Sermon Illustrations

That is the title of a novel set in India by Araundhati Roy. Even if one has not read the book, the title is intriguing. It sounds like the title for a sermon. We often speak of the great things God has done, and we should. But for many of us life turns on very small hinges, and it is good to know that the Almighty who is the Lord of...

Martin of Tours, lived in France in the fourth century. His biographer tells this story. Before Martin became a bishop he served in the army. One cold day he met a poor man who had no clothes. Having nothing to give him, he took his sword and cut his own cloak in half. He gave one half to the poor man and covered himself...

David Maister is a consultant to firms all over the world. Formerly a professor at the Harvard Business School, he now spends 250 days on the road teaching business professionals how to do a better job. His emphasis is not on technical skills but on ethics, values, and morality. He says that successful firms are not necessarily...

When the renowned little nun called Mother Teresa died, half a million people gathered in the streets outside the Netaji stadium where her funeral was held. Twelve thousand were inside to attend the funeral of the woman they called "The Saint of the Gutters." She had devoted her life to the poor and the order she founded...

In June, 1998, World Press Review carried an article noting the progress in lengthening human life. Scientists had taken human cells, put them in test tubes, genetically manipulated the DNA, and made them live twice as long as they normally do. The writer wondered if this held the possibility that people might live to be...

You may have heard about the time John Calvin was asked why he wore a hat while preaching in Geneva. Though the man expected some profound rationalization, Calvin simply said, "It's cold in the cathedral and there are pigeons."

Have you seen those little books that say, "You might be a redneck if"? Well, I've put together a little list for us here, just to check us out. You may have a "me" addiction if you have, let's say in the last six months: pulled into a parking space ahead of the retired guy in the white Buick with the Michigan license plate who had...

I like to read the "Personals" in the classified section of the newspaper, especially in large cities. For instance, several years ago I found one in The Atlanta Constitution. The first line grabbed my attention immediately. "HUSBAND FOR SALE!" it read. Then the details of the sale followed: "Age 52, in good health. Out of ...

We're living in a day that is increasingly depersonalized. Nothing makes this more clear than the impersonal computer glitches which are becoming more frequent. I read about a letter that went out from the president of the Arizona State University Parents Association to the parent or guardian of Truman Bradley of Boulder,...

John and Roberta were touring their brand new house. It was a house that Roberta had paid for with her money, a fact of which she constantly reminded John. In each room of the house she said to her husband: "John, if it were not for my money, we would not be here." John didn't say a word. That afternoon a truck...