Our Student Minister, Tyler Campbell, spoke this past Sunday in our evening service. His message was on the first chapter of 2 Peter. In it, he referenced a wonderful story about a man named Henry Moorhouse and a little girl who had broken her pitcher of milk.
His source for the story was Robert Jeffress’ book, Grace Gone Wild (Colorado springs: Waterbrook Press, 2005, p. 9). I thought I would post that story here today. I hope you enjoy it. Dr. Jeffress (who serves as Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas) writes…
One of my favorite illustrations of grace is from the story of a social worker names Henry Moorehouse who lived in the very worst of slum districts in London, England, in the 1800s.
One evening as he was walking home, Moorehouse saw a little girl carrying a pitcher of milk. Suddenly she fell, and the pitcher slipped out of her hands and shattered. As the milk flowed into the gutter, the little girl began to sob uncontrollably.
“Honey, don’t cry,” said Moorehouse as he helped her get up. But the tears would not stop. “I’ll get a whipping from my mommy,” the girl said between sobs. “No, you won’t. I’ll help you put the pitcher back together again,” Moorehouse assured her.
Suddenly the tears stopped, because the girl had seen other broken pitchers repaired. But every time it looked as if Moorehouse would succeed, the pitcher would fall apart again. After several unsuccessful attempts, the girl began crying again.
In the end, Moorehouse lifted the girl in his arms and carried her to a crockery store, where he bought her a brand-new pitcher. Then he carried her to the store where she had purchased the milk and paid to have the pitcher filled once more. Finally, he carried her home.
Then Moorehouse asked the little girl if she thought her mother would still whip her.
“No sir,” she smiled. “This pitcher is much nicer than the one we had before.”
Dr. Jeffress goes on to point out God has done something even greater than this for us. Although we were originally created in His likeness, sin shattered His image within us. We can try to mend that image through good works and religious ritual but we are broken seemingly beyond repair. But God has done what we cannot do. He has fixed our brokenness. In Christ Jesus, we have been made whole. We have become a new creation!
Praise God for His Son Jesus Christ! Without Him, we would have no hope whatsoever. But with Him, we have new life, eternal and abundant! Amen!
His source for the story was Robert Jeffress’ book, Grace Gone Wild (Colorado springs: Waterbrook Press, 2005, p. 9). I thought I would post that story here today. I hope you enjoy it. Dr. Jeffress (who serves as Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas) writes…
One of my favorite illustrations of grace is from the story of a social worker names Henry Moorehouse who lived in the very worst of slum districts in London, England, in the 1800s.
One evening as he was walking home, Moorehouse saw a little girl carrying a pitcher of milk. Suddenly she fell, and the pitcher slipped out of her hands and shattered. As the milk flowed into the gutter, the little girl began to sob uncontrollably.
“Honey, don’t cry,” said Moorehouse as he helped her get up. But the tears would not stop. “I’ll get a whipping from my mommy,” the girl said between sobs. “No, you won’t. I’ll help you put the pitcher back together again,” Moorehouse assured her.
Suddenly the tears stopped, because the girl had seen other broken pitchers repaired. But every time it looked as if Moorehouse would succeed, the pitcher would fall apart again. After several unsuccessful attempts, the girl began crying again.
In the end, Moorehouse lifted the girl in his arms and carried her to a crockery store, where he bought her a brand-new pitcher. Then he carried her to the store where she had purchased the milk and paid to have the pitcher filled once more. Finally, he carried her home.
Then Moorehouse asked the little girl if she thought her mother would still whip her.
“No sir,” she smiled. “This pitcher is much nicer than the one we had before.”
Dr. Jeffress goes on to point out God has done something even greater than this for us. Although we were originally created in His likeness, sin shattered His image within us. We can try to mend that image through good works and religious ritual but we are broken seemingly beyond repair. But God has done what we cannot do. He has fixed our brokenness. In Christ Jesus, we have been made whole. We have become a new creation!
Praise God for His Son Jesus Christ! Without Him, we would have no hope whatsoever. But with Him, we have new life, eternal and abundant! Amen!