Sermon Illustrations

Punishment teaches the great lesson that choices have consequences. I have been spanked, but the worst punishment I ever had was not a spanking. I called my grandmother an old “battleaxe”. I didn’t even know what it meant. She told me, “Well this old battle axe is going to make you sit in the corner all day Saturday.” When I was growing up, we played all day Saturday. For early morning to night time, I heard my friends playing outside. They kept coming to the window singing, “Bobby is in the corner!” I had no toys, no books, and no radio (TV had not been invented yet) . I sat in a chair looking at two walls coming together, getting up only to go to the bathroom. I begged, I cried, I made promises; and my grandmother ignored me. One time my crying turned to screaming and she said, “Young man would you like to sit in the corner next Saturday?” I quieted down in a hurry. Two things came out of that experience. I learned that there are punishments far worse than a spanking. And I never even thought of call my grandmother an old battle axe, or any other name, again.