VOICING PERSPECTIVES A visiting cantor was invited to sing traditional Jewish songs at a Brooklyn synagogue. After the services he was bragging that Lloyd's of London has insured his voice for $750,000 to members of…
Sermon Illustrations
TIED DOWN A henpecked husband went to a psychologist to learn to assert himself. The psychologist told him, "You do not have to accept your wife's bullying," he said. "You need to go home right…
ILLUSTRATIONS ILLUMINATE An illustration never establishes a truth--it illuminates a truth. The right story can give significant velocity to the story . . . From The Anatomy of Preaching, by David L. Larsen, published by…
MARKETING THE CHURCH The most effective means of getting people to experience what a church has to offer is having someone they know who belongs to the church simply invite them to try it. Call…
WALKING TOO FAST A little boy was walking with his father and was having difficulty keeping up with the long strides of his father. His father happened to notice the boy's struggle and asked, "Am…
PREACHING'S PROMISE A new book Between the Bible and the Church: New Methods for Biblical Preaching, by David Bartlett, He writes, "Preaching lives under the promise that, where the Word is faithfully and carefully interpreted,…
FUNERAL COOKIES An old man was laying on his death bed. He had only hours to live when he suddenly smelled chocolate chip cookies. He loved chocolate chip cookies better than anything in the world.…
DEMANDED RESPONSES A heavy-handed demand will not receive a whole- hearted response."
FASTER RELAXATION A high-powered business executive went to the doctor for a routine checkup. The man was obviously overweight, overworked, and overstressed. The doctor suggested that the man try a hobby of some kind--perhaps painting,…
WET PLATE SPECIAL A man from Texas was dining at a fancy restaurant in New York City. The food server brought out bread and a plate. The man looked at the plate and asked the…
CLEANING OUT THE HOSPITAL There was an unusual situation in a South African hospital where every Friday morning a patient would die in the same bed at the hospital regardless of the exact medical condition.…
ALARM CLOCK STRATEGY Janet and Darla were discussing their busy lives. Janet said, "Darla, I must ask you something. Every day I feel incredibly run down and tired. And yet, I see you looking as…
NOTHING LEFT OVER A man is going out of town and needs to board his horse for a couple of months. He asks a local farmer about it and the guy says, "Sure, but I…
BURIED CATFISH Little Jimmy was in the garden filling in a hole when his neighbor peered over the fence. Interested in what the cheeky- faced youngster was up to, he politely asked, "What are you…
DREAM IT & DO IT If you can dream it, you can do it. -- Walt Disney
STARTING SMALL The man who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones. -- Chinese Proverb
BLIND POLICE OFFICER An older lady came home to find that her house had been broken into. She immediately called the police, frantically saying how her house had been burglarized. The nearest unit to her…
BEARLY HUNTING Two men were on an Alaskan bear hunt. On opening morning, a light snow fell, and one stayed in the cabin while the other went out hunting. The one who went out to…
AN OPEN REASON A father was called into school to the principal's office. Apparently his son had shoved a chalkboard eraser in the mouth of one of his classmates. When the principal told the boy's…
LIMITING MURDEROUS FREE SPEECH When messages advocating murderous violence flow to large numbers of people . . . government probably should have the authority to stop speakers from expressly advocating the illegal use of force…
