Eight-year-old Jeffrey, saying Grace at breakfast, ended with, “We thank you for this beautiful day.” His mother, glancing out the window at an approaching storm, asked, “Why did you say that? This day is anything…
Sermon Illustrations
A fable tells of an ancient Persian King who wanted to discourage his four sons from making rash judgments. At his command, the eldest made a winter journey to see a mango tree. When spring…
Frederick the Great is reported to have said, “The more I get to know people the more I love my dog.” People are strange, aren’t they? Different. Unique. Aggravating. They don’t understand us. They ignore…
A school superintendent and an elementary school principal were conducting a review of an eighth grade teacher’s work. As they entered the classroom through the back door, they heard the teacher say to the tallest…
Have you seen a kindness shown? Pass it on! ’Twas not given to you alone! Pass It on! Let it travel down the years, Let it wipe another’s tears, Till in heaven the deed appears,…
Be kind and merciful. Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile,…
Pick a day, any day. Choose a person . . . then say something unexpected, or nice, or flattering like: “Everyone is secretly in love with you.” Other nice things to say to people are:…
Most of us miss out on life’s big prizes. The Pulitzer. The Nobel. Oscars. Emmys. But we’re all eligible for life’s small pleasures: A pat on the back. A kiss behind the ear. A four-pound…
The Germans have two words for the verb “to know.” One word is “kennen” which means to know with your mind. The other word is “wissen” (pronounce vissen) which means to know at the deepest…
Shortly after President Truman’s death, a panel of veteran journalists appeared on television to reminisce on his life and times. One reporter recalled an incident wherein President and Mrs. Truman were being escorted by a…
A preacher was drawing heavily on his supply of imagery to describe the day of final judgment. “Thunder will boom,” he cried out. “Rivers will overflow,” he shouted. “Flames will shoot down from the heavens…
A bus driver named Steve stopped in to his favorite diner to eat one of his usual meals — a bowl of soup, two thick slabs of roast beef, three baked potatoes, four rolls and…
To match the cry of agony, there is the laugh of defiance. To stem the flow of tears, there is the laugh of courage. To do battle with the moan of despair there is the…
A famous Christian preacher was fond of telling the story of two diamonds. One of the diamonds was out in the bright sunlight, sparkling with life, flashing brilliantly from every one of a thousand facets.…
“You don’t believe that God lives in Heaven?” asked the Preacher. “No,” replied the little boy, “He lives in the bathroom. I know because every morning my dad stands by the door and shouts, ‘My…
A Church newsletter included this essay by an eight-year-old boy. His third grade Sunday School teacher had asked her students to write about what “God’s jobs” are. ”One of God’s main jobs is making people.…
It was French writer Voltaire who said, “If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him.” Considering how the world is today, it’s strange that so far no one has applied for…
A Protestant Bishop hailed a cab in front of Grand Central Station in New York City. “Take me to Christ Church,” he instructed the driver. The taxi driver obliged him by making the short drive…
A famous preacher went one day to visit a farmer who was a member of his Church. On a windmill on the farm were written the words, GOD IS LOVE. “Do you mean,” asked the…
Jesus said to the disciples: “I came to cast fire on the earth; and would that it were already kindled!” (Luke 12:49). The famous author, Somerset Maugham, received a batch of short stories submitted by…
