Jim Nicodem is the Founding and Senior Pastor of Christ Community Church which has three campuses in St. Charles, Dekalb, and Blackberry Creek, Illinois. In his sermon entitled “The Straight Scoop on Anger” Pastor Jim shares this illustration:

“You’re watching a football game, your favorite team. We’ll assume it’s the Bears. It’s a close game. In the final minutes, the officials make a lousy call, and the Bears lose. You’re angry.

“To make matters worse, they replay it ten times from five different angles. And every time you see it replayed, the hair rises on the back of your neck. You get angrier. In the post-game show, what clip do they show? That bad call. You turn on the ten o’clock news. What do they replay? Sports Illustrated comes in the mailbox. There’s a cover story on the game with a photo of this same lousy call.

“That is exactly what our mind does with a situation that’s caused anger. If we fall asleep thinking about it, you can bet we’ll still be ruminating on it in the shower the next morning.” [SOURCE: --Jim Nicodem, “The Straight Scoop on Anger,”

Preaching Today, Tape No. 172.].