?There is an old “Far Side” comic that illustrates the power of perspective. As with many of Gary Larson’s comics, it contains animals that behave like people. There is a family of dogs deep in an underground fallout shelter, while there is a nuclear holocaust on the surface. One of the dogs says, “Well, we must face a new reality. No more carefree days of chasing squirrels, running through the park, or howling at the moon. On the other hand, no more, ‘Fetch the stick, boy, fetch the stick.’”


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About The Author

A third generation preacher, Mike Shannon is Professor of Preaching at Cincinnati Bible Seminary of Cincinnati Christian University. He has served as a preaching minister, church planter, and college professor. His most recent preaching ministry was at the historic First Christian Church of Johnson City, Tennessee. In his nearly two decades at Cincinnati Christian University, Mike has served as both professor and Dean of the Seminary. He has also been an adjunct professor at Milligan College and Northern Kentucky University. Mike is the author or co-author of several books.

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In Ziggy, the little fellow is bouncing up and down and saying: “You only go around once…but you can bounce back as many times as you like!” Of course the story of most great men and women is marked by the fact that they bounced back. Some bounced back from physical injuries or limitations. Some bounced back from financial failure. Some bounced back from personal disappointments. Some bounced back from moral failures. The Bible is filled with examples of people in all these categories. They did not give up but saw their lives turn around.

-Robert Shannon, Preaching March/April 1999


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About The Author

A third generation preacher, Mike Shannon is Professor of Preaching at Cincinnati Bible Seminary of Cincinnati Christian University. He has served as a preaching minister, church planter, and college professor. His most recent preaching ministry was at the historic First Christian Church of Johnson City, Tennessee. In his nearly two decades at Cincinnati Christian University, Mike has served as both professor and Dean of the Seminary. He has also been an adjunct professor at Milligan College and Northern Kentucky University. Mike is the author or co-author of several books.

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We all admire those who are able to make the best
of bad situations-to see the good in everything. Even Dennis the
Menace has an optimistic streak. In a recent comic he said to his
friend Joey, “One good thing about vegetables Joey, they really make
the dessert taste good.” It is in the bad times that we learn to
appreciate the good times.

_______________
J. Michael Shannon is professor of preaching at Cincinnati Bible College in Cincinnati, OH.


View more sermon illustrations for inspiration for your next message.

About The Author

A third generation preacher, Mike Shannon is Professor of Preaching at Cincinnati Bible Seminary of Cincinnati Christian University. He has served as a preaching minister, church planter, and college professor. His most recent preaching ministry was at the historic First Christian Church of Johnson City, Tennessee. In his nearly two decades at Cincinnati Christian University, Mike has served as both professor and Dean of the Seminary. He has also been an adjunct professor at Milligan College and Northern Kentucky University. Mike is the author or co-author of several books.

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Ivan
S. Prokhanov was an evangelical preacher in Russia in the early part of this
century. He was arrested at gunpoint. Several times he was put in prison.  During
the Bolshevik reign of terror he nearly starved to death. One winter he nearly
froze to death. He wrote a book, In the Cauldron of Russia.  The subtitle
is “The Life of an Optimist in the Land of Pessimism.” That describes
the lives of many Christians who remember all that Jesus said about Joy and
in spite of everything have that joy down in their hearts.

 

_______________

J.
Michael Shannon is professor of preaching at Cincinnati Bible College in Cincinnati,
OH.


View more sermon illustrations for inspiration for your next message.

About The Author

A third generation preacher, Mike Shannon is Professor of Preaching at Cincinnati Bible Seminary of Cincinnati Christian University. He has served as a preaching minister, church planter, and college professor. His most recent preaching ministry was at the historic First Christian Church of Johnson City, Tennessee. In his nearly two decades at Cincinnati Christian University, Mike has served as both professor and Dean of the Seminary. He has also been an adjunct professor at Milligan College and Northern Kentucky University. Mike is the author or co-author of several books.

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Michael
Lebouf recounts an anecdote about the great football coach, Bear Bryant. Bryant
is reported to have said, “There are several kinds of football players. There
are those who have it and know it, those who have it and don’t know it, those
who haven’t got it and know it, and those who haven’t got it and don’t know it.
Those who haven’t got it and don’t know it have won us more games than anybody.”

 

_______________

J.
Michael Shannon is professor of preaching at Cincinnati Bible College in Cincinnati,
OH.


View more sermon illustrations for inspiration for your next message.

