<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD><TITLE></TITLE>
<META content=text/html;charset=UTF-8 http-equiv=Content-Type>
<STYLE type=text/css>BODY {
FONT-FAMILY: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 11px
}
A {
FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-FAMILY: verdana, sans-serif; COLOR: #ff6600; FONT-SIZE: 11px; TEXT-DECORATION: none
}
A:visited {
COLOR: #666666
}
A:hover {
TEXT-DECORATION: underline
}
P {
FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-FAMILY: verdana, sans-serif; COLOR: #666666; FONT-SIZE: 11px; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; TEXT-DECORATION: none
}
H1 {
FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-FAMILY: verdana, sans-serif; COLOR: #666666; FONT-SIZE: 14px; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; TEXT-DECORATION: none
}
H2 {
FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-FAMILY: verdana, sans-serif; COLOR: #666666; FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; TEXT-DECORATION: none
}
H3 {
PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; FONT-STYLE: normal; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; FONT-FAMILY: verdana, sans-serif; COLOR: #666666; FONT-SIZE: 12px; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; TEXT-DECORATION: none; PADDING-TOP: 0px
}
H4 {
PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; FONT-STYLE: normal; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; FONT-FAMILY: verdana, sans-serif; COLOR: #666666; FONT-SIZE: 11px; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; TEXT-DECORATION: none; PADDING-TOP: 0px
}
HR {
WIDTH: 100%; HEIGHT: 1px; COLOR: #ff9900; size: 1px
}
.forwardform {
PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px
}
.forwardinput {
PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px
}
.forwardsubmit {
PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px
}
DIV.emailfooter {
FONT-FAMILY: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 11px
}
DIV.emailfooter A {
FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-FAMILY: verdana, sans-serif; COLOR: #ff6600; FONT-SIZE: 11px; TEXT-DECORATION: none
}
</STYLE>
<META name=GENERATOR content="MSHTML 8.00.6001.18975"></HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">An Absolute Standard</DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">One rabbi said, "If there are only two
righteous men in the world, I and my son are these two; if there is only one, I
am he!" –Reminds me of two friends talking, one said, "We're the only two honest
people left in the world, and sometimes I'm not so sure about you!"<BR><BR>With
a human measure, righteousness is relative, you can always find someone better
and someone worse. Take the right point of comparison and you feel pretty good
about yourself.<BR><BR>A little boy announced to his mother, "I'm like Goliath.
I'm 9 feet tall." "Why do you say that?" asked his mother. "Well, I made a
little ruler and measured myself with it; I'm 9 feet tall!"<BR><BR>Human
standards don't count. The only evaluation that counts is by an absolute
standard! The righteousness of God Himself; with that measuring stick, we all
come up short!<BR><BR>Lee Compson, Holier Than
Who?<BR>_____________________________________________<BR><BR> </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">The Race We Are In </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Several years ago, I told you a story about one
of my all-time favorite people. Not that I know her, or have even met her. But I
admire her. Because one day, at age 42, in beautiful downtown Cleveland, she ran
a marathon by accident (all 26 miles, 385 yards of it). Her name was Georgene
Johnson. Still is. As you will recall, she lined up with the wrong group at the
starting line. Not the 10K group, where she belonged. But the 26 mile group,
where she didn't. It wasn't until the four mile mark that she realized her
mistake. So she just kept going, finishing the race in four hours and four
minutes. But it's what she said later (by way of explanation) that has stayed
with me since. Said Georgene: "This isn't the race I trained for. This isn't the
race I entered. But, for better or worse, this is the race I'm in."</DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Which is true more often than you might think.
Relatively few of us are exactly where we figured we'd be....doing exactly what
we figured we'd be doing. But we are where we are, and (for better or worse)
we're keeping our feet moving.</DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">William A. Ritter, Collected Sermons, <A
href="http://www.sermons.com/">www.Sermons.com</A></DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">____________________</DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">No Black Dots</DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">When Benjamin Franklin was 27 years old, he
decided he would take control of his life. He selected 12 virtues he wanted to
acquire, and kept a daily chart of his progress in the development of each one.
