Legacy Youth Ministry Resources

Illustration texts

Christians on Their Deathbeds

Can salvation through Jesus conquer the fear of death? Listen to some Christians at their deathbeds: Sir David Brewster, distinguished Scottish physicist: "I shall see Jesus, and that will be grand. I shall see Him who made the worlds." William Blair, well-known English surgeon and medical author: "Reach me that blessed Book, that I may lay my hand on it once more. I rest in Christ." John A. Lyth: "Can this be death? Why, it is better than living! Tell them I die happy in Jesus!"

Be Seen as Jesus Was Seen

"Our great honor lies in being just what Jesus was and is. To be accepted by those who accept Him, rejected by all who reject Him, loved by those who love Him and hated by everyone that hates Him. What greater glory could come to any man?" (A.W. Tozer)

When Close to God, Feel Better About Self

"Significantly, we have discovered that the closer people feel to God, the better they feel about themselves. They are also satisfied with their lives more than are others; they are more altruistic; they enjoy better health and have a happier outlook. We also discover that experiencing the closeness of God is a key factor in the ability of people to forgive themselves and others." (George Gallop, The Religious Life of Young Americans)

Movie Clip: Crocodile Dundee on Life

How many of you saw the Crocodile Dundee movie where Dundee visits New York City and gets exposed to the ups and downs of big city life? My favorite scene is where he and his girlfriend encounter a young thief who pulls a knife on them and demands their money. "Do what he says," she counsels him. "He has a knife." But Dundee casually looks at the would-be thief and observes, "That's not a knife. This is a knife." And as he pulls out his knife, which is half the size of a machete, the poor punk realizes that his weapon looks like a butter knife in comparison, and proceeds to tuck tail and run. I think this comparison may help us to see what the Bible means when it compares the life we experience here on earth with "life indeed" (I Tim. 6:19). If we approach the hardships of life with the idea that this life is the main event, we will envy those who are getting the most from the world. But to those who ignore God and "go for all the gusto they can get," although they might look at a Christian's sacrificial lifestyle and say, "Get a life," I think God wants to tell him, "That's not a life.... This is life." ? Copyright 2002 Steve Miller - All Rights Reserved

Christian Business Principles Pay

Although I believe that God, for purposes that only He knows, will at times allow a Christian?s business to falter, it is interesting that following His principles tend to pay off in the business world. Management scholar Nabil A. Ibrahim studied 152 Christian-based companies and found that Christian-based ?companies grew significantly faster than other companies in their fields by every criterion examined: return on assets, net sales, number of employees and value of net assets.? The statistics he uncovered were significant: ?In the three years through 1987, Christian-based retailers surveyed by Prof. Ibrahim increased their employment 74% faster than other retailers, and their total assets grew 63% faster. In the service industries, the return on assets grew 73% faster among the Christian-based companies than among other concerns.? What makes this even more amazing is that some of these companies take stands that would at first seem to hurt them financially. Lon L. Day Jr., whose family developed the Days Inns motel chain, led the company to give a large share of its profits to charity, gave away 2.5 million Bibles, employed full time chaplains to help employees, and fired managers who took kickbacks or harassed women. When owned by Day, the Inn refused to sell alcohol. Mr. day estimates that they lost 20% of their bottom line to alcohol. ?But,? he comes back, ?we picked up twice as much by being family oriented.? Chick-Fil-A refuses to open on Sundays, which has kept some malls from allowing them in. Yet, this stand attracts committed Christian employees who want to keep their Sundays free. They also offer a large scholarship program. The result: ?In an industry whose turnover rate for part-timers can reach 300% a year, the 400-unit chain says its comparable rate is under 50%.? Ibrahim says that these companies ?stress quality, service and integrity,? which customers like. Ron Blue, managing partner of the Atlanta-based financial planning concern, Ronald Blue and Co., says, ?If you say you will return a phone call and you don?t, you have lied.? Principles matter. (The Wall Street Journal, by Roger Ricklefs, Dec. 8, ?89) ? Copyright 2002 Steve Miller - All Rights Reserved

The Universe pays Every Man

"The universe pays every man in his own coin; if you smile, it smiles on you in return; if you frown, you will be frowned at; if you sing, you will be invited into cheerful company; if you think, you will be entertained by thinkers; if you love the world, and earnestly seek for the good therein, you will be surrounded by loving friends, and nature will pour into your lap the treasures of the earth." Mike Lea

Hugo Names the Future

The future has several names. For the weak, it is the impossible. For the fainthearted, it is the unknown. For the thoughtful and valiant, it is ideal. Victor Hugo

Christian Breeds Education

Most people don't know the impact of Christianity in promoting education around the world. For example, I believe that all but one of our original colleges in America were essentially Christian schools. For example, in 1636, Harvard University was founded on the motto: Let every student be plainly instructed and earnestly pressed to consider well the main end of his life and studies is to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life, and therefore to lay Christ in the bottom as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and learning and seeing the Lord only giveth wisdom, let everyone seriously set himself to prayer in secret to seek it of Him.

Christianity as the Presence of God

Christianity is not the absence of evil, but the presence of God. (Pastor Peter Lord)

A Glove and The Spirit

Object Lesson (have a glove in front of the audience). A glove can accomplish nothing of itself. It just lies there. It has no power of its own self. But if I put my hand in the glove (demonstrate this), each finger of the glove moves with the movement of my hand. It's an instrument of my hand. The moving and direction come from my hand. This is how the Spirit empowers us once He comes into our lives and we yield control of our lives to Him.

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