The Worker's Clipping File

THE voice came over the telephone: "We are conducting a series of chapel talks in our academy on the subject of determination and perseverance. For next week we would like to have the theme 'Overcoming Handicaps' pre­sented, and we would appreciate it very much if you would be our speaker for that hour."

Overcoming handicaps! Now, I have many sermons on many subjects, but I had never given a talk on overcoming handicaps. How­ever, there was an invitation and I must accept. I went into my study, and picking up the index to my files, I looked under "Determination, Perseverance," and found that the subject of handicaps and difficulties was incorporated in that folder, and that it was bulging with ma­terial—articles, illustrations, poems, quotations, seed thoughts—from the Youth's Instructor, the Church Officers' Gazette, Sunshine magazine, the Review and Herald, Signs of the Times, Life and Health, the Sabbath School Worker, several colporteur bulletins, a long-forgotten article I had written, a newspaper clipping or two, and notes referring me to several books in my library. I found, too, that there were re­lated folders in the files—on discouragement, character, self-improvement, and self-reliance. These would doubtless yield some good ideas for my talk.

Those files! Those precious files! How grate­ful I am that material has been gathered and filed through the years. I started with an orange crate and now have four four-drawer cabinets!

As ministers today we are blessed with a great variety, volume, and quality of material aids for our spiritual ministration. We read a great deal, but we forget quickly, and unless this material is cataloged and within easy ac­cess, it is of little value for future use. There are many and varied types of filing systems that may be purchased or devised; however, I used a system that is patterned after the majority of office subject files. I find it is not complicated, but simple and timesaving.

About eight years ago the index to my sub­ject files was placed in The Ministry (June, 1952, p. 14). Since such files are constantly changing, this revised and enlarged index is now being submitted, with subjects deleted that received little use. It should be understood that this is not a file of sermons but a means of cataloging material by subject for easy refer­ence.

Practical Details

The legal-size filing cabinet may prove more satisfactory than the standard for keeping over­size clippings. I use the regular three-position Manila filing folders. As the file grows, addi­tional folders may be required to accommodate a single subject, but it is well to keep the ma­terial fresh—removing old-fashioned and out­dated articles from time to time so that the files do not become mere storage vaults.

It is wise to take two subscriptions to your favorite periodicals, in order that clipping may be done without cutting into an article on another side, which you might wish to save.

Of course, one would not wish to save every­thing pertaining to a certain subject. For in­stance, much is written every year on the second chapter of Daniel. The main outline of this theme is usually somewhat similar; however, if there is a new approach, a different appeal, or added historical information, it could be lifted out of the main article. Thus you would save space and duplication in the files. Always re­member to record the author, name of periodi­cal, and the date. In the case of a book that has a passage you wish to include in your files, merely record the book title, author, and pages on a card or slip of paper and drop it in the proper folder.

Now a word of explanation to clarify certain points regarding the list that follows. You will note there are two types of entries in parenthe­ses after some of the subjects. The parentheses using the word "See" can be easily explained by an example: When such a subject as "Justi­fication (see Sanctification)" is listed, it means that there is no folder with the title "Justifica­tion," since the folder on Sanctification in­cludes Justification. The other items in paren­theses merely give additional information or ideas as to what a folder contains, and enables one to know what branches of the topic are classified under that heading.

You may find it helpful to clip this index from The Ministry and paste it inside a Manila folder for easy reference. To save space the books of the Bible are not listed here. However, in developing your own files you will prob­ably wish to have a folder for each book of the Bible, and also for some specific chapters. This will be especially helpful for your expository type of sermons.

I want to pay a tribute to my wife, who through the years has faithfully read, marked, and clipped much of the material for our files. It is my hope that your files will grow and be in constant service for the Master, and that you will have joy and satisfaction in using them.

