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Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Voice. Sort by date Show all posts

Friday, January 22, 2010

3 Bullets

There once was a man who had nothing for his family to eat.

He had an old rifle and three bullets. So, he decided that he would go out hunting and kill some wild game for dinner.

As he went down the road, he saw a rabbit. He shot at the rabbit and missed it.

The rabbit ran away.

Then he saw a squirrel and fired a shot at the squirrel and missed it.

The squirrel disappeared into a hole in a cottonwood tree.

As he went further, he saw a large wild 'Tom' turkey in the tree, but he had only one bullet remaining.

A voice spoke to him and said, 'Pray first, aim high and stay focused.'

However, at the same time, he saw a deer which was a better kill.

He brought the gun down and aimed at the deer. But, then he saw a rattlesnake between his legs about to bite him, so he naturally brough t the gun down further to shoot the rattlesnake.

Still, the voice said again to him, 'I said 'Pray, Aim high and Stay focused?'

So, the man decided to listen to God's voice.

He prayed, then aimed the gun high up in the tree and shot the wild turkey. The bullet bounced off the turkey and killed the deer.

The handle fell off the gun and hit the snake in the head and killed it.

And, when the gun had gone off, it knocked him into a pond.

When he stood up to look around, he had fish in all his pockets, a dead deer and a turkey to eat for his family.

The snake (Satan) was dead simply because the man listened to God.



Moral of the story:

Pray first before you do anything, aim and shoot high in your goals, and stay focused on God.

Never let others discourage you concerning your past. The past is exactly that, the past ..

Live every day one day at a time and remember that only God knows our future and that he will not put you through any more than you can bear.

Do not look to man for your blessings, but look to the doors that only He has prepared in advance for you in your favor.

Wait, be still and patient: keep God first and everything else will follow.
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Saturday, October 15, 2011

The cab ride

The Cab Ride

I arrived at the address and honked the horn.  after waiting a few minutes I walked to the door and knocked.. 'Just a minute', answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.


After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940's movie.


By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets.


There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.


'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman.


She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.


She kept thanking me for my kindness. 'It's nothing', I told her... 'I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother to be treated.'


'Oh, you're such a good boy, she said.When we got in the cab, she gave me an address and then asked, 'Could you drive through downtown?'


'It's not the shortest way,'I answered quickly..


'Oh, I don't mind,' she said.'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice.


I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have any family left,' she continued in a soft voice.. 'The doctor says I don't have very long.' I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.


'What route would you like me to take?' I asked.


For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.


We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.


Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.


As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm tired. Let's go now'.


We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.


Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were Solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her.


I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.


'How much do I owe you?' 
She asked, reaching into her purse.


'Nothing,' I said


'You have to make a living,' she answered.


'There are other passengers,' I responded.


Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.


'You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,' she said.'Thank you.'


I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light.. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life..

  I didn't  pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that  day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had  gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift?What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?


On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.


We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.


But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.


PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID~BUT~THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL.


Life 
may not be the party we hoped for, but while we 
are here we might as well dance.
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Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Touch of the Master's Hand

Illustrations About Change

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Touch of the Master's Hand
By Myra Ross Welch (1926)



Church Songs?

#Change
#Value
#Souls
#Price

#Scripture

You Think About it!
Kevin Rayner




'Twas battered and scarred and the auctioneer
Thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin,
But he held it up with a smile:

"What am bidden, good folks?" he cried,
"Who'll start the bidding for me?"
"A dollar! A dollar!" then "Two! Only two?"
"Two dollars, and who'll make it three?"

"Three dollars once, three dollars twice . . .
And going for three . . . " but no.
From the room, far back, a gray-haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow.

Then, wiping the dust from the old violin,
And tightening the loosened strings,
He played a melody pure and sweet,
As a caroling angel sings.

The music ceased, and the auctioneer
With a voice that was quiet and low
Said, "What am I bid for the old violin?"
And he held it up with the bow.

"A thousand dollars! And who'll make it two?
"Two thousand! Who'll make it three?
"Three going once? Three going twice?
"And going . . . and gone!" said he.

The people cheered but some of them cried,
"We do not understand!
What changed its worth?" -- Swift came the reply,
"The touch of the Master's Hand."

And many a man with life out of tune
And battered and scarred with sin
Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd
Much like the old violin.

A "mess 'o pottage"
A glass of wine
A game and he travels on.
He's "going" once
And "going" twice
And "going" . . . and almost "gone"

Then along comes the Master, and the foolish crowd
Never can quite understand
The worth of a soul or the change that's wrought
By the touch of the Master's Hand.





https://duckduckgo.com/?q="John+Maxwell"+Change&t=h_&iax=videos&ia=videos

When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world. I found it was difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation. When I found I couldn't change the nation, I began to focus on my town. I couldn't change the town, and as an older man, I tried to change my family. Now, as an old man, I realize the only thing I can change is myself, and suddenly I realize that if long ago I had changed myself, I could have made an impact on my family. My family and I could have made an impact on our town. Their impact could have changed the nation and I could indeed have changed the world.

