I think there is something about a story that is enduring. Stories take on a life of their own.

Don't measure the size of the mountain; talk to the One who can move it.

Yesterday you can't alter, but your reaction to yesterday you can. The past you cannot change, but your response to your past you can.

The temptation is for us to share our own opinions, our own thoughts and to speak from the whole realm of possibility. We can't do that as pastors. We need to have a strong voice of conviction, and the way we can do that is through Scripture.

Whether or not storms come, we can not choose. But where we stare during a storm, that we can.

I do think there is great strength, though, in starting a sermon with a story, then returning to that story at the end. That puts book ends to a sermon. It is a real simple technique that communicates to the audience that there is a sense of closure, that they have a package here, or we began and we closed with this. I think that's just a nice technique.

There's something about compassion that causes society to say, 'We're going to take this person seriously.' Take Mother Teresa. She was confrontational on abortion, but she wasn't rejected by society.