The symbol of Christ in mistletoe.Collins notes, “The name implies that the plant sprang to life from bird droppings on tree branches. The inspiration behind the plant’s christening, though true, might seem a bit crude and distasteful today, but to the people of the first and second century it was
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Evangelical/Non-Denominational
Contributed by Mark Eberly on Jun 2, 2009
Now the picture Jesus paints is of an enemy sowing some weeds. The plant most think is commonly called darnel or cockle earning the name “false wheat” as it looks so much like wheat especially in the early stages. It is common in Syria and Israel. The problem is that by the time it is developed
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Church Of God
based on 3 ratings
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like the farmer who was sitting on the front porch of his shack one July day smoking his corncob pipe when a stranger came long who asked, “How’s your cotton coming?”
“Ain’t got none,” was the answer. “Didn’t plant none. ‘Fraid of the boll weevil.”
“Well, how’s your corn?” asked the
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Denomination:
Methodist
Contributed by Tyler Edwards on Apr 29, 2009
We see things every day; from the moment we open our eyes in the morning to the second we close them to sleep at night we are seeing things. Every day you wake up, you open your eyes and you see. You see using light. Light enables you to see the shoe that was left haphazardly on the floor before
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*other
Contributed by Dan Cormie on Oct 24, 2003
based on 2 ratings
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Illustration:
I worked in a hog-slaughtering factory for a year when I first came to plant this church. The boss’s adult son used to walk around wearing a white hat and barking orders at everyone but none of the workers respected him the way they did his dad. They knew he was just a pretender. If
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Mennonite
Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 22, 2005
based on 4 ratings
| 2,418 views
The year was 1920. The scene was the examining board for selecting missionaries. Standing before the board was a young man named Oswald Smith. One dream dominated his heart. He wanted to be a missionary. Over and over again, he prayed, “Lord, I want to go as a missionary for you. Open a door of
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Contributed by Bruce Howell on Mar 31, 2009
GOD'S DETOUR
The year was 1920. The scene was the examining board for selecting missionaries. Standing before the board was a young man named Oswald Smith. One dream dominated his heart. He wanted to be a missionary. Over and over again, he prayed, "Lord, I want to go as a missionary for you. Open
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Denomination:
Wesleyan
Contributed by Gordon Curley on Nov 10, 2010
GOD'S DETOUR
The year was 1920. The scene was the examining board for selecting missionaries. Standing before the board was a young man named Oswald Smith. One dream dominated his heart. He wanted to be a missionary. Over and over again, he prayed, "Lord, I want to go as a missionary for you. Open
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Brethren
based on 1 rating
| 1,268 views
TENDING YOUR GARDEN
Suppose 2 women were planting a vegetable garden. On the same day, they prepared the earth and planted their seeds. One then neglected her garden and waited for her vegetables to grow.
The other woman worked in her garden regularly. She put cages around the young tomato
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Independent/Bible
based on 7 ratings
| 4,602 views
Illustration: Old Age -Fruit of God
A young man came to a man of ninety years of age and said to him, "How have you made out to live so long and be so well?" The old man took the youngster to an orchard, and, pointing to some large trees full of apples, said, "I planted these trees when I was a
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Evangelical/Non-Denominational
based on 224 ratings
| 9,137 views
THE EMPEROR AND THE SEED
Once there was an emperor in the Far East who was growing old and knew it was coming time to choose his successor. Instead of choosing one of his assistants or one of his own children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young people in the kingdom
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Assembly Of God
Contributed by Tom Doubt on Aug 4, 2003
based on 4 ratings
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Reading a book on growing grapes [P.M. Wagner, A Wine Growers Guide, 1996] gave me insight into Jesus’ words about vine, branches, and fruit. Wild female vines cannot bear fruit unaided; they have a defective stamen. Living outside God’s will does not produce good work or fruit.
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Baptist
Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007
based on 2 ratings
| 2,655 views
A Georgia farmer, ragged and barefooted, was standing on the steps of his tumbledown shack.
A stranger stopped for a drink of water and just to pass the time of day he asked: "How is your cotton coming along?" he asked.
"Ain’t got none," replied the farmer.
"Did you plant any?" asked the
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Contributed by Et Tapper on Feb 9, 2009
God has a way for getting your need met, your problem solved.
That way is rooted in your faith’s becoming a SEED
When you plant a seed, God changes the nature of that seed so that it becomes a plant, and the power of life surges in that tender young plant to such a great extent that even a
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Pentecostal
Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Aug 9, 2002
[illustration, Brian L. Harbour, Rising Above the Crowd.]
The year was 1920.
The scene was the examining board for selecting missionaries.
Standing before the board was a young man named Oswald Smith.
One dream dominated his heart.
He wanted to be a missionary.
Over and over again, he prayed,
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Evangelical/Non-Denominational
Contributed by Doug Sanders on Jan 2, 2001
based on 1,092 ratings
| 20,364 views
HOW TO CATCH A MONKEY
Native hunters in the jungles of Africa have a clever way of trapping monkeys.
They slice a coconut in two, hollow it out, and in one half of the shell cut a hole just big enough for a monkey’s hand to pass through. Then they place an orange in the other coconut half before
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Baptist
Contributed by A. David Hart on Feb 20, 2007
based on 1 rating
| 2,652 views
I love working in my yard. In fact my neighbors think that I take yard work all too seriously.
I’ll cut my grass and make sure that it is cut in a certain pattern. I make sure that my lines are straight from the lawnmower wheels and my flowers have to be just right.
But one day disaster struct.
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Denomination:
Baptist