Plan for: Thanksgiving | Advent | Christmas

Sermon Illustrations

Most children are not naturally aggressive. There are times when children might seem demanding, impatient or even perhaps unreasonable. They do not usually push themselves into the being the center of attention. I once read the story about a tiny boy who was seated at the dinner table in his high chair. "... Suddenly he threw his plate in to the floor. His mother was furious. "Go to you room!" she ordered. "You will take your meals there until you learn to behave properly!" The little fellow tried to defend himself but his mother silenced him. "You must learn to be courteous and polite," she declared.

“That evening the father gathered the family in the living room. “I want you to listen to something,” he said. “I had our new tape recorder on tonight during dinner, to see how it works. When I played the tape, I discovered something I think all of us should hear.”

“He started the recording and the family heard themselves as they had sounded at dinner that evening. Everyone seemed to be talking at once. Amid the chatter, they heard a tiny voice say, “Please pass the butter.” But no one seemed to hear. A bit later they heard the same voice, “Would someone please pass the butter?” After a while that little voice was heard again. “Please, please, pass the butter.” Finally, they heard the crash of the plate as it hit the floor. There was that small voice again, but this time it was loud and clear, “Pass the butter!” (Ernest A. Fitzgerald. Keeping Pace: Inspirations In The Air. Greensboro: Pace Communications, Inc., 1988, p. 258).

Related Sermon Illustrations

Related Sermons