True, sourced stories for sermons and lessons. Search by keyword, theme, or Bible book.
13 illustrations found
Amy Carmichael Had to Do Something
In 1901, a seven-year-old Indian girl named Preena escaped from a Hindu temple and ran to Amy Carmichael, a young missionary from Ireland. Preena's widowed mother had dedicated her to be "married to the gods," which meant a life of abuse.
Dr. Tom Stayed in the Nuba Mountains
Dr. Tom Catena is a Catholic missionary from Amsterdam, New York. In Sudan's war-torn Nuba Mountains, where bombing has been part of life and aid has been restricted, he became the only doctor permanently based there.
Humpback Whales Got a Second Chance
Humpback whales live in every ocean and make one of the longest migrations of any mammal. Some swim 5,000 miles between warm breeding waters and cold feeding grounds.
Joseph Meister Came to Pasteur’s Lab
On the morning of July 6, 1885, a nine-year-old boy named Joseph Meister was brought to Louis Pasteur's laboratory in Paris. A rabid dog had bitten him fourteen times.
Julio Diaz Buys His Mugger Dinner
Julio Diaz was a 31-year-old social worker in the Bronx who always got off the subway one stop early so he could eat at his favorite diner. One night in early 2008, a teenager pulled a knife on him on the platform and took his wallet.
Kevin Briggs Listened for 92 Minutes
On March 11, 2005, Kevin Berthia went to the Golden Gate Bridge. Overwhelmed by depression and medical bills for his premature daughter, he climbed over the rail.
Lipscomb Stayed Through the Cholera
In the summer of 1873, cholera swept through Nashville. Close to 1,000 people died, roughly one in every 25 residents.
Mary Slessor Went Forward
Mary Slessor grew up in Scotland and sailed for Calabar in West Africa in 1876. In that region twins were often feared and killed, and Slessor became a champion baby-saver.
Pandita Ramabai Translated for Forgotten Women
Ramabai was born in India in 1858. Girls had no schools, but her parents taught her Sanskrit.
Sugihara Kept Writing Visas
In the summer of 1940, Chiune Sugihara was a Japanese diplomat in Kovno, Lithuania, when Jewish refugees from Poland began crowding outside his consulate.
The Carpathia Raced Toward the Ice
At 12:35 am on April 15, 1912, the wireless operator and first officer of the Carpathia woke Captain Arthur Rostron with news that the Titanic had struck ice and was sinking.
The Hole in Clara Barton’s Sleeve
At the Battle of Antietam in 1862, Clara Barton arrived near the Cornfield to find surgeons dressing wounds with corn husks because army supplies were far behind.
The Man in the Water Kept Passing the Line
On January 13, 1982, an Air Florida jet struck a Washington bridge and plunged into the ice-covered Potomac River. A rescue helicopter dropped a line to the few survivors clinging to the wreckage in the freezing water.