In Sermon Illustrations: showing 5,241-5,260 of 52,463

How Christians Are Different

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 12, 2011

HOW CHRISTIANS ARE DIFFERENT A Second Century believer, in a letter to his friend, Diognetus, described how Christians are alike and different from others. He wrote, "Though they are residents at home in their own countries, their behavior there is more like transients...Though destiny has placed ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:18-25

Tags: Christian Witness

Not A Role Model...?

Contributed by Jehu Hernandez on Aug 12, 2011

NOT A ROLE MODEL...? Former NBA star Charles Barkley, the Round Mound of Rebound, as he was called, is famous for saying, "I'm not a role model." In spite of the fact that young kids wanted to imitate him, he didn't want that responsibility. He ignored the fact that his high visibility made it ...read more

Tags: Christian Witness

Denomination: Assembly Of God

You Can Make Him Drink

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 12, 2011

YOU CAN MAKE HIM DRINK Howard Hendricks, one of my professors at Dallas Theological Seminary, sometimes talked about his days when he was a student at the same seminary. In one of those stories, he tells about the time he was invited to preach in west Texas. "You've all heard of Nowhere? Well," ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:1-5

Tags: Evangelism How To

God Vs. Voodoo

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 12, 2011

GOD VS. VOODOO Pastor Mike Breaux tells the story below when his daughter Jodie answered God's call to go into missions work: During her junior year of high school, Jodie struggled to find a faith of her own. She wanted to know in her heart that all of what she'd been taught to believe was true ...read more

Scripture: Mark 8:34-38

Tags: Missions

Dying For Someone Like That

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Aug 12, 2011

DYING FOR SOMEONE LIKE THAT During the war in Vietnam, a young West Point graduate was sent over to lead a group of new recruits into battle. He did his job well, trying his best to keep his recruits from ambush and death. But one night, when they had been under attack, he was unable to get one of ...read more

Tags: God's Love

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

What The Cross Displayed  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 11, 2011

WHAT THE CROSS DISPLAYED Author Henri Nouwen tells the story of a family he knew in Paraguay. The father, a doctor, spoke out against the military regime there and its human rights abuses. Local police took their revenge on him by arresting his teenage son and torturing him to death. Enraged ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 52:13-15

Tags: Cross

Special Delivery: Miracle Mandy

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 11, 2011

SPECIAL DELIVERY: MIRACLE MANDY The doctor told Marsha Mark and her husband they needed to accept the fact they would never have biological children. Amid the discouragement, Marsha clung to a friend's words: "Somehow, Marsha, God is going to use your struggle with infertility for his glory." ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 113:9

Tags: Prayer Answered

Stradivarius Mystery

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 11, 2011

STRADIVARIUS MYSTERY Perhaps the greatest of all Stradivarius mysteries is why no modern violinmaker has been able to replicate Stradivari’s work. The violins of Stradivari’s time were treated with a varnish made from the resinous material of any of a number of possible plants. We don’t know what ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 1:24-29

Tags: Growth In Christ

The Beautiful Sounds Of The Stradivarius

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 11, 2011

THE BEAUTIFUL SOUNDS OF THE STRADIVARIUS Years ago, there was a master violinist in Europe. He would play in concerts, and he had a magnificent Stradivarius violin, extremely expensive. He would play the Stradivarius violin in concert and everyone would whisper in the crowd, "Listen to the ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 38:20, Isaiah 38:1-8

Tags: Born Again

A Study Of Impatience

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 11, 2011

A STUDY OF IMPATIENCE In March of 2006, the Associated Press and Ipsos surveyed 1,003 adults concerning Americans’ attitudes and behavior regarding impatience. Some of the findings included: • While waiting in line at an office or store, it takes an average of 17 minutes for most people to lose ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:22

Tags: Patience, Fruit Of The Spirit

What's Important In Life...?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 11, 2011

WHAT'S IMPORTANT IN LIFE...? When I was 13, my dad owned his own business--a tiny shack where he sold chicken, ribs, hamburgers, hot dogs, and fries. One day the oil that the chicken was fried in caught fire. In a few minutes the whole place exploded in flames. My dad bolted from the store before ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:6-10

Tags: Money

Spinning A Web: Andy's Story

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 11, 2011

SPINNING A WEB: ANDY'S STORY Andy Fastow was a brilliant kid in the high school graduating class in New Providence, New Jersey. He was one of the really good kids. In fact, he was the student body president of his senior class. He went on to get a great education and a fantastic job. He climbed ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:23-26

Tags: Lies

Accepting The Good News  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 11, 2011

ACCEPTING THE GOOD NEWS A promotion by H. R. Block Inc. in 2001 offered walk-in customers a chance to win a drawing for a million dollars. Glen and Gloria Sims of Sewell, New Jersey, won the drawing, but they refused to believe it when an H. R. Block representative phoned them with the good ...read more

Scripture: John 5:45-47

Tags: Unbelief

Before It's Too Late

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 11, 2011

BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE USA Today had an article on the front page about those who escaped the World Trade Center on September 11. After interviewing over 300 survivors and family members of victims, USA Today concluded that in the South tower those who didn’t delay but ran for safety immediately ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:57-62

Tags: Evangelism Urgency

Poor Man's Philanthropist  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 11, 2011

POOR MAN'S PHILANTHROPIST In 2005, when Thomas Cannon died of colon cancer in a hospital in Richmond, Virginia, he was 79. Thomas described himself a "poor man's philanthropist." When Thomas was three years old, his father died. Once Thomas' mother remarried, the family of six lived in a ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:1-15, 2 Corinthians 9:15

Tags: Giving General

Winning In Losing  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 11, 2011

WINNING IN LOSING Both teams that play in the Super Bowl think they will win, so both teams have special t-shirts and hats designed that declare them the victors. It costs about $2 million to have the apparel made--which means for the losing team, $2 million goes to waste, right? Wrong. A recent ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:19-23

Tags: Giving General

Sprouting To New Life

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 11, 2011

SPROUTING TO NEW LIFE A few years ago, when archaeologists began excavating in the courtyard of a medieval monastery, they found seeds that had been dormant for more than 400 years that had begun to grow. King Henry VIII had closed the monastery in 1539, and herbs tended by the monks died. But ...read more

Scripture: Mark 4:16-34

Tags: Born Again

Are You Planting The Right Seed?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 11, 2011

ARE YOU PLANTING THE RIGHT SEED? Some time ago "Reader’s Digest" told the story about a company who mailed out some special advertising business post cards with a mustard seed glued to it with the following caption that went something like this: "If you have faith as small as this mustard seed in ...read more

Scripture: Mark 4:16-34

Tags: Kingdom Of God

I Shall Be Alive...

Contributed by Larry Wilson on Aug 11, 2011

I SHALL BE ALIVE... One of the penetrating churchmen of the past generation was Reverend James Gordon Gilkey. While living in Portland, Oregon, he was told by his physician that he had an incurable disease. Death could not be averted, nor long delayed. What did he do? Here is his own story: "I ...read more

Tags: Death

Denomination: Baptist

Only In The Lone Star State

Contributed by John Crowe on Aug 11, 2011

ONLY IN THE LONE STAR STATE My daughter’s family moved to Del Rio, Texas. One night my 4-year-old granddaughter recited the Lord’s Pryaer with a slight variation; "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:9-13

Tags: Children

Denomination: Baptist