=============
Making a Difference

An old man walked up a shore littered with thousands of starfish, beached and dying after a storm. A young man was picking them up and flinging them back into the ocean.
"Why do you bother?" the old man scoffed. "You're not saving enough to make a difference."
The young man picked up another starfish and sent it spinning back to the water.
"Made a difference to that one," he said.
You make a difference, every day.



=============

Imagine a world...

  • Where one small act of kindness turned into billions of acts, like a never-ending chain.
  • Where people value people and have a genuine love for one another.
  • Where every neighborhood was safe because the community looked after each other.
  • Where someone did something that unites us together instead of drives us apart.
  • Where that someone is YOU!

This world that you imagine... What if it was real? What if you really did have a voice in your world and you really could make a difference?

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Friday, December 16, 2022

Help Illustrations

Devotional Thoughts and Teaching Illustrations About Help

Is Anyone Up There?
A man named Jack was walking along a steep cliff one day when he accidentally got too close to the edge and fell. On the way down he grabbed a branch, which temporarily stopped his fall. He looked down and to his horror saw that the canyon fell straight down for more than a thousand feet. He couldn't hang onto the branch forever, and there was no way for him to climb up the steep wall of the cliff. So Jack began yelling for help, hoping that someone passing by would hear him and lower a rope or something. "HELP! HELP! Is anyone up there? HELP!

He yelled for hours, but no one heard him. He was about to give up when he heard a voice.

"Jack, Jack. Can you hear me?"

"Yes, yes! I can hear you. I'm down here!"

"I can see you, Jack. Are you all right?"

"Yes, but . . . Who are you, and where are you?"

"I am the Lord, Jack. I'm everywhere."

"The Lord? You mean, GOD?"

"That's Me."

"God, please help me! I promise if You'll get me down from here, I'll stop sinning. I'll be a really good person. I'll serve You for the rest of my life."

"Easy on the promises, Jack. Let's just get you down from there; then we can talk. Now, here's what I want you to do. Listen carefully."

"I'll do anything, Lord. Just tell me what to do."

"Okay. Let go of the branch."

"What?"

"I said, let go of the branch. Just trust Me. Let go."

There was a long silence. Finally Jack yelled, "HELP! HELP! IS ANYONE ELSE UP THERE?"

Have you ever felt like Jack? We say that we want to know the will of God, but when we find out what it is, we can't handle it. It sounds too scary, too difficult. We decide to look elsewhere. When He says, "Let go of the things that stand between you and Me, and trust Me with your life," it sounds pretty scary. But when we let go, we find freedom and safety in His hands."

Source unknown

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Video


Church Songs?

#Hashtags?

#Scripture



You Think About it!
Kevin Rayner




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Wednesday, June 05, 2024

Wisdom Illustrations

Devotional Thoughts and Teaching Illustrations About Wisdom


Devotional Thoughts


*Clickable Quick Links Are Below:
Search BibleHub for Topic Wisdom


#Wisdom
#Wise
#Prudence
#Perception, Spiritual
#Shrewdness
#Insight
#Graduate
#Education
#Folly

