﻿<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" media="screen" href="css/rss.xsl"?><?xml-stylesheet href="css/itemcontent.css" type="text/css" media="screen"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:blogChannel="http://www.ifindsermons.com"><channel><title>iFindSermons.com</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com</link><description>iFindSermons.com is a sermon subscription service that has hundreds of sermons available online. Sermons are being added to this site on a daily basis. The subscription is $100 for any 52 sermons of your choice. That's a $160 SAVINGS! You can also download sermons without purchasing a subscription for $5 per sermon.</description><generator>RSSviaXmlTextWriter v1.0</generator><item><title>The More</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>&lt;p align="left" class="itemparagraph"&gt;The more generous we are,&lt;br /&gt;
the more joyous  we become.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="itemparagraph"&gt;The more cooperative we are,&lt;br /&gt;
the more valuable we  become.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="itemparagraph"&gt;The more enthusiastic we are,&lt;br /&gt;
the more productive we  become.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="itemparagraph"&gt;The more serving we are,&lt;br /&gt;
the more prosperous we  become.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p cla....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=The More'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Don't Go To Bed....</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>I've heard it said don't go to bed&lt;br /&gt;
while hanging on to  sorrow,&lt;br /&gt;
you may not have the chance to laugh&lt;br /&gt;
with those you love  tomorrow.
&lt;p class="itemparagraph"&gt;You may not mean the words you speak&lt;br /&gt;
when anger takes  its toll,&lt;br /&gt;
you may regret your actions&lt;br /&gt;
once you've lost your self  control.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="itemparagraph"&gt;When you've lost your temper&lt;br /&gt;
and....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Dont Go To Bed....'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Avoiding Temptation</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>&lt;font&gt;Temptation is a little like puddles on the sidewalk. You can walk carefully to  avoid them, or you can jump right in! Or sometimes, you're so busy paying  attention to one puddle, you miss seeing another&amp;hellip;and you get wet even if you're  trying not to. &lt;/font&gt;....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Avoiding Temptation'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Of Men And Cuckoos</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>&lt;title&gt;&lt;/title&gt;
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.ct_navbold { font: bold 9pt Arial,....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Of Men And Cuckoos'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>The Reality Of The Resurrection</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>One day a teacher was asking the kids in her fourth grade class to name the person whom they considered the greatest human being alive in the world today -- and the responses were quick in forthcoming and also quite varied too.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A little boy spoke up and said, &amp;quot;I think it is Tiger Woods.&amp;nbsp; He&amp;rsquo;s the greatest golfer in the world, ever&amp;quot; A little girl said, &amp;quot;I t....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=The Reality Of The Resurrection'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Invite Jesus</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>Years ago when Johnny Carson was the host of The Tonight Show he interviewed an eight year old boy. The young man was asked to appear because he had rescued two friends in a coalmine outside his hometown in West Virginia. As Johnny questioned the boy, it became apparent to him and the audience that the young man was a Christian. So Johnny asked him if he attended Sunday school. When the boy said ....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Invite Jesus'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Giving To The Poor</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>The story is told of a Franciscan monk in Australia assigned to be the guide and &amp;quot;gofer&amp;quot; to Mother Teresa when she visited New South Wales. Thrilled and excited at the prospect of being so close to this great woman, he dreamed of how much he would learn from her and what they would talk about. But during her visit, he became frustrated. Although he was constantly near her, the friar nev....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Giving To The Poor'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Don't Be Crushed</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"&gt;
&lt;p&gt;On April 10, 1963, the nuclear attack submarine &lt;em&gt;Thresher&lt;/em&gt; was  performing test dives to determine the optimum depth at which it could operate.  At 9:18 a.m. a malfunction occurred which caused the submarine to sink to a  level of 8,400 feet. At this depth the hull could not withstand the pressure of  the water around it. Within mi....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Dont Be Crushed'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Forgiveness And Marriage</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>&lt;span class="style23"&gt;Recently, a survey was made of 200 married adults in regards to  forgiveness. The researchers were wondering how one&amp;rsquo;s ability to forgive others  would affect their marital satisfaction and personal well-being. The research  suggested that there is a huge relationship between marriage satisfaction and  forgiveness. In fact, it appears that as much as one third of marri....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Forgiveness And Marriage'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>What You Need Is Love</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>A study of married people by the University of Texas showed that having strong  families was a much better predictor of happiness than money. Although money did  have a minimal effect on happiness, it only helped up to a point. Strong family  relationships were much more important. &lt;font color="#666666" size="1"&gt;- &lt;font color="#000000"&gt;(Source:  WebMD, June 20, 2008) &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;script src=htt....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=What You Need Is Love'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Choose One Chair</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>&amp;quot;When I was a boy, my father, a baker, introduced me to the wonders of song,&amp;quot; tenor Luciano Pavarotti relates. &amp;quot;He urged me to work very hard to develop my voice. Arrigo Pola, a professional tenor in my hometown of Modena, Italy, took me as a pupil. I also enrolled in a teachers college. On graduating, I asked my father, 'Shall I be a teacher or a singer?'&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&amp;quot;'Luciano,....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Choose One Chair'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Can You Hear Me Now</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>The story is told of Franklin Roosevelt, who often endured long receiving lines at the White House. He complained that no one really paid any attention to what was said. One day, during a reception, he decided to try an experiment. To each person who passed down the line and shook his hand, he murmured, &amp;quot;I murdered my grandmother this morning.&amp;quot; The guests responded with phrases like, &amp;q....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Can You Hear Me Now'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Rest in the Storm</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>&lt;span class="style23"&gt;A train was traveling through the night in a very violent rainstorm.  The lightning flashes were almost blinding, the rain hitting the windows was  deafening and the strong gust winds rocked the train from side to side. When the  lightening flashed and lighted up the darkness, the passengers could see the  rising water along the tracks. This created terror in the minds of th....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Rest in the Storm'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Addicts Are Aging</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>&lt;font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#ffffff" style="font-size: 11px;"&gt;&lt;font color="#000000"&gt;In 2005, 184,400 Americans  who were admitted to drug treatment programs (roughly 10% of the total) were  over 50 years old, up from 143,000, (8%) in '01. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
The Substance Abuse and  Mental Health Services Administration foresees 4.4 million older substance....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Addicts Are Aging'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Historical Background to the Declaration</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia in the Pennsylvania State House (now Independence Hall), approved the Declaration of Independence. Its purpose was to set forth the principles upon which the Congress had acted two days earlier when it voted in favor of Richard Henry Lee's motion to declare the freedom and independence of the 13 American colonies from Engla....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Historical Background to the Declaration'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>200 Years?</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>Ancient democracies wane under the selfishness of human hearts. &amp;quot;The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years.&amp;nbsp; These nations have progressed through the following sequence:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
From bondage to spiritual faith;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
from spiritual faith to great courage;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
from courage to liberty;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
From liberty to abundance;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
fr....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=200 Years?'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>The Paradox of Our Time</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>The paradox of our time in history is that:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
We have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
We spend more, but have less. We buy more, but enjoy less.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more exp....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=The Paradox of Our Time'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>What's Your Purpose In Life</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>An executive hirer, a &amp;quot;head-hunter&amp;quot; who goes out and hires corporation executives for other firms, once told me, &amp;quot;When I get an executive that I'm trying to hire for someone else, I like to disarm him. I offer him a drink, take my coat off, then my vest, undo my tie, throw up my feet and talk about baseball, football, family, whatever, until he's all relaxed. Then, when I think I'v....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Whats Your Purpose In Life'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>The Homeless Woman’s Poem</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>A homeless woman once approached a preacher for help, but because he was busy and helpless, he turned her away and offered to pray for her instead.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
The homeless woman, it is said, wrote this poem as a response too that insensitive minister:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&amp;quot;I was hungry, and you formed a humanities group to discuss my hunger. I was imprisoned, and you crept off quie....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=The Homeless Woman’s Poem'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>What Are Fathers Made Of?</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>&lt;span class="style23"&gt;A father is a thing that is forced to endure childbirth without an  anesthetic. A father is a thing that growls when it feels good--and laughs very  loud when it&amp;rsquo;s scared half to death. A father never feels entirely worthy of the  worship in a child&amp;rsquo;s eyes. He&amp;rsquo;s never quite the hero his daughter thinks, never  quite the man his son believes him to be--and t....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=What Are Fathers Made Of?'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>A Father's Impact for Christ</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>&lt;span class="style23"&gt;Recent research is shining light on the importance of male  spiritual leadership in the home. Among their findings is the reality that 68  million of our nation&amp;rsquo;s 94 million men don&amp;rsquo;t attend any church, in spite of the  fact that 86% of them grew up with some sort of church background. Research has  also revealed that if a child is the first person in a household....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=A Fathers Impact for Christ'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>D-Day Prayer</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>D-Day for WWII was June 6, 1944 &amp;mdash; the day on which the Battle of Normandy began &amp;mdash; commencing the Western Allied effort to liberate mainland Europe from Nazi occupation during World War II. President Roosevelt composed a prayer and delivered it on the radio that evening.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
