Contributed by A. Todd Coget on May 16, 2003
                
                
                    
            
            
            
            
            
        based on  6 ratings
                    
                         | 3,773 views
                    
                 
                
                    [illustration]
On Christmas morning, the children in a family do not usually all receive the same gifts.
One gets a football, one a puzzle, another receives a doll house, and another a table game.
Yet, although each child does not receive the same gifts as the others, the parents intend the gifts
                    
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                    Evangelical/Non-Denominational
                
             
        
            
            
                
                
                    Contributed by Tom Doubt on Jul 15, 2003
                
                
                    
            
            
            
            
            
        based on  29 ratings
                    
                         | 5,689 views
                    
                 
                
                    WE THOUGHT YOU SAID...
The kids had talked Mom into getting a hamster   They promised to take care of their pet, whom they named “Danny.”  
Within two months, though, Mom was taking care of Danny.  One day Mom decided enough was enough; Danny would be given to a new owner.  She called the kids
                    
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                    Baptist
                
             
        
        
            
                
                
                    Contributed by S Henriques on Sep 6, 2003
                
                
                    
            
            
            
            
            
        based on  4 ratings
                    
                         | 12,964 views
                    
                 
                
                    Henry Blackaby once wrote, 
“When God was ready to judge the world with a flood, He came to Noah. When He desired to build a nation for Himself, He turned to Abraham. When He heard His children groaning under Egyptian bondage, He appeared in a burning bush to Moses. They were three of the most
                    
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                    Baptist
                
             
        
        
            
                
                
                
                    
            
            
            
            
            
        based on  10 ratings
                    
                         | 2,171 views
                    
                 
                
                    A recent Jim Carry movie, Bruce Almighty, is the story of a human given the power but not the wisdom of God. Carry proceeds to make a huge mess of things, resulting in everything from natural disasters to financial calamities. But when his girlfriend, Grace, becomes fed up with his immaturity and
                    
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                    Presbyterian/Reformed
                
             
        
        
            
                
                
                    Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 30, 2003
                
                
                    
            
            
            
            
            
        based on  3 ratings
                    
                         | 2,183 views
                    
                 
                
                    A NEW PHRASE
About 25 years ago, a new phrase slipped into the American vocabulary. Actually, the expression is as old as the New Testament itself, but for many years the world had generally ignored the term. But then Charles Colson, who was a former aide to Richard Nixon and was involved in
                    
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                    Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 30, 2003
                
                
                    
            
            
            
            
            
        based on  19 ratings
                    
                         | 4,074 views
                    
                 
                
                    DO YOU REMEMBER "DO OVERS?" 
They were part of the "Good Ole" Days. I know, Let’s play a little game… Everyone stand up. Now sit down when you can’t remember what I mention next…
How many of you remember…
90’s – Beanie Babies; Teenie Beanies; Grunge; and the phrase CHA-CHING!!!
80’s – PacMan;
                    
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                    Contributed by Dennis Fakes on Nov 10, 2003
                
                
                    
            
            
            
            
            
        based on  13 ratings
                    
                         | 2,333 views
                    
                 
                
                    The cheerful girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them: a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box
"Oh please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please?"  Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box
                    
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                    Lutheran
                
             
        
        
            
                
                
                    Contributed by Charles Dupree on Dec 9, 2003
                
                
                    
            
            
            
            
            
        based on  6 ratings
                    
                         | 3,415 views
                    
                 
                
                    As pastor of a small country church in the bluegrass hills of Kentucky, I often visited with people of the community by sitting on the front porch with a cup of coffee accompanied with a piece of home made pie.  
This particular occasion was no different until the gentlemen, Buster, with whom I
                    
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                    Contributed by Evie Megginson on Feb 2, 2005
                
                
                    
            
            
            
            
            
        based on  2 ratings
                    
                         | 7,008 views
                    
                 
                
                    The Assyrians, Babylonians, Phoenicians, Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans had their many gods—gods of war, gods of industry, gods of agriculture, gods of cities, gods of towns, and various others. But in all of paganism’s galaxy of gods, there never was one called “god of hope.” That is
                    
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                    (Note: I used this illustration as part of a funeral message in January 2017)
Back when I was 11 years of age, I really discovered pro baseball! We lived about four hours away from Cincinnati, Ohio, at the time—which was no problem for me! 
Well, I must have really pestered Dad because he
                    
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                    Contributed by John Herrmann on Nov 14, 2008
                
                
                    
            
            
            
            
            
        based on  19 ratings
                    
                         | 6,283 views
                    
                 
                
                    HELP IN THE GARDEN
An old Italian lived alone in New Jersey. He wanted to plant his annual tomato garden, but it was very difficult work, as the ground was hard. His only son, Vincent, who used to help him, was in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his predicament:
Dear
                    
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                    Lutheran
                
             
        
        
            
                
                
                    Contributed by Andrew Chan on May 22, 2001
                
                
                    
            
            
            
            
            
        based on  152 ratings
                    
                         | 8,948 views
                    
                 
                
                    There was a certain old recluse who lived deep in the mountains of Colorado. When he died, distant relatives came from the city to collect his valuables. Upon arriving, all they saw was an old shack with an outhouse beside it. Inside the shack, next to the rock fireplace, was an old cooking pot and
                    
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                    Evangelical Free
                
             
        
        
            
                
                
                    Contributed by Bruce Howell on Jun 5, 2001
                
                
                    
            
            
            
            
            
        based on  249 ratings
                    
                         | 2,508 views
                    
                 
                
                    Some months ago I heard a touching story about a humble, consecrated pastor whose young son had become very ill. After the boy had undergone an exhaustive series of tests, the father was told the shocking news that his son had a terminal illness. The youngster had accepted Christ as his Savior, so
                    
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                    Wesleyan
                
             
        
        
            
                
                
                    Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 15, 2001
                
                
                    
            
            
            
            
            
        based on  29 ratings
                    
                         | 5,339 views
                    
                 
                
                    I DON'T REMEMBER
A young nun once claimed to have had a vision of Jesus. Her bishop decided to test her truthfulness and ordered that the next time she had a vision she should ask Christ what the bishop’s primary sin had been before he became a bishop.
Some months later the nun returned and the
                    
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                    Contributed by Dana Chau on May 13, 2002
                
                
                    
            
            
            
            
            
        based on  105 ratings
                    
                         | 9,757 views
                    
                 
                
                    WHAT MY MOTHER TAUGHT ME
 
My mother taught me RELIGION:  When I spilled grape juice on the carpet, she instructed, "You better pray the stain will come out of the carpet."
 
My mother taught me LOGIC:  From her decisive words, "Because I said so, that’s why."
 
My mother taught me FORESIGHT: 
                    
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                    *other
                
             
        
        
            
                
                
                    Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 9, 2002
                
                
                    
            
            
            
            
            
        based on  13 ratings
                    
                         | 4,124 views
                    
                 
                
                    SOME GOOD ADVICE
   I am still waiting for my father to talk to me about sex and success, money and marriage, religion and raising kids.  Since he died in 1991, I guess I don’t have much chance of ever benefiting from all of the lessons he learned in life.  It’s not that he was a bad dad; he was
                    
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                    Contributed by Donnie  Martin on Aug 18, 2004
                
                
                    
            
            
            
            
            
        based on  40 ratings
                    
                         | 18,431 views
                    
                 
                
                    Grace
The boy stood defiantly.   “Go ahead, give it to me.”   
The principal looked at the young rebel and asked, “How many times have you been here?”   
	The child sneered rebelliously, “Apparently not enough.”   
“And you have been punished each time?” the principal responded.
“Yeah, I been
                    
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                    Baptist