Contributed by Brian Matherlee on Jul 29, 2008
Illustration: Drop leaf table with the leaves down to begin with.
• Everybody loves a party. Last night my family was together and the activity and conversation around the table was great. We were loud. It’s a good thing they put us in a room by ourselves. We love to talk, we love to eat, and
...read more
Tags:
Denomination:
Wesleyan
Contributed by Don Hawks on Aug 10, 2008
There’s a story about a man, a writer, who used to go to the beach to do his writing. He had the habit of walking along the beach before he began his work. One day he was walking along the shore; as he looked down the beach, he saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself to think
...read more
Tags:
Denomination:
Methodist
Contributed by Mark Eberly on Aug 18, 2008
I recently heard a woman talk about how her spiritual mentor gave her explicit instructions to make amends. She didn’t want to do it. Apparently she blew up at a bank teller and was rude and nasty even though it wasn’t the teller’s fault. This woman didn’t want to apologize even though she knew
...read more
Tags:
Denomination:
Church Of God
Contributed by Terry Barnhill on Sep 6, 2008
A missionary to South America once wrote a reflective piece about his life in the jungles. He and his family knew the discomforts of such things as snakes and bugs. He told how he and his family were cleaning the house one day when they decided to take a break and have some tea. While sitting at
...read more
Tags:
Denomination:
Presbyterian/Reformed
Contributed by Mark Eberly on Sep 29, 2008
based on 1 rating
| 1,383 views
Emory University has shown that when we help others without thought of reward or return, our brains release dopamine and endorphins that literally, physically makes us feel good. These chemicals give us
...read more
Tags:
Denomination:
Church Of God
Contributed by Aubrey Vaughan on Oct 6, 2008
THERE IS A STORY ABOUT A TRAVELER WHO FELL INTO A DEEP PIT AND COULDN’T GET OUT. SEVERAL PERSONS CAME ALONG AND SAW HIM STRUGGLING IN THE PIT. THE SENSITIVE PERSON SAID, "I FEEL FOR YOU DOWN THERE." THE REFLECTIVE PERSON SAID, "IT’S LOGICAL THAT SOMEONE WOULD FALL INTO THE PIT." THE AESTHETIC
...read more
Tags:
Denomination:
Baptist
In his book, The Externally Focused Church, Rick Rusaw shares the story of Tom Maharius, the least likely person to make an impact on any community, let alone New York City. A casualty of the 60’s hippie movement, and heavily involved in drugs use, Maharias’s downward spiral came to an abrupt end
...read more
Tags:
Denomination:
Baptist
Contributed by Clark Tanner on Nov 1, 2008
Let’s talk about the differences inherent in being son or servant in any household.
Now it may seem more than a stretch to draw from a modern fantasy tale for my illustration, but the story line of Batman offers very good examples of our point.
In that story, the boy who will eventually
...read more
Tags:
Denomination:
Orthodox
Contributed by Mark Eberly on Nov 26, 2008
If we are truly full of thanks for what God has done for us and we are truly grateful for the things that God has done which we could not have done for ourselves, then the result is a love for others and a desire to serve others. If our attitude is truly changed, then giving to others and meeting
...read more
Tags:
Denomination:
Church Of God
Contributed by Mark Eberly on Dec 15, 2008
based on 1 rating
| 5,164 views
Many don’t want to serve except to serve themselves. But we all serve something. Some serve the idols of money and materialism. Some serve the idols of addictions. Some serve the idols of entertainment. Some serve gods made in their own image. We are called to remind people that God has created
...read more
Tags:
Denomination:
Church Of God
Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2008
based on 2 ratings
| 1,977 views
COUNTING ON THEM
The wise farmer can usually depend on expected timetables of seedtime and harvest. Not so in the spiritual life. One of the greatest frustrations in the Christian ministry, and principal cause for "weariness in well doing" is the inability to calculate the spiritual outcome of
...read more
Tags:
Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2008
based on 1 rating
| 2,344 views
DOES HE HAVE OTHER PLANS?
The wise farmer can usually depend on expected timetables of seedtime and harvest. Not so in the spiritual life. One of the greatest frustrations in the Christian ministry, and principal cause for "weariness in well-doing" is the inability to calculate the spiritual
...read more
Tags:
Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2008
based on 3 ratings
| 4,709 views
THE BAMBOO SERVANT
Once upon a time, in the heart of an ancient Kingdom, there was a beautiful garden. And there, in the cool of the day, the Master of the garden would walk. Of all the plants of the garden, the most beautiful and beloved was a gracious and noble bamboo.
Year after year, Bamboo
...read more
Tags:
Contributed by Bill Butsko on Jan 22, 2009
based on 1 rating
| 1,077 views
A fine lad entered the Army. He faced a real test the first night he went to be in the barracks. He had formed the commendable habit of placing his Bible on his bed at home, and kneeling down to read a chapter while having his daily prayer time before retiring.
Surrounded by scores of rough men
...read more
Tags:
Denomination:
Christian Church
Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Feb 8, 2009
Bruce Thielemann, pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, told of a conversation with an active layman, who mentioned, “You preachers talk a lot about giving, but when you get right down to it, it all comes down to basin theology.”
Thielemann asked, “Basin theology? What’s that?”
The
...read more
Tags:
Denomination:
Other