Sermon Central
-
Two Sons And What They Did With Their ...
Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 11, 2009 (message contributor)
Two Sons and What They Did With Their Marbles
Once upon a time, a mother gave each of her sons two dollars and took them to a toy store to buy the beautiful, shiny marbles they had been asking for. The older son quickly figured out how many marbles he could get with his two dollars, chose the biggest and best of them all, and brought them to the counter in a brown paper bag. He was very happy.
Now, the younger son, who loved the marbles just as much as his brother, realized he needed a strong bag to carry them around in so he could play marbles with his friends. After choosing a sturdy little drawstring bag, he could buy only half as many marbles as his brother, but he was happy too.
The older brother thought so much of his small treasure that he would never let anyone else play with those shiny marbles—in fact; he wouldn’t even play with them himself. He would only look at them adoringly in the privacy of his own bedroom. Whenever he went anyplace, he gathered them up in the brown paper bag and clutched it to his side to be sure no one would get them.
The younger brother, on the other hand, went to the park every day and played marbles with his friends for hours and hours. At first, he lost many of his precious marbles to his friends, but he soon became good at the game and won back more than he lost—filling up his sturdy little drawstring bag.
One day, as the younger brother walked to the park, he found a beautiful marble on the sidewalk. He found another a few feet later, and another. He found marble after marble all the way to the park. He couldn’t fit all the new marbles into his bag, so he handed them out to some kids who didn’t have any and invited them to play marbles too. They had more fun than afternoon than any other day so far.
When the younger brother returned home for dinner, the older brother was in the kitchen staring mournfully at his brown paper bag—which was empty, with a hole in the bottom.
In God’s kingdom, everything is upside down and backwards: The first shall be last, the weak are strong, the foolish confound the wise. In the area of stewardship, those who give generously and use their resources have so much more than those who hoard.
This story is a simple version of one in Scripture:
Matthew 25:14-30
“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.
From a sermon by Brian Matherlee, Seeing Money the Way God Sees It, 12/9/2009
Related Sermon Illustrations
-
Several Years Ago At A Promise Keepers ...
Contributed by Timothy Smith on Sep 3, 2005
Several years ago at a Promise Keepers conference, Dennis Rainey placed animal traps on stage. They were big ones too. Bear traps and even an African safari large animal trap that took two men to open. There were a dozen or so traps, and he set or opened them all. Then Dennis Rainey had a father ...read more
-
Years Ago A Young Man Began A Small Cheese ... PRO
Contributed by Joel Santos on Jan 24, 2005
Years ago a young man began a small cheese business in Chicago. He failed. He was deeply in debt. “You didn’t take God into your business. You have not worked with Him,” said a Christian friend to him. Then the young man thought, “If God wants to run the cheese business, He can do it, and I’ll work ...read more
-
I Once Heard The Story Of An Organist Who Was ... PRO
Contributed by Lou Nicholes on Nov 8, 2004
I once heard the story of an organist who was getting ready to play as the church service began. When he put his hands on the keys there was no sound. Everyone knew something was wrong, so the preacher quickly got up and led in prayer. The janitor was aware of the fact that they hadn’t plugged ...read more
-
Henry P. Crowell, Affectionately Called "The ...
Contributed by Joel Santos on Jan 24, 2005
Henry P. Crowell, affectionately called “The autocrat of the Breakfast Table,” contracted tuberculosis when a boy and couldn’t go to school. After hearing a sermon by Dwight L. Moody, young Crowell prayed, “I can’t be a preacher, but I can be a good businessman. God, if you will let me make money, ...read more
-
In His Book The Knowledge Of The Holy, A.w. Tozer ... PRO
Contributed by Doug Lyon on Jan 29, 2007
In his book The Knowledge of the Holy, A.W. Tozer writes, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. The history of mankind will probably show that no people has ever risen above its religion, and man’s spiritual history will positively demonstrate ...read more
Related Sermons
-
Faithfulness In Service
Contributed by Kayode Omotoso on Oct 12, 2017
You must be faithful to Him who has appointed you.
-
Invest In God's Kingdom
Contributed by Jeff Van Wyk on Feb 2, 2013
To be a good steward we must not waste what has been given to us. We must invest what has been given to us and must show a return for it.We are given resources according to our individual abilities. We are all different. It is a fact that some people are
-
Will You Work Until Jesus Comes?
Contributed by Kevin L. Jones on Dec 14, 2014
A sermon about the importance of service and stewardship.
-
Responsiblity Series
Contributed by Dennis Davidson on Sep 8, 2014
Because the Christian is unsupervised, irresponsibility is a great possibility. Jesus tells us this parable so we will be encouraged to faithfulness & warned against unfaithfulness.
-
The Case Of Murder In A Vineyard Series
Contributed by David Dykes on Jan 28, 2018
What kind of job are you doing taking care of the portion of God's Creation that He has entrusted to you?