About The Author

A third generation preacher, Mike Shannon is Professor of Preaching at Cincinnati Bible Seminary of Cincinnati Christian University. He has served as a preaching minister, church planter, and college professor. His most recent preaching ministry was at the historic First Christian Church of Johnson City, Tennessee. In his nearly two decades at Cincinnati Christian University, Mike has served as both professor and Dean of the Seminary. He has also been an adjunct professor at Milligan College and Northern Kentucky University. Mike is the author or co-author of several books.

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A
college student was always bragging about his hometown. It was an obscure place,
unknown to most of his colleagues. His friend thought it a backwater place with
little to distinguish itself. Finally a friend asked, “Come on. What’s
so special about your home town,” The young man replied with great enthusiasm,
“You can go anywhere in the world from there.” Could that be true
of your hometown?

_______________
J.
Michael Shannon is professor of preaching at Cincinnati Bible College in Cincinnati,
OH.


View more sermon illustrations for inspiration for your next message.

About The Author

A third generation preacher, Mike Shannon is Professor of Preaching at Cincinnati Bible Seminary of Cincinnati Christian University. He has served as a preaching minister, church planter, and college professor. His most recent preaching ministry was at the historic First Christian Church of Johnson City, Tennessee. In his nearly two decades at Cincinnati Christian University, Mike has served as both professor and Dean of the Seminary. He has also been an adjunct professor at Milligan College and Northern Kentucky University. Mike is the author or co-author of several books.

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William Howard Taft entered the White House with the approval of the retiring
president, Theodore Roosevelt. They had a falling out, and Roosevelt ran
against his former protegee in the next election. Three candidates competed for
the vote: Woodrow Wilson, Theodore Roosevelt, and William Howard Taft.

Wilson won with Taft getting the fewest number of votes. According to historian
Peter Boiler, Taft refused to be devastated by the defeat. He said to his
friends, “I have one consolation. No one candidate was ever elected
ex-president by such a large majority.”

___________________________

Illustration by J. Michael Shannon, Professor of Preaching, Cincinnati Bible
College & Seminary, Cincinnati, OH.


View more sermon illustrations for inspiration for your next message.

About The Author

A third generation preacher, Mike Shannon is Professor of Preaching at Cincinnati Bible Seminary of Cincinnati Christian University. He has served as a preaching minister, church planter, and college professor. His most recent preaching ministry was at the historic First Christian Church of Johnson City, Tennessee. In his nearly two decades at Cincinnati Christian University, Mike has served as both professor and Dean of the Seminary. He has also been an adjunct professor at Milligan College and Northern Kentucky University. Mike is the author or co-author of several books.

Related Posts

In Ziggy, the little fellow is bouncing up and down and saying: “You only
go around once … but you can bounce back as many times as you like!.” Of
course the story of most great men and women is marked by the fact that they
bounced back. Some bounced back from physical injuries or limitations. Some
bounced back from financial failure. Some bounced back from personal
disappointments. Some bounced back from moral failures. The Bible is filled
with examples of people in all these categories. They did not give up but saw
their lives turn around.


View more sermon illustrations for inspiration for your next message.

About The Author

A third generation preacher, Mike Shannon is Professor of Preaching at Cincinnati Bible Seminary of Cincinnati Christian University. He has served as a preaching minister, church planter, and college professor. His most recent preaching ministry was at the historic First Christian Church of Johnson City, Tennessee. In his nearly two decades at Cincinnati Christian University, Mike has served as both professor and Dean of the Seminary. He has also been an adjunct professor at Milligan College and Northern Kentucky University. Mike is the author or co-author of several books.

Related Posts

Did you hear about the 90-year-old man who married a 25-year-old woman? His son by a previous marriage asked, “Dad, don’t you think, um, sex is a little dangerous at your age?”

“Well, son,” he replied, “if she dies, she dies.”


View more sermon illustrations for inspiration for your next message.

About The Author

A third generation preacher, Mike Shannon is Professor of Preaching at Cincinnati Bible Seminary of Cincinnati Christian University. He has served as a preaching minister, church planter, and college professor. His most recent preaching ministry was at the historic First Christian Church of Johnson City, Tennessee. In his nearly two decades at Cincinnati Christian University, Mike has served as both professor and Dean of the Seminary. He has also been an adjunct professor at Milligan College and Northern Kentucky University. Mike is the author or co-author of several books.

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