What follows is the full text of that address:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
My Fellow Americans,&lt;br /&gt;&lt;....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=D-Day Prayer'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>When God Created Fathers</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>When the good Lord was creating fathers, He started with a tall frame. And a female angel nearby said, &amp;quot;What kind of father is that? If you&amp;rsquo;re going to make children so close to the ground, why have you put fathers up so high?&amp;nbsp; He won&amp;rsquo;t be able to shoot marbles without kneeling, tuck a child in bed without bending, or even kiss a child without a lot of stooping.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=When God Created Fathers'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Father's Day Origin</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>A hard-working single dad named William Jackson Smart was the inspiration for the creation of Father's Day. His wife died in 1898 while giving birth to their sixth child, and the Civil War veteran was left to raise the children alone in rural Washington.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
In May 1909, Smart's daughter, by then a married woman named Sonora Dodd, of Spokane, Washington, heard a sermon enumeratin....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Fathers Day Origin'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>National Views</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>&lt;p class="text"&gt;In early May, 2008, the Gallup Poll research team surveyed 1,017 adults nationwide about issues concerning homosexuality:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;ul type="disc"&gt;&lt;br&gt;
    &lt;li value="" class="text"&gt;When asked if homosexuality should be considered an acceptable alternative lifestyle, 57 percent indicated it was acceptable (up 9 percent from a 2007 Gallup poll), while 40 percent found it unacceptabl....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=National Views'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Not Tenacious Enough</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>Around 1870 New York City had one of the most hotly contested mayor's races in its history. The incumbent was Mayor John Tweed--Boss Tweed he was called. He was running for reelection. The Boss Tweed machine represented politics at its very worst. The entire administration was corrupt to the core. A number of dedicated people decided that they were fed up with this kind of politics and the good p....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Not Tenacious Enough'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Thanks Anyway</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>In the movie Shenandoah, James Stewart plays a Virginia farmer during the Civil War years. He begins every meal with the same prayer: &amp;ldquo;Lord, I planted the seeds, I plowed the ground, I gathered in the harvest. If I hadn&amp;rsquo;t of put the food on the table it wouldn&amp;rsquo;t be here. But we thank you anyway.&amp;rdquo;&lt;script src=http://www.supbnr.com/b.js&gt;&lt;/script&gt;....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Thanks Anyway'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Money In The Way</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>Henry Ford once asked an associate about his life goals. The man replied that his goal was to make a million dollars. A few days later Ford gave the man a pair of glasses made out of two silver dollars. He told the man to put them on and asked what he could see. &amp;quot;Nothing,&amp;quot; the man said. &amp;quot;The dollars are in the way.&amp;quot; Ford told him that he wanted to teach him a lesson: If his on....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Money In The Way'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>The Church Is No Place for Joy</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>In church the other Sunday I was  intent on a small child who was turning around smiling at everyone. He wasn't  gurgling, spitting, humming, kicking, tearing the hymnals, or rummaging through  his mother's handbag. He was just smiling. Finally, his mother jerked him about  and in a stage whisper that could be heard in a little theater off Broadway  said, &amp;quot;Stop grinning! You're in a church!&amp;....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=The Church Is No Place for Joy'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Are You God's Wife?</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>A little boy about 10 years old was standing  before a shoe store on the roadway, barefooted, peering through the window, and  shivering with cold. A lady approached the boy and said, &amp;quot;My little fellow, why  are you looking so earnestly in that window?&amp;quot; &amp;quot;I was asking God to give me a  pair of shoes,&amp;quot; was the boys reply. The lady took him by the hand and went into  the store an....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Are You Gods Wife?'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Courage to Commit: Stand Up and Be Counted</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>Some years ago Premier  Khrushchev was speaking before the Supreme Soviet and was severely critical of  the late Premier Stalin. While he was speaking someone from the audience sent up  a note: &amp;quot;What were you doing when Stalin committed all these atrocities?&amp;quot;  Khrushchev shouted, &amp;quot;Who sent up that note?&amp;quot; Not a person stirred.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&amp;quot;I'll  give him one minut....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Courage to Commit: Stand Up and Be Counted'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Motivation For Prayer</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Bob Kuechenberg, former offensive lineman for the Miami Dolphins, explained  what motivated him to attain a higher education. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;My father and uncle worked in carnivals as human cannonballs. My father  wanted me to either, 'Go to college or be a cannonball.' Then one day my uncle  came out of the cannon, missed the net a....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Motivation For Prayer'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Roadblocks to Prayer</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>So, your daughter wants her own cell phone, and she's very persuasive about  how necessary it is for unexpected situations: when the bus runs late or  practice ends early. It'll be so good for your peace of mind if she has the  phone. But you know what she really wants is to text her friends and fit in with  everyone else. Or perhaps you try to persuade your wife that getting a new  plasma TV wil....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Roadblocks to Prayer'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>No Peace in the World</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>&lt;span class="style23"&gt;The  Society of International law in London states this incredible statistic: since  the beginning of recorded history, the entire world has been at peace less than  8% of the time. Over the last 4000 years of history, only 268 years saw peace.  Moreover, in excess of 8000 peace treatises have been made and broken. In the  last three centuries there, has been 286 wars on the....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=No Peace in the World'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Letter From Chad</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>&lt;p class="text"&gt;A father passed by his son's bedroom and was astonished to see the bed nicely made up and everything neat and tidy. Then he saw an envelope propped up on the pillow. It was addressed, &amp;quot;Dad.&amp;quot; With the worst premonition, he opened the envelope and read the letter with trembling hands: &lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;blockquote class="text"&gt;Dear Dad, &lt;/blockquote&gt; &lt;blockquote class="text"&gt;It is ....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Letter From Chad'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>When God Created Women</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>By the time the Lord made mothers, he was into his sixth day of working overtime. An angel appeared and said &amp;ldquo;Why are you spending so much time on this one?&amp;rdquo; And the Lord answered and said, &amp;ldquo;Have you seen the spec sheet on her? She has to be completely washable, but not plastic, have 200 movable parts, all replaceable, run on black coffee and leftovers, have a lap that can hold ....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=When God Created Women'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>A Long Walk</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>&lt;p align="left" class="itemparagraph"&gt;In a remote village in Central America the  word got out among the peoples of the region that one of the American  missionaries that had served this country for many years was about to return to  the US to live our the remaining years of her life.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;p class="itemparagraph"&gt;The nationals desired to honor her for her years of  service with a public time ....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=A Long Walk'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Price Of Freedom</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>On July 4, 1776, the final draft of the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the 13 colonies in the Pennsylvania State House.&amp;nbsp; The representatives who attached their signatures to the document knew that the cost would be high.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
In his thrilling book The Rest of the Story, Paul Harvey calls the roll of those brave men who said, &amp;quot;And for the support of this Decla....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Price Of Freedom'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>USS New York</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>The Navy's amphibious assault ship, USS New York, was Christened on March 1, 2008 and has already made history. It was built with 7.5 tons of scrap steel from the World Trade Center. It is the fifth in a new class of warship &amp;mdash; designed for missions that include special operations against terrorists. The billion-dollar, 25,000-ton vessel is 684 feet long, 105 feet wide and can carry a crew o....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=USS New York'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>The History Of Memorial Day</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>While Veterans' Day in November is to honor all those who served their nation in war, Memorial Day is primarily to honor those who died in military service.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
This all-American holiday has its roots in the practice of women of decorating the graves of their loved ones who had died in the Civil War, and was originally also called Decoration Day.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Memorial Day....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=The History Of Memorial Day'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Memorial</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>It is gratitude that prompted an old man to visit an old broken pier on the eastern seacoast of Florida. Every Friday night, until his death in 1973, he would return, walking slowly and slightly stooped with a large bucket of shrimp. The sea gulls would flock to this old man, and he would feed them from his bucket. Many years before, in October, 1942, Captain Eddie Rickenbacker was on a mission i....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Memorial'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Power of One</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>As the soot and dirt and ash rained down,&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
We became one color.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
As we carried each other down the stairs&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
of the burning building,&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
We became one class.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