Proverbs 1:2, 7, 20 NLT - 2 Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise. ... 7 Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. ... 20 Wisdom shouts in the streets. She cries out in the public square.
Proverbs 2:2, 6, 10, 12, 16 NLT - 2 Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. ... 6 For the LORD grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. ... 10 For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy. ... 12 Wisdom will save you from evil people, from those whose words are twisted. ... 16 Wisdom will save you from the immoral woman, from the seductive words of the promiscuous woman.
Proverbs 3:7, 13-15, 18-19 NLT - 7 Don't be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the LORD and turn away from evil. ... 13 Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding. 14 For wisdom is more profitable than silver, and her wages are better than gold. 15 Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. ... 18 Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her; happy are those who hold her tightly. 19 By wisdom the LORD founded the earth; by understanding he created the heavens.
Proverbs 4:5-8 NLT - 5 Get wisdom; develop good judgment. Don't forget my words or turn away from them. 6 Don't turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you. Love her, and she will guard you. 7 Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment. 8 If you prize wisdom, she will make you great. Embrace her, and she will honor you.
Proverbs 5:1 NLT - 1 My son, pay attention to my wisdom; listen carefully to my wise counsel.
Proverbs 7:4 NLT - 4 Love wisdom like a sister; make insight a beloved member of your family.
Proverbs 8:1, 11-12 NLT - 1 Listen as Wisdom calls out! Hear as understanding raises her voice! ... 11 For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies. Nothing you desire can compare with it. 12 "I, Wisdom, live together with good judgment. I know where to discover knowledge and discernment.
Proverbs 9:1, 10-12 NLT - 1 Wisdom has built her house; she has carved its seven columns. ... 10 Fear of the LORD is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment. 11 Wisdom will multiply your days and add years to your life. 12 If you become wise, you will be the one to benefit. If you scorn wisdom, you will be the one to suffer.
Proverbs 11:2 NLT - 2 Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.
Proverbs 14:6, 33 NLT - 6 A mocker seeks wisdom and never finds it, but knowledge comes easily to those with understanding. ... 33 Wisdom is enshrined in an understanding heart; wisdom is not found among fools.
Proverbs 15:33 NLT - 33 Fear of the LORD teaches wisdom; humility precedes honor.
Proverbs 16:10, 16 NLT - 10 The king speaks with divine wisdom; he must never judge unfairly. ... 16 How much better to get wisdom than gold, and good judgment than silver!
Proverbs 17:24 NLT - 24 Sensible people keep their eyes glued on wisdom, but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth.
Proverbs 18:4 NLT - 4 Wise words are like deep waters; wisdom flows from the wise like a bubbling brook.
Proverbs 19:8 NLT - 8 To acquire wisdom is to love oneself; people who cherish understanding will prosper.
Proverbs 21:30 NLT - 30 No human wisdom or understanding or plan can stand against the LORD.
Proverbs 23:23 NLT - 23 Get the truth and never sell it; also get wisdom, discipline, and good judgment.
Proverbs 24:3, 7, 14 NLT - 3 A house is built by wisdom and becomes strong through good sense. ... 7 Wisdom is too lofty for fools. Among leaders at the city gate, they have nothing to say. ... 14 In the same way, wisdom is sweet to your soul. If you find it, you will have a bright future, and your hopes will not be cut short.
Proverbs 28:26 NLT - 26 Those who trust their own insight are foolish, but anyone who walks in wisdom is safe.
Proverbs 29:3, 15 NLT - 3 The man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father, but if he hangs around with prostitutes, his wealth is wasted. ... 15 To discipline a child produces wisdom, but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child.
Proverbs 30:3 NLT - 3 I have not mastered human wisdom, nor do I know the Holy One.


Wisdom
    The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7)
    To find wisdom, first, find God (Proverbs 2:6–12)
    Wise people accept advice (Proverbs 13:10)
    Wise people boast not in their wisdom but in knowing God (Jeremiah 9:23–24)
    The wise understand God’s ways and follow his guidance (Hosea 14:9)
    Wise people build on the solid foundation of God and his Word (Matthew 7:24–27)
    God’s wisdom is different from the world’s wisdom (1 Corinthians 2:1–16)
    God will give us wisdom if we ask for it (James 1:5)

Logos Dictionary Themes
God, wisdom of

Scripture declares that God alone is wise and discerning, and that human wisdom is often unable or unwilling to understand his ways. God’s wisdom is expressed in both creation and redemption.

  • God’s wisdom described. Isa 28:29 See also 1Sa 2:3; Ro 16:27
  • God’s wisdom is beyond measure. Ps 147:5 See also Isa 44:7; Jer 10:7; Ro 11:33
  • God’s wisdom is profound. Isa 40:28 See also Job 9:4; 28:12-24; Ps 92:5; Ecc 8:17
  • God’s wisdom is superior to human wisdom. Isa 55:9 See also Job 21:22
  • God’s wisdom exhibited. God’s wisdom in creation Jer 10:12 See also Job 28:25-27; 37:14-16; Ps 104:24; 136:5; Pr 3:19-20; Isa 40:12-14
  • God’s wisdom as an agent in creation. Pr 8:22-31 Wisdom here is given personality, and may refer to the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ.
  • God’s wisdom in historical events. Isa 31:2 See also Job 12:13-25; Da 2:20-22
  • God’s wisdom in knowing the human mind. 1Ch 28:9 See also Ps 139:2,4,6
  • Jesus Christ the wisdom of God. 1Co 1:30 See also Isa 9:6; 11:2; 1Co 1:24; Col 2:2-3
  • God’s wisdom in the gospel. 1Co 1:25 See also 1Co 1:18-21; Eph 3:10
  • God gives his wisdom to human beings. Eph 1:17 See also 2Ch 1:11-12; Ezr 7:25; Pr 2:6; Ecc 12:11; Da 2:23; 1Co 2:6-16; Jas 1:5
  • Examples of God’s wisdom. 
  • 1Sa 16:7; 1Ki 3:28; Isa 28:24-29; Lk 11:49

Manser, M. H. (2009). Dictionary of Bible Themes: The Accessible and Comprehensive Tool for Topical Studies. Martin Manser.


