Sermon Illustrations

Ronald Meredith describes one quiet night in early spring: "Suddenly out of the night came the sound of wild geese flying. I ran to the house and breathlessly announced the excitement I felt. What is to compare with wild geese across the moon? It might have ended there except for the sight of our tame mallards on the pond. They heard the wild call they had once known."

A well-respected surgeon was relaxing on his sofa one evening just after arriving home from work. As he was tuning into the evening news, the phone rang. The doctor calmly answered it and heard the familiar voice of a colleague on the other end of the line.

Don Wilton writes: "People quit on us when they don't feel valued. George and Mary Lou were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. A reporter asked George, 'What's your recipe for a long, happy marriage?' George explained that after the wedding his father-in-law handed him a package. Inside it was a gold watch that George still used. He showed it to the reporter. Across the face of the watch where he could see it a dozen times a day, were written the words, 'Say something nice to Mary Lou.'"

Jack received a free ticket to the Super Bowl from his company. Unfortunately, when Jack arrived at the stadium he realized the seat was in the last row in the corner of the stadium. He was closer to the Goodyear Blimp than the field!

In his sermon "How to Hear God Speak," Rick Warren talks about the problem of distractions that keep us from listening to the Lord: "Many of you did what I did last Mother's Day. You picked up the phone and dialed your mom to say, 'Happy Mother's Day,' and as you were doing it, you get the same little message, 'Sorry, but all the circuits are busy.' Everybody else in America was calling their mothers.

Grandma and Grandpa were sitting in their porch rockers watching the beautiful sunset and reminiscing about "the good old days," when Grandma turned to Grandpa and said, "Honey, do you remember when we first started dating and you used to casually reach over and take my hand?"

In his book Primal, Mark Batterson shares this story: "In 1801, Sir David Brewster was awarded an honorary master of arts degree from the University of Edinburgh and was ordained to preach. His first sermon turned into his last sermon. Brewster was so nervous when he got behind the pulpit that he vowed never to do it again. In the words of a colleague, 'It was a pity for the National Church of Scotland, but a good day for science.' Brewster decided to pursue his first love, the science of optics. In 1816, his childlike passion produced an invention that has captured the imagination of children ever since. Brewster called it a kaleidoscope. Containing fragments of colored glass, the kaleidoscope reflects light in an endless variety of colors and patterns.

Here are a few suggestions for special gifts: a firm handshake to a shaky soul, a kind word to a lonely person...

"Thanks for the harmonica you gave me for Christmas," Johnny said to his Uncle Rodney the first time he saw him after the holidays. "It's the best Christmas present I ever got."

The story is told of Teddy Roosevelt entertaining guests at his Sagamore Hill estate on Long Island. After a late dinner, he invited his guests outside to walk beneath the brilliant nighttime sky. After a silent, reverent stroll Roosevelt said, "I guess we've been humbled enough now. Let's go inside."