Your Favorite Illustrations!

[Stormswift]

LOL LOL  Too many cooks or indians in the kitchen. I'm getting my indians mixed up with my chefs. Thanks for that!

[Tcvancoops]

This one made me laugh:

A brother said, “I hate to be a squirrel.  You’re in the middle of the road, and you clearly see something big coming at you.  But you can’t decide if you want to run to the left or to right, and that’s gonna get you killed!  You can’t be so indecisive when you can see the warning signs of something bad coming your way, especially during this time of the end.  We have the clear directions from Jehovah, so we must go that way.”

[Sheep]

Good one. Nice to hear from you again, Van!

[➕👇 ꓤꓱꓷꓠꓵ🎵Tone]

Does anyone have a favourite illustration of Courage? Please post it here, or pm me. Ty

Older {waiting for wiser}

[LeslieDean]

 

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Edited October 8, 2018 by LeslieDean
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[LeslieDean]

9 hours ago, TonyWenz said:

Does anyone have a favourite illustration of Courage? Please post it here, or pm me. Ty

Older {waiting for wiser}
 

 

Courage

i always liked to think about Mark Twain’s definition of courage.  It is the resistance to fear, not the absence of fear. 

 

Remember the cowardly lion in Wizard of Oz?  I like to think about his Weasley attitude and his voice over when thinking about this example. 

 

 A certain man tells about the man who bragged that he had cut off the tail of a man-eating lion with his pocket knife. Asked why he hadn’t cut off the lion’s head, the man replied: “Someone had already done that.”  

 

This shows the amount of courage we have is totally different than what  another May possess.  Courage is a quality that can be developed and does not come instinctively.  Although there are acts of heroism that may spring up instinctively courage sees the dangers and chooses to to endure it. 

[➕👇 ꓤꓱꓷꓠꓵ🎵Tone]

Thanks for that. Nice anecdotes. I just am having difficulty in finding a simile. Like I was thinking 2 part (epoxy) glue. Without the catalyst, the glue will never set and go hard...

Something like that, but better.

People who have never used 2 pack glue or paints will not understand...

I also thought about the Lion. But I feel stange quoting Wizard of Oz to make a biblical point.... Lol

 

Older {waiting for wiser}

 

 

 

 

[Tortuga]

3 hours ago, TonyWenz said:

But I feel strange quoting Wizard of Oz to make a biblical point.... Lol

However, I imagine we could compare Adam and the Scarecrow...

"If I only had a brain..."

[Tortuga]

I thought of the basis for an illustration but I haven't fully developed it yet.

 

Several years ago there was a movie about a woman with amnesia, in her mind she was still in the same day. Each time she lived that day it started out as a new day.

 

There is also another movie about a man that is actually stuck in the same day, he wakes up each morning to the same music and everything repeats itself each day.

 

It seems that these two people are similar since they are both repeating a single day, however there is a huge difference.

 

The woman start each day as a new day, she doesn't remember any of the problems that she had the day before. The man knows what will happen each day, he relives the pain and disappointment. He carries the same problems with him every day and doesn't let go of them.

 

If you had to chose, would you rather let go of the things that hurt you and wake up each day with amnesia to others faults and imperfections or would you rather relive each day and remember each and every offense over and over again?

[Qapla]

Hmmmm ... I wonder what it would be like to have 50 first dates on Groundhog Day

[dove]

On 12/8/2018 at 10:13 AM, Tortuga said:

I thought of the basis for an illustration but I haven't fully developed it yet.

 

Several years ago there was a movie about a woman with amnesia, in her mind she was still in the same day. Each time she lived that day it started out as a new day.

 

There is also another movie about a man that is actually stuck in the same day, he wakes up each morning to the same music and everything repeats itself each day.

 

It seems that these two people are similar since they are both repeating a single day, however there is a huge difference.

 

The woman start each day as a new day, she doesn't remember any of the problems that she had the day before. The man knows what will happen each day, he relives the pain and disappointment. He carries the same problems with him every day and doesn't let go of them.

 

If you had to chose, would you rather let go of the things that hurt you and wake up each day with amnesia to others faults and imperfections or would you rather relive each day and remember each and every offense over and over again?

I think I would choose the second one where the man could remember the days before because he was able to use the experiences he previously had to better his life as time went on..it had a happy ending because of that...

 

The case with the woman starting over each day would not be accumulating any knowledge to build on because she had no memory. She would to my mind just be existing...

[Tortuga]

On 12/8/2018 at 9:18 AM, Qapla said:

Hmmmm ... I wonder what it would be like to have 50 first dates on Groundhog Day

It would feel like forever....🧡

[Gran60]

Anyone have a simple but effective illustration regarding why there was a need for the ransom?  

[Sheep]

4 hours ago, gailrose said:

Anyone have a simple but effective illustration regarding why there was a need for the ransom?  

There are a few illustrations under the heading "Ransom" at this site. Take your pick.

[kejedo]

Was on a Bible Study early last week. The student had a history of drug use and addiction, but has been clean for some years. She also had a stroke when she was using. So she is struggling with the concept of the ransom. I asked her, "Do you know what "payback" is? "Payback is..."  Well this is NY and everybody has heard about "payback."  Adam sold us down the river. What would it take to undo it? "Payback," she answers.                                 So what/who was the only possible payback to reimburse for the sin(s) of the perfect man Adam. "Jesus," she answers.   Well, not exactly an illustration, but a local approach that seems to have made some sense.   

[Gran60]

17 hours ago, Sheep said:

There are a few illustrations under the heading "Ransom" at this site. Take your pick.

Thanks so much, Brother!

