Illustrations

Timothy Stackpole was a New York Firefighter, who was severely burned in a 1998 fire. After he recovered, he returned to the force despite the advice of some friends and family and the fact that he could retire comfortably.

He was a great fire fighter and passionate about his work and was soon promoted to captain. Timothy was one of the fire fighters that ran into the second tower to try to save some people. When he did, it collapsed and took his life. He knew his calling—to save people. The Holy Spirit has called us to a life of service. We should live for Him.

The nice thing about apathy is you don’t have to exert yourself to show you’re sincere about it.

Source: Unknown
Submitted by the homiletics class of West Coast Baptist College

Steve Tran of Westminster, California, wanted to kill the cockroaches in his apartment once and for all. So, he activated 25 bug bombs (even though the label said 2 should do the trick) and closed the door. The fumes reached the pilot light of his stove and created an explosion that sent his screen door across the street, broke all his windows, and caused $10,000 dollars worth of damage.

Steve said, “I really wanted to kill all of them. I thought if I used a lot more, it would last longer.” By the way, Steve said he saw cockroaches again within a week.

Once a man told D. L. Moody that he was worried because he did not feel saved. Moody asked, “Was Noah safe in the ark?”

“Certainly he was,” the man replied.

“Well, what made him safe—his feeling or the ark?”

“How foolish I’ve been!” the man said. “It is not my feeling; it is Christ who saves!”

Source: The Speaker's Quote Book, Roy B. Zuck

Submitted by the homiletics class of West Coast Baptist College

In 1818, Ignaz Philip Semmelweis was born into a world of dying women. The finest hospitals lost one out of six mothers to the scourge of “childbed fever.” A doctor’s daily routine began in the dissecting room where he performed autopsies. From there he made his way to the hospital to examine expectant mothers without ever pausing to wash his hands. Dr. Semmelweis was the first man in history to associate such examinations with the resultant infection and death.

Russell Conwell told of an ancient Persian, Ali Hafed, who owned a very large farm that had orchards, grain fields, and gardens. Ali was a wealthy and content man. One day Ali entertained a guest who told him all about diamonds and how wealthy he would be if he owned a diamond mine. Ali Hafed went to bed that night a poor man—poor because he was discontented.

Craving a mine of diamonds, he sold his farm to search for the rare stones. He traveled the world over, finally becoming so poor, broken, and defeated that he committed suicide.

“When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn’t bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That’s love.”—Rebecca, age 8

“When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.”—Billy, age 4

“Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French Fries without making them give you any of theirs.”—Chrissie, age 6

“Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired.”—Terri, age 4

George Whitefield was a famed English evangelist in the 1700s. He led many meetings where hundreds of people come to Christ. His ministry had great affect around England and was instrumental in sparking a revival in the land. Yet for all the good he did, he was not without his critics. He very often received letters of criticism, mockery, or hateful correction. Sometimes he would become discouraged by the letters, but he soon learned that the best response to a critic was openness and honesty. After receiving a letter of personal attack he wrote one simple reply to its sender:

In the 1800s, a group of women met to study the Bible in Dublin. They were puzzled by the words of Malachi 3:3, “And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.” One of the ladies promised to call on a silversmith and report to them what he said on the subject. She went accordingly and without telling the object of her errand begged to know the process of refining silver which he fully described to her. “But Sir.” said she, “Do you sit while the work of refining is going on?”

A man came up to Moody once and criticized him for the way he went about winning souls. Moody listened courteously and then asked, “How would you do it?” The man, taken aback, mumbled that he didn’t do it. “Well,” said Moody, “I prefer the way I do it to the way you don’t do it.”

Source: Unknown

Submitted by the homiletics class of West Coast Baptist College