Preaching Daily - January 17

Today's Word for Pastors...

Romans 8:38-39
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Today's Preaching Insight...

To Those Who Have Loved and Lost

I believe the depth of our grief arises from the depth of our love. When we lose someone we greatly love, how can we not deeply grieve and how can that grief quickly pass? Deep grief never passes quickly and never passes completely. My loss occurred almost 20 years ago; your loss occurred this past year. Yet, our common grief persists. How should we, how can we, respond to our losses?

Here are three responses to loss that deal with the past, present, and the future of our lives. Some people respond to their loss with regret as they focus on the past. Their grief is defined by their guilt about what was but should not have been or their guilt about what should have been but was not. The words they often think and say with respect to their deceased loved one are "if only." If only I had not let him take the car that night! If only I had told her I loved her more often! If only I had done more for him! If only…

(To read more of this article, click here to visit the official website.)

Today's Extra...

Illustration: Conscience

You never know where you will find a conscience. In York, Pa., an armed robber gave back what he would have stolen from a homeless man. According to news reports, a man by the name of Sanderson was stopped by an armed thief. At the point of a gun, Sanderson gave the thief his wallet, cell phone, MP3 player and a pack of cigarettes. The thief wanted to know if that was all he had, to which Sanderson replied that he was a resident of the homeless shelter. Something must have touched the thief. He reportedly said, "I can respect that." He then gave the man back all he had stolen.

Preaching magazine is the premier resource for those who proclaim the Word. To begin your own subscription and get a free year of issues, go to http://magazine.preaching.com/subscribe/.