Why do some people see opportunities others miss? In the book Did You Spot the Gorilla? psychologist Richard Wiseman describes an experiment that provides a clue:
Volunteers watched a 30-second video of two teams playing basketball. They were asked to count the number of times one of the teams passed the ball. What they weren’t told was that halfway through the video, a man dressed in a gorilla suit would run onto the court, stand in front of the camera, and beat his chest. Amazingly, only a few of the volunteers spotted the man in the gorilla suit. Most were so intent on counting passes that they completely missed the gorilla.
Wiseman concluded that most people go through life so focused on the task at hand they completely miss “gorilla” opportunities.
He gives the example of a team of 3M researchers who were trying to develop a high-strength adhesive. One of their attempts produced a product that was actually the opposite—a very low-strength adhesive. Most of the team thought the result was a failure, but one saw it as an opportunity. That failure became the glue on 3M Post-It Notes.
If we aren’t careful, we can be so fixated on the mundane, that we miss God-given opportunities of significance.
Source: Richard Wiseman, Did You Spot the Gorilla? (Arrow Books) Submitted by Richard J. Goodwin, Kaikohe, New Zealand Matthew 13:13-14; Ephesians 5:15-16; 1 Thessalonians 5:6 Discernment, Opportunity, Vision
The Count of Monte Cristo
Set-up:The Count of Monte Cristo tells the story of Dantes, who is unjustly accused and sentenced to life in France’s most dreaded prison. After 13 years he escapes, becomes wealthy, and then seeks revenge on those who ruined his life. Through-out the movie Dantes struggles deeply with his belief in God, moving from a simple faith to a loss of faith, and finally to a mature faith.
 The Count ofMonte Cristo Rated PG-13 (Touchstone Pictures, 2002) Scene beginsat 00:52:56 (DVD ch. 13) Length: 1 minute 15 seconds Themes: Atheism, Faith, Faithfulness of God Psalm 53; Romans 8:31 |
During his years in prison, Dantes makes friends with a priest whose godly influence has great impact on Dantes’ spiritual understanding. Together they dig a tunnel to escape, but just before it’s completed, a cave-in injures the priest.
As he lies dying on the stone floor of his cell, the priest gives Dantes a treasure map that he’d hidden all his years in prison, which later makes Dantes wealthy. But it’s the priest’s final words that stick with Dantes forever.
Scene (show or tell): “When they asked me about the treasure of Sparta, I lied,” the priest confesses.
“You lied?” Dantes asks.
“I’m a priest, not a saint.” [Then the priest tells Dantes how to use the map to find the hidden treasure.]
“When you escape,” the priest continues, “use the treasure for good. Only for good.”
“No,” Dantes says angrily. “I will surely use it for my revenge.”
“This is your final lesson. Do not commit the crime—[the priest struggles for a breath]—do not commit the crime for which you now serve the sentence. God said, ‘Vengeance is mine.'”
“But I don’t believe in God,” Dantes says.
“It doesn’t matter,” the priest responds with a smile. “He believes in you.”
Conclusion: Moments later the priest dies and Dantes escapes. Not only do the priest’s words help Dantes discover the treasure, they help Dantes rediscover the God who is faithful even when we are faithless. As Romans 8:31 says, “God is for us.”
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Memorable Lines Tupac: Resurrection
Need for fathers Famed rapper Tupac Shakur is profiled in a raw documentary detailing his short, tragic life. Raised in a New York City ghetto, Shakur personified the violent lifestyle depicted in his music. In 1996, Tupac was gunned down in a drive-by shooting.
What was the reason for the drugs, shootings, and prison time? Shakur said, “I blame my father, ‘cuz he left me.
“My real father was a Black Panther. But when I was growing up, I never knew who my real father was, for sure. My stepfather was a gangster, a straight-up street hustler. My mom got a kid, but he didn’t even care: ‘Oh that’s my son.’ He took care of me, gave me money. But he was a criminal too—out there doing his own thing. And he came and brought me money and left. I know for a fact if I had a father, I’d have some discipline. I’d have more confidence. Your mother can’t calm you down the way a man can. Your mother can’t reassure you the way a man can. Your mother can’t show you where your manhood was. You need a man to teach you how to be a man.”
Source: Paramount, 2003 Elapsed Time: 00:9:53 to 00:10:47 Submitted by Charles Kimball, Allen, Texas Deuteronomy 6:4-7; Proverbs 4:1; Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, Parenting, Violence, Youth
Changing Lanes
Standards to live by After being told to steal from a client, lawyer Gavin Bannock asks his boss how he can live that way. His boss responds:
“I can live with myself because at the end of the day I think I do more good than harm. What other standard have I got to judge by?”
Source: Paramount Pictures, 2002 Elapsed time: 01:22:50 to 01:24:15 (DVD ch.13) Submitted by Bill White, Paramount, California Exodus 20:1-17; Matthew 7:12; John 8:15-16 Golden Rule, Morality, Ten Commandments
Olympian Hits Wrong Target
Matt Emmons had the gold medal in sight. He was one shot away from claiming victory in the 2004 Olympics 50-meter three-position rifle event. He didn’t even need a bull’s-eye to win. His final shot merely needed to be on target.
Normally, the shot he made would have received a score of 8.1, more than enough for a gold medal. But in what was described as “an extremely rare mistake in elite competition,” Emmons fired at the wrong target. Standing in lane two, he fired at the target in lane three. His score for a good shot at the wrong target? Zero. Instead of a medal, Emmons ended up in eighth place.
It doesn’t matter how accurate you are if you are aiming at the wrong goal.
Source: www.Sports.Yahoo.com (8/22/04) Submitted by Alan Price, Chatsworth, Georgia 2 Corinthians 5:9; Philippians 3:8-14 Goals, Mission, Purpose, Sin, Success
Wedding Ceremony
Knowing that couples getting married are usually too nervous to be attentive, I decided to use an object to focus the sermon ideas of one wedding I performed. I talked about the wisdom of Jesus who took simple, everyday objects and connected them to a transcendent spiritual meaning.
Then I held up an ordinary mug I purchased at a grocery store. I used the cup as a symbol of the shared spiritual journey of marriage:
“There is only one cup now, not two. The cup is shared by both of you in the communion of marriage. There is no beginning or ending to the round lip of the cup. The handle is important, and I hope that handle will be your faith in God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Your faith will give you a handle on the difficult issues you will face together.
“The cup is a reminder that you need to take time to drink in one another. Each day, spend 15 minutes talking together, about yourselves and your relationship—maybe over a cup of coffee or tea. There will be days when your cup will be empty because of pressures at work, financial problems, or health concerns. You will have each other when the cup is empty. There will be days when the cup is overflowing, when your blessings are more than you ever dreamed possible. Then you will drink deeply in joy and celebration. If God provides, someday you may have a child, and your cup will have a lid. Your child will learn to drink with you in this cup that Jesus gave us.
“Perhaps a time will come when one of you will be sick, and the other partner will hold the cup to your lips. Perhaps in your older years, you will need the other’s strength to lift the cup and drink.
“There is another cup you share with your sisters and brothers in Holy Communion, to strengthen you on the journey. That cup will sustain you into the next life. There we will share the cup with our risen Lord at the heavenly feast.
“In the cup of Christ’s sacrifice is the bond that holds you together in holy matrimony.”
Then I gave the cup to the couple as a reminder of these things.
Source: Julie Ruth Harley, Lockport, Illinois Genesis 2:24; 1 Corinthians 11:25; Ephesians 5:31 Communion, Marriage
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