Sermon Illustrations

I remember when I saw a program showing how they used to film Gunsmoke, one of my favorite TV shows as a kid. I learned that Dodge City was really just a place in the middle of nowhere not even close to the real one. There was no Longbranch Saloon, no stores or jail, it was all front with nothing behind it — a facade, a wooden structure that only made it look like a city on television. If you looked through the door you would only see more of the prairie. Kittie, Doc Adams, Chester, Festus and Marshal Dillon were sitting on a set somewhere, not the Longbranch where you thought they were. The Gunsmoke set is like many people. They only have a front with nothing behind it. They are all facade. That is why they cannot afford to be transparent — people would see right through them.

But an important part of the Christian life is the development of something behind the...

Continue reading this sermon illustration (Free with PRO)

Related Sermon Illustrations

  • The Butcher And Chicken  PRO

    Contributed by Rick Stacy on Jun 24, 2002
    based on 2 ratings
     | 35,380 views

    The Butcher and chicken: There is a story about a lady that went to the butcher to buy a chicken for her family’s dinner. The butcher had but one chicken left. She asked him to weigh it and it was clear that it was on the small side. When she asked if he hand another chicken he said sure and ...read more

  • The Church Is Like Noah's Ark: The Stench Inside ...  PRO

    Contributed by Lynn Floyd on Jul 29, 2003
    based on 6 ratings
     | 26,391 views

    “The church is like Noah’s ark: The stench inside would be unbearable if it weren’t for the storm outside. It’s true—sometimes we stink and the world is stormy. But as imperfect as we are on this side of heaven, the miracle is that God in fact chooses to ...read more

  • Four Guys In A Jeep On A Jungle Trail In Viet ...  PRO

    Contributed by Rick Stacy on Jun 24, 2002
    based on 2 ratings
     | 7,871 views

    Four guys in a jeep on a jungle trail in Viet Nam I was told several years ago about four guys in a jeep on a jungle trail in Viet Nam. All was well until they were suddenly under fire from Viet Cong all around them. Bullets were flying at them from every direction. The driver tried frantically ...read more

  • Like Bill Hybels, I Believe That There Is Nothing ...  PRO

    Contributed by Jim Kane on May 25, 2004
    based on 8 ratings
     | 7,621 views

    Like Bill Hybels, I believe that there is nothing like the local church when it is working right. In addition, I agree with what he says after that sentence: “Its beauty is indescribable. Its power is breathtaking. Its potential is unlimited. It comforts the grieving and heals the broken in the ...read more

  • Finding Nemo

    Contributed by Darrin Hunt on Feb 5, 2007
    based on 1 rating
     | 6,458 views

    Many of you have seen the movie, “Finding Nemo”. •It’s a powerful story of the love and determination of a caring father. •It’s the story of being lost, and then found. •It’s a story that can help us understand our Heavenly Father and His love for us. In the movie, Nemo’s father Marlin loved ...read more

Related Sermons