Sermon Central
-
Shoot The Moon
Contributed by Jason Bonnicksen on Jul 17, 2011 (message contributor)
SHOOT THE MOON
The other day I needed to take my mind off things, so I opened my computer and played a game of hearts. Now, like all card games, no matter how diligent you play, there's time when the unexpected happens, and you're hand turns to disaster. One sneaky move from an opponent and it's game over. However, like life, there are times when grace intercedes, giving us opportunity to play the perfect hand, and win the game.
I tried early on to play the perfect hand -- something called "shooting the moon;" but one opponent caught me off guard and, and my hand suffered incredibly. From that point, things didn't go quite the way I had hoped. In my frustration, I started to groan and fuss; and to be honest, I was ready to quit. Still, I decided not to give in.
I hoped my putrid game would find redemption. Just when I thought my chances of winning were six feet under, I came from behind, "shot the moon," and won the game. I thought, "You know,this silly game reiterated a good, life-lesson
There's times when it seems like we've been dealt the perfect hand; but then something happens that unexpectedly that sets us way back. Then, there's those times when we're seemingly dealt one crummy hand after another. It's in times like both of these when there's really not much we can do but groan with deep frustration in prayer, and place our hope in in God that he'll turn our groans to glory.
Related Sermon Illustrations
-
A Sunday School Teacher Asked His Class, "If I ... PRO
Contributed by D. Greg Ebie on Dec 9, 2004
A Sunday School teacher asked his class, “If I sold my house and my car, had a big garage sale and gave all my money to the church, would that get me into Heaven?” “NO!” the children all answered. “If I cleaned the church every day, mowed the yard, and kept everything neat and tidy, would that ...read more
-
You And I Have Within Ourselves The Resources ...
Contributed by Charles R. Swindoll on Nov 1, 2004
You and I have within ourselves the resources for achieving amazing things if we do not allow our problems to overwhelm us. You may know the story of a young Hungarian athlete in the 1952 Olympics who won a gold medal with his ability to shoot a pistol. His right hand and eye coordination were so ...read more
-
D. An Old Violin Player Explained Why His ... PRO
Contributed by Charles R. Swindoll on Nov 1, 2004
d. An old violin player explained why his violin had such quality. It was made from a certain kind of European tree, but not all of these trees would do. "The trees in the forest, sheltered by their neighbors, will not do," he said. "Fine violins come from lonely trees that grows on the ...read more
-
Joshua Harris- Lust Is Always A Desire For ...
Contributed by Davon Huss on Jun 20, 2005
1. Joshua Harris- Lust is always a desire for the forbidden. Though lust longs for an object or a person, ultimately this object is not its prize; its goal is the very act of desiring. The result is that lust can never be ...read more
-
A Man Thought That By Being Baptised He Could ... PRO
Contributed by Stephen Wright on May 7, 2005
A man thought that by being baptised he could find salvation. A friend of his tried hard to explain that this was not so. But this man insisted that, as water would purify the body, so water consecrated by a minister or priest would purify the soul. Finally the friend used an illustration. "Suppose ...read more
Related Sermons
-
Find Joy In Suffering
Contributed by Paul Davidson on May 22, 2017
We can find joy in the midst of suffering... We can take courage and rejoice knowing that after all we've been through, it's going to be worth it all.
-
A Living Hope Series
Contributed by David Owens on Nov 8, 2010
This is an introductory sermon to a series on First Peter. In this sermon, we get reacquainted with the man who wrote it, the people to whom he sent it, and the particular situation that prompted him to write it.
-
Suffering
Contributed by Kelly Benton on Jun 30, 2016
To share that the road to greatness always passes through suffering.
-
Once Upon A Time... Series
Contributed by David Owens on May 16, 2011
This sermon is an introduction to a study of the life of Moses. It is based on Charles Swindoll's book on Moses from his character series.
-
What Is Our Mission?
Contributed by Timothy Craver on Sep 2, 2008
Looks at how Jesus was faithful to His mission and how we are to do the same.
