Sep. 18, 2021

AFTER THE LAUGHTER

I spoke last weekend in a small country church. I was excited because they are a friendly bunch and very laid back like the little church I grew up in. Before I went into the gospel , I told them another reason was because I did not have to pay as much this time as I did the last time. I went on to explain that I also was grateful because they allowed me to make payments and Lord willing, I should have it paid off by Christmas.

They seemed to get a kick out of my funny . I learned long ago if you get them laughing , they will listen.

I also do this as I had watched one of my heroes , Billy Graham, do this down through the years.

I shared with them that I am not a preacher, I am a writer. Yes I was there to preach and know how to and have shared the gospel since my college days. I however am a lay speaker. I shared with them a preacher is paid to be good but a lay speaker is good for nothing. That funny was well received and they chuckled.

I spoke about the story of the good Samaritan .If you are not familiar with the story or it has been awhile, go look it up.

It is found in the bible in Luke 10:25-37. The story is about how two of the injured man did not stop to help him. Another who did not serve in the church did. He gave up his time and used his money to put him in an inn as he healed. He paid for his stay and told the innkeeper he would pay if more was needed.

I read a story years ago about a class of 30 young preachers. They are were told they would all be required to preach this text and the score on it would largely affect their grade in that class. what they did not know the faculty had put a plant along the way. There was a person in distress in need of help along the way. Only two young soon to be preachers stopped to help! The other 28 who went on their way probably knew the text by heart but did not apply it to their own .Of course, only two passed and the ones that passed by failed .

In any moment of decision, the best thing to do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing ,and the worst thing you can do is nothing at all. Theodore Roosevelt

A retired surgeon said to me on a plane, 'I have practiced medicine for 58 years and I have never known a person to die from laughter' Roy B. Zuck