Who Was A Faithful Gospel Preacher and a Friend of all Young Preachers and My Teacher
This Volume is Dedicated By His Brother, TOM 

Copyright by Thomas Winter Butterfield 1946 

INTRODUCTION 

Had it not been for a promise made to brother George, this book probably would never have been written. Before he became a victim of heart disease he and I had talked of publishing a book of sermon outlines. When he became physically unable to write the matter was dropped. He had prepared only a dozen or so of his outlines when he realized his days on earth were to be few. I was at his bedside constantly during his last three weeks in the hospital. He never tired of talking about the Kingdom of God. His affections were set on things above. He knew his days were numbered. Nor did any of us try to deceive him. His desire for Heaven was a thing of beauty and holiness. Only family ties made him want to stay here a while longer. When, after weeks of suffering, the end came, he passed quietly to his reward. 

It was during these three weeks in the hospital that he made me promise to publish the book of sermon outlines. I insisted that it would be better to publish a hundred of his outlines. To this suggestion he replied, "No, we have always worked things out together and unless you use fifty of yours, and a like number of mine, don't publish it at all." I finally agreed to do as he wished. Thus, we send forth this book of gospel sermon outlines as brother George's last request that he be allowed to do something more for the Kingdom of God. 

The task has not been easy. Brother George had literally hundreds ,of outlines. Many of them were in the hands of young preachers who had asked for help. Gathering all together and picking out the ones typical of his preaching has required time and work. I have chosen outlines that the brethren have heard him use as well as some he probably used but a few times. It was agreed that each outline carry the initials f the author. Thus, his are marked "G.W.B", and mine are marked "T.W.B." 

Had he lived to carry out our plans the book would have been a better book. Inasmuch as the responsibility became mine, I send it forth to gospel preachers everywhere as a fulfillment of a promise made to me of God's noblest and humblest servants. No effort has been made to dress up the outlines. We mean them to be scriptural, practical and reachable-nothing more. If there is a similarity between any of the outlines in this book and those of any other publication, it is because the material came from the book of God, and not because of any intentional effort on our part to duplicate.-"T. W. B."