RATIONALIZATION One of my favorite cartoons is by Jules Feiffer. It shows a born loser type of guy talking to himself and trying to jack up himself with the following interior monologue: "No such thing…
Sermon Illustrations
MOTIVATION A wealthy businessman hosted a spectacular party in which he had filled his swimming pool with sharks, barracuda and other assorted dangerous fish. He announced to his guests that he would like to challenge…
THINKING A man bought a new gadget- unassembled, of course-and after reading and rereading the instructions couldn't figure out how it went together. Finally, he sought the help of an old handyman who was working…
ATTITUDE People grow old only by deserting their ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up interest wrinkles the soul. You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt; as…
INTERVIEWING A young minister was being interviewed by a church board for the position of pastor. One old hard-working Irishman who was on the board looked at the young man sternly and asked, "Young man,…
THE GAMBLER'S ILLUSION A gambling nut bet on twelve football games over the weekend and lost on all of them. The next weekend, he bet on twelve more football games and lost again. The following…
CHRISTIAN JARGON After hearing his dad preach on "justification," "sanctification," and all the other "ations," a minister's son was ready when his Sunday School teacher asked if anybody knew what "procrastination" meant. The boy said,…
IT'S STILL NIGHT -- WHEN It was an ancient rabbi who asked his students how they could tell when night had ended and day was on its way back. "Could it be when you see…
BE NOT DISMAYED Be not dismayed if you are overwhelmed By loss that has no answer on its face, Or grief that leaves your very life unhelmed, Or rage that makes you, briefly, lost to…
THE RIVER AND THE WIDE WORLD An occasional delightful illustration can be found in some of the great children's classics. I was reminded of one recently by my friend Ken Johnson of Monrovia, CA. He…
TRUTH THAT MAY HURT When a stranger identifies you from a friend's description, it's best that you don't hear the description.
CHOICES Ed Koch, Mayor of New York City, trying to decide wich Democratic candidate he will support in 1984 for the Presidency: "If I support Ted Kennedy, there would be cruises, jet-set parties and long,…
COMMUNICATION -- ON HEARING DIFFERENT MESSAGES Two old ladies were sitting on the front porch one evening. One was listening to the crickets chirping. The other was listening to a choir rehearsing in the church…
DETAILS MAKE THE DIFFERENCE There must be detail in every great work. It is an element of effectiveness which no reach of plan, no enthusiasm of purpose, can dispense with. Thus, if a man conceives…
COMMUNICATION Ron Davis, Minnesota Twins pitcher, objecting to a newspaper story in which he was quoted as criticizing the club's management for trading away many of its top players: "All I said was that the…
COMMUNICATING DELICATE TRUTH TO TENDER EARS Each week a New York youngster would bring home from Sunday School an illustrated card that dramatized one of the Ten Commandments. The first week showed people worshipping at…
A TURN OF PHRASE The following story is from Bruce Larson's commentary on Luke from The Communicator's Commentary, p. 250. I heard two children who studied the story of Lot's wife in Sunday School and…
FORCEFUL PERSUASION Suppose most folks at one time or another have shuffled through their mail and have dropped certain pieces into the wastebasket unopened. It isn't a very recommendable practice, because something important could accidentally…
MIXED MESSAGE I saw a guy the other day that reminded me of an old story I hadn't thought of for years. But it's one of my favorites. A man came up to a fellow…
WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS -- COMMON SENSE One day little Sally, in Peanuts, is distraught. She complains to her brother, Charlie Brown, "I'm doomed! I have to write a report on rivers and it's due…