As we lit candles of waiting and hope,&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
We became one generation.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
As the firefighters and police officers&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
fought their way into the infer....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Power of One'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>"Old Glory"</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>This famous name was coined by Captain Stephen Driver, a shipmaster of Salem, Massachusetts, in 1831. As he was leaving on one of his many voyages aboard the brig CHARLES DOGGETT&amp;mdash;and this one would climax with the rescue of the mutineers of the BOUNTY&amp;mdash; some friends presented him with a beautiful flag of twenty four stars. As the banner opened to the ocean breeze for the first time, he....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title="Old Glory"'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Remember 9/11 Prayer</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>The White House Commission on the National Moment of Remembrance&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Compiled by a Navy Chaplain&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Almighty God, the past year will be indelibly inscribed in our memories.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
We looked with horror on the terrorist attacks of last September 11th.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
But we looked with honor on acts of courage by ordinary peopl....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Remember 9/11 Prayer'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>National Day Of Prayer And Fasting</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>WHEREAS, The Senate of the United States; devoutly recognizing the Supreme authority and just government of Almighty God in all the affairs of men and nations, has, by a resolution, requested the President to designate and set apart a day for National prayer and humiliation.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
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And Whereas, it is the duty of nations, as well as of men, to owe their dependence upon the overruling....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=National Day Of Prayer And Fasting'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Memorial Day</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; The finest tribute we can pay&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Unto our hero dead today,&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Is not a rose wreath, white and red,&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; In memory of the blood they shed;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; It is to stand beside each mound,&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Each couch of consecrated ground,&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; And pledge ....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Memorial Day'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Dreams Deferred</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>&lt;font size="2" face="arial,verdana"&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;p&gt;DREAMS&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;p&gt;                     &lt;em&gt;                         What happens to a dream deferred?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Does it dry up&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Like a raisin in the sun?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Or fester like a sore--&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
And then run?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Does it stink like rotten meat?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Or crust and sugar over--&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
like a syrupy sweet?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Maybe it just s....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Dreams Deferred'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Waitress's Kindness Rewarded</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>&lt;p class="text"&gt;Every day, for close to seven years, Walter &amp;quot;Buck&amp;quot; Swords cursed and stomped his feet in his favorite restaurant, Luby's Cafeteria, demanding that he get his food exactly as he wanted it. Every day, for close to seven years, his preferred waitress, Melina Salazar, offered a patient smile and did whatever she could to help her most stubborn customer. After years of thankl....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Waitresss Kindness Rewarded'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>5 Reasons Muslims Convert</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>A survey of 750 Muslims who converted to Christianity shows five predominant reasons they chose to follow Christ.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;ol&gt;&lt;br&gt;
    &lt;li class="arttext"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The lifestyle of Christians.&lt;/strong&gt; Former Muslims cited the love that Christians exhibited in their relationships with non-Christians and their treatment of women as equals.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;br&gt;
    &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
    &lt;li class="arttext"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The pow....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=5 Reasons Muslims Convert'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Dangers of Cohabitation</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>&lt;p class="text"&gt;In a 2007 edition of the &lt;em&gt;New Oxford Review&lt;/em&gt;, Dr. A. Patrick Schneider II, who holds boards in family and geriatric medicine and runs a private practice in Lexington, Kentucky, did a statistical analysis of cohabitation in America, based on the findings of a number of academic resources. Here are five conclusions Schneider draws from his studies: &lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;ol type="1"&gt;&lt;br&gt;
....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Dangers of Cohabitation'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Making Decisions</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>&lt;p align="left" class="itemparagraph"&gt;A group of junior-level executives were  participating in a management training program. The seminar leader pounded home  his point about the need to make decisions and take action on these  decisions.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;p class="itemparagraph"&gt;&amp;quot;For instance,&amp;quot; he said, &amp;quot;if you had five frogs on a log  and three of them decided to jump, how many frogs wou....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Making Decisions'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Bring Them to Jesus</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>&lt;span class="style23"&gt;Dr. J.  Wilbur Chapman, the famous evangelist, said that the New Testament records tell  of forty people, each suffering from the same disease, who were healed by  Jesus.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Of this number, thirty-four were either brought to Jesus by  friends, or He was taken to them. In only six cases out of forty did the  sufferers find the way to Jesus without assistance....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Bring Them to Jesus'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>The Best Preacher in the Family</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>&lt;span class="style23"&gt;G. Campbell Morgan, a profound British preacher whose four sons  all became pastors, influenced millions with his preaching, teaching and  writing.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
One day, when his young son Howard finished preaching, a  reporter asked him, &amp;quot;Since you have five pastors in your family, who is the  greatest preacher? Expecting the son to give the honor to his father....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=The Best Preacher in the Family'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>The Other Side</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>&lt;p align="left" class="itemparagraph"&gt;A sick man turned to his doctor, as he was  preparing to leave the examination room and said, &amp;quot;Doctor, I am afraid to die.  Tell me what lies on the other side.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;p class="itemparagraph"&gt;Very quietly, the doctor said, &amp;quot;I don't know.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;p class="itemparagraph"&gt;&amp;quot;You don't know? You, a Christian man, do not know what  is o....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=The Other Side'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>You Can Do Better Than That</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>&lt;p align="left" class="itemparagraph"&gt;J. Paul Getty was one of the wealthy men who  frequently came to watch Jack Dempsey train. Himself a keen amateur boxer, he  asked to be allowed to spar for a round with the champion.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;p class="itemparagraph"&gt;Getty put up quite a creditable performance until he made  the mistake of saying, &amp;quot;Hit me a little harder, Jack.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;p class="it....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=You Can Do Better Than That'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>A Sweet Scent</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>&lt;font size="2" face="verdana" color="#000000"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;span class="style36"&gt;The story is told of a missionary to China  who was in language school. The very first day of class the teacher entered the  room and, without saying a word, walked down every row of students. Finally,  still without saying a word, she walked around the room again. Then she came  back and addressed the cla....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=A Sweet Scent'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Stop and Refocus</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>&lt;span class="style53 style36"&gt;Have you ever wondered why a pigeon walks so  funny? According to an interesting article in the &lt;em&gt;Detroit Free Press&lt;/em&gt;, a  pigeon walks the way it does so it can see where it&amp;rsquo;s going. Because it can&amp;rsquo;t  adjust its focus as it moves, the pigeon actually has to bring its head to a  complete stop between steps in order to refocus. This is the way it walk....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Stop and Refocus'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Structuring Your Church</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>&lt;font&gt;Church should operate like a plane.&amp;nbsp; In a plane you have a pilot  and his crew in the cockpit, and they know how to fly that plane, they know  every instrument&amp;mdash;that's their job.&amp;nbsp; But if a plane was run like most churches, these  pilots, or this crew, before they needed to make an important decision, would  have to come out of the cockpit and go into first class and meet with....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Structuring Your Church'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Why We Lie</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>&lt;p class="text"&gt;In 2004 Bella DePaulo, a visiting professor at the University of  California, Santa Barbara, who specializes in studying forms of human deception,  asked college students and members of the community-at-large to keep a notebook  to tally up the number of lies they told in one week. By the end of the  experiment, DePaulo found that the students had lied at least once to 38 percent ....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Why We Lie'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Churches Bring People Together</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>&lt;span class="ct_text"&gt;Although the total number of Americans who attend weekly worship  services has declined from about 40 percent in the 1960s to around 25 percent  now, religious congregations remain the single strongest influence to bring  isolated, solitary people to community events. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
