True, sourced stories for sermons and lessons. Search by keyword, theme, or Bible book.
13 illustrations found
Ben Hogan Threw Himself Across His Wife
On a foggy morning, February 2, 1949, golf champion Ben Hogan and his wife Valerie were driving home to Fort Worth on a two-lane Texas highway when a Greyhound bus trying to pass a truck came straight at them in their lane.
Dan Jansen’s Victory Lap
At the 1988 Winter Olympics, speedskater Dan Jansen learned just five hours before his 500-meter race that his sister Jane had died of leukemia.
Derek Redmond and the Father Who Came Down from the Stands
At the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, British runner Derek Redmond was finally healthy and running well in the 400-meter semifinal. About 150 meters in, his right hamstring tore and he crumpled to the track.
Diego the Tortoise Went Home
On Española Island in the Galapagos, the giant tortoise population had dropped to just 15 animals. A breeding program begun in the 1960s brought together two other males and 12 females with a tortoise named Diego, who had spent decades at a zoo.
Emily Roebling Finished the Bridge
As the Brooklyn Bridge project got underway in 1869, designer John Roebling died, and his son Washington became chief engineer. Then Washington was struck down by caisson disease, what we now call the bends.
Emperor Penguins Take Turns in the Cold
Emperor penguins live through the Antarctic winter on the open ice, where wind chills can drop to 76 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. They survive by working together.
Forty Days Lost in the Amazon
On May 1, 2023, a small plane went down in the Colombian Amazon. The mother and two pilots died, but four children, ages 13, 9, 4, and 1, survived the crash and wandered into the jungle looking for help.
Gertrude Ederle Swam the Channel Anyway
In 1925 Gertrude Ederle tried to swim the English Channel. After eight hours and 46 minutes her coach made her stop because he feared she was swallowing too much saltwater.
Harriet Tubman Never Lost a Passenger
In 1849 Harriet Tubman learned that she was about to be sold, so she escaped slavery in Maryland and made it to freedom. Most people would have stayed safe up north.
Horatio Spafford: It Is Well
In November 1873, Anna Spafford and the couple's four daughters sailed for Europe on the S.S. Ville du Havre while her husband Horatio stayed behind in Chicago on business.
If She Says They’re Good
As a girl in West Virginia, Katherine Johnson counted everything: the steps to the road, the steps up to church, the dishes she washed. Her father was so determined she would reach her potential that he moved the family 120 miles so she could keep going to school.
Team Hoyt: A Father Who Pushed
Dick Hoyt's son Rick was born with cerebral palsy and couldn't walk or talk. Starting in 1980, Dick began pushing Rick in a custom racing chair in the Boston Marathon.
Wilma Rudolph: My Mother Told Me I Would
Wilma Rudolph was born premature, the 20th of 22 children, and as a little girl she battled pneumonia, scarlet fever, and polio, which left her with a weak leg and a brace.