Second Timothy contains this powerful...
Illustration
Object:
Second Timothy contains this powerful truth: "But the Lord stood by me and gave me
strength" (2 Timothy 4:17).
I remember some stories about strength from God that Norman Vincent Peale told. As a young pastor in New York, he was asked to have the prayer for the Memorial Day service. He was a veteran of WWI and a member of the American Legion. He was told the speaker of the day was Colonel Theodore Roosevelt Jr., Teddy Roosevelt's heroic son. When Peale looked at the program he was struck with terror, he was listed as the speaker, not just to give the invocation. Early in his life Dr. Peale was terrified by crowds, and there were 50,000 there. He visited a little with Roosevelt sharing his dilemma. Roosevelt said, "Even if you don't have a speech, you do have something you can say to the Gold Star Mothers who are here." With that encouragement, Peale gave a challenging message.
He also told this story. On a trip by plane when there was a dangerous storm, Dr. Peale overheard a man sharing his fear. Then his wife gave this hopeful strengthening word. "Think strong," she said, "stop thinking fear and think courage." God's word is a word of strength and encouragement. Yes, with God's guidance and strength, you can think yourself strong.
I remember some stories about strength from God that Norman Vincent Peale told. As a young pastor in New York, he was asked to have the prayer for the Memorial Day service. He was a veteran of WWI and a member of the American Legion. He was told the speaker of the day was Colonel Theodore Roosevelt Jr., Teddy Roosevelt's heroic son. When Peale looked at the program he was struck with terror, he was listed as the speaker, not just to give the invocation. Early in his life Dr. Peale was terrified by crowds, and there were 50,000 there. He visited a little with Roosevelt sharing his dilemma. Roosevelt said, "Even if you don't have a speech, you do have something you can say to the Gold Star Mothers who are here." With that encouragement, Peale gave a challenging message.
He also told this story. On a trip by plane when there was a dangerous storm, Dr. Peale overheard a man sharing his fear. Then his wife gave this hopeful strengthening word. "Think strong," she said, "stop thinking fear and think courage." God's word is a word of strength and encouragement. Yes, with God's guidance and strength, you can think yourself strong.
