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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"

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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.
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.
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.
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
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Easter 4
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160+ – Illustrations / Stories
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140+ – Illustrations / Stories
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30 – Worship Resources
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Easter 6
30 – Sermons
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
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5 – Pastor's Devotions
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New & Featured This Week

Emphasis Preaching Journal

David Kalas
In the sometimes-tiresome debate over science and scripture with respect to creation, it’s easy to become distracted. While the argument typically requires a focus on the how, we may lose sight of the what. And so, for just a moment, let me invite us to think for a moment about what God created.
Mark Ellingsen
Frank Ramirez
Bonnie Bates
Bill Thomas
Acts 8:26-40
As a local church pastor, I was often asked if I would baptize a child whose family were not members of the church. Some churches rebelled against this, but I remember this scripture — the hunger for understanding and inclusion of the Eunuch and Philp’s response — to teach and share and baptize in the name of our God. How could we turn anyone away from the rite of baptism?

StoryShare

Peter Andrew Smith
“Dad, I think you worked a miracle.” Rolf slowly walked around the tree. “After that windstorm, I assumed this tree was as good as gone.”

“We just needed to give the branches time to heal and come back,” Michael replied.

 “I know, but so many of them were battered and broken I figured that it couldn’t recover. Now though it looks just like it did before the storm.” Rolf paused. “Do you think it will bear any fruit this summer?”

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John Jamison
Object: A live plant that produces fruit, and a broken branch from that plant. I used a tomato plant from a local greenhouse. Ideally, find a plant with blossoms or small fruit already growing. If you use a different kind of fruit-producing plant, just change the script to fit.

* * *

Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Excellent!

The Immediate Word

Christopher Keating
Katy Stenta
Thomas Willadsen
Mary Austin
Elena Delhagen
Dean Feldmeyer
Quantisha Mason-Doll
For April 28, 2024:
  • On The Way To Gaza by Chris Keating based on Acts 8:26-40. On the way to Gaza, Philip discovers the startling ways the Spirit of God moves across borders, boundaries, customs, and traditions.
  • Second Thoughts: Abiding by Katy Stenta based on John 15:1-8.
  • Sermon illustrations by Mary Austin, Tom Willadsen, Elena Delhagen, Dean Feldmeyer.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

Jesus is the vine, we are the branches. In our service today, let us absorb from the vine all the nourishment we need.

Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, sometimes our branches become cut off from the vine.
Lord, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes our branches are withered.
Christ, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes we fail to produce good fruit.
Lord, have mercy.

SermonStudio

Stan Purdum
We will meet Psalm 22 in its entirety on Good Friday, but here the lectionary designates just verses 23-31. The lectionary psalms generally illuminate the week's First Lesson, which in this case is about the covenant initiated by God with Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 17. The nine verses from this psalm, while not inappropriate, nonetheless leave us looking for an obvious connection with the First Lesson.

John S. Smylie
I think some people are natural-born gardeners. Our Lord grew up in a society that was familiar with agriculture. The images that he used to explain the ways of his Father in heaven are familiar to his audience. Growing up, my closest experience to agriculture was living in, "the Garden State." Most people, when they pass through New Jersey, are surprised to see that expression on the license plates of vehicles registered in New Jersey. Most folks traveling through New Jersey experience the megalopolis, the corridor between New York City and Washington DC.
Ron Lavin
A pastor in Indiana went to visit an 87-year-old man named Ermil, who was a hospital patient. A member of his church told the pastor about this old man who was an acquaintance. "He's not a believer, but he is really in need," the church member said. "I met him at the county home for the elderly. He's a lonely old man with no family and no money."

Paul E. Robinson
"Love is a many splendored thing...." Or so we heard Don Cornwall and the Four Aces sing time and again. Of course you or I might have other words to describe love, depending on our situation.

Love. "I love you." "I love to play golf." "I just love pistachio lush!" "It's tough to love some people." "Jesus loves me, this I know."

Love.

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