A DIFFERENT UNDERSTANDING A friend's five-year-old son had been confused concerning the family's Christmas tradition of gathering in a circle, holding hands, to say grace before the big holiday meal. In prior years he had…
Sermon Illustrations
CHRISTMAS IN HEAVEN I 've had my first Christmas in heaven, A glorious, wonderful day! I stood with saints of the ages, Who found Christ the Truth and the Way. I sang with the heavenly…
IT'S CHRISTMAS IN THE CITY New York City in December: cold, windy, filled with busy, preoccupied people. My destination is an apartment building which has been "renovated" by an ambitious landlord into what is known…
CHRISTMAS TIME OF YEAR Christmas is the time of year, Gifts bring children lots of cheer. Later come the winter chills, When Dad and Mom receive the bills!
NO ONE MISSED HIM George Mason's life centered in his business. He lived alone, and on this Christmas refused all invitations. On Christmas Eve, after his employees left, he went into the office vault to…
CHRISTMAS SPECIAL EFFECTS Pontius Puddle, a frog prince cartoon character that appears every week in the United Methodist Reporter, tells his friend, the turtle, "I told our children's class the Christmas story - how the…
A LONELY CHRISTMAS CONTRAST The turkey's roasting in the oven. The kids are still overwhelmed By all the candy and toys. Aunt Emma's 'coaching' mom On the finer points of cooking. Uncle Henry's still looking…
"The Watchers" A Winter's night, dark and dreary, A Breath of cold makes all seem eerie. The watchers wait, huddled there, Amidst the flocks within their care. As each lone watcher looks about, Wish his…
A CHEAP HOUSE Edwin Markham tells the story in his Poem, "The Parable of the Builders," of a rich man who desired to do good to his fellows. He came upon a poor peasant who…
A JOKE BEFORE THE MEAL A man who knew little about Friends' ways was a bit uneasy when he was invited to a Quaker home for dinner. "I needn't have worried at all," he reported…
HIS NEIGHBOR WAS HIS SON A medical doctor was enjoying a much needed and much deserved vacation with his family aboard a luxury cruise liner. One morning he was strolling the deck when he noticed…
HITTING BOTTOM IS A KILLER Half-way down a steep, winding hill in the north of England a man stopped his car to ask a woman at her gate if the hill was dangerous. "Not 'ere…
CONFUSING AND DANGEROUS TIMES In the speech, "The Decline in Ethics" William A. Dimana refers to a cartoon from the Wall Street Journal. The cartoon shows a politician at the podium, saying "Confusing, dangerous times…
GIFT OF LIFE In December of 1988 the Soviet province of Armenia suffered a tragic earthquake, which killed some 55,000 people. Out of that tragedy came the story of Susanna Petrosyan. On the day of…
DO IT ANYWAY Bishop Able Muzore tells of a critical period in his life when he had been asked by his people to lead the African National Council. He knew that all previous leaders in…
Age | Appearance | Counterfeits | Deceit | Honesty | Humor | Hypocrisy | Imitation | Replicas | Time
SHOOT AT AN ANGLE During the 1920's property boom in Florida, the Mizner brothers ran an "antiquing" factory at which pieces of furniture, timber, tatuary, and other items were treated to give the impression of…
WHAT COMES NEXT? When working with an enthusiastic visionary, we must remember that not every vision is God's plan for our church. It took me years to learn this principle, but when I did, I…
PRINCE OR DADDY Watching a particular romantic ending to a Disney animated video, my five-year-old sighed, "I hope I meet my prince someday," she said wistfully "Of course you will," I reassured her. "You know,…
RETOLD STORY OF KINDNESS We were sent this story from Context, November 1, 1991 published by Claretian Publications, Chicago, Illinois. Context took a story from Guideposts which had retold it from Acts of Compassion: Caring…
CLIMB TOGETHER At school a few years ago there was a summer school course in "Group and Interpersonal Relationships." About a dozen people took the class and at the end of it they decided they…
