trust slowly. There is wariness -- questioning -- worry. What happens if trust is betrayed? What if this doesn't work? Sometimes it's like a dance. We step in and out of trust, moving to the rhythms of fear. For many, the routine is achingly familiar. Indeed, it's not easy to trust.
John Jamison
It was back in the days when the railroad was the most common mode of transportation. There were automobiles, and some airplanes, but the steam locomotive was the way most folks traveled and the way that most of the goods were distributed around the country. After dinner, people sat in the drawing room and listened to the radio programs, fading in and out from some faraway location, over the magical broadcasting signal.
Robert Leslie Holmes
Not many tourists to Washington, D.C., look for the Federal Bureau of Standards offices. It's the Capitol and the White House, the Supreme Court Building or the Smithsonian most of us want to see when we go there. Yet, at the Bureau of Standards offices something very important is stored, something that impacts your life and mine every single day. Have you ever bought the materials for a new project? When you did, most likely you purchased so many inches or feet or yards. Or, you stopped to buy gasoline for your car and purchased it at a certain price per gallon.
David O. Bales
I have the two best jobs in the world. I teach social studies at Leon Griffith Junior High School (a fairly small junior high) and I am Sunday School Superintendent at Calvary Presbyterian Church (an enormous church school). Each job is my vocation. I tell people that at school they'll find my room where the halls cross. At church they can look but probably won't find me. I'll be in someone's classroom. At each job I practice what I most deeply believe: it's how you see the world that determines how you respond to it. I'll give you an example, actually, two examples.
Erskine White
O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed,
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
(Stuart K. Hine)

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