• Christian Character,  Prayer

    Someone Else

    We are all saddened to learn this week of the death of one of our church’s most valuable members, Someone Else. Someone’s passing created a vacancy that will be difficult to be. Else has been with us for many years, and for every one of those years, Someone did far more than a normal person’s share of the work. Whenever leadership was mentioned, this wonderful person was looked to for inspiration as well as results: Someone Else can work with that group.” Whenever there was a job to do, a class to teach, or a meeting to attend, one name was on everyone’s list- Someone Else. “Let Someone Else do it” was a common refrain heard throughout the church. It was common knowledge that Someone Else was among the largest givers in the church. Whenever there was a financial need, everyone just assumed Someone Else would make up the difference. Someone Else was a wonderful person, sometimes appearing superhuman; but a person can only do so much. Were the truth known, everybody expected too much of Someone Else. Now Someone Else is gone! We wonder what we are going to do. Someone Else left a wonderful example to follow, but who is going to follow it? Who is going to do the things Someone Else did? Remember-we can’t depend on Someone Else anymore!

    From email Illustration List

  • Adoration,  Christ,  Cross,  God,  Jesus,  Prayer,  Worship,  YouTube Videos

    That’s My King

    Great to use during a Sunday service or within a small group.

    The late S.M. Lockridge once presented an incredible message, describing our God and who He is. Though God can’t be described with just words, this is as close as you can get this side of Heaven.

  • Christ,  Christianity,  Jesus

    A Peasant Man

    It is extraordinary that a peasant man from a poky, backwater town in Galilee, who never wrote anything, who died the death of a petty criminal, should continue to intrigue and excite more people than ever.

    Soul Survivor Magazine, Aug 97, p28, J John

  • Christ,  Jesus

    What Will You Do About Jesus?

    I want to say loudly, “you can’t do anything you want with Jesus!”. You cannot use him, abuse him or get him to justify your loony ideas. The message of the Bible is never “have a look at Jesus and see what you like about him – try Jesus for size – fit him into your life where you can . . .” You can’t fit Jesus in. The message of the bible is “Jesus is Lord, what are you going to do about it?”

    Soul Survivor Magazine, Aug 97, p28, J John

  • Christ,  Christmas,  Cross,  Forgivenness,  Jesus

    Our Greatest Need

    If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator; If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist; If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist; If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer; But our greatest need was forgiveness, so God sent us a Savior.

  • Christ,  Jesus

    A Frightening Alternative

    “We are faced with a frightening alternative. The man we are talking about was (and is) just what he said or else a lunatic or something worse. Now it seems to me obvious that he was neither a lunatic nor a fiend; and consequently, however strange or terrifying or unlikely it may seem, I have to accept the view that He was and is the Son of God. God has landed on this enemy occupied world in human form.”

    C.S. Lewis

  • Christ,  Cross,  Easter,  Jesus,  Sacrifice

    The Empty Bird Cage

    There once was a man named George Thomas, a pastor in a small New England town. One Easter Sunday morning, he came to the Church carrying a rusty, bent, old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit.

    Several eyebrows were raised and, as if in response, Pastor Thomas began to speak. “I was walking through town yesterday when I saw a young boy coming toward me swinging this bird cage. On the bottom of the cage were three little wild birds, shivering with cold and fright. I stopped the lad and asked, ” What you got there son?”

    “Just some old birds,” came the reply. “What are you gonna do with them?” I asked.

    “Take ’em home and have fun with ’em,” he answered. “I’m gonna tease ’em and pull out their feathers to make ’em fight. I’m gonna have a real good time.”

    “But you’ll get tired of those birds sooner or later. What will you do then?”

    “Oh, I got some cats,” said the little boy. “They like birds. I’ll take ’em to them.”

    The pastor was silent for a moment. “How much do you want for those birds, son?”

    “Huh? Why, you don’t want them birds, mister. They’re just plain old field birds. They don’t sing and they ain’t even pretty!”

    “How much?” the pastor asked again.

    The boy sized up the pastor as if he were crazy and said, “$10.” The pastor reached in his pocket and took out a ten-dollar bill. He placed it in the boy’s hand. In a flash, the boy was gone.

    The pastor picked up the cage and gently carried it to the end of the alley where there was a tree and a grassy spot. Setting the cage down, he opened the door, and by softly tapping the bars persuaded the birds out, setting them free.

    Well, that explained the empty birdcage on the pulpit, and then the pastor began to tell this story.

    “One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan had just come from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting. “Yes, sir, I just caught the world full of people down there. Set me a trap, used bait I knew they couldn’t resist. Got ’em all!”
    “What are you going to do with them?” Jesus asked.

    Satan replied, “Oh, I’m gonna have fun! I’m gonna teach them how to marry and divorce each other, how to hate and abuse each other, how to drink and smoke and curse. I’m gonna teach them how to invent guns and bombs and kill each other. I’m really gonna have fun!”

    “And what will you do when you get done with them?” Jesus asked.

    “Oh, I’ll kill ’em,” Satan glared proudly.

    “How much do you want for them?” Jesus asked.

    Oh, you don’t want those people. They ain’t no good. Why, you’ll take them and they’ll just hate you. They’ll spit on you, curse you and kill you!! You don’t want those people!!

    “How much?” He asked again.

    Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, “All your tears, and all your blood.”

    Jesus said, “DONE!” Then He paid the price.

    The pastor picked up the cage, he opened the door, and he walked from the pulpit.

    From the Sermon Fodder Email List