DEGREES OF PRAISE BA - Born Again MA - Marvelously Altered PhD - Praise Him Daily From John Seville, Lakewood, Colorado
Sermon Illustrations
DIVINE FLATTERY As we continue to praise the Lord we should be reminded that he knows the difference between praise and flattery...
Character | Faith | Fruit | Joy | Justification | Praise | Salvation | Thanks | Thanksgiving | Works
THANKFUL FRUIT The Heidelberg Catechism of 1563 asks, "But does this doctrine (justification by faith) make men careless and profane?" and offers this answer: "No; for it is impossible that those who are implanted into…
KEEPING CONTENTMENT In John Reynolds' "Anecdotes of the Rev. John Wesley" (1828) he tells the story of Wesley's student days at Lincoln College in Oxford. A Porter knocked on Wesley's door one evening and asked…
ALWAYS REASON TO PRAISE While on their honeymoon, the bride attempted to press the trousers of her husband's new suit with an iron received as a wedding present. When she applied the hot iron, part…
THREE WAYS TO GIVE There are three ways of giving: Grudge giving, duty giving and thanksgiving. Grudge giving says, "I have to." Duty giving says, "I ought to." And thanksgiving says, "I want to!" Grudge…
LUTHER'S SACRISTY PRAYER (I first read this in the sacristy of the 32nd Street Base Chapel in San Diego, California, when I was there officiating at a wedding.) Lord God, Father in Heaven, I am…
EYES FOR OTHERS "An old man showed up at the back door of the house we were renting. Opening the door a few cautious inches, we saw his eyes were glassy and his furrowed face…
POLITICAL FANTASIES "THEY SAID IT - OR MIGHT HAVE" Here are a few quotes - either specifically quoted or should have been... a few possible thoughts of various personalities -- thanks, as always, to writers…
WISE FAMILY VALUES One wise father said, "My family's all grown and the kids are all gone. But if I had it to do all over again, this is what I would do: "I would…
READY TO GO The small community in Texas where I pastored had a fine custom of having a community Thanksgiving worship service. The year our church hosted this worship event, the spirit of fellowship and…
SEASONED FRIENDS Oliver Wendell Homes wrote: "There is no friend like an old friend who has shared our morning days, no greeting like his welcome, no homage like his praise." All of us would like…
UNGRATEFUL & UNGIVING In a recent Snuffy Smith by Fred Lasswell, Snuffy's buddy Zeke steps outside and hollers, "HEY, SNUFFY!! You can come on back in th' barn dance now!! Th' fiddlers are all done…
WHO DETERMINES ATTITUDES? One day Sydney J. Harris of the Chicago Daily News walked with his friend to a newstand to purchase a newspaper. The friend thanked the vendor politely, but the vendor remained coldly…
CHARACTER IS NO GIFT Good character is more to be praised than outstanding talent. Most talents are, to some extent, a gift. Good character, by contrast, is not given to us. We have to build…
DID GOD LIKE IT? Melissa, one the active, faithful young leaders of our congregation shared with me a story. She and her family were driving along in their van one day singing camp songs and…
GOTTA TRY IT There was a young man hitchhiking through the southern portion of the United States. A farmer driving an old pickup truck stopped to give him a lift. As they rode along, they…
A MINORITY VIEW? Rev David Francoeur, the editor of The Ecclesiastical Times, reports that two resolutions introduced at the General Convention of the Episcopal Church in Phoenix, AZ, did not receive the attention of the…
THE BACKGROUND OF PRAISE On the opening night of the Central Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, which was held at First UMC, Ft. Worth, we sang that glorious hymn of praise by…
TIME TO LIVE A man returned to his home-town after a prolonged absence. As he asked questions about his old friends, he learned that one boy was now a leading citizen, a girl in his…
