Freedom

There is story told out of Persia about a General who had the strange custom of giving condemned criminals a choice between the firing squad and the big, black door. As the moment of execution draws near, the spies are brought to the Persian General, who asks the question, "What will it b

Forgiveness, Resentment

In his At Ease: Stories I Tell to Friends, President Dwight Eisenhower tells how he learned to forgive. When he was ten, he became so angry about something that he beat his fists into an old apple tree until they were bleeding. That night his mother came into his bedroom. He was still sob

2007 Survey of Visual Resources for Preaching

When describing the style of a worship service, the modern day church has often used two descriptions: traditional or contemporary. And when one talks about the use of visual media, it is assumed that video belongs in the camp of the contemporary service. But that perception is quickly changing. Vi

Forgetfulness, Forgetting

The pastor James Moore of Houston tells about an elderly man who spoke at a banquet. With a broad grin and twinkle in his eye, he said, "I know I'm old because there are three things I can't remember: I can't remember names, I can't remember faces, and I can't remember the third thing I can't remem

Food, Diet

Methuselah ate what he found on his plateAnd never, as people do nowDid he note the amount of the calorie countHe ate it because it was chow.He wasn't disturbed as at dinner he satDevouring a roast or a pieTo think it was lacking the right kind of fatOr a couple of vitamins shy.He cheerfully chewed

Flag, Patriotism

Henry Ward Beecher once said, "A thoughtful mind, when it sees a Nation's flag, sees not the flag only, but the Nation itself; and whatever may be its symbols, its insignia, he reads chiefly in the flag the Government, the principles, the truths, the history which belongs to the Nation th

Fishing

A guy had an awful day fishing on the lake, sitting in the blazing sun all day without catching a single one. On his way home, he stopped at the supermarket and ordered four catfish. He told the fish salesman, "Pick four large ones out and throw them at me, will you?" "Why do you want me to throw t

Fear, Peace

I recall the story of a little girl who, when trains were popular transportation, was taking he first train ride with her parents. As night descended, the mother took the girl, who was clearly quite anxious, and placed her on the upper bunk of the sleeper. She told her little one that...

Fear

The late advice columnist Ann Landers use to receive something like 10,000 letters a month. When asked what seems to be the most common topic, she answered that most people seem to be afraid of something. They are afraid of losing their health, their job, or their family. They are afraid

Fear, Realization, Success

A friend told me about being in a boat hunting Canadian Geese in the dead of winter on a freezing lake. Bone cold the three of them in a 16-foot aluminum boat hold out for a few more minutes of light and the last chance at a goose. Sure enough their patience is rewarded. Overhead they hea