Jesus was one of the greatest storytellers and communicators who ever lived. He was able to communicate the great spiritual truths and insights about the kingdom of God by using the everyday ideas and items of life. He often taught in parable form. The communication experts of today agree that parables are an excellent way to teach because they allow each person to see themselves and how they are pictured in the story.

The story I am opening with is called "The Person Down the Road." In thirty, forty or fifty years, you''ll meet a person down the road. Whether that someone is kind and gentle or selfish and demanding depends on what you do each day. If you live only in terms of what you can get out of life, this person will be crabby, self-centered and spiteful. But if you open your life t…