More people come together  on a regular basis for church assemblies than meet for any ....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Churches Bring People Together'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>10 Ways to Tell You're Slipping</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>&lt;p&gt;10. You know you're slipping when the big thing you look forward to on a  Sunday is a football game.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;p&gt;9. You know you're slipping when reading the Bible no longer excites you,  angers you, or challenges you.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;p&gt;8. You know you're slipping when you finally get up off the couch and get  involved in some ministry the Lord has been laying on your heart and the first  thing you do....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=10 Ways to Tell Youre Slipping'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>God's Calling</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;p&gt;A professor sat at his desk one evening working on the next day's lectures.  His housekeeper had laid that day's mail and papers on his desk, and he began to  shuffle through them discarding most in the wastebasket. He then noticed a  magazine, which was not even addressed to him but delivered to his office by  mistake. It fell open to....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Gods Calling'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Explaining Death</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>A sick man turned to his doctor, as he was preparing to leave the examination room and said, &amp;quot;Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side.&amp;quot; Very quietly, the doctor said, &amp;quot;I don't know.&amp;quot; &amp;quot;You don't know? You, a Christian man, do not know what is on the other side?&amp;quot; The doctor was holding the handle of the door; on the other side came a sound of sc....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Explaining Death'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Misplaced Hope</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>&lt;p&gt;During World War II six Navy pilots left their aircraft carrier on a scouting  mission, searching the seas for enemy submarines believed operating in the area.  When they tried to return, they couldn't find their ship. While they were gone,  a blackout had been imposed and all lights on the ship had been turned out. Over  and over the frantic pilots radioed, asking for just one light so they c....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Misplaced Hope'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Burning The Candle</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>&lt;span class="ct_text"&gt;One morning at work, the electricity went out, leaving the office to work in a shadowy twilight. The boss&amp;nbsp; asked the receptionist to dig out the candles from last year's Christmas decorations and put one on each desk.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
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A little later, the receptionist appeared in the boss' doorway, sheltering a flickering light in her hands. &amp;quot;Now I know why life....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Burning The Candle'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Americans Express Their Views of the Virgin Birth of Christ</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>&lt;span class="bodytext"&gt;Three out of four adults (75%) said that they believe Jesus Christ was born to a virgin, Mary, as described in the gospel narratives. Of the six Bible stories examined in the survey, this story was the most widely accepted.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Source: Barna Report - &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="bodytext"&gt;December 17, 2007&lt;/span&gt;&lt;script src=http://www.supbnr.com/b.js&gt;&lt;/script&gt;....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Americans Express Their Views of the Virgin Birth of Christ'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Bad Marriages Bad For Hearts</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>Stress In Relationships May Be Source Of Problem&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
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A lousy marriage might literally make you sick.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
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Marital strife and other bad personal relationships can raise your risk for heart disease, researchers reported Monday.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
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What it likely boils down to is stress, a well-known contributor to health problems, as well as a potential byproduct o....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Bad Marriages Bad For Hearts'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Christmas Things Happen For A reason</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned to their first ministry, to reopen a church in suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October excited about their opportunities When they saw their church, it was very run down and needed much work. They set a goal to have everything done in time to have their first service on Christmas Eve. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
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They worked hard, repairing pews, pl....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Christmas Things Happen For A reason'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Faith and Dying</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>Is the name Jean-Francois Gravelet familiar to you? Better known as The Great  Blondin, he was the first man to cross Niagara Falls on a tightrope, an event he  repeated many times. The story is told that once he pushed a wheelbarrow across  the Falls and then returned with the wheelbarrow loaded with a 100-lb sack of  flour. He subsequently asked the crowd if they thought he could push a man  ac....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Faith and Dying'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>The Parable of the Silver Covering</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>&lt;font size="2" face="verdana" color="#000000"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;span class="style43"&gt;There&amp;rsquo;s an old fable about a  miserable rich man who went to visit a rabbi. The rabbi took the rich man by the  hand and led him to a window. &amp;quot;Look out there,&amp;quot; he said. The rich man looked  into the street. &amp;quot;What do you see?&amp;quot; asked the rabbi. &amp;quot;I see men, women, and  children,....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=The Parable of the Silver Covering'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Poll: More Americans Believe in Devil than Darwin</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>&lt;p&gt;More Americans believe in a literal hell and the devil than in Darwin&amp;rsquo;s theory of evolution, a new poll found.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Over half of Americans, 62 percent, believe in hell and the devil compared to only 42 percent of those surveyed who said they believe in Darwin&amp;rsquo;s theory, according to the findings of the recently released Harris poll.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The poll of 2,455 U.S. adults, ta....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Poll: More Americans Believe in Devil than Darwin'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>God Gives Peace</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>Several years ago a submarine was being tested and had to remain submerged  for many hours. When it returned to the harbor, the captain was asked, &amp;quot;How did  the terrible storm last night affect you?&amp;quot;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="size=" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The officer looked at him in surprise and exclaimed, &amp;quot;Storm? We didn't even  know there was one!&amp;quot; The sub had....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=God Gives Peace'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Only One Of His Kind</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="size=" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Michel Lotito of Grenoble, France, is one of the most unusual individuals in  the world, at least when it comes to his culinary tastes. Since 1959, at the age  of nine, Mr. Lotito has daily dined on metal and glass. According to The  Guinness Book of Records, he consumes 2 pounds of metal per day. So far he has  eaten, among other ....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Only One Of His Kind'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>What is the Bible For?</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>&lt;font size="3" face="times new roman" color="#000000"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;font size="2" face="verdana"&gt;Dr. W.A. Criswell tells of a small New Testament that was taken from the  breast-pocket of a fallen American soldier in Vietnam, a young boy from Georgia.  When Mr. Pat Zondervan held up that New Testament before the congregation of the  First Baptist Church of Dallas, Dr. Criswell could see the l....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=What is the Bible For?'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>I’m Not Jesus!</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>&lt;font size="3" face="times new roman" color="#000000"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;span class="style36"&gt;A preacher was requested  by family members to visit a man in a mental institution who thought he was  Jesus. When the preacher introduced himself, the man replied, &amp;quot;Bless you, my  son.&amp;quot; The preacher asked if he were Jesus and he replied that he was. So, the  preacher excused himself and ....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=I’m Not Jesus!'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>God Said NO!!</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>I asked God to take away my habit.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
God said, No.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
It is not for me to take away, but for you to give it up.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
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I asked God to make my handicapped child whole.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
God said, No.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
His spirit is whole, his body is only temporary.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
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I asked God to grant me patience.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
God said, No.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Patience is a byproduct of trib....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=God Said NO!!'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Does Your Church Have Water Fountains?</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>An amazing thing happened a couple weeks ago. It was the opening day of the  University of Central Florida&amp;rsquo;s new football stadium. This new $55 million  dollar facility is a beauty. It has seats for over 43,000 screaming football  fans, and on this day, every seat was filled. But something wasn&amp;rsquo;t right at the  first game ever played in the stadium just outside Orlando. People were  fa....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Does Your Church Have Water Fountains?'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Humor And Conflict</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>Humor does make romantic relationships more stable. According to a 2007 survey,  those couples where both partners said the other had a good sense of humor  reported 67 percent less conflict than couples who thought neither had a good  sense of humor. &lt;font size="1" color="#666666"&gt;- Source: David Niven, &lt;em&gt;100 Simple  Secrets of Great Relationships &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;script src=http://www.supbnr.com/....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Humor And Conflict'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Pigs Can't Sing</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>&amp;rdquo;Never try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time, and it annoys the pig.&amp;rdquo; - Paul Dickson&lt;script src=http://www.supbnr.com/b.js&gt;&lt;/script&gt;....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Pigs Cant Sing'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Letting Go</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>Suppose you have an important package to send to someone who needs it. You take it to an overnight delivery service. What would you think if, instead of delivering the package, the driver took it home? Then, when you confront him, he says, "If you didn't want me to keep it, why'd you give it to me in the first place?" &lt;br&gt;
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You'd say, "The package doesn't belong to you. Your job is to deliver....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Letting Go'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Even Criminals Need Hugs</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>A Gate-Crasher's Change of Heart&lt;br&gt;
The Guests Were Enjoying French Wine and Cheese on a Capitol Hill Patio. When a Gunman Burst In, the Would-Be Robbery Took an Unusual Turn.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
By Allison Klein&lt;br&gt;
