Sermon Central
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Graffiti With Meaning!" Matthew 14: 22-24 Key ... PRO
Contributed by Mark Brunner on Nov 15, 2004 (message contributor)
“Graffiti With Meaning!” Matthew 14: 22-24 Key verse(s): 23: “After he had dismissed the, he went up on a mountainside by himself to prayer. When evening came, he was there alone . . .”
“Isolation is not all that bad . . . it just depends on who you spend it with.” At first glance this seemingly contradictory phrase sounds a bit trite. But, when you examine it closely, it may contain more truth in just fifteen words than many volumes on the psychology of isolation can ever reveal. The author is unknown but I do know that it was a man and that he probably enjoyed camping and had spent a lot of time, perhaps alone, around the old campfire. The reason is, I discovered this wisdom some years ago scrawled in pencil on a the walls of a men’s vault toilet in a national forest camp grounds. I was so taken by it, that I went back later to copy it down in a notebook.
Most such “lavatory treasures” are there for purposes other than wisdom. However, this one struck me differently. I smiled as I read and reread it. Finally, I became intrigued. I began to search for the meaning that lay beneath the surface. Was the author of this graffiti glorifying self? Was he so possessed with his own image and being that he preferred his own company to that of anyone else? It gave me pause to think. I began to feel that the message had a deeper meaning, one that I was supposed to discover; one that I was supposed to understand and apply to my own...
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One Sunday Evening, William Booth Was Walking In ... PRO
Contributed by Dan Cormie on Sep 15, 2003
One Sunday evening, William Booth was walking in London with his son, Bramwell, who was then 12 or 13 years old. The father surprised the son by taking him into a saloon! The place was crowded with men and women, many of them bearing on their faces the marks of vice and crime; some were drunk. The ...read more
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A Faithful Christian Soldier Went To His ... PRO
Contributed by Sean Smuts on Aug 4, 2003
A faithful Christian soldier went to his chaplain for advice. “Last night,” he said, “when I knelt by my bed and prayed, the fellows began to ridicule me and throw shoes at me. What should I do?” “Well,” said the chaplain, “why don’t you stop kneeling down? Just lie down in bed and lift your heart ...read more
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There's A Story Of The Italian Poet Dante ... PRO
Contributed by Pat Cook on Aug 4, 2003
There’s a story of the Italian poet Dante Alighieri, who was deeply immersed in meditation during a church service, and he failed to kneel at the appropriate moment. His enemies hurried to the bishop and demanded that Dante be punished for his sacrilege. Dante defended himself by saying, “If those ...read more
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John Piper Wrote, "What Is God Looking For In ... PRO
Contributed by Dana Chau on Apr 17, 2003
John Piper wrote, "What is God looking for in the world? Assistants? No. The gospel is not a help-wanted ad. It is a help-available ad. God is not looking for people to work for ...read more
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Cbs News Anchor Dan Rather Admits He Was Always ... PRO
Contributed by David Taylor on Apr 18, 2003
CBS News anchor Dan Rather admits he was always fascinated by the sport of boxing, even though he was never good at it. “In boxing you’re on your own; there’s no place to hide,” he says. “At the end of the match only one boxer has his hand up. That’s it. He has no one to credit or to blame except ...read more
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