Your Favorite Illustrations!

[Friends just call me Ross]

Thanks for sharing that.  

Our C.O. used a tool BOX, instead of a tool belt, and his illustration included different tools.  

Also, there was no pulpit.

 

But the main point comes across ALL THE SAME.  

It's when we all pull together, as "God's fellow workers", that we truly shine!

 

I've heard a similar talk, only using the instruments of an orchestra instead of carpentry tools.

Without direction, it would just be a cacophony.

An orchestra needs a conductor in order to sound its best.

(Jesus=head of the congregation/orchestra conductor)

 

Working together, under Jesus' direction, we can make BEAUTIFUL music...and get the Good News preached.   

[Tortuga]

Thanks for sharing that.  

Our C.O. used a tool BOX, instead of a tool belt, and his illustration included different tools.  

Also, there was no pulpit.

 

  

 

That must be the JW version I heard yesterday. 

[Luezette]

Talking to a man one day. He brought out that though there are different religions, we're all serving the true God. Right. Here goes the illustration:

Me: Well sir, true there are different religions and yes, they all claim they're serving the true God. But can I ask you something? (He nodded yes). If you were God, and here I'm a Jehovah's witness, others are Baptist, Catholic, Hindu, Moslem, etc, and you're the God that we all claim to serve, shouldn't you have the last say in how you want to be served? (no answer just a wide eyed look). Well God does have a say in how he wants to be served right in the Bible at John 4:24, in "spirit and truth." That's it." (he gave a sheepish dog between the tail look, grinned and walked away).

Oh well, at least he heard.

Edited August 3, 2015 by Luezette

[Luezette]

Another one.

With a sister one day, just walking, we approached a man and he went off on us! The sister wanted to leave but I was so amazed at what he was running his mouth about, it simply amazed me. He was carrying on about the blood issue, and other things...just gabbling away. We waited till he kinda guieted down just a bit and seemed a little unnerved we were still there. Oh, and he's walking around in almost a circle while his mouth is going on and on. Each time I tried to say something he went on again, on and on. About this thing with us and about that thing with us, all conduct related. Wait. Before your get the impression that he was yelling, noo he wasn't just sorta "energized" like that rabbit. Finally he took a breath. Whew! Then we moved in...

Sir, I asked him, why are you getting all up in the air about those things like the blood thing, the holidays, voting and such"? Why not first learn about the person who tells us not to do those things? Those other things can wait. Get to know him first."

He looked at us with that "whatttt" look on his face, kinda almost like incredulous, looked away something as if a mild wind managed to blow at him, and walked away...very calmly. From the side view i saw him turn around and look at us again. But we never saw him again.

And just like the other one...at least he heard.

[bohemian]

Talking to a man one day. He brought out that though there are different religions, we're all serving the true God. Right. Here goes the illustration:

Me: Well sir, true there are different religions and yes, they all claim they're serving the true God. But can I ask you something? (He nodded yes). If you were God, and here I'm a Jehovah's witness, others are Baptist, Catholic, Hindu, Moslem, etc, and you're the God that we all claim to serve, shouldn't you have the last say in how you want to be served? (no answer just a wide eyed look). Well God does have a say in how he wants to be served right in the Bible at John 4:24, in "spirit and truth." That's it." (he gave a sheepish dog between the tail look, grinned and walked away).

Oh well, at least he heard.

I like that answer, sister.

The brother at our convention used a little illustration to use in such a situation,or in the situation where someone says that you can live however you want and be acceptable to God.

He used the illustration of a sat-nav device. Suppose you were driving to a specific destination and your sat-nav said to turn left at the next intersection, but then said "or you can turn right if you would rather do that", and then "or go straight ahead if you feel like it". Would you trust that sat-nav to get you to your destination? We obviously need reliable guidance.

[Tortuga]

I like that answer, sister.

The brother at our convention used a little illustration to use in such a situation,or in the situation where someone says that you can live however you want and be acceptable to God.

He used the illustration of a sat-nav device. Suppose you were driving to a specific destination and your sat-nav said to turn left at the next intersection, but then said "or you can turn right if you would rather do that", and then "or go straight ahead if you feel like it". Would you trust that sat-nav to get you to your destination? We obviously need reliable guidance.

 

GPS = God's Perfect Spirit...