INDEX TO SUBJECT FILES

Addresses and Directories
After-dinner Speeches (anniversaries, service clubs, etc.)
Aged (retirement)
Agendas (evang., G.C., union, local)
Ambition (initiative)
Amusements,_ Recreation (dancing, games, socials, sports)
Angels (good, evil)
Anger (temper, revenge)
Apostasy (backsliding, Canright, hypoc­risy)
Archeology
Armageddon
Association (chaperonage)
Astrology
Astronomy (other worlds)
Atheism (godless organizations)
Atomic Age
Atonement
Auto Information
Baptism (preparation for, classes)
Belief, Unbelief
Bible Course Material
Bible Instructors
Bible (New and Old Testaments)
Bible, Study of
Bible, What Men Say About It
Biblical Biography (character studies)
Bibliography
Biographies
Books and Book Reviews
Business (church affiliation to, invest­ments, parliamentary Jaw, sustenta-tion)
Calendar Issue
Camp Meeting
Camps (junior and senior)
Capital and Labor (unions)
Catholicism
Character
Charts (graphs, devices, cartoons)
Cheerfulness (see Contentment)
Child Evangelism
Child Training
Children's Play
Christian Living (fanaticism, worldli-ness)
Christian Science
Christianity
Church, Church Organization (member­ship)
Church Evangelism (lay work)
Church, Modern Methods
Church Nominating Committee
Church Officers
Civil Defense
Club Ideas _
Concentration
Conference Letters and Reports (bien­nial, etc.)
Conference Promotion
Congress Organization
Conscience
Consecration (conversion, new birth, stories of, perfection, surrender)
Contentment (cheerfulness)
Controversy Between Christ and Satan
Conversation (see Language)
Cooking Schools
Cooperation (organization)
Country Living
Courage, Cowardice
Courtesy, Culture, Etiquette
Courtship and Marriage (in-laws)
Covenants^ Two
Creation
Crime
Criticism, Gossip, Faultfinding (judging)
   
Daniel
Decision(s) (choice, bringing to deci­sion)
Decision Meetings
Dedications (church, hospital, institu­tions, etc.)
Denominational History
Determination, Perseverance (handicaps, difficulties)
Devotion, Our Devotions (meditation)
Disasters, Floods (ark stories, earth­quakes, famines)
Discouragement (doubt, suicide)
Divorce (infidelity, workers' morality)
Doctrine
Dorcas Welfare Society
Drawings (mimeo, etc.)^
Dress (neatness, cosmetics, etc.)
Drugs
Duty
Eastern Question (see Armageddon) Education (general)
Education (Home and School Associa­tion) Education (Home Study Institute) Education (teachers) Efficiency Elijah Message Entertainment Ideas, Games Enthusiasm
Envy (covetousness, stealing, jealousy) ESDA, etc. Eternal Life Etiquette (see Courtesy) Evangelism, Baptismal Reports Evangelism, General Evangelism, Financial Reports Evangelism, Organization Evil (see Sin) Evolution Excuses
Failure
Faith (righteousness by)
Faith and Works
Faithfulness (dependability)
False Christs
Family Altar
Family Relations
Farewell Material
Father
Feeling
First-Aid Suggestions
Floods, Famines (see Disasters)
Foreigners
Forgiveness
Friendship (sensitiveness, hospitality)
Fundamentalism
Funeral Material
Gambling (cards, etc.)
Geology
Girls (see Women)
Giving (money)
God (honoring, Trinity)
Gospel (progress of, finishing the work)
Grace (not under law)
Graduation Addresses (and others)
Gratitude (see Thanksgiving)
Guidance
Habit
Happiness (smiles, loneliness)
Healing
Health
Heathen Religions, Customs
Heaven, New Earth (preparation for)
Helpfulness
Higher Criticism
Historical Items (informative articles)
   