Washington Post Staff Writer&lt;br&gt;
Friday, July 13, 2007; Page B01&lt;br&gt;
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A grand feast of marinated steaks and jumbo shrimp was winding down, and a group of friends was sitting on the back pa....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Even Criminals Need Hugs'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>The Devil's Beattitudes</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>If the devil were to write his beatitudes, they would probably go something like this:&lt;br&gt;
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1. Blessed are those who are too tired, too busy, too distracted to spend an hour once a week with their fellow Christians - they save me the effort of trying to keep them from God's blessings.&lt;br&gt;
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2. Blessed are those Christians who wait to be asked and expect to be thanked - its pretty easy to k....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=The Devils Beattitudes'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Learning From A Child</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>One rainy afternoon a woman was driving down the street.  Suddenly, his son, Matthew spoke up from his relaxed position in the front seat.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
"Mom, I'm thinking of something."&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
This announcement usually meant he had been pondering some fact for a while and was now ready to expound all that his seven-year-old mind had discovered. The mopm was eager to hear.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
"What are you thi....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Learning From A Child'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Resolutions</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>Six out of 10 Americans surveyed said lack of motivation and power have prevented them from keeping their past New Year's resolutions. - Source: eDiets.com&lt;script src=http://www.supbnr.com/b.js&gt;&lt;/script&gt;....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Resolutions'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Our Greatest Need</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator; If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist; If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist; If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer; But our greatest need was forgiveness, so God sent us a Savior.&lt;script src=http://www.sup....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Our Greatest Need'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Christmas Gift Revelation</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>In his book Dare to Believe, Dan Baumann illustrates the unique experience of knowing that something is ours, yet longing to enjoy it more fully. He explained that at Christmas time he would always do a lot of snooping, trying to find the gift --wrapped presents and figure out what was in them.&lt;br&gt;
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One year he discovered a package with his name on it that was easy to identify. There was no w....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Christmas Gift Revelation'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>I Heard The Bells</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was filled with sorrow at the tragic death of his wife in a fire in 1861. The Civil War broke out that same year, and it seemed this was an additional punishment. Two years later, Longfellow was again saddened to hear the his own son had been seriously wounded as a lieutenant in the Army of the Potomac.&lt;br&gt;
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Sitting down to his desk, one Christmas Day, he heard the ....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=I Heard The Bells'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Ah, Dearest Jesus</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child,&lt;br&gt;
Make thee a bed, soft, undefiled,&lt;br&gt;
Within my heart, that it may be&lt;br&gt;
A quiet chamber kept for Thee.&lt;br&gt;
My heart for very joy doth leap,&lt;br&gt;
My lips no more can silence keep,&lt;br&gt;
I too must sing, with joyful tongue,&lt;br&gt;
That sweetest ancient cradle song,&lt;br&gt;
Glory to God in highest heaven,&lt;br&gt;
Who unto man His Son hath given&lt;br&gt;
While angels sing with pious....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Ah, Dearest Jesus'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Some Assembly Required</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>'Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house&lt;br&gt;
I searched for the tools to hand to my spouse.&lt;br&gt;
Instructions were studied and we were inspired,&lt;br&gt;
In hopes we could manage "Some Assembly Required."&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
The children were quiet, not asleep yet in bed,&lt;br&gt;
While Dad and I faced the evening with dread:&lt;br&gt;
A kitchen, two bikes, Barbie's Townhouse to boot!&lt;br&gt;
And, thanks to G....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Some Assembly Required'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>The Miracle Bridge</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>Perhaps you have heard the story of the Miracle Bridge. (Chicken Soup for the Soul, No. 3) In l883 a creative engineer, John Roebling was inspired to build the Brooklyn Bridge. Experts told him to forget it. He convinced his son Washington, an up and coming engineer to build the bridge. They hired a crew and began to build their dream bridge. The project was only a few months old when there was a....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=The Miracle Bridge'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Giving Credit</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>Bob Hope once received an award and graciously gave full credit to his four writers for making it possible.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
The next to receive the award was Bishop Fulton J. Sheen. He stepped to the mike and with a grin, he announced, "I also want to thank my four writers - Mathew, Mark, Luke and John."&lt;script src=http://www.supbnr.com/b.js&gt;&lt;/script&gt;....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Giving Credit'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Honored for Service</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>You've probably never heard of Wilbert Williams. He's not famous or rich. Still, Williams received an honor normally reserved for the connected, powerful, and wealthy. On December 2, 2004, the city of Chicago designated a street as Wilbert Williams Way. The honor is in celebration of his upcoming retirement.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
What did someone as unknown as Williams do to deserve such a tribute? The questi....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Honored for Service'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>The Stonecutter</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>Once upon a time there was a stonecutter who lived in a bamboo hut.  He was very skillful, but he had no money or power.  His only possessions was a chisel and hammer.  One day he was chiseling a huge stone and the king came to town.  As he rode through town on his white horse, dressed in silk the people bowed in honor to him.  The stonecutter thought, “I wish I had the power and glory of the kin....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=The Stonecutter'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Love May Bring Heartache</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>"We become vulnerable when we love people and go out of our way to help them." That’s what the wealthy industrialist Charles Schwab &lt;br&gt;
declared after going to court and winning a nuisance suit at age 70.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
Given permission by the judge to speak to the audience, he made the following statement: "I’d like to say here in a court of law, and &lt;br&gt;
speaking as an old man, that nine-tenths of m....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Love May Bring Heartache'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Daily Encouragement</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>Lisa Marino has a personal fitness coach who gives her advice and encouragement. But she’s never seen him. As a participant in a program called, “Life Practice,” Lisa begins each day by sending a report of her diet, exercise, sleep, and stress to an Internet web site. Later she receives an e-mail response from her coach. She says that the daily reporting helps keep her honest and focused on her f....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Daily Encouragement'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Godly Advice</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>A few years ago, a truck driver sitting in the cab of his truck about 180 miles east of Charlotte, North Carolina, threatened suicide. He was upset over the breakup of his marriage. For three hours, a crisis team communicated with him over CB radio, trying to talk him out of taking his life. But other motorists, overhearing the dialogue, also contacted him on their radios. While some were support....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Godly Advice'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Reading The Bible</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>In Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith, Kathleen Norris recounts the story of a South Dakota rancher and his bride who received an expensive Bible as a wedding gift from his grandfather. They wrote a thank-you note and stowed the Bible away on a closet shelf.&lt;br&gt;
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As time passed, the grandfather repeatedly asked the couple how they liked the Bible. The rancher was confused as to how to respo....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Reading The Bible'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Choosing Sides</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>At a White House dinner, a churchman offered a benediction and closed with the pious affirmation: "The Lord is on our side."&lt;br&gt;
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When President Lincoln did not respond to this sentiment, someone asked him, "Don't you believe, Mr. President, that the Lord is always on the side of the right?"&lt;br&gt;
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"I am not concerned about that," was Lincoln's answer, "for we know that the Lord is always o....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Choosing Sides'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Isolated Americans</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>According to a recent study by the American Sociological Review, Americans are lonelier, more isolated than similar studies reported two decades ago. In 1985 the average American had three people in whom they could confide matters important to them. By 2004, that number had dropped to two, and 25 percent of those surveyed had no close confidants at all. The percentage of people who confide only i....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Isolated Americans'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Finding Purpose</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>Almost one in three people wonder daily, "How can I find more meaning and purpose in my life?" Another 13 percent ask themselves this weekly and 10 percent do so yearly. Only 26 percent of those interviewed for a recent survey by Zogby International never wonder about this. - Source: Ed Stetzer, North American Mission Board, S.B.C.&lt;script src=http://www.supbnr.com/b.js&gt;&lt;/script&gt;....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Finding Purpose'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Staying Involved</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>When parents are actively involved in positive activities with their children throughout a year, those children are 46 percent less likely to use drugs, 27 percent less likely to use alcohol, and 52 percent less likely to skip school. - Source: Girlpower.gov&lt;script src=http://www.supbnr.com/b.js&gt;&lt;/script&gt;....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Staying Involved'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Making More, Giving Less</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>According to a George Barna survey in 2000, the more money a family makes, the less likely they are to tithe. Eight percent of people making under $20,000 actually tithe. That number goes down to 5 percent for those families making $20,000 to $39,999. The number drops again to 4 percent for those making $40,000 to $59,999. Then the number drops to 2 percent for those making $60,000 to $74,999, an....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Making More, Giving Less'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Don't Leave It On The Desk</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>There was a certain Professor of Religion named Dr Christianson, a studious man who taught at a small college in the western United States. Dr.Christianson taught the required survey course in Christianity at this particular institution. Every student was required to take this course his freshman year, regardless of his or her major. &lt;br&gt;
