THE SWISS MISS In the 1940's the Swiss watch was the most prestigious and best built watch in the world. Eighty percent of the watches sold in the world were made in Switzerland. In the…
Sermon Illustrations
STANDING TOGETHER Peter Golenbock tells how Jackie Robinson rises from the Negro Leagues to become the first black Major Leaguer. He writes that Racism is not a simple thing, but in the context of baseball,…
OVERLOADED SOLDIERS or ONWARD CHRISTIAN SHOPPERS Onward Christian soldiers, marching as to war, Stopping at each shop, to buy a little more. Christ, the Royal Master, leads against the foe, But with so much baggage,…
HOW TO FIX THE WORLD A small boy, filled with all kinds of playful ideas anxiously awaited his father's return from work. An extra long day at the office, however, had taken its toll and…
UNWRAPPING CHRISTMAS It's getting tougher all the time to unwrap Christmas. Modern technology has given us shrink wrap, which defies all attempts to tear it, fiber strapping tape which some knives won't cut and epoxy…
PERSONALIZED DIRECTIONS Pastor Clifford S. Stewart of Louisville, Kentucky, sent his parents a microwave oven one Christmas. Here's how he recalls the experience: "They were excited that now they, too, could be a part of…
FREDERICK BUECHNER'S CHRISTMAS Those who believe in God can never in a way be sure of him again. Once they have seen him in a stable, they can never be sure where he will appear…
DEVIL DAD Asked by a friend if she really thinks there is a devil, the little girl replied, "It'll probably be like Santa Claus... my father."
A SURPRISE BIRTHDAY During college years, my roommate and I planned a surprise birthday party for Herb, a mutual friend. After arrangements were made and invitations were issued, we waited expectantly for the day to…
A STRANGE NAME A young wife, wishing to announce the birth of her first child to a friend in a distant city, telegraphed: "Isaiah 9:6." Which passage begins, "For unto us a child is born,…
THE LIGHT OF CHRISTMAS EVE We light candles on this night before Christmas to symbolize the light which Christ brings to our darkness. We spread the light one to another, just as the Gospel is…
UNKNOWN BENEFICIARY One of my wealthier neighbors told me of the merriest Christmas he ever experienced. He said, "One Christmas Eve I locked my office door and started home, feeling the Spirit of Christmas had…
OBEDIENCE IS BETTER THAN PRESENTS How many observe Christ's birthday! How few his precepts! O! 'tis easier to keep holidays than commandments. From Poor Richard's Almanac, by Benjamin Franklin
C.S. LEWIS: MYTH AND FACT Now as myth transcends thought, Incarnation transcends myth. The heart of Christianity is a myth which is also a fact. The old myth of the Dying God, without ceasing to…
HE TOOK OUR PLACE My son was three years old and suffering from encephalitis. He had been poked and probed and endured the usual painful procedures. We didn't know if he would recover. As I…
CHRISTMAS IS Christmas is a gift of love wrapped in human flesh and tied securely with the strong promises of God. Christmas is angelic music in the form of carol and oratorio with a celestial…
NO SURPRISE My poor sister Teresa never had the opportunity to be surprised by her Christmas presents as a child. She wanted so badly to know what she was getting, she was willing to do…
A HEARING HEART The old man came into the worship service shortly after it started. He sat at the end of my row, with two vacant seats between us. A noticeable hearing aid was in…
A LEG TO STAND ON Lisa Love won a spot on the cheerleading squad in the spring of her junior year in high school. A month later, she had to have her leg amputated. Over…
SOVIET SPIRITUALITY Alexander Solzhenitsyn once said that the next spiritual revival may come from the Soviet Union. When he said that many years ago, he was not taken seriously. But perhaps the people who have…
