Sermon Illustrations
Dog Survives Standoff with Shark
Travelers on a boat tour in the Bahamas were relieved after witnessing an incident on the waters. Witnesses say they saw a twelve-foot-long hammerhead shark swimming in the waters, a rare treat for tourists. But their delight turned to horror when they witnessed a dog jump into the water from a nearby dock to confront the shark.
In a video posted to social media, onlookers can be heard shouting anguished warnings for the dog to get away while the dog and the shark are circling each other. But inexplicably, the shark turns around and swims away. One man exclaimed, “I don’t think the shark is going to mess with him!”
The tour reservations manager Rebecca Lightbourn says she often sees the dog running along the shore to greet the boat, but had never seen it dive in like that. She said, “I guess this time the dog decided he wanted to protect his house or play with a really big fish in the water, so he went after it.”
When the shark swam away from the pier, the medium-sized dog scrambled back onto the rocks and loped away like it was no big deal.
Possible Preaching Angles:
1) Devil; Satan; Spiritual Warfare - When God is with us, we can be bold and confident against our vicious enemy Satan (Jam. 4:7). 2) Boldness; Prudence - God honors good judgment and wisdom as well as bravery. So, we do not completely ignore danger.