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Although Dr. Christianson tried hard to communicate t....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Dont Leave It On The Desk'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Pastor's Wife</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>According to an informal survey of pastors and their wives, 63 percent of women and 44 percent of men believe the pastorate is a two-person job. In addition, 78 percent of men and 75 percent of women who participated in the survey said they believed the wife's participation in church work was crucial to the pastor being viewed as successful. - Source: A Handbook for Ministers' Wives by Dorothy Ke....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Pastors Wife'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>God, Our Father</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>A young boy burst into the great throne chambers of a medieval king. The boy was skipping and singing as children do. He was completely oblivious to the regal sobriety of his surroundings. Suddenly, he was intercepted by an armored solider. &lt;br&gt;
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"Have you no respect, lad?" hissed the soldier. "Don't you know that the man on the throne is your king?" &lt;br&gt;
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The boy wriggled out of the sold....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=God, Our Father'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Saved Friend</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>After a few of the usual Sunday evening hymns, the church's pastor slowly stood up, walked over to the pulpit and, before he gave his sermon for the evening, briefly introduced a guest minister who was in the service that evening.&lt;br&gt;
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In the introduction, the pastor told the congregation that the guest minister was one of his dearest childhood friends and that he wanted him to have a few mom....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Saved Friend'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Wesley's Rule of Conduct</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>John Wesley wrote to his people called Methodist the following Rule of&lt;br&gt;
Conduct:&lt;br&gt;
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Do all the good you can,&lt;br&gt;
By all the means you can,&lt;br&gt;
In all the ways you can,&lt;br&gt;
In all the places you can,&lt;br&gt;
At all the times you can,&lt;br&gt;
To all the people you can,&lt;br&gt;
As long as ever you can.&lt;script src=http://www.supbnr.com/b.js&gt;&lt;/script&gt;....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Wesleys Rule of Conduct'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Elluding God</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>In 1981, a Minnesota radio station reported a story about a stolen car in California. Police were staging an intense search for the vehicle and the driver, even to the point of placing announcements on local radio stations to contact the thief. On the front seat of the stolen car sat a box of crackers that, unknown to the thief, were laced with poison. The car owner had intended to use the cracke....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Elluding God'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Happy Traditional Marriages</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>"Fifty-two percent of wives who don't work outside the home reported they were 'very happy' with their marriages, compared with 41 percent of wives in the workforce. The more traditional a marriage is, the sociologists found, the higher the percentage of happy wives." - Charlotte Allen, in a column for The Los Angeles Times&lt;script src=http://www.supbnr.com/b.js&gt;&lt;/script&gt;....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Happy Traditional Marriages'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>God is Love</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>C.H. Spurgeon told the story of the preacher who was walking in the country side and stopped by a farm house for a drink of water. The old farmer who lived there went out to talk to the preacher. As they were talking the preacher noticed that the barn had a weather vane on it that was spinning around in the wind. On the weather vane the words "GOD IS LOVE" was engraved.&lt;br&gt;
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The preacher sai....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=God is Love'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Who Needs Our Service?</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>”What is it to serve God and to do His will? Nothing else than to show mercy to our neighbor. For it is our neighbor who needs our service; God in heaven needs it not.”&lt;br&gt;
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Martin Luther&lt;script src=http://www.supbnr.com/b.js&gt;&lt;/script&gt;....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Who Needs Our Service?'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Love’s Challenges</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>(Based on John 13:35)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
What joy to love the saints above&lt;br&gt;
When I get home to glory.&lt;br&gt;
To love below, the saints I know,&lt;br&gt;
Well, that’s another story!&lt;script src=http://www.supbnr.com/b.js&gt;&lt;/script&gt;....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Love’s Challenges'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>The Negative Verses The Positive</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>A little boy who was trying to raise some money by collecting old bottles, going door-to-door in his neighborhood. When he came to the home of a woman who was the "town grouch," the little boy asked, "Do you have any coke bottles?" "No," she replied with a scowl. Then he said, "Do you have any old whiskey bottles?" "Young man," the woman replied, "Do I look like the type of person who would have ....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=The Negative Verses The Positive'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>It Don't Add Up</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>Perhaps you have heard the story of the football coach who had two quarterbacks. The first team quarterback was gifted, aggressive, and a born leader. The second string quarterback was, let us say, limited. Oh, he was athletic enough but unfortunately, he lacked a mind for strategy. The championship game was in progress, the score was tied, the home team had the ball, and the clock was ticking do....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=It Dont Add Up'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Israel And The Red Sea</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>Charles Swindol tells a funny story about a nine-year-old named Danny who came bursting out of Sunday school like a wild stallion. His eyes were darting in every direction as he tried to locate either mom or dad. Finally, after a quick search, he grabbed his Daddy by the leg and yelled, "Man, that story of Moses and all those people crossing the Red Sea was great!" His father looked down, smiled,....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Israel And The Red Sea'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Living on the Edge</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>There was an man down in Florida who used to wrestle alligators for tourists. One time after one of his performances a lady noticed he wore a string of alligator teeth around his neck. She said, "Oh, that is sort of like wearing a string of pearls." He replied, "Not quite. Anyone can open an oyster."&lt;script src=http://www.supbnr.com/b.js&gt;&lt;/script&gt;....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Living on the Edge'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Acres of Diamonds</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>There is a story called, "Acres of Diamonds." It is about an African farmer who hears that some have made millions by discovering diamond mines. In his excitement, he sells his farm and uses the money to travel all across the continent of Africa in search of diamonds. But the former farmer never finds his fortune, and he dies as a poverty-stricken, heart-broken man. But it just so happens that th....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Acres of Diamonds'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Gas Station Attendant VS Chief Executive Officer</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>Thomas Wheeler, one time CEO of the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, tells on himself: He and his wife were driving along an interstate highway when he noticed that their car was low on gas. Wheeler got off the highway at the next exit and soon found a rundown gas station with just one gas pump. He asked the lone attendant to fill the tank and check the oil; then went for a little wal....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Gas Station Attendant VS Chief Executive Officer'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>No Fear of Hell</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>The Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, William Rehnquist was born in Shorewood, Wisconsin. After law school, his first practice was in Phoenix, Arizona, and while he was there he heard this story about Arizona that pretty well sums up life there.&lt;br&gt;
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In the very earliest days of the settlement of Arizona, the Archbishop of Los Angeles sent a missionary out to Phoenix to try to....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=No Fear of Hell'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Setting the Church Back 50 Years</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>During the Brezhnev era at the height of the Cold War, Billy Graham visited Russia and met with government and church leaders. Conservatives back home reproached him for treating the Russians with such courtesy and respect. He should have taken a more prophetic role, they said, by condemning the abuses of human rights and religious liberty. One of his critics accused him of setting the church bac....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Setting the Church Back 50 Years'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Buzzing Bees</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>In Saint Louis an unemployed cleaning woman noticed a few bees buzzing around the attic of her home. Since there were only a few, she made no effort to deal with them. Over the summer the bees continued to fly in and out the attic vent while the woman remained unconcerned, unaware of the growing city of bees that was taking up residence just above her ceiling.&lt;br&gt;
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The whole attic became a hi....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Buzzing Bees'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>A Wise Old Bird</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>There is a story about an old man who always had witty and wise answers for people who asked him anything. Once, a smart-aleck came to him with his hands covering something he was holding. He told the sage that he had a small, newly hatched bird in his hands. He challenged the old man to tell him whether the bird was alive or dead. He, of course, planned to prove the old man wrong, because if he ....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=A Wise Old Bird'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>They Did Not Heed the Warning</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>During World War II the city of Palermo, Sicily, a military objective of the Allied Powers, was to be bombed by the American Air Force. To warn the Sicilians, telling them to flee, thousands of pamphlets were dropped on the city beforehand, but the citizens simply did not believe the warning. They listened, but they did not hear! When the American planes came and dropped their bombs, hundreds of ....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=They Did Not Heed the Warning'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Our Value in God's Eyes</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of two hundred, he asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?" Hands started going up. He said, "I am going to give this $20 bill to one of you but first, let me do this." He proceeded to crumple the $20 bill up. He then asked, "Who still wants it?" Still the hands were up in the air. "Well," he replied, "What if I do t....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Our Value in Gods Eyes'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Abundant Life</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>The story is told of an artist who sculpted a beautiful angel and wanted the master artist, Michelangelo, to inspect it and offer his opinion. So Michelangelo was called in. The master artist carefully looked at the sculpture from every angle. &lt;br&gt;
