Sermon Central
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Football Practice Was Over, And Denny Was Sore ... PRO
Contributed by Lynn Floyd on Apr 26, 2002 (message contributor)
Football practice was over, and Denny was sore from head to toe. Slowly he climbed the graffiti-laden stairway of the aging apartment building.
Suddenly, his mother’s chilling screams pierced the cold, still air. He had heard the sound many times before. Still, a sickening knot formed in Denny’s stomach.
Denny had tried for years, without success, to quell his father’s drunken fits of anger and abuse. Today would be different.
Something snapped inside him. With adrenaline pumping, Denny stormed through the apartment door and tore his dad away from his mother. Hardened by years of football training, he hammered his dad with two quick punches. Then, empowered by years of burning memories, he lifted his father from the floor and threw him through their second-story window.
Amazingly, his father sustained only minor injuries in the fall. But memories of what he’d done haunted Denny through two marriages and a string of friendships shattered by a fiery temper. Alcoholism, something he swore would never destroy his life as it had his father’s, slowly ate away at him as well. Little did Denny realize that if he had any chance at all for a worthwhile life, it would come by learning to honor his dad. Miraculously, even Denny discovered the freedom to be found in honoring his dad. After six years Denny finally consented to attend church with an old high school team-mate and placed his faith in Jesus Christ. Soon he met and married a wonderful Christian widow.
Prompted by his wife and several Christian friends, Denny placed three phone calls to his dad over the course of seven years. Each call began with, “Dad, I love you,” only to be abruptly cut off with a prompt “click” on the other end. Finally, on the fourth attempt, Denny was able to convince his father to listen. In the ensuing moments, he explained how much his life had changed, and how he could forgive and honor his dad now because of all he had been forgiven.
Several months passed. One day his mother called him at the office with the shocking news that his father was near death. Before he could leave for the airport, his mother called again to report that his dad had...
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Last Week I Read In The Advice Column In The ... PRO
Contributed by Larry Thompson on Jun 6, 2002
Last week I read in the advice column in the paper about a couple who was celebrating 50 years of marriage. The husband wrote that someone commented, ¡§Ken, 50 years is a long time.¡¨ He immediately responded: ¡§Not nearly as long as it would have been without her.¡¨ I couldn¡¦t get the man¡¦s ...read more
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Families Are Wonderful. Families Are Challenging. ... PRO
Contributed by Jim Kane on Jun 6, 2002
Families are wonderful. Families are challenging. I am reminded of this every time I see my favorite Cosby Show episode in which Cliff, the father played by Bill Cosby, and Theo, the son played by Malcolm Jamal-Warner, have a chat about Theo’s desire to live like a “regular” person rather than ...read more
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James Reston Was A Syndicated Columnist For The ... PRO
Contributed by Ed Wood on Jun 3, 2002
James Reston was a syndicated columnist for The New York Times for more that thirty years. In his final column for the newspaper, he wrote, “In America, we have learned something about how to deal with adversity since the Great Depression, but not much about how to deal with prosperity. We are very ...read more
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Faith And Works Should Travel Side-By-Side, Step ... PRO
Contributed by Donnie Martin on Jun 6, 2002
Faith and works should travel side-by-side, step answering to step, like the legs of men walking. First faith, and then works; and then faith again, and then works again—until they can scarcely distinguish which is the one and which is the other. William ...read more
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The Prize Is Worth The Challenge Of The Journey PRO
Contributed by William Yates on Jun 12, 2002
THE PRIZE IS WORTH THE CHALLENGE OF THE JOURNEY Volleyball was introduced as an Olympic sport in the 1964 Tokyo games. A Japanese women’s team was chosen to represent their nation for the event. Hirofumi Daimatsu, their coach, put the women through a grueling training program that resembled a ...read more
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