I wanted to share one of the 10 Free Sermon Illustrations About Confession that I'm giving away. This is one of my favorites. If you want you the other 9, sign up here.
“For to confess is not simply to change but to first face and fully deny the false person you were trying to be.”
This is a quote from Josh Larsen’s book Movies are Prayers. In his chapter on how movies can be prayers of confession he looks at Buzz Lightyear’s journey in TOY STORY. For the majority of the film Buzz believes he is actually a real life space ranger and not just a toy. This all comes crumbling down when he happens to see a commercial advertising other Buzz Lightyear toys.
Feeling at his lowest, Woody tries to cheer up Buzz by saying “being a toy is a lot better than being a space ranger.”
On this scene Josh Larsen writes “Glancing from the corporate stamp on his wrist (“Made in Taiwan”) the hand-lettered inscription on the bottom of his foot (“ANDY”), Buzz comes to understand that his true identity lies not in the facade of a factious hero but in being claimed by someone else, someone who loves him despite his faults.”