Illustration: Success

In his new biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Eric Metaxas observes of the German pastor-theologian: "In his book Ethics...Bonhoeffer wrote about the way people worship success. The topic fascinated him. He referred to it in his letter from Barcelona many years earlier, in which he observed the fickleness of the crowds at bullfights, how they roared for the toreador one moment and for the bull the next. It was success they wanted, success more than anything. In Ethics, he wrote:

Illustration: Divine Perspective

The man was taking it easy, lying on the grass and looking up at the clouds. He was identifying shapes when he decided to talk to God.

Illustration: Cleansing from Sin

In a recent edition of the Daily Hope with Rick Warren email newsletter, Jon Walker writes: "Jasmine is my beautiful and tenderhearted dog (cockapoo). She knows it is wrong to go near an old barn that's on the edge of my property, but she saw a black cat run behind it and took off for a playful chase.

Illustration: Resurrection

It was Easter Sunday and the pastor gathered the children at the front of the church to ask them about the meaning of Easter. The pastor was disappointed as he listened to the first response: "Easter is the day the Easter Bunny comes and kids look for hidden eggs and eat chocolate."

Illustration: Mirror, Reflection

The first mirrors were made from highly polished metals such as copper or brass. Since the 1600s, mirrors have been made from plate glass with a backing of silver covered by coatings of copper, lacquer, and paint. Mirrors do not transmit light, but reflect it.

Illustration: Stewardship, Trust

In his book The Cycle of Victorious Giving (Beacon Hill Press), Stan Toler tells about the time when he was a college student and attended the annual missions conference at his church.

Illustration: Preaching

One Sunday morning right after the worship service had ended, the pastor went and sat down with his wife. She asked him how he thought the service went.

Illustration: Second Coming

Given the recent interest in Harold Camping's mistaken predictions of a May 21, 2011, rapture, here are some thoughts from David Jeremiah in his Jan. 2, 2011, Turning Point Daily Devotional:

Illustration: Teachers

Being interviewed by the school administration, the eager teaching prospect said: "Let me see if I've got this right. You want me to go into that room with all those kids, fill their every waking moment with a love for learning; and I'm supposed to instill a sense of pride in their ethnicity, modify their disruptive behavior, observe them for signs of abuse; and even censor their T-shirt messages and dress habits."

Illustration: Salvation, Transformation

Back in the 50s, there was a well-known radio host/comedian/song writer in Hollywood named Stuart Hamblen who was noted for his drinking, womanizing, partying, etc.