Dedication

One stormy night, Hudson Taylor was scheduled to speak in Birmingham, England, at the Severn Street schoolroom. His hostess attempted to dissuade him from going in the torrential downpour by telling him that everyone would assume it was canceled. “But was it not announced for tonight,” Hudson Taylor asked. He then said, “I must go, even if there is no one but the doorkeeper.”

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow—
You may succeed with another blow.

Late in his career, when the Yankees were comfortably ahead in the pennant race, Joe DiMaggio was asked why he continued to play so hard. He said, “Because there might be somebody out there who’s never seen me play.”

The Christian should live every day as if someone will see him who has never seen a Christian before.

Source: Summer of 49, David Halberstam

John Wesley wrote the following letter from his deathbed to William Wilberforce to encourage him in his prolonged fight against slavery in England:

Pablo Casals was considered the greatest cellist to ever live. When he was 95 years old he was asked why he continued to practice 6 hours a day. He answered, “Because I think I’m making progress.”

Source: Your Road Map for Success, John Maxwell

Matt Emmons had the gold medal in sight. He was one shot away from claiming victory in the 2004 Olympic 50-meter three-position rifle event. He didn’t even need a bull’s-eye to win. His final shot merely needed to be close to the center of the target. Normally, the shot he made would have received a score of 8.1, more than enough for a gold medal. But in what was described as “an extremely rare mistake in elite competition,” Emmons fired at the wrong target. Standing in lane two, he fired at the target in lane three. His score for a good shot at the wrong target? Zero.

It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better.
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by the dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again;

Cha Sa-soon became famous for her perseverance. The 68-year-old woman from South Korea passed the written exam for a driver’s license on the 950th try. Sa-soon, took her first test in April of 2005 and failed 949 times before making the minimum score necessary to pass of 60 percent in November of 2009. She spent over $4,200 in application fees. Hopefully she won’t need as much perseverance to pass the driving portion of her test.

Source: In Other Words

An old preacher was met one of his deacons, whose face wore a very resolute expression.

“I came early to meet you,” he said. “I have something on my conscience to say to you. Pastor, there must be something radically wrong in your preaching and work; there has been only one person added to the church in a whole year, and he is only a boy.”

It is said that Napoleon once lost control of his horse and a private jumping into the path of the horse took control of it. Napoleon then said, “Thank you, Captain.” With that one word Napoleon promoted the soldier from the rank of private to captain, but it was because that soldier put his general first.

Likewise, God promises to honor His servants.

Source: Billy Sunday, the Man and His Message, William T. Ellis

The 81st Texas Legislature passed a bill that gave state employees five paid hours a month to volunteer with foster children. Representative Wayne Christian disagreed with the measure and asked two questions. “Why should the state subsidize volunteerism? Isn’t that an oxymoron?” You cannot pay people enough to care.

Source: Houston Chronicle, May, 2009

What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would give Him a lamb.
If I were a wise man, I would do my part.
Yet what can I give Him? I’ll give Him my heart.—Christina Rossetti

In one church that had a special need the people came to the front with their offering. One young girl came with hands cupped and gave a ring. Later, the Pastor brought it back to her and she said, “I gave it to the Lord, not to you.”

Source: Unknown

There is a bumper sticker that says, “Tithe if you love Jesus. Any idiot can honk.” A lot of peole talk about how much they love the Lord, but they do not put their money where their mouth is.

“I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.”—Abraham Lincoln

“Success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.”—Abraham Lincoln

“The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people.”—Theodore Roosevelt

One of the Greek’s Olympic games was a race in which the contestants carried torches and the winner was the one that finished with his torch still lit. The Christian’s desire should be that he will finish his race with his flame still burning strong.

Source: Fan the Flame, J. Stowell

Jim Elliot was one of the martyred missionaries in 1956. He was a passionate Christian who journaled many of his thoughts and prayers. One such entry addressed his concern about impact. He wrote, “Father, make of me a crisis man. Bring those I contact to decision. Let me not be a milepost on a single road; make me a fork, that men must turn one way or another on facing Christ in me.” His impact continues on even though he died over fifty years ago at the age of twenty-nine.

Source: Shadow of the Almighty, Elisabeth Elliot

I’m part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I’m a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away or be still. My past is redeemed, my future is secure. I’m finished and done with low living, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living and dwarfed goals.

Michael Jordan is probably the best player the NBA has ever seen. He gave this insightful look into the incredible success that he enjoyed:

“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”—Michael Jordan

Source: Bits and Pieces

Submitted by the homiletics class of West Coast Baptist College

A father and son arrived in a small western town looking for an uncle whom they had never seen. Suddenly, the father, pointing across the square to a man who was walking away from them, exclaimed, “There goes my uncle!”

His son asked, “How do you know when you have not seen him before?”

“Son, I know him because he walks exactly like my father.”

If we walk in the Spirit, the world should know us by our walk.

Source: The Gold Mine, Lee Roberson

Submitted by the homiletics class of West Coast Baptist College