A ship strayed off course near San Diego some years back. It became stuck in a reef at low tide. Twelve tugboats were unsuccessful in their attempts to budge it. Finally, the captain instructed the tugs to go back home. He sighed, "I'll just be patient and wait." He waited until high tide. All of a sudden the ocean began to rise. What human power could not do, the rising tide of the Pacific Ocean did. It lifted that ship and put it back into the channel. (1) Something like that happened to the early church ...
On a sunny day in September, 1972, a stern-face, plainly dressed man could be seen standing still on a street corner in the busy Chicago Loop. As pedestrians hurried by on their way to lunch or business, he would solemnly lift his right arm, and pointing to the person nearest him, intone loudly the single word "GUILTY!" Then, without any change of expression, he would resume his stiff stance for a few moments before repeating the gesture. Then, again, the inexorable raising of the arm, the pointing, and ...
Sometimes you just can't win. A man had been driving all night and by morning was still far from his destination. He decided to stop at the next city he came to, and park somewhere quiet so he could get an hour or two of sleep. As luck would have it, the quiet place he chose happened to be on one of the city's major jogging routes. No sooner had he settled back to snooze when there came a knocking on his window. He looked out and saw a jogger running in place. "Yes?" he said. "Excuse me, sir," the jogger ...
The Reverend John Brokhoff tells a great story about a major league baseball game that was stopped by a dog. It happened at a Kansas City Chiefs' game. A dog walked onto the playing field and wandered around. The game was stopped so that the dog could be removed. The umpires tried to shoo him off. The players yelled and hollered at him, "Get out, go home, you idiot dog." The dog by this time was thoroughly confused, ran here and there, and finally lay down on third base, refusing to move. A sports reporter ...
(Thanksgiving) The juxtaposition is startling--the Thanksgiving feast we have just enjoyed and our text for the day: " . . . I was hungry and you fed me; I was thirsty and you gave me water; I was a stranger and you invited me into your homes; naked and you clothed me, sick and in prison and you visited me." (Mt. 25: 35-36 The Living Bible). And yet what better day is there than this one--between the celebration of Thanksgiving, the one day when gluttony is transformed from a sin to a sacrament and Advent ...
Judas Iscariot has always been an enigma to us. One preacher, writing many years ago said, “No minister, at the time of his ordination, ever entertained more pleasing prospects for a brilliant career than had Judas Iscariot.” For one thing, Judas was given a good name. The names Judas means “praise of God.” One of the eleven sons of Jacob bore that name. So did one of the brothers of Jesus; the one who, by tradition, wrote the book of Jude in the New Testament. He was probably named after one of the most ...
One day a couple by the name of Herman and Mary were riding along in their shiny new car. Mary spoke up and said, "You know, Herman, if it weren't for my money, we probably wouldn't have this wonderful new car." And Herman just sat there and didn't say anything at all. As they pulled into the driveway, Herman turned off the motor and they quietly admired their new home. Then Mary said, "You know, Herman, if it weren't for my money, we probably wouldn't have this new house." And again, Herman just sat there ...
It is by chance that Damian discovers a huge bag of money near his home. It is just days before British pounds are converted to Euros and the old money is worthless. In the scenes that follow, Damian and his brother spend money as fast as they can, with Damian giving to the poor. Their father eventually discovers their secret, and Damian learns that the money was stolen. This is the moral dilemma and plot of the movie Millions. The thief who lost the money soon figures out that Damian is the finder. They ...
There is no place like an island to bring home how vitally interconnected we are to each other. The other night, one lone deer on tiny Shaw Island managed to plunge all the San Juan County islands into complete darkness and powerlessness for about five hours. This deer, it seems, decided to cross the road at the same time some unsuspecting driver (and there are only about 50 cars on the entire island) came around the corner. Whether to save Bambi or the front grillwork, the driver swerved sharply. He ...
James Gillis, a priest and writer in the mid-twentieth century, became well known as a commentator on American life. He saw himself as a champion for the cause of moral righteousness and absolutism against the forces of darkness that manifested themselves in various ways. This "war" continued throughout his life with battles waged on numerous fronts, all prosecuted to protect the American Christian way of life that was instilled in him from childhood. Gillis believed that truth should enwrap all decisions ...
We are, for the most part, a nation of cautious people. You can see it in our politics, in our finances, and in most cases in how we live our lives. On July 7, 1993, a package was delivered to the claims office of the California State Automobile Association. The package consisted of a used Fruit Loops cereal box. Workers quickly became suspicious. Suppose it contained explosives? Security guards called the police, and about 400 office workers were evacuated from the building. The bomb squad soon arrived on ...
His name was Howard Hughes. As an aviator, he once held every speed record of consequence and was called the world's greatest flyer. At various points in his life he owned an international airline, two regional airlines, an aircraft company, a major motion picture studio, mining properties, a tool company, gambling casinos and hotels in Las Vegas, along with a medical research institute and a vast amount of real estate. He dated some of the most beautiful Hollywood stars of all time. When Howard Hughes ...
