"Jesus must become greater…" John 3:30
Imagine I bring you your favorite meal. It’s everything you want. It looks delicious but it’s not on a shiny plate. I bring it to you on a dirty trash can lid. Did it suddenly lose its appeal? Sometimes our problem in sharing God’s truth is not what we are saying but how we are … Read more
Read: A mother and a son lived in a certain forest. One day when they were out a tornado surprised them. The mother clung to a tree and tried to hold her son but the swirling winds carried him into the sky. He was gone. The woman began to weep and pray, “Please Lord bring … Read more
Read: In the Fall when you see geese flying south for the winter, they will most likely be flying in a “V” formation. They fly that way on purpose. As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately behind. By using this flying formation, the entire flock adds about 71% … Read more
Read: Clovis Chappell, a minister from a century back, used to tell the story of two paddleboats. They left Memphis about the same time, traveling down the Mississippi River to New Orleans. As they traveled side by side, sailors from one vessel made a few remarks about the snail’s pace of the other. Words were … Read more
Read: We read that in 1677 a licentious man married a licentious women. From that union came 1900 descendants. Of these descendants 771 were criminals, 39 were murderers; only 10 learned a trade and they learned it in prison. They spent a combined total of 1,300 years in prison and cost the state of New … Read more
Read: A woman went into a psychiatrist’s office. She had a fried egg on her head and strips of bacon hanging over her ears. She said to the doctor, “I didn’t come to see you about myself; I came to see you about my brother. There is something wrong with him.”* Moral: It’s easy to … Read more
Read: That young man should have turned himself in. Not that he would’ve been acquitted; he robbed a bank. But at least he wouldn’t have been the laughingstock of Virginia Beach. Cash-strapped and at the age of nineteen, he went to Jefferson State Bank on a Wednesday afternoon, filled out a loan application, and left. … Read more
Read: A minister stood before his congregation and announced: “The Lord owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He only need cowboys to round them up. Will the ushers please come forward for the offering?”* “When it comes to giving, some people stop at nothing.” -unknown ** “Some people who give the Lord credit are reluctant … Read more
Read: A certain man had a fine canary whose song was unusually beautiful. During the summer it seemed a shame to keep the bird inside. So his owner placed his cage outside in a tree. Many sparrows frequented the tree, attracted by the cage. At first the canary was frightened, but he soon began to … Read more
Read: Mary Khoury, 17 years old, Damour, Lebanon, During the Lebanese civil war, 1975-1992 Mary Khoury and her family were forced to their knees before their home. The leader of the Muslim fanatics who had raided their village waved his pistol carelessly before their faces. His hatred for Christians burned in his eyes. “If you do not become … Read more
Character To inspire a deeper commitment to godliness The next ten weeks will encourage you to live like Jesus and to continue developing godly character in your life. As you read this section, spend time examining your heart to see what the Lord desires to do in you and through you. “God’s ultimate goal for … Read more
Read: In the mid-1700s David Brainerd was used greatly by the Lord to reach the Native Americans with the Gospel. At times he would be found praying for them for hours in the snow. He loved them with the love of God. In his diary he once wrote, “I poured out my soul for all … Read more
Read: From a sermon preached by Jack Hyles in 1974: I was an introvert when I was a boy. I was still sucking my thumb when I was fourteen. On my 17th birthday I weighed 93 pounds dripping wet and full of bananas. I could not pass public speaking. I was called “Jackie boy.” Nobody … Read more
Read: The following story is taken from a sermon preached by the famous evangelist Billy Sunday: I will never forget one time in a town in Illinois when I was leaving the tent where we were holding meetings. Among those who went out last was a young man to whom I was especially attracted by … Read more
Read Adapted from a sermon by Hyman J. Appelman: I had a friend in seminary…One day as he and I drove to our churches in Oklahoma, he told me of his conversion. He told how he was almost driven away from home because of his drunkenness, how he was kicked out of a Christian school … Read more