[Cpjwftm]

In speaking about husbands. One brother said: "most of us are like watermelons. Hard and tough on the outside. But inside were just soft and squishy."

[Tortuga]

Sir, I asked him, why are you getting all up in the air about those things like the blood thing, the holidays, voting and such"? Why not first learn about the person who tells us not to do those things? Those other things can wait. Get to know him first."

 

The very first suggested presentation for the Good News brochure in the March 2013 KM talks about talking to someone that is skeptical about God and it suggest to have several conversations about getting to know God first. I like your experience and I'm going to include it in my meeting for field service tomorrow if that is Ok with you...

Edited August 5, 2015 by Tortuga

[Luezette]

Oh it's fine by me Richard. Thank you, but actually the KM part totally went by me. I just couldn't understand why he was concentrating on all of that first.

It's something like, to me anyway, why a few friends say to the people that they have to have faith in God, trust him. Though that is VERY true, yet how can they when they don't know him? Not really know him that is. It is impossible to trust someone you don't know.

Edited August 5, 2015 by Luezette

[Luezette]

Christopher, it's amazing isn't it, that everyone in different religions are saying they worship the same true God yet no one is considering Jehovah's view in how HE wants to be worshipped. Makes no sense.

Edited August 5, 2015 by Luezette

[bohemian]

At the Regional Convention the brother likened it to a recipe:

Use any ingredients you want, in any quantities you like.

Cook it at whatever temperature you want for as long as you like.

Do you think you will get the desired result?

Or is it better to follow the recipe that the original cook supplied?

[feather]

brother Stephen Lett gives a wonderful illustration in his delivery of the talk:

'Be Molded by the Great Potter'

 

    "Eph 6:17 likens God's word to a sword...

  the Hebrew scriptures are like the handle of the sword.

  One could liken the Christian Greek scriptures to the blade of the sword.

  We need both. 

  We need the handle. We need the blade.

 

   Can you imagine a soldier going into battle with just the handle?

   Waving a handle around on the battlefield? (he waves an imaginary handle)

   He wouldn't last 5 minutes in battle.

 

   On the other hand, if he tried going out with just the blade,

   he couldn't effectively use that blade without the handle.

   We need the handle, we need the blade- the Whole sword.

   Jehovah knows we need the entire bible in order to wield skillfully

   to cut away at the veil that blinds honest hearted ones."

 

     

[Tortuga]

Our speaker used an interesting illustration today.

 

He was talking about how children can be like a new bar of soap and as long as it is dry it is easy to hang on to. Teenagers are like a wet bar of soap, if you squeeze too hard, they pop out of your grip, if you don't squeeze hard enough, they slip out of your grip. You have to apply just the right amount of pressure to hang on to them.

[jhocabs]

WHY GO TO THE KINGDOM HALL?

A Christian complained to a brother who does not make sense to go to the Kingdom Hall every week. He said: "I have gone to 30 years ... and in that time I heard about 3 million public speeches. But, I can not remember a single one of them. So I think I'm wasting my time and the brothers spending them for giving speeches. "

Wisely the Elder replied: "I've been married about 30 years. And all this time, my wife cooked about 32 million meals. But in all this time I can not recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I know one thing: They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my job. If my wife had not given me these meals I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to the Kingdom Hall to nourish me, I would be spiritually dead today! "

[Dages]

About the famous fake money example for someone who doesn't think it's really important to change religion because his own religion is good enough, helping the poor, etc. (Just know the real money and you'll be able to identify the fake one, Bible Teach book, ok?)

 

you can add :

"Suppose now you have 2 kind of fake money, 1 that really look like real money and 1 that is just for toys. Which one is the most dangerous?"

or, another one :

"If one use, or merely possess, fake money... what will the government think about them?"

These are good questions to ponder over.

 

 

[Tortuga]

4 hours ago, Dages said:

About the famous fake money example for someone who doesn't think it's really important to change religion because his own religion is good enough, helping the poor, etc. (Just know the real money and you'll be able to identify the fake one, Bible Teach book, ok?)

So false religion is just Monopoly money, I like that..

[jhocabs]

Will the world END just like how some speculate it to happen?

Well, in a grocery store, it is not the manager's or the staff's job to say WHEN an item or product expires - it is the MANUFACTURER'S job.

Likewise, it is not our job to speculate on how and when our world will end. It is the earth's CREATOR who fully discerns in this regard.

