Sermon Central
-
Beauty From What He Puts In
Contributed by Thomas Cash on Apr 15, 2011 (message contributor)
BEAUTY FROM WHAT HE PUTS IN
There once was a brier growing in a ditch when a gardener came along with his spade and dug it up. He dug around it and gently lifted it out of the ground, bringing the brier to ask itself, "What is he doing? Doesn’t he know I’m a worthless brier?"
But the gardener took it and placed it in his garden anyway. He planted it among his most prized and beautiful roses, prompting the brier to think once more, "What is this guy doing? What a mistake he’s made."
But then the gardener did an even more unusual thing in the brier’s mind. He came once more and made a slit in the brier with his knife. He grafted it with a rose and when the summer came to close there were lovely flowers blooming from the brier that previously had none. Then the gardener said, "Your beauty is not due to what came out of you, but to what I put in."
Our beauty in Christ is not the result of what we do or who we are. We’re nothing but a bunch of weeds. Our beauty comes because He transforms us!
Related Sermon Illustrations
-
Moses Spend His First Forty Years Thinking He ... PRO
Contributed by Sheldon Boyd on Nov 30, 2004
“Moses spend his first forty years thinking he was somebody. He spend his second forty years learning he was a nobody. He spent his third forty years ...read more
-
Max Lucado, In His Book, "Six Hours One Friday," ... PRO
Contributed by Brad Bailey on Aug 3, 2004
Max Lucado, in his book, “Six Hours One Friday,” tells the story of a missionary in Brazil who discovered a tribe of Indians in a remote part of the jungle. They lived near a large river. The tribe was in need of medical attention. A contagious disease was ravaging the population. People were dying ...read more
-
I Mentioned Brian Mclaren's Book "A Generous ... PRO
Contributed by Mike Wilkins on Feb 21, 2005
I mentioned Brian McLaren’s book “A Generous Orthodoxy” last week. The chapter after “Would Jesus Be a Christian” is titled, “Jesus, Savior of What?” In this chapter he argues that while Jesus did come to save us as individuals, we in the west have placed such a strong emphasis on personal ...read more
-
Author And Lecturer Leo Buscaglia Once Told About ... PRO
Contributed by Mitchell Skelton on Jan 1, 2005
Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once told about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child; the winner was a four-year-old boy. His next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little ...read more
-
30% Of An Average Person's Anxiety Is Focused On ... PRO
Contributed by Robbie Shivar on Jun 4, 2004
30% of an average person’s anxiety is focused on things about the past that can’t be changed. If we were honest with ourselves, we all would say that there is something in our past that we regret doing and ...read more
Related Sermons
-
Hope In A Covenant Of Faith Series
Contributed by Dean Courtier on Feb 18, 2018
A Covenant of Faith and a man named Abraham. Romans 4:3, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”
-
The Grace Of God
Contributed by Sam Mccormick on Aug 14, 2017
God's grace as the avenue of salvation is sometimes seen as being in conflict with obedience of the believer as a requirement, without which salvation cannot be obtained. Which is it, or is it a combination? Can this dichotomy be satisfactorily resolved?
-
Three Characteristics Of Jonah Series
Contributed by Tom Shepard on Jan 22, 2015
This sermon looks a three characteristics of Jonah: 1. Jonah is STUBBORN 2. Jonah is REBELLIOUS 3. Jonah is a BELIEVER
-
The Power Of Grace Series
Contributed by Richard Tow on Jul 18, 2017
Sermon explores saving grace and the influence grace has on the life of a true believer.
-
Of All The Options For A Sign, Why Did God Choose Circumcision?
Contributed by Jim Butcher on Apr 23, 2013
God could have had Abraham put a tattoo on his arm or any one of a thousand other signs, but instead He chose the sign of circumcision? Why in the world? And, beyond that, what relevance does that have for Christians today?
