Illustrations Archives

• Health  (December 7, 2009)
  Satchel Paige was a baseball legend. His promotion to the major leagues was delayed because of the infamous color barrier. He came to the majors at the age of 42 and pitched in a game when he was 59. Here were his rules for staying young:
• Decisions  (December 7, 2009)
  Do you remember the old story about a soldier undergoing basic training? He was consigned to KP duty and given the task of sorting potatoes. There was a mountain of them, and the mess sergeant told him to put all the bad potatoes in one container and all the good ones in the other. The sergeant came back after about two hours and saw the soldier staring at one potato. There was nothing in either container.
• Concern/Empathy  (December 7, 2009)
  Far too often, Christians are like the man who met an old friend and asked, ?How?s everything with you?? The other man said, ?Terrible. You know my wife just died.? The first man said, ?Well, it could have been worse.? We cannot be that indifferent. The Spirit of Christ demands that we genuinely feel the hurts of our brothers and sisters and work to alleviate them.
• Commandments  (December 7, 2009)
  It has been reported that the Emperor Caligula would write out his decrees in very small letters and post them so high that no one could read them. Still, he enjoyed punishing offenders for breaking those laws.
• Bible  (December 7, 2009)
  The oldest surviving Irish manuscript is a fragmentary copy of the Book of Psalms. Before they went into battle, Celtic armies carried it around their troops three times to ensure victory. While we would not endorse such a magical view of the Bible, surely reading it does make us ready for spiritual warfare and eventual victory.
• Christmas  (December 2, 2009)
  It was Christmas and the judge was in a merry mood as he asked the prisoner, "What are you charged with?" "Doing my Christmas shopping early," replied the defendant.
• Christmas, Traditions  (December 2, 2009)
  In northern Europe, a walk through a winter's forest is a bleak affair?white, stark, cold, lifeless except for occasional boughs of green holly bearing bright red berries. In Medieval times, these boughs were brought inside to brighten the interior of the small houses. As Christianity spread, people noticed that the thorny points of the holly leaves could symbolize our Lord's crown of thorns...
• Hunting, Preferences  (November 16, 2009)
  Dad loved the outdoors, and because of his passion for hunting and fishing, the family ate a considerable amount of wild game. One evening as Dad set a platter of broiled venison steaks on the dinner table, his 10-year-old daughter looked up and said, "Boy, it sure would be nice if pizzas lived in the woods."
• Thanksgiving  (November 16, 2009)
  Thanksgiving by way of daily thanks-living demands that we pray, yes; but it also demands that we "unload" our prayers at the doorsteps of those who are hungry, lonely and just plain without.
• Christ, Head of the Church  (November 10, 2009)
  Can you believe it? The head of a baby Jesus statue was knocked off and carried away by vandals. It happened in Wauwatosa, Wis., at Saint Joseph's Catholic Church. The church members understandably are angry and looking to get the statue fixed. If the head is not found, the church will have to replace the entire statue at a cost of $12,000.
• Time  (November 10, 2009)
  Recently, the Cincinnati Enquirer told a story about a man named David Booth who wanted to make an apology. Years earlier in 1969, Booth tried to hijack a Delta flight. During the attempt, he threatened an 18-year-old girl with a knife. The offended girl's sister is certain her sister would have forgiven Booth, but Booth will not be able to experience the freedom and joy of offering an apology and receiving the grace of forgiveness. He learned a valuable lesson. The time to make amends or do anything noble and good is now.
• Thanksgiving  (November 10, 2009)
  A grandmother was showing her grandchildren one of those pictures of a Pilgrim family going to church on Thanksgiving Day. Thinking she might make a point, she said, ?The Pilgrim children really enjoyed going to church with their mothers and fathers and praying to God.? Her youngest grandson looked at her and asked, ?So, why is their dad carrying that rifle??
• Thanksgiving  (November 10, 2009)
  A fourth-grader stood up in his public school class, giving a report concerning the origins of the Thanksgiving holiday. Here?s how he began:
• Resurrection  (November 10, 2009)
  Some find it impossible to believe in the resurrection of Jesus. Christians find it impossible not to believe in the resurrection of Jesus. If the world's best Man did not survive death, if the world's one perfect Man did not survive the grave, what hope is that for us? "We are of all men most miserable" (1 Cor. 15:19).
• Preaching  (November 10, 2009)
  Preachers hear a great number of fascinating comments when they stand at the door after the service. One preacher reported the most unusual compliment he ever received: An old, soft-spoken gentleman came out to greet the preacher after the service and said, ?Missed my nap today.? The preacher took it as a compliment. No doubt that is how the man meant it.
• Love  (November 10, 2009)
  A lady on television was interviewing a woman who starred for many years on the "Lawrence Welk Show" and asked, ?What did you learn from Lawrence Welk?? She replied, ?To love the audience.? If we preach from hostility the listeners will sense it. If we preach from love, they will sense it. We don?t have to tell them?they will pick it up in other ways.
• Conversion  (November 10, 2009)
  In 1902, a huge volcano erupted and killed the 30,000 inhabitants of St. Pierre, Martinique. Only one man survived?a condemned prisoner, convicted of murder, who was protected because of the sturdiness of his prison cell. He witnessed the whole calamity and was blinded by the volcanic ash. Government officials evidently thought he had been punished enough and pardoned him. He was so moved by his second chance that he became a Christian missionary.
• Communion  (November 10, 2009)
  In his famous autobiography, Seven Storey Mountain, Thomas Merton wrote of the death of Christ and used three little prases: He was sacrificed for us, by us and with us. We understand that it was for us. We never held a hammer or drove a nail, but we know it was by us. Time means nothing to God. Jesus could die because of our sins before we?re even born. The Bible says that when we sin, we do it all over again; we ?crucify Him afresh.? What does it mean that He was sacrificed with us? The apostle Paul understood it. He said that by the cross ?the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world.?
• Christmas  (November 10, 2009)
  A little, rich kid walked up to the Santa Claus at the local mall and asked, ?So, what can I do for you?? It is hard to say what he could have done for Santa, but we know Christmas isn?t so much about what we can do for Christ, although giving in His name is a beautiful thing to do. It is primarily about what He has done for us.
• Christmas  (November 10, 2009)
  Secularism and commercialism have tried to silence Jesus at Christmas?or at least shove Him into a corner. Schoolchildren have a Christmas break, but aren?t allowed to acknowledge why or even call it a Christmas break. A woman in a store picked up a Christmas-themed religious recording and said, ?I can?t believe it?the Christians are trying to horn in on Christmas now.? I would not for a moment try to take away from your celebration Santa Claus, Scrooge, the Grinch, Miracle on 34th Street or It?s a Wonderful Life. Still, we must remember it is His day.