Contributed by Keith Broyles on Oct 4, 2007
based on 3 ratings
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A woman was doing her last-minute Christmas shopping at a crowded mall. She was tired of fighting the crowds. She was tired of standing in lines. She was tired of fighting her way down long aisles looking for a gift that had sold out days before. She was sick and tired of Christmas and wanted
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Denomination:
Methodist
Contributed by Keith Broyles on Oct 4, 2007
In the spring of 1982 Kenneth Nordvall was the speaker at a Morning Prayer group that meets in a town near Springfield Illinois. Before he spoke, a neighboring pastor shared about a recent mission trip to Mexico. While his group was returning, their van developed mechanical problems. After
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Denomination:
Methodist
Contributed by Keith Broyles on Oct 4, 2007
At the turn of the 18th century, Christmas could be a very dangerous time for ordinary common folk like us. Back in those days, it was customary for bands of young men to go door-to-door, demanding food and drink and in exchange provide a song for the household’s entertainment. If nothing was
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Denomination:
Methodist
Contributed by Keith Broyles on Oct 4, 2007
The great classical cellist Pablo Casals, in his life story entitled Joys and Sorrows, tells readers his first memory of attending worship on Christmas Eve when he was five-years-old. He walked to the church in a small village in Spain, hand-in-hand with his father, who was the church’s
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Denomination:
Methodist
Contributed by Keith Broyles on Oct 4, 2007
based on 4 ratings
| 1,442 views
Today in Yellow Springs, Ohio, people are still receiving Christmas presents from ex-slave Wheeling Gaunt, who was born in 1812 and who died in 1894. Just before he died, he deeded nine acres of land at the south edge of the village to the town of Yellow Springs, the proceeds of which were to buy
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Denomination:
Methodist
Contributed by Keith Broyles on Oct 4, 2007
It is said that when the British and French were fighting in Canada in the 1750’s that Admiral Phipps, commander of the British fleet was told to anchor outside Quebec. He was given orders to wait for the British land forces to arrive, then to support them when they attacked the city. Phipps’
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Denomination:
Methodist
Contributed by Keith Broyles on Oct 4, 2007
There is a man who keeps on his desk a fairly large stone on which is lettered one word: FIRST. Acting as a constant reminder of Jesus’ words, “He that is without sin… let him cast the first stone,” it helps check within him the automatic desire to be hasty in condemning others. As he daily
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Denomination:
Methodist
Contributed by Keith Broyles on Oct 4, 2007
At a special chapel service in an Ohio penitentiary, the governor was to grant freedom to several convicts. The suspense mounted as it came time for the governor to announce the names of those selected. “Reuben Johnson, come forward and receive your pardon!” No one responded. The chaplain
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Denomination:
Methodist
Contributed by Keith Broyles on Oct 3, 2007
based on 1 rating
| 1,563 views
When was the last time you took some time out to play the age-old children’s game, “Who am I? Well, after the sermon this morning you will be able to tell all of your friends that you last played it at church during the worship service.
That is how we are going to start out this morning, with a
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Denomination:
Methodist
Contributed by Keith Broyles on Oct 3, 2007
based on 2 ratings
| 2,356 views
Some time ago my wife and I were watching Biography. It was about the development of the papacy, starting with Peter. Following the ascension Peter went to Rome. He is talked about some in Acts and Paul’s letters so his travel to Rome is taken pretty much at face value. They said, however, that
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Methodist
Contributed by Keith Broyles on Oct 3, 2007
When I was working on my undergraduate degree I took a couple of classes in geology. Most of the time I was asking myself the age-old question that many students ask as they go through some class that they don’t want to take, “Why do I have to take this class?”
As the class went on we talked
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Denomination:
Methodist
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This past Christmas, the Dallas family from our church gave us a wonderful gift of Noah’s Ark complete with hand-carved animals. The problem is that it is especially fascinating to children. We have had to glue poor Noah back together more than once. After one visit from our grandchildren, we
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Denomination:
Methodist
based on 4 ratings
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Sheep are not particularly bright animals. It is not that they occasionally wander off, it is their pattern. It is predictable and expected. They are easily distracted and easily led astray. A story ran in the Washington Post in 2005 telling about shepherds in Gevas, Turkey who watched in shock
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Denomination:
Methodist
Donald Miller, in his excellent book Searching for God Knows What, tells about going to a Bible college where he taught one of the classes. Speaking to this group of Bible students, he told them he was going to present the plan of salvation, but he was going to leave out one key element, and they
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Methodist
Contributed by Don Hawks on Sep 30, 2007
based on 11 ratings
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Sometimes you and I might think, “when I get more money I’ll start tithing.” But most people whom we know who are identified as millionaires or billionaires started out small. And many built what they have done on the tithe. I often think of the example of billionaire John D. Rockefeller,
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Denomination:
Methodist
Contributed by Don Hawks on Sep 30, 2007
based on 2 ratings
| 2,155 views
I like some of what Edwene Gaines writes about although I do not agree with all her views on spirituality. But I have learned enough from her writings that I decided not to be bothered in areas where I disagree. I find her life story and spiritual journey though to be compelling.
Years before she
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Methodist
based on 6 ratings
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twentieth centuries. His wife was a minister’s daughter, and their Church was College Avenue Methodist Church in Somerville, Massachusetts [SOURCE: http://www.ethicalstl.org/platforms/platform071199.shtml]. Many of his, matter-of-fact poems still speak vividly to us today. I have always
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Methodist
In giving his personal advises near the end of his classic work A PLAIN ACCOUNT OF CHRISTIAN PERFECTION John Wesley affirms:
God does nothing but in answer to prayer; and even
they who have been converted to God without
praying for it themselves, (which is exceeding
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Denomination:
Methodist
In Alford, Lord Tennyson’s Epic Poem IDYLLS OF THE KING, “Idyll 12: The Passing of Arthur,” King Arthur is dying. He speaks these inspiring words to his friend Sir Bedivere:
I have lived my life, and that which I have done
May He within Himself make pure! But thou,
If thou shouldst never see my
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Denomination:
Methodist
A want is something I would like to have, something I may wish or long for, something that I find desirable, but it is not something that I must absolutely have. I can live without having all my wants supplied, but all my needs must be met.
Some personal examples quickly come to my mind. I had
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Denomination:
Methodist