by Stuart Strachan Jr. | Jan 6, 2021 | Happiness, Sermon Illustrations
As a writer, my great interest is human nature, and in particular, the subject of happiness. A few years ago, I noticed a pattern: when people told me about a “before and after” change they’d made that boosted their happiness, they often pointed to the formation of a...
by Stuart Strachan Jr. | Nov 14, 2020 | Gratitude, Sermon Illustrations
In Budapest, a man goes to the rabbi and complains, “Life is unbearable. There are nine of us living in one room. What can I do?” The rabbi answers, “Take your goat into the room with you.” The man in incredulous, but the rabbi insists. “Do as I say and come back in...
by Stuart Strachan Jr. | Sep 22, 2020 | Politics, Sermon Illustrations
During the 1992 presidential elections a friend of mine told me about an awkward moment in his Bible study. One of the group members expressed excitement because that Sunday, she had seen a bumper sticker promoting the “other party” in the church’s parking lot. She...
by Stuart Strachan Jr. | Sep 8, 2020 | Judgment, Sermon Illustrations
It is important to be aware that the act of judging others has its origins in our self-judgment. As I often tell patients, “Shamed people shame people.” Long before we are criticizing others, the source of that criticism has been planted, fertilized and grown in our...
by Stuart Strachan Jr. | Sep 3, 2020 | Sermon Illustrations, Work
In this modern day parable, Alan Fadling describes a king and his two servants. Each of the servants desires to do the will of the king, but they approach their work very differently: One of the servants, for fear of not pleasing his master, rose early each day to...
by Stuart Strachan Jr. | Aug 25, 2020 | Forgiveness, Sermon Illustrations
If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human...
