THE POOR IN SPIRIT Blessed are the poor in spirit,/they are gentle lambs among wolves. Blessed are all the un-proud; they already have what the prideful seek./Blessed are these who are both vulnerable and mighty,…
Sermon Illustrations
THE HARD WORK OF HATRED It is hard work to hate someone. You have to make yourself deliberately stupid. You have to hold on to grievances, bad memories, and prejudices - hold on with a…
DIRECTION A waitress was once asked how she managed to carry all those dishes of food through the crowd without spilling any. She replied, "I look where I'm going, and not at the food!"
BUILDING THE CHURCH TOGETHER A teacher of a second grade Vacation Bible School class learned a valuable lesson. About an hour before dismissal, a new student was brought into the room. The young boy was…
SAME OLD CROWD A saloon keeper sold his old tavern to a local church. Enthusiastic church members tore out the bar, added some lights, gave the whole place a fresh coat of paint, and installed…
INSURANCE POLICY During the midst of the Great Depression of the 1930's, a poverty-burdened older woman approached the front desk of an insurance office in Minneapolis. She wanted to know if she could stop making…
I AM NOW ONE OF THEM In his book Christ Followers in the Real World, Gordon MacDonald includes a letter written in the third century by Cyprian of Carthage to his friend Donatus. "This seems…
SWEET AND SOUR ORANGES Before China was unified two thousand years ago, King Chi had a wise diplomat. This diplomat was sent to King Tsu to negotiate a treaty. When he was ushered into a…
STAY AT HOME AND OBEY I was only 12 at the time, but feeling somewhat "grown up," especially when my mother came into the living room where I was listening to records. It should have…
ENTERTAINING RELIGION On the Sunday nearest a recent Memorial Day, my wife and I attended a well-known church in Southern California. The church is noted for its pizzazz, but we hardly were prepared for everything…
EXCESS BAGGAGE A man at an airport was worried about missing his plane. He had no wristwatch and could not locate a clock, so he hurried up to a total stranger and said, "Excuse me,…
AN UNFRIENDLY TEAM The 1992 Winter Olympics saw many changes in the traditional national teams. For the first time Lituania and other Eastern Block countries had independent representation. There no longer was a Soviet team,…
QUIET ACTS OF LOVE "Last fall near the Yugoslav-Hungarian border, I met a remarkable man. The tag on his car read "MORTICIAN," but he was a Reformed pastor. In multiple trips from Croatia, he had…
IRONING LIFE'S WRINKLES Afflictions can serve to refine our faith. The trials of our faith are like God's ironing. When the heat of trials is applied to our lives, the wrinkles of spiritual immaturity begin…
THE RACE "Quit!" "Give up, you're beaten," they shout and plead, there's just too much against you now, this time you can't succeed. And as I start to hang my head in front of failure's…
VERBAL SUPER GLUE Did you ever use super glue? Ever get any of it on your hands while you were trying to glue something? Not too long ago, I was trying to fix this ceramic…
FORGET YOURSELF If you are wise, you will forget yourself into greatness. Forget your rights, but remember your responsibilities. Forget your inconveniences, but remember your blessings. Forget your own accomplishments, but remember your debts to…
ONE CHICKEN SHORT A customer asked the clerk for a chicken. He went to the ice barrel and pulled out the only chicken he had left. "I want one at least five pounds," responded the…
DEALING WITH FAILURE People who are stopped by failure, see it from a personal perspective. People who are not stopped by failure, see it from a process perspective. Remedy for Being Stopped by Failure: Lighten…
ONE-ARMED LAWYER There is a story of a man who said he was looking for a one-armed lawyer. "A one-armed lawyer?" asked his friend. "How come?" The man replied, "I'm looking for an attorney who…