You Think About It!
Kevin Rayner


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Monday, February 26, 2024

Dream Illustrations

Devotional Thoughts and Teaching Illustrations About Imagination/Dream


Devotional Thoughts
Tom was only four years old when his father died. His mother couldn't support Tom and his brother Jim, so she put them in a foster home. Tom grew up believing that everybody needs to find a dream that they can be excited about and that you may have to try lots of different things to find that dream. He worked, trying to sell newspapers and magazines. He set up pins in a bowling alley. He joined the Marines. He went to seminary and he would study to become an architect. But finally, he would decide that he wanted to own a restaurant. It was in 1960 that Tom and his brother Jim borrowed $900.00 and bought a pizzeria named Dominick's. It was a year later that Tom bought out his brothers, half of his business, by trading him, his Volkswagen Beetle. Tom worked hard, really hard. In 1965, he renamed his store Domino's Pizza when Tom Monaghan retired at the age of 61, he had 6100 stores around the world. And when you talk to Tom, he will clearly tell you that he's had three priorities. God, his family and Domino's Pizza. And what makes him happy is working in a restaurant and helping others. Everybody needs to have a dream in life. And when you find it, don't be afraid to give yourself to it. You think about that..  

Fear
When you fear that the worst will happen, your own thoughts may help to bring it about. “Fear,” a writer once said, “Is the wrong use of imagination. It is anticipating the worst, not the best that can happen.”
A salesman, driving on a lonely country road one dark and rainy night had a flat. He opened the trunk—no lug wrench. The light from a farmhouse could be seen dimly up the road. He set out on foot through the driving rain. Surely the farmer would have a lug wrench he could borrow, he thought. Of course, it was late at night—the farmer would be asleep in his warm, dry bed. Maybe he wouldn’t answer the door. and even if he did, he’d be angry at being awakened in the middle of the night. The salesman, picking his way blindly in the dark, stumbled on. By now his shoes and clothing were soaked. Even if the farmer did answer his knock, he would probably shout something like, “What’s the big idea waking me up at this hour!” This thought make the salesman angry. What right did that farmer have to refuse him the loan of a lug wrench? After all, here he was stranded in the middle of nowhere, soaked to the skin. The farmer was a selfish clod—no doubt about that!
The salesman finally reached the house, and banged loudly on the door. A light went on inside, and a window opened above. “Who is it?” a voice called out. “You know darn well who it is,” yelled the salesman, his face white with anger. “It’s me! You can keep your blasted lug wrench. I wouldn’t borrow it now if you had the last one on earth!”
--Bits and Pieces, May, 1991, p. 23

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You Think About It!
Kevin Rayner


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Tuesday, November 25, 2025

It is Finished

When Jesus said, "It is finished"
  • Cry of the Carpenter - Completion of a task that only He could do.
  • Shout of the Shepherd - Solution to getting all the sheep safely into the fold.
  • Voice of the Victor - Villain has been destroyed finally.

Man of Sorrows (a cappella worship song with lyrics and notes)


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Saturday, June 20, 2015

Edmond Church of Christ Songs - MP3

Edmond Church of Christ Congregational Acapella Singing

Jump to:   A-B   C-G   H   I   J-L   M-O   P-S   T   U-Z

A-B



C-G



H






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Wednesday, February 14, 2001

Scars of His Love

"SCARS OF HIS LOVE"

Some years ago on a hot summer day in south Florida a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house.

In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went. He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore.

His mother, in the house was looking out the window, saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, she ran toward the water, yelling to her son as loudly as she could. Hearing her voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his mother.

It was too late. Just as he reached her, the alligator reached him. From the dock, the mother grabbed her little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug-of-war between the two.

The alligator was much stronger than the mother, but the mother was much too passionate to let go.

A farmer happened to drive by, heard her screams, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the alligator.

Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived.

His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal. And, on his arms, were deep scratches where his mother's fingernails dug into his flesh in her effort to hang on to the son she loved.

The newspaper reporter who interviewed the boy after the trauma, asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs.

And then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, "But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my mommy wouldn't let go."

You and I can identify with that little boy. We have scars, too. No, not from an alligator, or anything quite so dramatic. But, the scars of a painful past. Some of those scars are unsightly and have caused us deep regret.

But, some wounds, my friend, are because God has refused to let go.

In the midst of your struggle, He's been there holding on to you. The Scripture teaches that God loves you. If you have Christ in your life, you have become a child of God. He wants to protect you and provide for you in every way.

But sometimes we foolishly wade into dangerous situations. The swimming hole of life is filled with peril - and we forget that the enemy is waiting to attack. That's when the tug-o-war begins, and if you have the scars of His love on your arms be very, very grateful.

He did not - and will not - let you go. Time is a very precious gift of God; so precious that it's only given to us moment by moment.

Think about it warmly,
Kevin Rayner
2/14/2001
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