January 21

Sermons in shoes

“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (James 1:22).
“Do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not” (Matt. 23:3).

As every one of you is a preacher, and every life is a sermon, let me inquire of you: what sort of a sermon are you preaching? Do you find your texts in the shop or in the stock market, and preach that the chief end of life is to make money? Then you are making more converts to Mammon than to Christ. Do some of you preach that self-indulgence is the “one thing needful”? Then you will draw more to the pleasure party and the playhouse than you will to the prayer-meeting. 


. It boots but little that the Eighth Commandment is taught from this pulpit if any of you are guilty of sharp practices in your business, or refuse to give every man his due. What is done by God’s professing people outside of the sanctuary carries more weight than anything said within the sanctuary—even though Paul himself stood in the pulpit.
Today this world’s sorest need is for more Christlike men and women. The sermons it needs are sermons in shoes.—Theodore Cuyler.

I’d rather see a sermon than hear one any day;
I’d rather one would walk with me than merely show the way;
The eye’s a better pupil, and more willing than the ear;
Fine counsel is confusing, but example’s always clear.

The best of all the preachers are the men who live their creeds,
To put some good in action is what everybody needs.
I soon can learn to do it, if you let me see it done,
I can watch your hands in action, while your tongue too fast may run.

The lectures you deliver may be very wise and true,
But I’d rather get my lessons by observing what you do;
I may not often understand the high advice you give,
But there’s no misunderstanding how you act and how you live.

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