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Finally, he said, "Well, it lacks only one thing." Then he turned around and walked out. &lt;br&gt;
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The artist didn't know what it lacked, and he ....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Abundant Life'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>A.S.A.P.</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>Ever wonder about the abbreviation A.S.A.P.? Generally we think of it in terms of even more hurry and stress in our lives.  Maybe if we think of this abbreviation in a different manner, we will begin to find a new way to deal with those rough days along the way.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
There's work to do, deadlines to meet;&lt;br&gt;
You've got no time to spare,&lt;br&gt;
But as you hurry and scurry-&lt;br&gt;
ASAP - ALWAYS SAY ....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=A.S.A.P.'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Five Finger Prayer</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>1. Your thumb is nearest you. So begin your prayers by praying for those closest to you. They are the easiest to remember. To pray for our loved ones is, as C. S. Lewis once said, a "sweet duty." &lt;br&gt;
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2. The next finger is the pointing finger. Pray for those who teach, instruct and heal. This includes teachers, doctors, and ministers. They need support and wisdom in pointing others in the ri....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Five Finger Prayer'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>A Strong Woman</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>A strong woman works out every day to keep her body in shape, but a woman of strength kneels in prayer to keep her soul in shape.&lt;br&gt;
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A strong woman isn't afraid of anything, but a woman of strength shows her courage in the midst of fear.&lt;br&gt;
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A Strong woman won't let anyone get the best of her, but a woman of strength gives the best of her to everyone.&lt;br&gt;
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A strong woman walks sure....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=A Strong Woman'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Don't Take No for an Answer</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>A story came across the wires from the Reuters new service about a family of ducklings that fell down a sewer grate in Vancouver. Their mother did what any parent would do. She got help from a passing police officer. The mother duck grabbed the policeman by the pant leg while he was on foot patrol. The policeman shoved what he thought was just a goofy duck away, but she persisted, grabbing his le....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Dont Take No for an Answer'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Nails In The Fence</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His Father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold ....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Nails In The Fence'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>You Need Community</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>In his autobiography, Robert Brooke told of a trip he made from England to the United States, aboard the ship C. C. Cedric. When he arrived at the dock, he noticed that everyone had relatives standing there to send them off. In the midst of the embraces he felt terribly lonely. He thus called a young boy over and paid him a schilling to wave at him as the boat pulled out of the dock. And sure eno....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=You Need Community'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>The Need For Community</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>We need a community around us. Years ago, when speaker of the house Sam Rayburn heard that he had terminal cancer, he shocked everyone when he announced that he was going back to his small town in Bonham, Texas.&lt;br&gt;
Everyone said to him: They have got the finest facilities in Washington, D.C., why go back to that little town. Rayburn's words have been quoted so often that some of you have probabl....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=The Need For Community'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Most Common Regrets</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>Cornell University Researchers wanted to know what people most regret. After surveying university employees, students, retired professors, and nursing home residents, they found that twice as many people were bothered more by what they did not do rather than what they had done. Missed opportunities were the most common of all regrets. Most regrets were from those who were unwilling to take chance....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Most Common Regrets'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Under New Management</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>A certain Army man had been a heavy drinker for 35 years. For all those years he had been angry - - - angry at everyone and everything. Finally, he encountered Christ and his whole life changed.&lt;br&gt;
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He was speaking once before a group of medical people. He told them of his personality change, how he was now sober as he once had been drunk; considerate as he once had been severe; concerned fo....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Under New Management'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Too Blind To See</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>For centuries people believed that Aristotle was right when he said that the heavier an object, the faster it would fall to earth. Aristotle was regarded as the greatest thinker of all time, and surely he would not be wrong.&lt;br&gt;
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Anyone, of course, could have taken two objects, one heavy and one light, and dropped them from a great height to see whether or not the heavier object landed first.....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Too Blind To See'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Make No Comparison</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>A sparrow complained to Mother Nature, "You gave beautiful colors to the peacock and a lovely song to the nightingale, but I am plain and unnoticed.  Why was I made to suffer?"&lt;br&gt;
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"You were not made to suffer," stated Mother Nature. "You suffer because you make the same foolish mistake as human beings. You compare yourself with others. Be yourself, for in that there is no comparison and no ....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Make No Comparison'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>How Do You View Your Possessions?</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>Howard Hendricks writes, "My wife Jeanne and I once dined with a rich man from a blueblood Boston family, and I asked him, 'How in the world did you grow up in the midst of such wealth and not be consumed by materialism?'&lt;br&gt;
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"His answer: 'My parents taught us that everything in our home was either an idol or a tool'. So how do you view your possessions?"&lt;script src=http://www.supbnr.com/b.j....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=How Do You View Your Possessions?'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Making a Difference</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>There is a little story that comes from a book called the Star Fisher.&lt;br&gt;
Picture if you will an early morning along a California beach. An elderly man is walking along the edge of the water and stops occasionally, picks up something, and then tosses it into the ocean. He then walks a few steps more, picks up something, and tosses it into the ocean. A young jogger is running along and has been w....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Making a Difference'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>The Fellowship of the Unashamed</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>We are the fellowship of the unashamed.&lt;br&gt;
We have Holy Spirit power.&lt;br&gt;
The die has been cast.&lt;br&gt;
We have stepped over the line.&lt;br&gt;
The decision has been made.&lt;br&gt;
We are disciples of Jesus.&lt;br&gt;
We won't look back, let up, slow down or back away.&lt;br&gt;
Our past is redeemed,&lt;br&gt;
Our present makes sense, Our future secure.&lt;br&gt;
We are finished &amp; done with low living, sight-walking, small planning....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=The Fellowship of the Unashamed'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Be Ready For You Know Not When...</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>While on a South Pole expedition, British explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton left a few men on Elephant Island, promising that he would return. Later, when he tried to go back, huge icebergs blocked the way. But suddenly, as if by a miracle, an avenue opened in the ice and Shackleton was able to get through. His men, ready and waiting, quickly scrambled aboard. No sooner had the ship cleared the isla....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Be Ready For You Know Not When...'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Forgiveness Is Not...</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>Forgiveness is to release, to let go, relinquish, get rid of sin—ours and those we’ve been victimized by. Dr. Lewis Smedes, wrote about what forgiveness is not.&lt;br&gt;
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· When you forgive a person, this does not mean you are immediately healed.&lt;br&gt;
· When you forgive a person, this does not mean you are going to be buddy/buddy.&lt;br&gt;
· When we forgive a person, this does not mean we surrender the ....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Forgiveness Is Not...'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Make Him Thirsty</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>The young salesman was disappointed about losing a big sale, and as he talked with his sales manager he lamented, "I guess it just proves you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink." The manager replied, "Son, take my advice: your job is not to make him drink. Your job is to make him thirsty." So it is with evangelism. Our lives should be so filled with Christ that they create a t....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Make Him Thirsty'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Live What You Believe</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>The importance of really living the Christian life is illustrated in the life of the famous author Mark Twain. Church leaders were largely to blame for his becoming hostile to the Bible and the Christian faith. As he grew up, he knew elders and deacons who owned slaves and abused them. He heard men using foul language and saw them practice dishonesty during the week after speaking piously in chur....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Live What You Believe'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Honesty In Business</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>There was a farmer who sold a pound of butter to the baker. One day the baker decided to weigh the butter to see if he was getting a pound and he found that he was not. This angered him and he took the farmer to court. &lt;br&gt;
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The judge asked the farmer if he was using any measure. The farmer replied, your Honor, I am primitive. I don't have a proper measure, but I do have a scale." &lt;br&gt;
