SNAKES ARE NOT FOR PETTING Little Joshua Harris had found a new friend in the front yard of his grandmother's home in Loveland, Colorado. This two-and-a-half-year-old boy reached down to pet his new friend before…
Sermon Illustrations
WHEN GOD FELT GOOD James Whitcomb Riley tells in a poem about the death of a worker in a shop. As the workmen stood around on the day of his funeral, talking about him, one…
SELLING OUT SPELLING A teen-age tourist approached a business man in a busy section of Denver, Colorado. He asked the man if he could help him find a place. He continued, "I think it starts…
THE GROWING NEED FOR THE GOSPEL If every unbeliever in the world were to be lined up in single file, that line would reach around the world thirty times, and that line is growing by…
RIDE WITH ME, SIR Making my way around the line of M1A1 Abrams tanks and M2 Bradley fighting vehicles was a routine task. But the voice and message that came across the radio of the…
A CERTIFICATE WORTH KEEPING Periodically my wallet needs cleaning. Outdated papers and cards double its intended thickness. Recently, as I was sorting through the "important" documents I have carried around for so long, I found…
A LOVING CHURCH Is defined by the quality of caring, not the age of the church. Is a "home" where one's fears, joys, yearnings and aspirations can be shared without fear of condemnation and rejection.…
CHRISTIAN TERMS BAFFLE MAJORITY A recent poll by the Barna Research Group reveals that the Christian church is preaching its message in terms that most people do not understand. A nationwide survey of American adults…
EMPTY PREACHING I once heard a preacher who sorely tempted me to say I would go to church no more... A snow storm was falling around us. The snow storm was real, the preacher merely…
THE HIGH COST OF CHURCH GROWTH A few years ago, the church I pastored purchased a 36,000 square foot nightclub. My treasurer at the time said that the building looked as if it had been…
TOO MANY OBLIGATIONS A pastor approached one of the wealthiest members of his congregation about making a pledge to the church. The man informed the pastor that he had many obligations already. He asked if…
THE FLYING FLOWER GIRL Of all the weddings I have conducted, none was more memorable than that of a young couple from our church in Arizona. It was a large wedding with many attendants, including…
AN OLD LOVE LETTER What is it like to read a nine-hundred-year old love letter? Russian archeologist Vanentin Yanin knows. He and his team unearthed Russia's oldest known love letter in a dig at a…
GOD'S HAND IN OUR LIVES Sir Hubert Von Herkomer, the artist, persuaded his aging father to come and live with him. The father was also a sculptor. The father often spent his evenings modeling in…
FORGIVENESS CAN'T BE UNDONE There was an old and kindly doctor who was noted for his skill and his godliness. After his death, when his books were examined, several accounts were found where he had…
MINISTRY OF THE SCRIPTURES The living and powerful Word of God ministers to us with comfort and hope during times of suffering. Journalist Terry Anderson was kidnapped by Shiite Moslem fundamentalists on March 15, 1985…
SWEET TASTE OF PROVERBS Someone should make Christian fortune cookies with the proverbs written on the paper inside. Fortune cookies are fun, aren't they? I know that when I get a fortune cookie, I eagerly…
MEN OF FAITH In 1845, the Southern Baptist Convention was organized in the First Baptist Church in Augusta, Georgia. As a tribute to the faith of the founding fathers of that great denomination, the church…
MORE MEN OF FAITH Someone else observed that: "The majority sees the obstacles; the few see the objectives; oblivion is the reward of the former while history records the successes of the latter."
WORKER OR INHABITANT "How long did John Smith work for you?" a former employer was asked. "About four hours" was the quick reply. "Why he told me that he had been there for some time."…
