The Sermon Story

Paul told a Roman governor, "I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man" ( Acts 24:16 ). A conscience is a gift. It can stop us in our tracks, give us courage when everyone else goes along, and warn us before we do harm. But a conscience can also be mistaken, dulled or misled. These two stories about conscience, retold in our own words, look at both sides. The first is the true story of a television interpreter in Ukraine whose conscience would not let her pass on a lie. The second is a simple picture from the Christian writer John White that explains why even a sincere conscience needs the right light shining on it. Each ends with a takeaway for preaching or personal reflection. Stories in this post: Natalia Dmytruk: The Small Screen of Truth The Sundial: Why Conscience Needs the Right Light ──────── ✝ ──────── Natalia Dmytruk: The Small Screen of Truth This is a true story from the Orange Revolution in Ukraine in 2004. Accounts differ slightly on the ex...

"Each of us will give an account of ourselves to God" ( Romans 14:12 ). Accountability is the conviction that what we do matters, to God and to the people affected by our choices, even when no one else is watching and even when circumstances seem to excuse us. This story about accountability, retold in our own words, comes from a film based on a real incident in the Vietnam War. It is a hard story, but it asks a question every one of us faces: when the rules seem to fall away, do our choices matter less, or more? It ends with a takeaway for sermons or reflection. Stories in this collection: "Maybe It Matters More": One Soldier's Conscience in Casualties of War ──────── ✝ ──────── "Maybe It Matters More": One Soldier's Conscience in Casualties of War This story involves sexual violence in wartime. We describe it without graphic detail. The 1989 film Casualties of War , directed by Brian De Palma, is based on a real incident during the Vietnam War. I...