Sermon Illustrations

Suffering comes to all of us, and no one can suffer for us. Even so, we can be supported in those difficult times by the prayers and understanding of loved ones and friends. It's when we are too proud to admit our need to others that we are in the greatest danger. The Sequoia trees of California to

An Ant's Example A man once laid a piece of chocolate candy on a table. Then, picking up an ant, he put it near the delicious bon-bon. He was surprised to see it take a single bite and then hurry off to inform the rest of the colony. Soon the little creature returned, followed by a long train of ot

"The church is the most complex of all human organizations," says Ed Dayton of World Vision. "It's what we call 'goal-conflicted.' One goal is to send people forth, and another is to care for them. People are always either getting on a stretcher or getting off. You've got this continual dynamic whe

Thorns Become Roses An old legend tells of a parish priest who found a branch of a thorn tree twisted around so that it resembled a crown of thorns. Thinking it a symbol of the crucifixion of Christ, he took it to his chapel and placed it on the altar on Good Friday. Early on Easter morning he rem

In a recent issue of his Key Life magazine, Steve Brown observed, "The source of almost all spiritual problems is an inappropriate effort to avoid the cross. When we, as the Church, turn away from the cross, we miss the path that God has given us - the path to freedom, joy, faithfulness and forgiven

Some time ago a scientific magazine published an article concerning a certain species of alligator. Being lazy beasts they seldom hunt for their dinner but just wait for their unwary victims to come to them. They lie near the bank with open mouths, acting as if they are dead. Soon flies begin to lig

Heads or Tails You heard about the golfer named Jones who was twenty minutes late at the first tee on Sunday morning and the other three members of the regular foursome were almost ready to drive off without him. "I agreed with my wife," explained Jones, "that this Sunday I'd toss a coin to see whe

One More Time In a manufacturing town in Scotland, a young lady began teaching a Sunday school class of poverty-stricken boys. The most unpromising youngster was a boy named Bob. After the first two or three Sundays, he did not return. So the teacher went to look for him. Although the superinte

In the US today, more people have three cars (19 percent) than own no cars (11 percent). Today 96 percent of American homes have a microwave, 20 percent have a home security system. And 55 percent own a home computer - twice the number of home PC's as in 1993. At the same time, some 1.4 million indi

Lost Wing Power A Beekeeper once told F.B. Meyer how some of the young bees are nurtured to ensure their healthy development. The queen lays each egg in a 6-sided cell which is filled with enough pollen and honey to feed upon until it reaches a certain stage of maturity. The top is then sealed with