Have you ever had a "mountaintop" experience? We use that term to describe various circumstances - a brilliant sunrise, a special time shared with friends or loved ones, a quiet moment of deep reflection. Such events are meaningful and important, but they are human experiences and have their place in the realm of the ordinary. There are also glorious worship experiences, when we feel on top of the world. Momentous mountaintop experiences are exhilarating, causing us to want to preserve them indefinitely. ...
Open With Video: Incredible Family from www.sermonspice.com I hope none of you are cringing. All of us would like to lay claim to having an Incredible Family. We admit that we have our problems but despite those problems and shortcomings we still want that incredible family. And we usually think our families are pretty incredible. We all have problems in our families. Even God. And we can take comfort from the thought that even God had problems with God's kids. Remember the story in Genesis? After creating ...
There is a story that has been around as long as I have been preaching, so the chances that you have heard it are right good. Even so, I share it. A speaker was scheduled to address some cattlemen. A terrible sleet storm struck on the day of the meeting. When the speaker arrived at the meeting place there were just three men present. The three were seated on the front row of seats — two younger cowmen with an old man between them. After waiting in vain for more people to arrive, the speaker said, “Frankly ...
One of my favorite preachers, Clarence Forsberg, tells a story about a man who realized his life-long ambition by going on a safari in Africa. “He took along his wife, even though she was not the outdoors type. They set up camp in a jungle cleaning, and as he prepared to go out the first day he presented his wife with a little silver bell. He explained, ‘There is really nothing to worry about. I’m not going to be very far away. If you have any trouble at all, just ring this bell, and I’ll come right back.’ ...
A radio announcer on KLOS in Los Angeles, about thirty minutes after a major earthquake, made these two statements: "The telephone company is urging people to please not use the telephone unless it is absolutely necessary in order to keep the lines open for emergency personnel. We'll be right back after this break to give away a pair of Phil Collins concert tickets to caller number 95." (1) A Major was assigned to a new office on a military base. While working to set up his office a Private knocked on his ...
Are you in love with God? In 1 John, the author has a lot to say about the love of God and the way that love changes our lives. We love because God first loved us. God's love fills us to overflowing so that it flows through us to other people. Annie Dillard said that we catch grace like a man filling a cup underneath a waterfall.1 That's the way we receive God's love. But there can be a problem for us when we put a lid on our cups and the water can't get inside. We're closing our hearts off to the love of ...
I’m not certain that I have ever titled a sermon after a song by Elvis Presley before. That may be surprising to you considering the timeless quality of some of his early hits like “Hound Dog,” “All Shook Up,” “Blue Suede Shoes,” and “Hard-Headed Woman.” I guess I could have derived a sermon from some of those, but somehow it seemed a stretch. Today’s lesson from the Book of Acts, however, is a different story. The story really does at least fit the title of Presley’s 1957 hit record “Jailhouse Rock.” ...
An ironworker on a skyscraper calmly walked a narrow beam 15 floors above the city street. Even with heavy winds blowing and a driving rain falling, he showed no fear and never hesitated. When he came down to the ground level a man who had been watching asked, “How did you ever get a job like that?” “Well,” replied the ironworker, “I used to drive a school bus but my nerves gave out.” I guess we all have our breaking point. Walking a narrow beam 15 stories in the air is one thing, but driving a bus-full of ...
Have you noticed there are all kinds of questions? There are silly questions and there are great questions. There was a comedian who was riding a subway into work. He had finished reading the morning paper and was saving it to bring to his friends at work. “How do you save a newspaper on the subway?” he asks. You sit on it. A new commuter came on the subway, saw the newspaper that the comedian was sitting on and asked, “Are you reading that paper?” The comedian stood up, turned the page, sat down on the ...
Guidelines Established and Monitored: Was there anything else left to do after the grand finale of the wall dedication ceremony? Indeed there was, according to the editor. At the close of Ezra 1–6 the narrator recognized in the dedication of the rebuilt temple an opportunity to put into place normative guidelines that echoed the Torah concerning the regular staffing of the temple. Similarly here, the editor supplements the wall dedication story with the enactment of two guidelines that brought the ...
The second farewell discourse runs most closely parallel to the first precisely where it is most properly a “farewell” (i.e., where it addresses directly the question of Jesus’ impending departure; cf. 13:33). Here, inevitably, is also where the differences between the two discourses become most noticeable. Whereas the first discourse was largely structured around a series of questions by various disciples, here the question-and-answer method seems to be consciously abandoned. The earlier discourse began ...
The King Becomes a Beast-Man and Then Recovers: In terms of form, chapter 4 starts out as a letter from King Nebuchadnezzar addressed to all people everywhere. It begins in the first person with praise to God (4:1–3). Next, the king relates in his own voice the story of his dream (4:4–18). Then the account shifts to the third person for Daniel’s interpretation (4:19–27) and for the narrative of how the dream was fulfilled (4:28–33). Finally, the text reverts back to the first person as Nebuchadnezzar ...
The second farewell discourse runs most closely parallel to the first precisely where it is most properly a “farewell” (i.e., where it addresses directly the question of Jesus’ impending departure; cf. 13:33). Here, inevitably, is also where the differences between the two discourses become most noticeable. Whereas the first discourse was largely structured around a series of questions by various disciples, here the question-and-answer method seems to be consciously abandoned. The earlier discourse began ...