Sermon Illustrations

A man was lost in the Arizona desert.

The sun was high and he was very thirsty - when he stumbled upon an old hut where no one lived.

The hut had only part of a roof left and the doors were almost off the hinges.

So he staggered in and sat down to rest.

In the corner of the hut, he saw an old hand pump connected to a well 100 foot deep. So he went over and starting pumping as hard as he could.

But all he could get out of it was a squeaking noise and so he walked back over to the other side of the room and sat down.

Then he noticed a jar half filled with water with a note sticking out of the top.

Intrigued he took the note out and read: “You have to use all the water in the jar to prime the pump.”

He thought about it for a bit. Should he drink the water in the jar or should he take a chance and do what the note suggested.

He thought about it for a bit and then decided he would do as the note read but only use part of the water.

So he primed the pump with some of the water and began to pump.

But all he got was the familiar squeaking but not one drop of water.

So he poured in the rest of the water from the jar.

As he began pumping again, the pump creaked into action and water began to flow.

Soon he had all the water he needed.

So he filled the jar back up and added to the note,

“It really works but you have to give it all away. “

And that pretty well sums up Abraham’s life.

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