Sermon Central
-
The Other Side Of The Road!" Luke 17: 1-4 Key ... PRO
Contributed by Mark Brunner on Jan 18, 2005 (message contributor)
“The Other Side of The Road!” Luke 17: 1-4 Key verse(s): 3:“So watch yourselves. ‘If you brother sin, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.’”
There but by the grace of god go I! From youth on I was taught the valuable resource of this adage. Along with “Don’t pout or your face will stay that way!” and “When in doubt, punt!”, it is one of those select little phrases that are easy to remember because they imply so much and, with little effort, give so much relief. When something bad happened to someone or someone I knew faltered and fell flat on his face, I was always reminded not to be critical since that could be me sitting there in all that mess. I have always felt that this probably had been on the lips of the priest as he passed by the sight of that poor man beaten at the side of the road. He looked, saw the awful mess and then muttered, “Better pass by. By the grace of God that could have been me.” What a convenient catch all this simply little nine word phrase is. It is so universal in application and certainly far reaching in its ability to bring comfort in almost any sad and dangerous situation.
When I was a young man and just out of college I hung out with a bunch of friends who, like myself, enjoyed a great Friday night out. Since a number of us worked together at the same supermarket stocking groceries, we often got together after work for a beer and just shooting the breeze. All of us had hopped-up cars and girl stories to relate. And, for the most part, we all led pretty similar lives, entertaining similar habits, likes and dislikes. One of the guys in the group (we just called him Craze) however, had a tendency that none of us really shared. He liked to get smashed, really smashed on hard liquor. Friday nights for him was the time when he really let loose. A beer or two wasn’t good enough for him. He needed to really get loaded. It wasn’t unusual for one of my friends on a Friday night to invite us over to his house for a six pack and then we would hang around for a while. Larry would show up too. He’d start out with a beer and then disappear into the back seat of his car scrounging around through the pile of junk he kept there looking for that fifth of whiskey he always kept there. Shots and beer were his specialty. The problem was, Craze didn’t know when to stop. Usually he’d get pretty tanked and fall asleep. He wasn’t much of a menace or a bother, so we pretty much left him alone. Then one night Craze fell asleep at the wheel of his Mustang and wrapped himself around a tree. He survived, barely, --the Mustang didn’t. If one of us had been critical of his habit of drinking too much, Craze might not be walking with a limp today and someone might still be enjoying that classic car today.
Casting the first stone? Sure! All of us drank some, so we each felt...
Continue reading this sermon illustration (Free with PRO)Related Sermon Illustrations
-
John Wesley Provides The Most Convicting Analysis ... PRO
Contributed by Kenneth Squires on Jul 20, 2004
John Wesley provides the most convicting analysis on what it means to be a true servant: “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you can.” Rick ...read more
-
The First Day Of School Our Professor Introduced ... PRO
Contributed by Davon Huss on Oct 21, 2004
The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn’t already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder. I turned around to find a winkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire ...read more
-
And Starting Today, You Are Beginning To Turn ... PRO
Contributed by Peter Schmidt on Nov 13, 2003
And starting today, you are beginning to turn into adults. While your parents still are going to make a lot of choices for you, you are just beginning that Phase where you begin to make some life-changing decisions. You will learn that mom and dad won’t always be there to tell you what to do. I’m ...read more
-
Over The Long Run, Love's Power To Forgive Is ... PRO
Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Dec 1, 2004
"Over the long run, love’s power to forgive is stronger than hate’s power to ...read more
-
I Was Fascinated When I Read The Following ... PRO
Contributed by Tim Richards on Dec 1, 2004
I was fascinated when I read the following research a number of years in Dennis Waitley’s, Empires of the Mind. Waitley reported that although there are approximately 450,000 words in the English language, about 80% of our conversations use only about 400 ...read more
Related Sermons
-
Forgive Or Not To Forgive
Contributed by Anthony Zibolski on Feb 28, 2012
Forgiveness is the way the Lord releases us from guilt and sets us free to continue loving God and others.
-
Getting Over Your Hang-Ups Series
Contributed by Chris Kelly on Oct 31, 2006
Learn with Esther how to understand and follow the invisible God through the incredible trials and challenges of life.
-
Family Forgiveness Series
Contributed by Jim Drake on Aug 18, 2009
Because everyone has sinned, everyone needs forgiveness. That is especially true within families. How does forgiveness play out in our families?
-
The Power Of Reconciliation Series
Contributed by Anthony Zibolski on Oct 25, 2011
Unforgiveness and biterness will destroy your relationship with God and others.We must reconcile with God so that we can live the life that God intends for us.
-
Unforgiveness Is The Cancer Of The Soul
Contributed by Richard Futrell on Oct 7, 2010
Unforgiveness is the cancer of the soul. It’s a spiritual prison, enslaving the one who refuses to let go, to leave behind, to forgive.
