Sermon Central
-
One Of The Most Beloved And Colorful Sports ...
Contributed by David Ward on Aug 16, 2005 (message contributor)
One of the most beloved and colorful sports personalities of our time was a man named Jim Valvano, "Jimmy V" as he was known affectionately to sports fans around the country. Jim Valvano tragically died just a few years ago after a year-long battle with cancer. He was just 47 years old. He will be remembered as a great basketball coach. His North Carolina State team won the national championship in 1983. Jim Valvano will also be remembered as an outstanding TV analyst, an eloquent inspirational speaker, and as a lovable, wisecracking humorist. But, most of all, he’ll be remembered for the courageous way he faced a debilitating illness.
A few weeks before he died, he was honored on national television and to that vast viewing audience, he said this: "Today, I fight a different battle. You see, I have trouble walking and I have trouble standing for a long period of time. Cancer has taken away a lot of my physical abilities. Cancer is attacking and destroying my body, but what cancer cannot touch is my mind, my heart, and my soul. I have faith in God and hope that things might get better for me. But even if they don’t, I promise you this: I will never, ever give up. I will never, ever quit. And if cancer gets me, then I’ll just try my best to go to heaven and I’ll try my best to be the best coach they’ve ever seen up there." Then, pointing to his 1983 championship team, he said, "I learned a great lesson from these guys. They amazed me. They did things I was not sure they could do because they absolutely refused to give up. That was the theme of our championship season: ’Never, ever give up!’ That’s the lesson I learned from them, and that’s the message I leave with you. Never give up. Never, ever give up!"
Related Sermon Illustrations
-
During His Reign, King Frederick William Iii Of ... PRO
Contributed by Donnie Martin on Sep 8, 2003
During his reign, King Frederick William III of Prussia found himself in trouble. Wars had been costly, and in trying to build the nation, he was seriously short of finances. He couldn’t disappoint his people, and to capitulate to the enemy was unthinkable. After careful reflection, he decided to ...read more
-
A Man Who Had Hitchhiked From Coast To Coast And ... PRO
Contributed by R. Darrel Davis on Sep 17, 2004
A man who had hitchhiked from coast to coast and had walked many miles in the process was asked what he had found the most difficult to endure. To the surprise of his questioner it was not the steep mountains or the dazzling sun or the scorching desert heat that had troubled him, but, in the words ...read more
-
We Are Not To Be Isolated But Insulated, Moving ...
Contributed by Donnie Martin on Sep 8, 2003
We are not to be isolated but insulated, moving in the midst of evil but untouched by it. Separation is contact without contamination. Jesus was “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners” (Heb. 7:26), yet He ...read more
-
Jerry Rice Works Day In And Day Out To Prepare ... PRO
Contributed by Kent Lenard on Aug 31, 2003
Jerry Rice works day in and day out to prepare for football unlike any other player in the NFL. The story of his ability to push himself started when he was in high school. The Coach of B.L. Moor High School, Charles Davis, had his players run twenty times up a forty-yard hill. On a particularly ...read more
-
Webster's Dictionary Tells Me That - Commit Means ...
Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Aug 21, 2003
Webster’s Dictionary tells me that - Commit means to entrust, to give charge, to perform, to pledge. In my search for the definition of Commit I actually looked at one dictionary which did not even have ...read more
Related Sermons
-
Faith In Every Season Of Life Series
Contributed by Dean Courtier on Jul 8, 2017
The natural seasons are winter, spring, summer and autumn; there are also spiritual seasons in our lives. What spiritual season are you experiencing now? Are you trusting God to help you in the season you are in?
-
You Have Not Passed This Way Before
Contributed by Richard Tow on Jul 18, 2017
Are you ready for the new season God has for you? In Joshua 3 an event was about to happen that would change their lives forever. How would they walk through that transition successfully?
-
Living By The Word Of God
Contributed by Richard Tow on Jul 18, 2017
Trends in America toward less regard for the authority of Scripture are alarming. This message addresses that problem and sets forth four ways Christians should relate to the Bible.
-
You Got To Believe That God Can Work In Your Circumstances Series
Contributed by Charles Jones on Jun 26, 2012
When you look at your difficulty sometimes it has the ability to throw you off course and make you forget about the Power of God.
-
You Gone Have To Work Your Faith
Contributed by Charles Jones on Dec 7, 2012
Belief in the existence of God is absolutely foundational not only to an understanding of the Bible but also to life itself. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that he who comes to God must believe that He is, that He exists and that He is a rewarded of them that di
