COVENANT PRAYER I am no longer my own, but thine. Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt; Put me to doing, put me to suffering; Let me be employed for…
Sermon Illustrations
THE POPE'S MOM The story is told of the visit which the mother of Pope John XXIII made on her son after he had been elected to the papacy and enthroned in Rome. She was…
ENTHUSIASM Nothing is so contagious as enthusiasm; it moves stones, it charms brutes. Enthusiasm is the genius of sincerity, and truth accomplishes no victories without it. Edward George Earle Bulwer-Lytton, Reader's Digest
THE STUFFINESS OF TIFFANY'S Harpo Marx described the time he challenged Tiffany's: The store was too stuffy for its own good, I told myself, and something had to be done about it. I bought a…
HOW MANY? The census taker knocked on the door of a backwoods shack. An old timer came out, asking what he wanted. "The President has sent us across the country to find out how many…
WHICH WAY TO LOOK? Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, faith looks up. Quoted in Guideposts Magazine
TROUBLES AND BLESSINGS Too bad we can't forget our troubles as easily as we sometimes forget our blessings. Corner Stones
CHILDHOOD FEARS I have been reading Annie Dillard's autobiography this past week. It is a book rich in memories of childhood in the 50's. Dillard won the Pulitzer Prize in 1975 for her book Pilgrim…
COMMUNICATION Annie Dillard's book reminded me of the old joke about the fellow who goes to the lumber yard and asks for some four-by-two's. The clerk says, "You mean two-by-fours, don't you?" He says, "Just…
THE EIGHTIES WOMAN Woman to date: "Tell me, Donald, do you think I'm too aggressive? I want a straight answer and I want it now." Cotham in Cosmopolitan
A PRIVATE LOVE AFFAIR WITH BOOKS One last item from Annie Dillard's book, which is simply rich in quotable stories from childhood. She tells of the powerful impact of the Homewood branch of the Carnegie…
LIFE VALUES Charlemagne attempted to put the Roman Empire back together again. He was a powerful man and a mighty general. His life's goal was to rule the world. When his grave was discovered, they…
WHERE IT COMES FROM "Be especially careful of this dining-room table," the woman told the men refinishing her floors. "It goes back to Louis the Fourteenth." A man replied, "Don't feel bad, if I don't…
TIMING The warden explained to the condemned man that he could have anything he wanted for his last meal. "Would you like lobster? Filet mignon or beef Wellington? Maybe some caviar or shrimp cocktail?" "Nah,"…
WHERE IT HAPPENS How come nearly all historical events happen next door to a souvenir shop? Los Angeles Times Syndicate
LION AND THE BIBLE "The way you defend the Bible is the same way you defend a lion, you just let it loose." Charles Spurgeon
MET A CHRISTIAN? A father was teaching his son what a Christian should be like. When the lesson was over, the father got a stab he never forgot. The little boy asked, "Dad have I…
WHY ARE YOU BLUSHING? Raphael was painting his famous Vatican frescoes when a couple of cardinals stopped by to criticize. "The face of the Apostle Paul is too red," one commented. Raphael replied, "He blushes…
WHO YOU LIVE WITH The man who lives by himself and for himself is apt to be corrupted by the company he keeps. Charles H. Parkhurst, American reformer
FROM THE MOUTHS OF BABES It was a blistering hot day, the house was full of guests, and things weren't going too well. Finally, the hostess got everyone seated for dinner and asked her seven-year-old…