Whenever he missed the mark, he put a black dot beside that virtue. His goal was
to ultimately have no dots on the chart. This method contributed to Franklin's
success as an inventor, publisher, and statesman.</DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Unknown</DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">____________________</DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">The Best Treatment for Loneliness</DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Dr. Karl Menninger, the famous American
psychiatrist, once gave a lecture on mental health & was answering questions
from the audience. One man asked, "What would you advise a person to do if that
person felt a nervous breakdown coming on?" Everyone there expected him to
answer, "Consult a psychiatrist." To their astonishment he replied: Leave your
house, go across the railroad tracks, find someone who is in need, and do
something to help that person.</DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Brett Blair,
www.eSermons.com <BR><BR> </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">==================================</DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">ILLUSTRATIONS FOR LUKE 18:9-14</DIV>
<DIV
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">==================================<BR> </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Humor: Worth a Thousand Points</DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Perhaps you have heard the story of the man who
came to the gates of heaven to be greeted by St. Peter. Peter asks the man if he
can give a brief history of his life with an emphasis on the good deeds he had
done in order to gain entrance into the kingdom of heaven. "You will need 1000
points to be admitted," Peter tells the man.</DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">"This will be a cinch," the man thinks to
himself, "I've been involved in church from the days of my youth." Then he
begins to list his activities for Peter. He was an officer in his youth group,
served in every possible position he could as a youngster. Was on the Church
Council and every committee the church had to offer. His list was
extensive.</DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">"Very impressive," Peter smiles at the man. An
angel standing with them also smiled and nodded as he tallied the points and
then whispered in Peter's ear. Peter tells the man,</DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">"This is quite striking -- we seldom see men of
your very good works. You will be pleased to know that you have 327 points! Is
there anything else you can think of?"</DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">The poor soul breaks into a cold sweat and
begins to reach deep for every single act of kindness he could think of. He
listed them as the angel scratched furiously on his angelic clip board and
nodded his head in admiration. Peter looks at the clip board and says, "This is
quite exceptional! You now have a total of 402 points. Can you think of anything
else?"</DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">The distressed guy strives to recall good deeds
-- like the time he helped a little old lady across the street. He finally
arrives at a grand total of 431 points and cries out... "I am sunk! There is no
hope for me! What more could I have done? O Lord, all I can do is beg for your
mercy!"</DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">"THAT," exclaims Peter, "Is a thousand
points!"</DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">So also, the tax collector in Jesus' parable
finds his hope in the grace and mercy of God.</DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">John Jewell, Qualities of Faith</DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">______________________________ </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Everything He Says Is True</DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">When you read the story about the Pharisee, a
number of specific statements are made about his piety. Please note this.
Everything the man says about himself is true. For instance, when he says, “I
thank you that I am not like other men,” indeed he wasn’t like other men. He had
a standard of morality that was far above the standard of that day. When he
said, “I fast twice a week;” it happens to be literally true. The Pharisees
fasted on Monday and Thursday of every week. When he says, “I give tithes of all
I possess,” he means he tithes on the gross and not on the net. He went beyond
the Law of Moses. That’s no big deal; all the Pharisees did that. And when he
says, “I am not a crook,” he really isn’t a crook. When he says, “I am not like
this filthy tax collector,” he’s really not like that guy. When he says, “I do
not commit adultery,” he really doesn’t commit adultery. He is faithful to his
wife. When he says, “I am honest, I am faithful, I am zealous for my religion,”
he means it and every word of it is true. He truly is a genuinely good man. When
I read his prayer, I am reminded of that country song that says, “Oh, Lord, it’s
hard to be humble, when you’re perfect in every way.”<BR><BR>What we are to
understand is this. When he prayed he was telling the truth. When he said,
“Lord, you’re lucky to have a guy like me, because I’m one of the best guys I
know,” it was really true. He really was a wonderful guy.<BR><BR>While he
prayed, people would be standing around watching. And they would say, “He’s a
fine man.” While he prayed, they probably applauded. He was the kind of guy
you’d want living next door to you. A good citizen. A law-abiding man. A good,
religious kind of person. If he were to come to this church today we’d love him
because he would be faithful, loyal, and give us a lot of money. We’d probably
make him an elder or a deacon. He’s just that kind of guy. He looks really good
on the outside. Everything he says about himself is absolutely true.<BR><BR>Ray
Pritchard, How to Be Right with
God<BR>___________________________________<BR><BR> </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Heavenly Humility</DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">One time I was in a department store attempting
to purchase a new suit. When I tried on a suit I stood in front of a 3-way
mirror. The mirror enabled me to see myself from three different perspectives.
As I looked at my image in the mirror I said to myself, “Is that really me?” It
was very uncomfortable since I normally see myself in a singular mirror. As I
continued to check out the suit I realized that in reality people actually see
me in reverse. For example, my hair is parted the other way. What I perceive as
my good side is really my bad side.<BR><BR>When the Pharisee prayed to God he
saw his good side. He was filled with righteousness, proud of his perfect
record, especially his fasting and tithing record. On the other hand, the tax
collector saw his bad side. He realized his unworthiness and said, “God me
merciful to me a sinner.”<BR><BR>How do see yourself? Are you like the Pharisee
who only saw how good he was, or are you like the tax collector who only saw
himself in need of God’s forgiveness?<BR><BR> </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Keith Wagner, Heavenly
Humility<BR><BR> </DIV>
<DIV
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">____________________________________<BR><BR> </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">The Cunning Craftsman</DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">In her play, "The Zeal of Thy House," Dorothy
Sayers imagines a stonemason working on an intricate carving for the chancel of
Canterbury Cathedral, who clumsily lets his tool slip and spoils the whole great
piece of stone assigned to him. It is a sad moment as the valuable and
custom-cut stone stands misshapen. The architect, however, takes the tool out of
the artisan's hand and although he remonstrates with him for his clumsiness,
begins to enact forgiveness. He redesigns out of the spoiled carving a new and
different figure which has its own part to play in the ensemble of the
Cathedral, and then permits the blundering mason to complete it in all its
glory. "So works with us," concludes Dorothy Sayers, "the cunning craftsman,
God."<BR><BR>On reading it, I could not shake the phrase from my mind…</DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">The conclusion to this illustration and for
many additional illustrations and sermons for the Proper 25 can be accessed at
<A href="http://www.sermons.com/">www.Sermons.com</A>.</DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </DIV></BODY></HTML>