Contributed by Jay Winters on Oct 16, 2006
Arthur Miller, in a play entitled “After the Fall,” describes how we might look at ourselves in this heart attack moment of Lent, when he describes coming home from war. “One day the house smells of fresh bread, the next of smoke and blood. One day you faint because the gardener cuts his finger
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Denomination:
Lutheran
Contributed by Brian La Croix on Oct 23, 2006
I talked last week about the fact that we like to give gifts to our kids, and one of the reasons for that is that we want to bless our kids, and to see their faces when they open the gifts they get from us.
And we hope that the response will be good, right? You don’t want one of these kinds of
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Denomination:
Wesleyan
Contributed by Scott Epperson on Nov 4, 2006
Crocodile Hunter ILLUS. ( one thing to fight with something another to kill it)
In the news the other day it was reported that the world famous Australian Crocodile Hunter had been killed by a sting ray, really by accident.
I loved to watch the Croc Hunter on the animal planet and other
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Denomination:
Pentecostal
based on 1 rating
| 2,106 views
A Modern day example of this is found In the movie Groundhog’s day. Bill Murray finds that he is stuck repeating the same day over and over again. At first, he is very frustrated and thinks he is going to go insane. No matter what he does he cannot affect or change the events of the day. Then
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Denomination:
Lutheran
Contributed by Johnny Creasong on Nov 21, 2006
The year 1636 was unbelievable for German pastor, Martin Rinkart. Amid the darkness of the Thirty Year War, Pastor Rinkart is said to have buried 5000 of his parishioners, including his wife, in the year 1636, an average of 15 per day. In the heart of that kind of grief and pain, his parish
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Denomination:
Church Of God
Contributed by John Shearhart on Dec 2, 2006
You can learn a lot about a person by listening to his or her last words. For example, it is reported that P. T. Barnum’s last words were “How were the receipts today at Madison Square Garden?” Supposedly writer Oscar Wilde said, “Either that wallpaper goes, or I do,” right before his passing.
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Not recognizing what is all around us. We feel helpless by our circumstances, missing the help and truth all around us
One ship found itself stranded at sea and unless help came soon, it was certain the crew would all die of thirst. Finally in the distance they saw a ship and frantically
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Denomination:
Christian/Church Of Christ
Contributed by Paul Newell on Dec 4, 2006
Several months ago I read Jim Collins’ book, Good to Great , in it he describes what he calls the flywheel principle (pg.165). I’ve modified his illustration a little and I call mine “the merry-go-round effect”. Here’s the point.
As a kid I used to love to go to the playground with my friends.
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Denomination:
Baptist
Blackaby states this about “Experiencing God” from his book by the same name:
1. Jesus said, “The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name. He will teach you all things” (John 14:26). The Holy Spirit of God will be your personal Teacher. He is the One who will guide you to
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Denomination:
Evangelical/Non-Denominational
Contributed by Mark Ferrante on Jan 12, 2007
based on 2 ratings
| 2,012 views
Stanley Jones writes about a crucial moment in his life when he found himself on his way to what could have been a spiritual disaster:
For months after my conversion, I was running under cloudless skies. And then suddenly I tripped, almost fell, pulled back this side of the sin, but was shaken
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Denomination:
Assembly Of God
based on 3 ratings
| 1,577 views
Buddhism has a story similar to the story Jesus told about the Prodigal Son. In the story Jesus told, the father sees his wayward son, and runs to greet him. The prodigal says he no longer deserves to be considered a son, but the loving father throws a party for him and freely restores him to
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Denomination:
Christian/Church Of Christ
Contributed by Susan Blader on Jan 21, 2007
based on 2 ratings
| 3,216 views
Captain Jack’s Compass
In the movie, “The Pirates of the Caribbean,” Captain Jack Sparrow has a compass. It is no ordinary compass. Rather than pointing north, it points toward whatever the person holding it wants most. It might be treasure, or a person, or a location. But it only works if the
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Denomination:
Disciples Of Christ
Contributed by Todd Stiles on Feb 8, 2007
Let me illustrate by telling you about how my kids used to respond to me and Julie during discipline when they were very young. When they would disobey or do wrong, and the sin called for a spanking, I recall vividly the words, “Mercy, daddy, mercy!” Or, “Mercy, mommy, mercy!” What were they asking
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Denomination:
Baptist
Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Feb 25, 2007
based on 13 ratings
| 2,705 views
Shane Claiborne, who spent a summer in the slums of Calcutta with Mother Teresa, wrote about her experience there. She said, “People often ask me what Mother Teresa was like. Sometimes it’s like they wonder if she glowed in the dark or had a halo. She was short, wrinkled, and precious, maybe
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Denomination:
Methodist
Contributed by Lynn Malone on Mar 11, 2007
Perhaps you’ve seen the commercial on television advertising one of those lending companies. This nice man with a painted on smile stands surrounded by this nice all-American family, and he says, “I’ve got a beautiful family.” The next scene shows a picture of a big house and the same man says,
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Denomination:
Methodist
Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Mar 20, 2007
based on 2 ratings
| 1,514 views
As a part of an assignment for a doctoral thesis, a college student spent a year with a group of Navajo Indians on a reservation in the Southwest.
As he did his research he lived with one family, sleeping in their hut, eating their food, working with them and generally living the life of a 20th
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Denomination:
Pentecostal
A young man named Robert Robinson had been saved from a very sinful life in the mid 1700s through George Whitfield’s ministry in England. Soon afterward, the 23-year-old Robinson wrote the hymn, “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” You may recognize some of the lyrics:
Come thou font of every
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Denomination:
Episcopal/Anglican
Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 5, 2001
based on 143 ratings
| 1,683 views
In his book, Mortal Lessons: Notes on the Art of Surgery, Dr. Richard Selzer tells a true story that reflects God’s love for the unlovely. "I stand by the bed where a young woman lies, her face postoperative, her mouth twisted in palsy, clownish. A tiny twinge of facial nerve, the one to the
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Contributed by James Wilson on Nov 23, 2000
based on 111 ratings
| 3,202 views
In the best selling book "She said Yes!" Missy Bernall tells the story of her daughter Cassie, one of the students killed at Columbine High School. Cassie grew up in church, she came from a nice family, had friends and a nice life.
Then it all changed.
When Cassie entered high school (not
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Denomination:
Baptist
Contributed by Steve Malone on Apr 10, 2001
based on 42 ratings
| 3,851 views
Perhaps one of the greatest examples of comebacks in recent years has been the comeback of San Francisco Giant pitcher Dave Dravecky. During his major league career Dave pitched in the All star game, in the national league championship series and in the World Series.
In 1988 doctors removed a
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Denomination:
Christian/Church Of Christ
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