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Fifteen Years Ago, I Was Serving As Pastor In ... PRO
Contributed by David Dykes on Apr 10, 2003 (message contributor)
Fifteen years ago, I was serving as pastor in Alabama and our church was in a capital stewardship campaign to raise money to build a new building. There was one particular lady in our church who was a widow. Her husband had left her a lot of money, and she had a lot more than she really needed. She loved the Lord and she loved her church, but she tended to be rather conservative. We had a banquet one night and she wrote down an amount on her card that was a very “safe” amount. It was not a risk at all. That evening I spoke on where Jesus said, “Don’t store up your treasures on earth, where moth and rust corrupt, and thieves break in and steal. But lay up your treasures in heaven.” I spoke about how a moth eats up wool when we store it, not when we wear it. I went into great detail about moths. I also spoke on how rust destroys tools when they are stored not when they are being used. My point was that when we store up God’s resources they don’t accomplish anything: we have to use them or they become like moth-eaten garments or rust encrusted tools.
Nell went home from that banquet feeling a little guilty about the amount she committed because of the large amount she was storing up. She walked up to her front door and opened her purse to get out her key and she was shocked by what happened next: somehow a huge moth had gotten into her purse and when she opened it, the moth fluttered and flew out. She said God used that moth to teach her that she didn’t need to be storing up her money; she needed to be using it for God. She returned to the fellowship hall (she lived just across the...
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Before I Discovered That My Cell Phone Had A ... PRO
Contributed by Josh Mcdowell on Mar 9, 2005
Before I discovered that my cell phone had a lock screen button I would often accidentally dial the last number in my cell phone’s registry. The biggest problem was that I never realized that it had happened. I would go on with normal life and my cell phone would be on for an extended period of ...read more
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There Is The Story Of A Young Man Who Went Off ... PRO
Contributed by John Williams Iii on May 8, 2003
There is the story of a young man who went off to college and defied some of the values of his rearing that he had acquired in a Christian home. He had pornographic pictures on the walls. One day his mother came to visit him. She saw his walls but said nothing. Instead, she sent him a picture of ...read more
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Children Often Receive A Confidence Boost From ... PRO
Contributed by John Williams Iii on May 8, 2003
Children often receive a confidence boost from their mothers when they are down. Wherever a child may have a sense of low self- esteem, a mother build that child’s confidence through her words of encouragement. Enrico Caruso is but one example. As a child his mother encouraged his talent for ...read more
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A Young, Awkward Boy Grew Up In Southern ... PRO
Contributed by John Williams Iii on May 8, 2003
A young, awkward boy grew up in southern California, plagued by a learning disability that in later years would be called dyslexia. But with his mother’s encouragement and admonishment, he became a strong and capable leader. Years later he was commanding thousands of your Americans in war. When ...read more
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Bernard Of Clairvaux Wrote The Hymn "Jesus The ...
Contributed by Mike Wilkins on May 12, 2003
Bernard of Clairvaux wrote the hymn “Jesus the Very Thought of Thee” Jesus, the very thought of Thee With sweetness fills the breast; But sweeter far Thy face to see, And in Thy presence rest. Nor voice can sing, nor heart can frame, nor ...read more
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