Sermon Illustrations

My two year old Son Sebastian has been really taking off with new words lately. He loves his 110 pound St. Bernard and walks around looking for his “pu-ppy” all day long. He is exploding every day with new words.

I think my favorite new word of his though has to be “wow!” Just this week, I offered him his sippy-cup. When I told him that it had water in it he said “wow!”

Sebastian is clearly easily wowed! His little heart is filled wonder at all that is around him. He is excited at every new opportunity and experience – because it is all new to him.

There is something so beautiful about the simple and sincere heart of a child. I am convinced that reflected in the eyes of a child is the clearest image of God.

“Finger-wagging” preachers have rather convincingly told us that God is someone to be feared much more than to be loved but this simply is not so. We do not serve a God who is primarily concerned with judgment – we serve a God who laughs and plays.

Can you imagine a God of judgment creating the heart of a child? Can you imagine a God of condemnation creating the wonder and mystery of the human expressions of hope, peace, joy, or love?

God’s primary attribute is love and the most natural expression of His love was to create reflective objects to love. Living objects which are capable of not only receiving that love but also of experiencing and expressing that love.

Faith is more of a dance than a science. In Christ we have been invited to participate in the love of our creator. Religion is dry. Theology is but rhetoric. Experiencing the love of the King; that is true faith.