5 Sermon Illustrations on Transformation

At 14 years of age, the "bad boy" of a little Massachusetts town, was so powerful in his influence for evil that no one was found able to teach the district school which he attended; it seemed "pretty poor soil." Everyone said the student in question was "bad clear through," "hopeless," and "bound to go to ruin." One day a new teacher came who said he was not afraid to try. The school friends were quick to tell him all the stories of "the Marcy boy." All advised that he be forbidden to enter the school. However, he was allowed to enter. The teacher analyzed the "hopeless soil," and began at once to enrich it with kindness, justice, goodwill and confidence, and at the right time, dropped in seeds of ambition, hope and self-respect. The seed took root, developed, grew and began to bear fruit. The promising young student dropped his bad habits, studied day and night, went to college, and graduated with honors. He studied law, answered the call for men in 1812, became associate justice of the Supreme Court, United States senator, governor of New York, and finally Secretary of State. His name was William L. Marcy. He served faithfully in every situation. All of this happened because a good teacher saw in a child the image of God! A Lesson From a Terrapin One brother said that during his childhood in the country, he once found a terrapin. When he started to examine it, the terrapin pulled in its head and closed its shell like a vice. This displeased the boy, and he picked up something and tried to pry it open. His uncle saw all this and said: "No, that is not the way! You may kill it, but you will not get it open." The uncle took the terrapin into the house and set it on the hearth. It was not but a few minutes until it began to get warm. Then the terrapin pushed out its head, then its feet, and began crawling. "Terrapins are like that," the uncle said, "and people, too. You cannot force them into anything. But if you first warm them up with some real kindness, more than likely they will do what you want them to do."

I have been laboring among a people who once delighted in war; but, since Christianity has prevailed there, war has ceased altogether; and they are astonished how they ever engaged in all those deeds of savage cruelty, which, according to their usual practice, threatened the extermination of their race: but now the Prince of Peace reigns there. I have seen the musket-barrel taken from the stock, and carried to the anvil, and beaten into a spade or a hoe, though not into a ploughshare; for the plough does not yet turn up their fruitful soil: and the warrior who has used it in battle now employs it in cultivating the land. They have even gone further in illustration of this beautiful description of the prophet; for they have devoted the implements of war to the service of the sanctuary. The last sabbath I was there, I went into one of their chapels, and ministered to a large congregation of about fifteen hundred persons. A rude sort of pulpit was erected, and stairs led up to it; the railings of which, smooth and polished, were literally composed of the handles of warriors' spears, who had thus transferred their weapons, with themselves, to a nobler and better purpose, — the service of the sanctuary of God. Rev. Mr. Ellis.

A clergyman having made several attempts to reform a profligate, was at length repulsed with, "It is all in vain, doctor; you cannot get me to change my religion." "I do not want that," replied the good man; "I wish religion to change you."