Emphasis Preaching Journal
Though badly hurt at times...
Illustration
Though badly hurt at times, we are not destroyed. The cross demonstrates for all, the best
can emerge from the worst. Out of the death and destructiveness of the cross, because of
Jesus, we see it as the sign of hope. In the forest nothing is lost forever. Plant life withers
and drops to the forest floor; animals die. Transformed into humus they are the building
blocks for future generations. Remember the pearl is transformed from an irritant into
something very beautiful.
