Sermon Central
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I Read About How Japan Celebrates Christmas, ...
Contributed by Scott Weber on Dec 16, 2005 (message contributor)
I read about how Japan celebrates Christmas, which has become a major event over there. They put up decorations, exchange presents, send cards, sing yuletide songs, decorate trees, serve special seasonal treats (especially strawberry-decorated cakes), and make a big fuss over St Nick, Rudolph and Frosty. Their Santa is sometimes dressed like a Samurai (I wonder if he carries a sword). It is very important for single adults to have a date for a romantic dinner on Christmas Eve. In fact, Christmas for them is very much like Valentine’s Day is for us. And for reasons I couldn’t determine, a big Christmas tradition is attending a concert of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. The one thing the Japanese do not do at Christmas is honor Christ. That’s because Japan is nearly 99% Shinto and Buddhist. Only ½ of 1% of Japan’s population is Christian. So where do you think they got this commercial version of Christmas? From us. They are attracted to the glitter and romance of the American version of Christmas, and have adopted nearly everything except the spiritual significance of the season.
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A Wealthy Businessman, Who Was Well Known For ... PRO
Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on May 8, 2005
A wealthy businessman, who was well known for being ruthless and unethical, told Mark Twain that before he died, he wanted to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. He said that when he got there he wanted to climb to the top of Mount Sinai, where Moses received the Ten Commandments, and there read ...read more
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A Little Boy Was Standing By His Father Watching ...
Contributed by Kent Kessler on Dec 27, 2006
A little boy was standing by his father watching him trying to put a floppy disk into his computer. The father was having trouble getting the disk to go in all of the way. The little boy said to his father, “Maybe it has a penny in it?” Sure enough, when the father fished around inside where the ...read more
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Don't Think That There Is Any Better Answer To ...
Contributed by David Smith on Apr 21, 2005
don’t think that there is any better answer to that question than the one given by the great painter Renoir. In old age the great French painter, suffered from arthritis, which twisted and cramped his hand. Henri Matise, his artist friend, watched sadly while Renoir, grasping a brush with only his ...read more
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In Our Basement We Have A Piece Of Paper Stapled ... PRO
Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on May 8, 2005
In our basement we have a piece of paper stapled to a door frame. About twice a year I bring all the grandkids to the basement and they stand against the door frame to measure how tall they are and how much they have grown. The paper is covered with lines, beside which are their names and dates. ...read more
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25 Years Ago A Baby Was Born In A Hospital. He ... PRO
Contributed by Ed Wood on Jun 23, 2005
25 years ago a baby was born in a hospital. He weighed only a few pounds. He had to be pampered and coddled to enable him to live. Now he is 6’2" tall and weighs 200 pounds. There is a vast difference in the baby and the man. Yet the life he now has is the same life he had 25 years ago. Our ...read more
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A Light In The Darkness
Contributed by Danny Janes on Dec 10, 2012
Good sermon for first Sunday of Advent -- lighting of Prophet Candle. The theme of light vs. darkness is woven throughout the Bible. This is what the coming of the Light marked in our world.