[New World Explorer]

The brother was saying how the devil think everyone has a price.
Then he asked the congregation, "What is your price?"
Of course no one raised their hand.
"Oh so you don't have a price?", he asked.
Then he added, "Let me put you to the test."
If the devil said, "I will give you a million dollars right now to leave the truth and promised you you could enjoy it all the way up to Armageddon who would talk it?"
Again no one raised their hand.
"OK no takers", the brother said. "Let me up the ante"
What if the devil promised he would give you two million dollars to leave the truth, quit serving Jehovah who would take it?
No hands were raised.
OK you are saying you can't be bought. Here is my last offer.
Bill Gates at the time was the richest man in the world. He was worth a reported sixty billion dollars.
The devil said I will give you 60 billion dollars right now if you would quit serving Jehovah and you wouldn't have to live off the principle. You could live off the interest with would amount to 3 or 4 billion dollars a year and you will not die up to Armageddon so you could enjoy it. Who would take it.
Still no hands went up.
Then the brother said, "You can't be bought." Then added, "Sorry to say some of you are being bought for a little overtime or your boss tells you 'I will give you a title and put three or four people under your'.
Just a reminder how subtle Satan is. If he asked you outright to leave Jehovah you will say ""no", but he might put you in a circumstance where you might be selling out Jehovah and not know it.

[CynthiaG]

On 4/23/2019 at 12:40 PM, gailrose said:

Anyone have a simple but effective illustration regarding why there was a need for the ransom?  

The video why did Jesus die has an awesome illustration. 

The manager of a large factory steals money from the company.  The company plunges into debt and is forced to shut down. Many workers are now without a job and can't pay their bills and support their families. Then comes a kind businessman who feels awful for the people so he is moved to pay off the debt and reopen the company. He canceled the debt and brought relief to all those suffering families. Jesus is our relief 😆

[CynthiaG]

Mozel Mack uses an awesome illustration in a talk. I can't think of the name of the talk though. Turns out it's actually a powerful illustration written to help with the power of perception. It is actually a really long illustration but I will sum it up the way Mack did. 

 

There is a man on a subway with his 3 young children. The children began acting up. They are just completely unruly while the father has his eyes closed seemingly unfazed by his children while the other passengers are shocked and upset by their behavior. A woman finally speaks up to the father and says how awful the ride has been because his children terrorized the passengers the entire ride. The man replies "I guess your right.  Their mother just died and it's apparent we don't know how to handle it exactly. "

 

Obviously the woman felt terrible. She had the right to be upset but she also didn't have all the facts and her attitude changed once she became aware. 

 

So sometimes we have a preconceived idea about the brothers and sisters based on something they said or how they act. Maybe they have a harsh personality or they are so quite and awkward. We may feel a certain way about them but really do we have all the facts? Have we taken the time to try to get to know and understand them? We cannot make a sound judgment based only by what we see. 

[Allabord4Jah]

My favorite so far was that picture of our brother Dennis, walking along in shackles and someone inserted a majestic angel backing him up.  It's not in our pulication's with Dennis, but someone spoofed it was in one of the forums'.  I really liked that picture.  I really like in our book where Jesus is in heaven and is armed with bow and arrow, on a majestic white steed riding towards Armageddon. 

[Loje]

A brother came up with this illustration about political leaders...

 

Kid's put a quarter in these coin operated kiddie rides.  The toy car moves back and forth and it even has a steering wheel they can turn.  Kid's really believe they are driving the car.

 

Political leaders are like that, they get into office and really believe they are driving (making changes) the car.  In reality, they are not driving at all.

 

Jehovah is.

 

 

[Thomas Walker]

 

[Tortuga]

There is a MWM part in July about stripping off the old personality and it reminded me of a story that I heard a long time ago.

 

A little boy went to summer camp for the first time and after several days he told one of the chaperones that his boots didn't fit. They discovered he was wearing several pairs of socks. He told them his mother had told him to put on a clean pair of socks every day....

 

It seems obvious that his mother shouldn't have to tell him to take off his dirty socks first, but take a look a Col 3:9 again....

 

Think about how many dirty socks you are wearing right now....

[CynthiaG]

1 hour ago, Tortuga said:

 

 

It seems obvious that his mother shouldn't have to tell him to take off his dirty socks first, but take a look a Col 3:9 again....

 

Think about how many dirty socks you are wearing right now....

Love this! Yes, it seems obvious. I often wonder how often Jehovah and Jesus are scratching their heads at all of us in amazement at all the things we are doing or not doing that should be obvious. 

[Tortuga]

Many years ago I used this illustration as a visual aid about buying out the time. After all these years I'm happy to share it, especially since I borrowed it from someone else. 

 

For the Service Meeting part I used various lengths of colored yarn to demonstrate the average number of hours in a month, I used 240 inches of black yarn to indicate sleeping 8 hours a night for 30 nights, then 176 inches of a different color to indicate working/housewife/student, then another color to indicate meals and recreation, etc. then at the very end I had 10 inches of pink yarn to indicate the national average field service time.

 

All the pieces were attached into one long string 720 inches (60 feet) long. I had two young brothers assist me as I slowly pulled each segment out of a bag and they stretched it to one end of the stage and then across the front of the stage to the other side. I discussed each segment as i pulled it out of the bag. 60 feet of yarn stretched back and forth across the stage is pretty impressive and then I showed the last 10 inches that represented the national average field service report at that time.  Then I pulled out a pair of scissors and cut about 4 inches of the end of it and holding up the barely visible 4 inch piece I commented that this is all some dedicate to Jehovah each month.

 

The illustration was quite impressive but in hindsight the application should have been more loving...

Edited June 4, 2019 by Tortuga