Contributed by Matthew Kratz on May 31, 2009
No House Without Sorrow
Among the parables that Chinese teachers use is the story of a woman who lost an only son. She was grief-stricken out of all reason. She made her sorrow a wailing wall. Finally she went to a wise old philosopher. He said to her, “I will give you back your son if you will
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Contributed by Matthew Kratz on May 31, 2009
Oswald Chambers said: “The majority of us begin with the bigger problems outside and forget the one inside. A man has to learn ‘the plague of his own heart’ before his own
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LIVE LIKE YOU WERE DYING: THE BUCKET LIST
A couple of years ago my wife and I saw a movie entitled “The Bucket List” starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. Both men discovered that they had incurable diseases and wound up being roommates in the hospital. They became good friends and ended
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Baptist
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SHARPEN THE AX
Back in the 1800’s a young man was looking for a job and went to the local logging company to apply for a job. The foreman asked him if he could cut a tree down with an ax. The young man said yes, and proceeded to take his ax, walk over to a tree and drop it like an old pro.
The
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Baptist
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HE CAN SEE ME NOW
I want to share a story with you in closing. It’s a story I heard several years ago about a high school football player. I don’t know his name, or what number he wore on his uniform or anything like that. All I know is that this kid wasn’t really that great of an athlete. He
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Baptist
One of my favorite songs right now is a song by a man named Jeremy Camp. It’s entitled "There will be a Day." I want to share the first verse and chorus with you in closing today. It goes like this:
I try to hold on to this world with everything I have
But I feel the weight of what it brings,
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Baptist
Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Jun 8, 2009
The foolishness of trying to cover up our sin is well illustrated with the story of the drunk husband who snuck up the stairs quietly. He looked in the bathroom mirror and bandaged the bumps and bruises he’d received in a fight earlier that night. He then proceeded to climb into bed, smiling at the
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Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Jun 8, 2009
Traders vs. Investors
We all have seen the effect of those who have given up on the economy.
In his newspaper column called “Market Report,” Bill Barnhart once explained the difference between investors and traders in the stock market.
“A trader in a stock,” writes Barnhart, “is making
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Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Jun 15, 2009
1938 God Moves In Mysterious Ways
At age 32, William Cowper passed through a great crisis in his life. He tried to end his life by taking laudanum. Then he hired a horse-drawn cabbie, ordering the driver to take him to the Thames, intending to throw himself from the bridge. It was one of London’s
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Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Jun 28, 2009
SECURITY
Consider this story in relying upon God:
The 3-year-old felt secure in his father’s arms as Dad stood in the middle of the pool. But Dad, for fun, began walking slowly toward the deep end, gently chanting, “Deeper and deeper and deeper,” as the water rose higher and higher on the child.
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THE ARTIST AND THE GARDENER
Both the artist and the gardener begin with contemplation, paying close attention to what is already there.
The gardner looks carefully at the landscape; the existing plants, both flowers and weeds; the way the sun falls on the land, and so on. The artist regards their
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Baptist
WE HAVE THE KEY
Father William Bausch told a story of a boy who one morning had arrived very early at school and waited patiently at the door. Next to arrive was a lady who was surprised that this youngster had arrived so early. "It’s locked" the pupil said as the teacher tried the door. She began
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Methodist
Contributed by Matthew Rings on Oct 18, 2012
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STONING THE PASTOR
I bought some small rubber rocks from DC Works and put them on the chairs before people came into the room. As I opened the message, I asked them if I said anything that was blasphemous if they would stone me. I told them not to be shy and to let me have it. I then introduced
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Presbyterian/Reformed
Contributed by Matthew Oliver on Oct 20, 2012
Christian man Carl Behr of Baldwin, Pennsylvania received a notice on Monday ordering him to remove the 24-foot high illuminated cross he has installed in his front yard and kept lit day and night. But Behr plans to fight the order at a municipal meeting. “It’s all about my faith, and some people
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Episcopal/Anglican
Contributed by Matthew Redder on May 17, 2018
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Some time ago I returned from a missions trip completely full of faith and ready to set the world on fire with the love of Christ. During my first church service back in the states I was asked to close our service in prayer. I joyfully obliged and went whole-heartedly into prayer full of faith and
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Evangelical/Non-Denominational
Contributed by Matthew Redder on May 21, 2018
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Have you ever shopped at Home Depot? Lowes? Or some other home repair-improvement type store?
If you have you've inevitably seen the piles of lumber tossed aside that are broken, cracked, warped, crooked, or just plain look bad. These piles of lumber go ignored as faithful builders go for the
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Contributed by Matthew Redder on Sep 21, 2018
I love this quote as I believe it is hard for the Christian artist to always understand their place in the church.
Truth be told, artists have an incredible gift and responsibility in the community to illuminate the realities of the Word and of this life we live. Wright puts it well:
"The
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