Sermon Central
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The Treasury Of Bible Illustration Notes This: ...
Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Jul 14, 2007 (message contributor)
The Treasury of Bible Illustration notes this: The First and Hardest Lesson - “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten,” says Robert Fulgham’s popular essay and book. In truth, one of life’s most important and hardest lessons comes to us long before kindergarten. This lesson is painful and upsetting to learn, and it goes against what we want to think is true. But it is vital that we learn it. Many people never do. The lesson is this: you are not the center of your universe. You might as well face it. Once, a long time ago, Nicolaus Copernicus studied the sky and declared, “If man is to know the truth, he must change his thinking! Despite what we have said for years, our earth is not the center of the cosmos—but just one celestial body among many. The sun does not move around us; we move around the sun.” That was a radical adjustment—a revolution in thought. Years later, Jean Piaget studied children and declared, “Each child must experience his or her own ‘Copernican revolution.’ They must learn that they are not the center of their world.” This is a private, radical adjustment for every one. “After all,” each infant thinks, “My wants have always been met. Let life continue that way!” “Walls should move out of the way before I run into them. The floor should become soft just as I fall. Everyone should give me their toys if I want them. The rules of games should change so I can always win. And big things like cars should never drive where I might want to run or play.” Sooner or later, life does not cooperate and the child is shocked. What about us adults? Have we learned the lesson? Most of us learn it. But Satan urges us to put ourselves back in the center. And we often do, even when we know better. Jesus Christ studied His audience and declared, “If you want to enter the kingdom of heaven, you must change your thinking! Despite what your sinful nature tells you, you are not the center of your world. To find life, you must know the truth. Accommodate yourself to that; it will set you free!” That is the most radical adjustment of all. A hard lesson. The illusion is easier. It justifies selfishness. And we all like being selfish. Too bad that the selfish way is not true. Too bad that it does not bring satisfaction or life. A hard lesson. But an important one. Life goes much better once you have got it.
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A Pastor Tells Of Standing By His Father's ... PRO
Contributed by John Williams Iii on Nov 10, 2002
"A pastor tells of standing by his father’s tombstone and reading the words, "Born 1884 - Died 1970." It suddenly occurred to him how much the little dash between those two dates symbolized". (Herb Miller. Actions Speak Louder Than Verbs. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1988, p. 124). It is what we ...read more
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A Couple Of Years Ago, Newsweek Magazine Ran An ... PRO
Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Jun 6, 2005
A couple of years ago, Newsweek magazine ran an article on “Faith and Healing.” The article began with this unsettling story: “On a quiet Saturday afternoon, Ming He, a fourth-year medical student in Dallas, came across a man dying in the VA Hospital. Suffering from a rare cancer and hooked up ...read more
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The Dictionary Defines ‘accident' As "An ... PRO
Contributed by W F on Sep 21, 2004
The dictionary defines ‘accident’ as “an unforseen event or one without apparent cause.” Any Christian who understands the sovereignty of God will immediately determine from this definition that there is no such thing as an accident. It’s like the cowboy who goes to buy some life insurance. The ...read more
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Patience Makes It Happen PRO
Contributed by John Williams Iii on Nov 10, 2002
PATIENCE MAKES IT HAPPEN "The history books are full of stories of gifted persons whose talents were overlooked by a procession of people until someone believed in them. To name a few ... "Einstein was four years old before he could speak and seven before he could read". Einstein became ...read more
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Have You Ever Seen A Straight River? Canals Are ... PRO
Contributed by W F on Sep 21, 2004
Have you ever seen a straight river? Canals are straight, but all rivers seem to be crooked. We call it “meandering.” Why are rivers crooked? Because the natural tendency of a river is to take the easiest way around any obstacle. So rivers are always crooked, and they always run downhill. Some ...read more
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