In Sermon Illustrations: showing 6,141-6,160 of 52,473

Simon Birch: A Purpose In Life

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 26, 2011

SIMON BIRCH: A PURPOSE IN LIFE How many of you remember a movie by the name of Simon Birch that came out in 1998? It tells the story of a twelve-year-old boy named Simon Birch who, despite his physical disabilities, believes that God has a plan for his life. "Simon was born tiny and with an ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 138:8

Tags: Examples Of Faith

Grandpa And The Peach

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 26, 2011

GRANDPA AND THE PEACH "Four-year-old Jason was visiting his grandparents. Grandpa was in his study intently reading. Jason walked in carrying a peach, said something Grandpa didn't catch, and handed the peach to him. "Thinking his wife had sent him a snack, Grandpa took it and ate it. Just as he ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 17:6

Tags: Children

What We Watch Affects Our Behavior

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 26, 2011

WHAT WE WATCH AFFECTS OUR BEHAVIOR Studies are even showing how we are affected by what we watch on television, hear on our radios, or read in books and the paper. A study recorded in American Psychologist reported that “Psychologists have studied the effect of violent media on aggression for ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:22-23

Tags: Television And Movies

The Destiny Of Materialism

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 26, 2011

THE DESTINY OF MATERIALISM The lure of wealth, or what we might call the magnetism of materialism. “Finns [people from Finland] who can’t get enough of winter swarmed to the northern town of Kemi for the opening of a sprawling ice castle that features a theatre, a playground, an art gallery, and ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 2:15-17

Tags: Materialism

Out-Of-Whack Priorities

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 26, 2011

OUT-OF-WHACK PRIORITIES USA Today ran an article on October 25th, 1995 that is a great illustration about priorities. It reads... "Ronald Warwick, captain of the luxury cruise ship Queen Elizabeth II, questioned a passenger who paid full fare for his dog to join them on an around-the-world ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 2:15-17

Tags: Worldliness

Don't Ever Trust Anyone...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 26, 2011

DON'T EVER TRUST ANYONE... "There is an old story of a father who took his young son out and stood him on the railing of the back porch. He then went down, stood on the lawn, and encouraged the little fellow to jump into his arms. 'I'll catch you,' the father said confidently. After a lot of ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:1-4

Tags: Father's Day

Humpty Dumpty—continued

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 26, 2011

HUMPTY DUMPTY--CONTINUED We all remember the story of Humpty Dumpty that goes like this... Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the King's horses and all the King's men Couldn't put Humpty together again. But did you know that there's more to the story? Not only ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 145:1-21

Tags: God's Love

Whose Hands Are You Thankful For?  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 26, 2011

WHOSE HANDS ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR? "A Thanksgiving Day editorial in the newspaper told of a school teacher who asked her first graders to draw a picture of something they were thankful for. She thought of how little these children from pour neighborhoods actually had to be thankful for. But she ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Tags: Thanksgiving Holiday

When No One Is Watching  PRO

Contributed by Willem Nel on Mar 26, 2011

WHEN NO ONE IS WATCHING In 1945, Arsenal were playing Russian giants Dynamo Moscow in London when a thick fog descended over the ground. The referee refused to abandon the game as the visitors had come such a long way, but it was impossible to see what was going on. It is said that an Arsenal ...read more

Tags: Christian Values

Denomination: *other

Heel Grabber

Contributed by Alan Vaughn on Mar 26, 2011

HEEL GRABBER Have you ever gone to someone's house and they have this little dog and he thinks he is the great avenger or something. He runs up and barks at you just to run away when you reach down to pet him. Then you think he has run away and he’s not paying any attention to you, and you turn ...read more

Tags: Jealousy

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

All Because Of Angus

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 25, 2011

ALL BECAUSE OF ANGUS In Ernest Gordon’s true account of life in a World War II Japanese prison camp, Through the Valley of the Kwai, there is a story that never fails to move me. It is about a man who through giving it all away literally transformed a whole camp of soldiers. The man's name was ...read more

Scripture: John 15:13

Tags: Christian Witness

A Young Man Had Finished His First Semester In ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 25, 2011

A young man had finished his first semester in college, and was spending the weekend at home. Somewhat bored with the old place, he was regaling his father with the wonders of his campus and the enlightened people there. After getting up a head of steam and warming up to his subject he said, "Why, ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 11:2

Tags: Arrogance

D.l. Moody And The Shoes  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 25, 2011

D.L. MOODY AND THE SHOES A large group of European pastors came to one of D. L. Moody’s Northfield Bible Conferences in Massachusetts in the late 1800s. Following the European custom of the time, each guest put his shoes outside his room to be cleaned by the hall servants overnight. But of course ...read more

Scripture: John 13:1-17

Tags: Servanthood

Eileen's Story  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 25, 2011

EILEEN'S STORY "In an article in Campus Life a young nurse writes of her pilgrimage in learning to see in a patient the image of God beneath a very 'distressing disguise.' "Eileen was one of her first patients, a person who was totally helpless. 'A cerebral aneurysm (broken blood vessels in the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:10-17, Luke 18:18-30, Mark 12:38-44

Tags: Compassion, Sanctification, Impossible

A Bone Or A Steak?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 25, 2011

A BONE OR A STEAK? Which is better, a bone or a steak? Think of it this way. It’s easy to give a dog a bone, but it’s almost impossible to take a bone away from a dog. Even our little Schnauzer, Betsy, the world’s friendliest dog, will growl at me if I try to take a bone away from her. But ...read more

Tags: Christian Values

There Would Be No Islam

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 25, 2011

THERE WOULD BE NO ISLAM A Hindu professor once found out that a man in his class was a Christian. The professor said to this student, "If you Christians were like Jesus Christ, India would be at your feet tomorrow." A learned Muslim who recently became a Christian said, "If Christians were truly ...read more

Scripture: John 13:34-35

Tags: Christian Witness

The Impact Of Put-Downs On A Marriage

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 25, 2011

THE IMPACT OF PUT-DOWNS ON A MARRIAGE In order to uncover the processes that destroy unions, marital researchers study couples over the course of years, and even decades, and retrace the star-crossed steps of those who have split up back to their wedding day. What they are discovering is ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:29

Tags: Marriage Struggle

Helping The Fallen

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 25, 2011

HELPING THE FALLEN One of the most touching moments in NBA history took place in a 2003 playoff game between the Portland Trailblazers and the Dallas Mavericks. Actually, it happened before the game began. Natalie Gilbert was a 13-year-old 8th grader who had won the chance to sing the national ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 2:5-11

Tags: Encouragement

The Heart Is Like A Garden  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 25, 2011

THE HEART IS LIKE A GARDEN John Owen: "The hearts of believers are like gardens, wherein there are not only flowers, but weeds also; and as the former must be watered and cherished, so the latter must be curbed and ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 4:23

Tags: Heart

Ever Been Bothered By People?

Contributed by John Herrmann on Mar 25, 2011

EVER BEEN BOTHERED BY PEOPLE? Sometimes church and worship can keep us from the living water people need and that we need. People can actually hide behind church, the machinery of church and worship. Recently I attended a Wednesday Lenten service with my wife in my former church. A stranger - a ...read more

Tags: Unconditional Love

Denomination: Lutheran