Sermon Illustrations
'GQ' Magazine Presents Contrasting Worldviews
The December 2013 issue of GQ magazine had two quotes that present two starkly different worldviews and paths for your life. In the first quote, the actor Matthew McConaughey, named GQ's "Man of the Year," argues, "I'm a fan of the word selfish. Self. Ish. When I say I have gotten a lot more self-ish, I mean I am less concerned with what people think of me … Selfish has gotten a bad rap. You should do for you."
A few pages later GQ quotes an award-winner fiction writer named George Saunders, the man they've named "Life Coach of the Year." Saunders says, "The big kahuna of all moral questions, as far as I'm concerned, is ego. How do you correct the fundamental misperception that we are all born with—[namely, the idea that] I am central? All of the nasty stuff in this life comes out of that misunderstanding."
McConaughey: You should do for you. Saunders: You should get over yourself. Which worldview, which path, will you choose?
Possible Preaching Angles: This illustration could work with a number of keywords that imply a choice between two different options—wisdom vs. foolishness, selfishness vs. love, godliness vs. ungodliness, discipleship vs. self-centeredness, humility vs. pride, and so on.