Plan for: Thanksgiving | Advent | Christmas

Sermon Illustrations

Movie "About a Boy".

Scene Setup: Will Lightman (Hugh Grant) is a bored, spoiled, London bachelor. He fills up his time with meaningless activities, but his need for meaning comes crashing in on him as he takes an inventory of his life. This entire scene, narrated by Will, shows him coming to terms with his shallowness. To get through his day, he must break it down into 30 minute "units of time."

Play movie clip. Scene:

"My life is made up of units of time.

Buy a CD. Two units. (Scene of him at a music store)

Eat Lunch. Three units (scene of him eating lunch alone in a restaurant)

Exercise. Two units. (Scene of him shooting pool)

(Scene of him alone in his apartment) All in all I had a very full life¡K.

It’s just that it didn’t mean anything."

(He falls to his knees in sad loneliness).

Application:

Too many people, including followers of Jesus Christ, live life as if it was compartmentalized in units of time. We were meant for more. We were meant for a relationship with God, and we were meant to care for others.