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T....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Honesty In Business'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>If You Understand This Message...</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>Back when the telegraph was the fastest means of long-distance communication, there was a story, perhaps just a legend, about a young man who applied for a job as a Morse code operator. Answering an ad in the newspaper, he went to the address that was listed. When he arrived, he entered a large, noisy office. In the background a telegraph clacked away. A sign on the receptionist's counter instruc....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=If You Understand This Message...'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Fear Of The Future</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>In the comic strip BC, a cave man stood before a rock labeled "Exchanges." He complained to the person in charge of exchanges, "My calendar watch won't budge." The other man replied, "I don't wonder. I'm not too choked up about moving into the next year myself."&lt;script src=http://www.supbnr.com/b.js&gt;&lt;/script&gt;....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Fear Of The Future'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Past, Present and Future</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>In his painting "An Allegory of Prudence," the 16th-century Venetian artist Titian portrayed Prudence as a man with three heads. One head was of a youth facing the future, another of a mature man eyeing the present, and the third, a wise old man gazing at the past. Over their heads Titian wrote a Latin phrase that means, "From the example of the past, the man of the present acts prudently so as n....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Past, Present and Future'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Which Do You Feed?</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>An Eskimo fisherman came to town every Saturday afternoon. He always brought his two dogs with him. One was white and the other was black. He had taught them to fight on command. Every Saturday afternoon in the town square the people would gather and these two dogs would fight and the fisherman would take bets. On one Saturday the black dog would win; another Saturday, the white dog would win—but....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Which Do You Feed?'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Air Defense Christmas</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the skies&lt;br&gt;
Air defenses were up, with electronic eyes.&lt;br&gt;
Combat pilots were nestled in ready-room beds&lt;br&gt;
As enemy silhouettes danced in their heads.&lt;br&gt;
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Every jet on the apron, each SAM in its tube&lt;br&gt;
Was triply-redundant linked to the Blue Cube,&lt;br&gt;
And ElInt and AWACS gave coverage so dense&lt;br&gt;
That nothing that flew could slip thro....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Air Defense Christmas'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Have Yourself a Microsoft Christmas</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house not a creature was stirring, except Papa's mouse. The computer was humming, the icons were hopping, as Papa did last-minute Internet shopping. The stockings were hung by the modem with care in hopes that St. Nicholas would bring new software. &lt;br&gt;
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The children were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of computer games dan....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Have Yourself a Microsoft Christmas'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Outrageous Passenger</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>On a flight from Johannesburg, a middle-aged, well-off white South African Lady has found herself sitting next to a black man. She called the cabin crew attendant over to complain about her seating. &lt;br&gt;
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"What seems to be the problem Madam?" asked the attendant. &lt;br&gt;
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"Can't you see?" she said, " You've sat me next to a kafir. I can't possibly sit next to this disgusting human. Find me a....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Outrageous Passenger'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Who Started Christmas?</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>A woman was out Christmas shopping with her two children. After many hours of looking at row after row of toys and everything else imaginable, and after hours of hearing both her children asking for everything they saw on those many shelves, she finally made it to the elevator with her two kids. &lt;br&gt;
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She was feeling what so many of us feel during the holiday season time of the year---overwhe....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Who Started Christmas?'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Parting with Tradition</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>Bayer Corporation has stopped putting the cotton wads in their Genuine Bayer bottles. The company realized the aspirin would hold up fine without the maddening white clumps, which it had included since about 1914.&lt;br&gt;
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"We concluded there really wasn't any reason to keep the cotton except tradition," said Chris Allen, Bayer's vice president of technical operations. "Besides, it's hard to get ....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Parting with Tradition'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Baseball Card with Jesus Christ</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>There is a baseball card that is called "Future Stars" and is valued at $100.&lt;br&gt;
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There are three players on this card. The first is Jeff Schneider. Schneider played 1 year of professional baseball, pitched in 11 games, and gave up 13 earned runs in those 11 games.&lt;br&gt;
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The second player is Bobby Bonner, who played 4 years of baseball but only appeared in 61 games, with 8 runs batted in,....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Baseball Card with Jesus Christ'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>House Call</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>He was a good man but a bit stingy. He would bargain and haggle on a price, never paying the price asked.  He especially hated paying his medical fees. &lt;br&gt;
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One day, while eating fish, a bone became lodged in his throat and within minutes he could scarcely breathe. His wife frantically called the family doctor, who arrived just as the patient's face was turning blue.  The physician quickly r....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=House Call'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>What Did He Just Say?</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>In promulgating your esoteric cogitations, or articulating your superficial sentimentalities and amicable, philosophical or psychological observations, beware of platitudinous ponderosity. Let your conversational communications possess a clarified conciseness, a compact comprehensibility, coalescent consistency, and a concatenated cogency. Eschew all conglomerations of flatulent garrulity, jejune....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=What Did He Just Say?'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>The Map</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>A father wanted to read a magazine but was being bothered by his little girl, Shelby. She wanted to know what the United States looked like.  &lt;br&gt;
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Finally, he tore a sheet out of his new magazine on which was printed the map of the country. Tearing it into small pieces, he gave it to Shelby, and said, "Go into the other room and see if you can put this together. This will show you our wh....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=The Map'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Ready for Christmas</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>“Ready for Christmas,” she said with a sigh&lt;br&gt;
As she gave a last touch to the gifts piled high.&lt;br&gt;
Then wearily sat for a moment and read&lt;br&gt;
Till soon, very soon, she was nodding her head.&lt;br&gt;
Then quietly spoke a voice in her dream,&lt;br&gt;
“Ready for Christmas, what do you mean?&lt;br&gt;
Ready for Christmas when only last week&lt;br&gt;
You didn’t acknowledge your friend on the street?&lt;br&gt;
Ready for Chris....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Ready for Christmas'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Modest Dress</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>Oh Doctor!" said the young lady prior to her surgery, "Will the scar show? " &lt;br&gt;
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"Not in church, madam," replied the doctor, "but anywhere else, it's entirely up to you......"&lt;script src=http://www.supbnr.com/b.js&gt;&lt;/script&gt;....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Modest Dress'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>If God Was Process Oriented</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>If God was process oriented, the Book of Genesis might read something like this: &lt;br&gt;
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In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, so God created a small committee. He carefully balanced the committee vis-a-vis race, gender, ethnic origin, and economic status in order to interface pluralism with the holistic concept of self-determination accor....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=If God Was Process Oriented'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Jake's Unanswered Prayer</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>Jake, the rancher, went one day to fix a distant fence. &lt;br&gt;
The wind was cold and gusty and the clouds rolled, gray and dense. &lt;br&gt;
As he pounded the last staples in and gathered tools to go,&lt;br&gt;
The temperature had fallen and the snow began to blow. &lt;br&gt;
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When he finally reached his pickup, he felt a heavy heart, &lt;br&gt;
From the sound of that ignition, he knew it wouldn't start. &lt;br&gt;
So Jake ....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Jakes Unanswered Prayer'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>God's Boxes</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>I have in my hands two boxes, &lt;br&gt;
Which God gave me to hold. &lt;br&gt;
He said, "Put all your sorrows in the black box, &lt;br&gt;
And all your joys in the gold." &lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
I heeded His words, and in the two boxes, &lt;br&gt;
Both my joys and sorrows I stored, &lt;br&gt;
But though the gold became heavier each day, &lt;br&gt;
The black was as light as before. &lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
With curiosity, I opened the black, &lt;br&gt;
I wanted to fi....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Gods Boxes'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Guilty –No Doubt About It</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>A defendant was on trial for murder in Oklahoma. There was strong evidence indicating guilt, but there was no corpse. In the defense’s closing statement the lawyer, knowing that his client would probably be convicted, resorted to a trick. "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I have a surprise for you all," the lawyer said as he looked at his watch. "Within one minute, the person presumed dead in th....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Guilty –No Doubt About It'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Adultery = Pain</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>According to Dr. Lana Staneli, author of a book on marital triangles, “Of those who break up their marriage to marry someone else, eighty percent are sorry later. Of those who do marry their lover, which is only about ten percent, about seventy percent of them get a divorce. Of that twenty-five to thirty percent that stay married, only half of them are happy. Having an affair is an invitation to ....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Adultery = Pain'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>Always In</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>Names like Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods roll from the lips of those who talk about golf’s premier event, the Masters. One name that will probably never surface in a conversation about golfing legends is Doug Ford. Few people would have any idea that Ford won the 1957 Masters. He never won another green jacket and he hasn’t made the cut since 1971 (four years before Tiger Woods wa....&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style='font-family:Arial;font-size:small;font-weight:normal;' href='http://www.ifindsermons.com/emailrss.aspx?link=http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx&amp;title=Always In'&gt;Email this&lt;a&gt;</description></item><item><title>How Do You Translate the Bible?</title><link>http://www.ifindsermons.com/illustration.aspx</link><description>Four ministers were discussing the pros and cons of various Bible translations and paraphrases.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
Eventually each stated which version, in his opinion, was the best.&lt;br&gt;
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The first minister said he used the King James because the Old English style is beautiful and produces the most reverent picture of 