Sermon Illustrations

Two teenagers were arrested. After booking them, the police sergeant told them they were entitled to a phone call. Some time later a man entered the station and asked for them by name.

A famous author was autographing copies of his new novel in a Cleveland department store. One gentleman pleased him by bringing up not only his new book for signature, but reprint editions of his two previous ones, as well.

Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child. The winner was a 4-year-old child whose next-door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who recently had lost his wife.

A new kind of plane was on its first flight. It was full of reporters and journalists. A little while after takeoff, the captain's voice was heard over the speakers: "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm delighted to be your pilot for this plane's historic first flight. I can tell you the flight is going well. Nevertheless, I have to tell you about a minor inconvenience that has occurred. The passengers on the right side can, if they look out their windows, see that the closest engine is slightly vibrating. That shouldn't worry you, because this plane is equipped with four engines and we are flying along smoothly at an acceptable altitude.

As a mother was walking with her 4-year-old daughter, the girl picked up something off the ground and started to put it in her mouth, and Mom told her not to do that.

"Suddenly I saw the contrast between our own family -- healthy with three children with strong legs -- and the other family. We were complaining and miserable, while they were having a great time. With so many things to be thankful for, how easy it is to forget them all."

The difference in the two approaches is the difference between working man's way and working God's way; working in light of the end of the day versus working in light of the end of life; working for immediate rewards versus working for ultimate rewards.

We tend to go through various stages in our relationships with our fathers. Click here to read how our perspective of Dad changes with age.

According to Dr. T. Berry Brazelton, a father's involvement with a child increases the child's IQ, the child's motivation to learn and the child's self-confidence. In addition, children with involved dads are more likely to develop a sense of humor as well as an "inner excitement."

After having dug to a depth of 10 meters last year, Scottish scientists found traces of copper wire dating back 100 years and came to the conclusion that their ancestors had a telephone network more than 100 years ago.