“Let no one deceive you with empty words . . .” (Ephesians 5:6).
A young preacher was assigned to a Church in Kentucky, not far from the home of the Kentucky Derby. Because he wanted his first sermon to be memorable, he decided on a fierce condemnation of horse racing. After the service, the Chairman of the Parish Council hastened to remind him of where he was and of the fact that many members of the congregation were breeders and trainers of the fine thoroughbred race horses. The preacher took the hint. On the following Sunday he preached a roaring sermon on the evils of smoking. Again, the Council Chairman cautioned him about his subject matter. He reminded the preacher that the Church was located near many tobacco farms and that many parishioners were dependent upon the tobacco industry for their livelihood. The next Sunday, the preacher bitterly denounced whiskey, only to learn that Kentucky was the home of several distilleries. “Well, what can…
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