Love | Sacrifice
Illustrations, couple, COVID, death, enduring, loveIn the late 1980s, Sam Reck met a widow named JoAnn at a church event in Jacksonville, Florida and they later married. In July, JoAnn contracted COVID and died on July 12th at Lakeland Regional Medical Center. Because of her age and cond...
Fathers
Illustrations, fatherhood, fatherss, protection, statisticsIn a Wall Street Journal article, James Wilson points out the urgent need in our society for families led by fathers: “An employed father helps persuade a young boy that getting a job makes more sense than hanging out on a street corne...
Cunning | Innocence
Illustrations, craftiness, cunning, garden, genesis 1, serpentIn a Turning Point Daily Devotional, David Jeremiah writes: “In the story of Adam and Eve’s temptation and fall into sin, the serpent is described as “cunning.” Before their encounter with the serpent, Adam and Eve are described as “na...
Marriage | Babies
Illustrations, babies, children, early, Funny, MarriageA six-year-old boy told his father he wanted to marry the little girl across the street. The father being modern and well-schooled in handling children, hid his smile behind his hand. “That’s a serious step,” he said. “Have you thought i...
Preaching
Illustrations, communication, Funny, Marriage, preachingIt was Sunday evening and Harry Ironside had preached five times that day. He was weary, and on the way home his wife asked a question to which he responded with irritation. Immediately he felt conviction and apologized to his wife. Sayi...
Eternity
Illustrations, eternal, EternityIn Thornton Wilder’s classic play “Our Town”, there is this important line: “Everyone knows in their bones that something is eternal and that something has to do with human beings. All the greatest people that ever lived have bee...
Prayer | Quick Thinking
Illustrations, army, awake, fake, Funny, night shift, Prayer, sleeping, vigilanceThe new army recruit was given guard duty at 2 a.m. He did his best for a while, but at about 4 a.m. he went to sleep. He awakened to find the officer of the day standing before him. Remembering the heavy penalty for being asleep on guar...
Persuasion | Evidence
Illustrations, guilt, guilty, justice, sin, verdictAfter a trial had been going on for three days, John Smith – the defendant — stood up and approached the judge’s bench. “Your Honor, I would like to change my plea from ‘innocent’ to ‘guilty’ of the charges.” The judge angrily banged h...
Humility
Illustrations, fund, Funny, Humility, rejection, speakerA preacher went to speak for a civic club. After the speech, they tried to give him a check. He replied to the host, “I want you to give my honorarium to charity.” The host replied, “Would you mind if we put it in our special fund?...