Illustrations for Scott

ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS LESSON

KNOWLEDGE OF GOD

The atheist claims there is no God for us to know. The agnostic states that if there is a God we cannot know him. But Paul, who has met God in the person of Jesus, knows that a man cannot fully understand much of anything else without a knowledge of God.

THINGS OF REAL VALUE

Two Christian men were visiting a new family with the desire of offering them Jesus Christ and his hope. They saw a beautiful home, velvet lawn, gorgeous landscaping, two expensive cars, and, through the window, they saw the man of the house lounging in his Lazy Boy watching his big screen TV. When the message was being presented, the wealthy man said, “Now what do you men have to offer me? I already have everything!

AN APPLE IN JUNE

A farmer was giving a friend from the city a tour of his apple orchard. In response to the urban dweller’s inquiry, “How is you crop?”, the farmer said, “It is a great year. I have perfect apples.” With that he pointed to a small, round, hard, green apple and said, “Here is a healthy specimen.” Taken aback, his friend replied, “But that is a tiny green marble-sized fruit, How can you think of as perfect?” The wise farmer answered, “My friend, I have been raising apples for many years. This is the month of June, and this apple will be ripe in September. I see perfection in it now.”

KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE AND USE IT

God power for us is our heavenly treasure. But what good is it if we are too afraid or weak to use it? John D Rockefeller, the world’s first millionaire, lived on crackers and milk for many years due to stomach trouble caused by worrying about his wealth. He rarely had a good night’s sleep. Wealthy but miserable! When he began to share his wealth with others in true generosity, his health improved considerably and he lived to be an old man.

He Believed The Ancient Record

On January 6, 1822, the wife of a poor German pastor had a son, never dreaming that he would one day achieve world renown and great wealth. When Heinrich Schliemann was seven years old, a picture of ancient Troy in flames captured his imagination. Contrary to what many people believed, Heinrich argued that Homer’’s great poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey, were based on historic facts and he set out to prove it. In 1873, he uncovered the ancient site of Troy, along with some fabulous treasure which he smuggled out of the country, much to the anger of the Turkish government. Schliemann became a famous, wealthy man because he dared to believe an ancient record and act on his faith.

GODLINESS, GOD’S WORD ON

To be as much like God as possible, to seek to build our character traits as much like the character of God-this is godliness. But godliness is more than being like God. It is practicing a closer walk with God. As goodness is more than the absence of badness, so godliness is more than the absence of worldliness, materialism, hedonism, and other “isms.” Godliness is the practice of the presence of God in all we are and all we do.

NOT BY MIGHT...POWER BUT BY MY SPIRIT

A minister had among his congregation an eminent lawyer who was an infidel. He had long desired the salvation of the skeptic, and one day, knowing that he was to be present in the meeting, he prepared a sermon especially for him, hoping and praying that through it he would be converted. The infidel came. It was an icy winter's day; he listened to the sermon, and went his way, and not long after confessed his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The minister rejoiced, and in conversing with him inquired of him what portion of the sermon it was which especially affected his mind, and led to such a desirable result. He answered: "It was not your sermon at all; I did not hear it; I was making a brief all the while you were preaching. But after the meeting closed, as I came out I saw old Aunt Chloe trying to get down the slippery steps. I stepped forward and helped her down over the ice to the crossing, and as I left she looked up in my face and said: `Oh! massa, I wish you loved my dear Jesus.' Those words rang in my ears, and I could not get rid of them, until I went to my office and bowed myself on my knees and gave myself to Christ. It was not your sermon, but it was old Aunt Chole's words that led me to the Savior." "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts," is the constantly recurring lesson which God teaches us by circumstances like this. Shall we ever appreciate the Divine instruction, and learn to make the Lord our confidence and trust, believing that in Him alone is victory and strength?

ARE YOU JESUS? Several years ago a group of salesman went to a regional sales meeting in Chicago. They assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for supper on Friday night. One thing led to another and the meeting ran overtime. The men had to race to the airport, tickets in hand. As they barged through the terminal, one man inadvertently kicked over a table supporting a basket of apples. Without stopping they all reached the plane in time and boarded it with a sigh of relief. All but one. He paused, got in touch with his feelings and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned. He waved good-bye to his companions and returned to the terminal. He was glad he did. The ten year old girl was blind. The salesman gathered up the apples and noticed that several of the apples were battered and bruised. He reached into his wallet and said to the girl, "Here, please take this ten dollars for the damage we did. I hope it didn't spoil your day." As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered girl called out to him, "Are you Jesus?" He stopped in mid-stride... and he wondered. By Brennan Manning