And He clearly says:

"A generation is going, and a generation is coming,

But the EARTH REMAINS FOREVER."  

[Tortuga]

On 6/20/2015 at 0:03 PM, Tortuga said:

Nice thread..

 

I used this in a talk one time.

 

Hydrogen is very flammable, oxygen is very flammable (actually it is an accelerator for other flammable material) and causes fires, yet Jehovah combined them into H2O which is used to put out fires!

 

Marriage can be made up of two individuals that may flare up or cause fires, but if Jehovah puts them together and stays in the marriage, the flames can be easily extinguished. 

[Nnaemeka]

One illustration a special pioneer used during the just concluded circuit assembly is this: 

Before a man starts on a long journey he fills up the tank of his car. On the way, while he has not reached his journey whenever the tank is in the red, he stops by a station and fills it up. If he ignores the red signs that his tank is empty, he won't get to his journey. He'll be stuck on the way. So he has to keep on filling his tank until he gets there. 

As christians we're on a journey and our destination is the new world. The fuel station is the meetings and the fuel is spiritual food. We need to keep going to the meetings to be nourished with spiritual food for strength and ability to get to our destination otherwise if we ignore the feeding program we might not het there.

[Simmons83]

Any ideas on illustrations for children being obedient?

[Tortuga]

2 hours ago, Cchamb09 said:

Any ideas on illustrations for children being obedient?

Just in general or something specific?

[Friends just call me Ross]

4 hours ago, Cchamb09 said:

Any ideas on illustrations for children being obedient?

The very first Caleb and Sophia video lesson:  Why should you obey Daddy and Mommy?

It literally is an illustration...a rather long illustration.

But really hits home...also highly entertaining.

 

This illustration is shorter, but I don't know if it applies.  (I just like it.)

Quote

Two Dogs Fighting

An old American Indian tale recounts the story of a chief who was telling a gathering of young braves about the struggle to be obedient. “It is like two dogs fighting inside of us,” the chief told them.

“There is one good dog who wants to obey and do what is right, and there is the other dog that does not.

Sometimes the good dog seems stronger and is winning the fight.

But sometimes the bad dog is stronger and disobedience is winning the fight. "

 

“Who will win in the end?” a young brave asked.

 

“The one you feed."

 

[Danni]

On 1/4/2013 at 9:05 AM, Qapla said:

There was a ruler who was looking for a new carriage driver. He had his people search the land and they brought the three most qualified drivers before him. He had them brought to a high cliff with a sharp drop-off. He then proceed to ask them how close to the edge they could get with a carriage drawn by two of the best horses in the kingdom.

The first one said, "I can come within 10' of the edge while driving the carriage at high speed."

The second one boasted, "I can come within 5' of the edge with the horses at a full gallop and the carriage fully loaded!"

The third one exclaimed, "Are you kidding? I am not going anywhere near the edge of that cliff - especially with horses, a carriage and you in the carriage!!"

Guess who got the job ...

The idea being, we do not want to see how "close" we can come to the world - we want to avoid it as far as we can.

very nice! 

[Danni]

This one I heard at a wedding ceremony recently. A bit long but worth reading.

A man and a woman had been married for more than 60 years. They had shared everything. They had kept no secrets from each other except that the little old woman had a shoe box in the top of her closet that she had cautioned her husband never to open or ask her about.

For all of these years, he had never thought about the box, but one day the little old woman got very sick and the doctor said she would not recover. In trying to sort out their affairs, the little old man took down the shoe box and took it to his wife's bedside.She agreed that it was time that he should know what was in the box. When he opened it, he found two crocheted dolls and a stack of money totaling $95,000. He asked her about the contents.

"When we were to be married," she said, "my grandmother told me the secret of a happy marriage was to never argue. She told me that if I ever got angry with you, I should just keep quiet and crochet a doll."

The little old man was so moved; he had to fight back tears. Only two precious dolls were in the box. She had only been angry with him two times in all those years of living and loving. He almost burst with happiness."Honey," he said "that explains the doll, but what about all of this money? Where did it come from?"

"Oh, that?" she said.  "That's the money I made from selling the dolls."

[Qapla]

Danni .... I have heard this illustration before but it was not as "nicely" put. Thanks for sharing such a "clean" version of this illustration.