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...

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord" ( Colossians 3:23 ). And "the integrity of the upright guides them" ( Proverbs 11:3 ). These seven stories about vocation, calling and integrity, retold in our own words, include an actor who refused to sell his dream, a teacher whose students became his symphony, a stone cutter who wanted to be someone else, a champion who called his own shot out, a boy whose life changed eight days before Christmas, a parable of three rings and a gladiator who would not be corrupted by power. Each ends with a takeaway for sermons or reflection. Stories in this collection: Sylvester Stallone Refuses to Sell His Dream "We Are Your Symphony": Mr Holland's Opus The Stone Cutter Who Wanted to Be Someone Else An Honest Call: Ruben Gonzalez Rules Against Himself Eight Days Before Christmas The Parable of the Three Rings "Echoes in Eternity": The Integrity of Gladiator ──────── ✝ ──────── Sy...