Sermons

Proverbs: Life In The Details- A Crucial Confrontation  Opening Illustration: Make Big Plans David Burnham was an American architect who developed the master plans for a number of cities including Chicago and downtown Washington D.C. He also designed several famous buildings in New York City and Washington D.C. During his career Burnham said: “Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men's blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans. Aim high in hope and work, remembering that a noble, logical diagram once recorded will never die, but long after we are gone will be a living thing, asserting itself with ever-growing insistency. Remember that our [children] and [grandchildren] are going to do things that would stagger us.” Point: That’s the sort of advice I love.  Dream big or go home.  Make big plans.  Set lofty goals and just maybe you might actually reach one.  Of course we have received some bad advice over the y...

Proverbs: Life In The Details-The Cost of Embraced Temptation Opening Illustration: Winnie The Pooh All of you know the familiar story of Winnie the Pooh.  Question, what is the one thing that Winnie the Pooh loves?  Of course the answer is honey.  Winnie the Pooh will do just about anything to get his paws on some honey.  On one occasion, Pooh was minding his own business when he spotted a honey bee.  He became very excited and decided to follow that honey bee.  That bee flew to the top of a tree.  Pooh just knew that wherever a honey bee was, surly there would be honey.  So, what does Pooh do?  He climbs that tree and pokes his head in the notch in the tree where there was gobs and gobs of honey.  Pooh as you remember dives into the tree.  He eats and eats and eats.  He eats so much honey that he gets stuck in the tree.  The promise of honey eventually comes at a cost.  Pooh manages to free himself from the t...

Proverbs: Life In The Details-Critical Coaching Opening Illustration: We All Need A Coach I have been coaching my kid’s baseball teams now for several years.  I love baseball and love nothing more than watching my boys play.  As Jay has gotten older, I have learned more about baseball and more about parents.  That is what makes this story both funny and true. At one point during a game, the baseball coach said to one of his young players, "Do you understand what cooperation is? What a team is?" The little boy nodded in the affirmative. "Do you understand that what matters is whether we win together as a team?" The little boy nodded yes. "So," the coach continued, "when a strike is called, or you’re out at first, you don’t argue or curse or attack the umpire. Do you understand all that?" Again the little boy nodded. "Good," said the coach. "Now go over there and explain it to your mother...