Hobbies
Holidays—Christmas
Holidays—Easter, Lent
Holidays—New Year
Holidays and Special Days, General (community drives)
Holy Spirit (speaking in tongues, unpar­donable sin)
Home, Homemaking
Homemaking Ideas (furnishings, etc.)
Home Missionary
Honesty (see Truthfulness)
Hope
House building Ideas
Human Interest
Humility
Humorous
Husband and Wife
Hypnotism
Hypocrisy (see Apostasy)
Ideals
Illness
Illustrations (miscellaneous)
Income Tax
Indifference (carelessness, drifting)
Influence, Example
Ingathering
Intelligence (inventions, knowledge,
mind, study, thoughts, wisdom) Invitations, Announcements (social),
Gift Ideas
Jesus, Coming of
Jesus, High Priest and Saviour (death,
crucifixion) Jesus, Life of Jesus, Miracles of Jesus, Our Pattern Jews (return of, Israel) Toy of Living—Art of Living Today Judgment
Junior Sermons and Stories Justification (see Sanctification)
Kindness Kiplinger Articles
Language^ Usage of (conversation, let­ter writing, slang)
Latter Rain (early rain)
Law, Commandments (two laws)
Laymen (see Church Evangelism}
Leadership
Legal Information
Letters of Warning
Life Insurance
Literature Ministry (colporteur experi­ences )
Love
Love of God, Love to God (His care)
Loyalty (standing true)
Mark of Beast (see Seal of God) Medical Cadet
Medical Work (history, nurses, physi­cians) Melchizedek
Men (free moral agents, boys)
Millennium (second chance)
Ministry and Ministers
Miscellaneous (lodges, psychiatry)
Mission Poems
Mission Promotion
Missionary Volunteer—General Missionary Volunteer—Share Your Faith
Modernism
Money-raising Ideas
Mormonism
Morning Watch
Mother Motion Pictures
Mottoes, Slogans
Moving Records and Information
Music (choirs)
Music Committee
National Affairs
Nature—(animals, flowers, trees) Nature Birds
Nature of Man (see State of Dead) News Items ("Arsenal," Religious News Service, etc.)
Obedience (Is God Particular?)
"Once Saved, Never Lost'1 Doctrine
Opportunity
Ordinances (John 13)
Organization
Others
Our Times
Pagan Symbols
Papacy
(Antichrist, Rome)
Parables
Parents
Pathfinders Patience (submission)
Patriotism (American history, citizen­ship) Peace, Peacemaker (quietness)
Periodical
Promotion
Personal Relationships
Personal Work Pictures
Poems (miscellaneous) Politics (voting) Power Praise
Prayer (answers to) Prayer (children's, etc.) Prayer (prayer meeting) Prayer, The Lord's Predestination Pride (conceit) Principle (standards) Probation (shut-door) Profession, Pretense Program Material, General Promises (of God, keeping our word) Prophecy
Protestantism (Federal Council) Providence (miracles) Publicity and Public Relations Punctuality
Purity (see Social Purity) Purpose in Life
Questions and Answers (catchy texts,charges against SDA's, etc.)Quizzes (Bible and Spirit of Prophecy) Quotations (miscellaneous)
Races, Race Degeneracy Radio (Voice of Prophecy)
Radio Material
Reading (books, comics)
Redemption,
Reformation
Religion, "isms," New Light (Pente­costal, Pyramids, Shepherd's Rod, etc.)
Religious Liberty (relation to govern­ment)
Remnant Church (sifting of; Advent Movement)
Repentance (confession)
Research (and Committee)
Resolutions
Resurrections
Revelation
Reverence (respect)
Revival (s)
Reward (s)
Righteousness (see Faith; Sanctification)
Romans 8:28
Russia, Communism
Sabbath
Sabbath, Attempted Change of
Sabbath Observance
Sabbath School, Branch and Vacation
Sabbath School, Children's Material
Sabbath School, General
Sacrifice (Week of)
Salvation
Sanctification, Justification (righteous­ness)
Sanctuary
Satan
Science
Seal of God, Mark of Beast
Second Advent. Signs of
Secret-rapture Theory
Self-control
Self-denial
Self-improvement (moods, personality, popularity, temperament)
Self-reliance
Self-supporting Institutions
Selfishness (idolatry)
Sermon Ideas
Sermon Ideas, Youth
Sermon Records
Service
Seven Churches, Plagues, Seals, Trum­pets
Seventh-day Adventist, Attacks Upon
Seventh-day Adventist, Enemies of
Seventh-day Adventist, General
Seventh-day Adventist, How I Became a
Seventh-day Adventist, What People Say About
Seventh-day Adventist Statistics, etc.
Shepherdess, The
Simplicity
Sin (evil)
Sincerity
Social Purity (adultery, petting, sex)
Social Security
Songs, Song Stories
Soul Winning (Welfare work- personal
work) Special Stories
Spirit.of Prophecy (Ellen G. White) Spiritism State of Dead (nature of man, man's
original state) Stewardship (debts, money, tithing) Success
Sunday (observance, legislation) Surrender (see Consecration) Sympathy (toward others' viewpoints,
comfort, pain, sorrow, suffering)
Tact
Talents
Teen-agers (adolescence, juvenile delin­quency )
Television (Faith for Today)
Temperance, Alcoholism
Temperance, Tobacco and Narcotics
Temptation
Thanksgiving (appreciation, gratitude)
This Generation
Three Angels' Messages—Advent Move­ment
Thrift
Time (making most of, lost time, pro­crastination)
Time of the End (last days, time oi trouble)
Timetables
Titles
Tongues (see Holy Spirit)
Travel Write-ups
Trials (persecution, preparation for, tests, martyrs)
Trifles (carelessness, little things)
Trust, Confidence
Truthfulness (honesty, cheating)
2300-day Prophecy
U.S. in Prophecy
Unity (church, Federal Council)
Value of Things
Victory, Victorious Life (overcoming) Visual Aid Information (chalk talks, ob­ject talks, etc.)
War (noncombatancy)
Week of Prayer
Wicked. Fate of (hell)
Will, Will Power
Wills, Trust Agreements
Witnessing
Women, Girls
Words (see Language)
Work (careers, lifework, etc)
Workers' Meetings
Worry, Fear
Youth (conditions among, possibilities of)