Category: Jonathan Azzarello
My name is Jonathan Azzarello. I am a worship pastor at my church, but my first ministry has always been to my family. I love to write and tell stories of all kinds. When my children were young (and some of them still are), I would make up stories to tell them at bedtime. One of the first stories I ever told them was the story of the Deer and the Lion. I wanted to help them understand the depth of Jesus’ love and sacrifice for us. My kids loved these stories and I loved telling them. More than that, it helped to engage in meaningful gospel conversations.
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The Sinking Island
Once upon a time, there was an island in the middle of the ocean. It was a beautiful, tropical island. It was almost like paradise. The people who lived there loved their island. They had everything they would ever need, and there was no reason for them ever to leave. That is, no reason but… Read more
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Bryan the Branch
Bryan, the tree branch had fallen from his home. A giant gust of wind blew in and broke him right off of the tree. As Bryan fell to the ground, he looked up at the tree, and said, “ I shouldn’t be down here. I’ve got to figure out how to get back up.” “Good… Read more
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Stuck In Pluff Mud
Cindy and Mike were best friends. One of their favorite things to do was to walk on the beach next to the lighthouse at low tide and collect seashells. But this beach was no ordinary beach. It was a dangerous place. There were alligators, stingrays, jellyfish, and worst of all, pluff mud. Pluff mud is… Read more
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Victor the Racehorse
Victor was a racehorse—if you can even call him that. He was too small and too slow to keep up with the other horses. Victor watched the bigger horses galloping through the fields as fast as lightning, and he wanted so badly to be like them. He even tried to run fast when no one… Read more
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Lost in the Valley of Shadows
It was cold and dark in the Valley of Shadows as two sheep named Monte and Misty wandered cautiously through the grassy path that was surrounded by thick forests. There were giant hills on either side of the path that blocked the sun, so even during the middle of the day, it was still black… Read more
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The Fastest Race Car
Willie, Ben, and Molly watched as their dad’s race car crossed the finish line in first place. They cheered and high-fived as dad held up the trophy. They were proud of their dad because he was the fastest race car driver in town, and nobody else could even come close to beating him. “When… Read more
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The Deer and the Lion
Once there was a deer named Derek who loved to play in the woods. He liked to find other animals to play with and run around with. But Derek had one rule that his parents gave him. He was not allowed to go into the open meadow. The meadow was a big grassy field where… Read more
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Captain Gold and the Pirate Ship
Captain Gold was the scariest pirate to ever sail the seven seas. He had a long black beard and a peg leg, and his sword was made of solid gold. He and his pirate crew would attack other ships at sea and steal their gold. This is how he got his name. Everyone feared Captain… Read more
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The Bike Maker
Colton wanted a new bike because his was old, rusty, and falling apart. All of Colton’s friends had nice bikes that were given to them by the mysterious bike maker. Nobody knew who the bike maker was, but he would make the best bikes and leave them at people’s houses along with a note that… Read more
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What Is “More Than Fables”
Whether it’s bedtime, family devotion time, or just story time, we are committed to telling entertaining and enjoyable tales that also point to Jesus. Read more