Plan for: Thanksgiving | Advent | Christmas

Sermon Illustrations

A few years ago my mom began feeding the birds on a regular basis in our backyard. At first, some of the birds were greedy. They weren’t sure if there would be enough food to go around. The starlings were especially mean, which doesn’t surprise anyone familiar with birds. They would attack the robins, cardinals, and sparrows that came to get a taste. This situation continued for several months until one day there was a noticeable change in the bird’s behavior.

After years of regular feeding from the unlimited supply, the birds appeared to be less greedy with the food. Now they were feeding at their leisure—realizing there would be more food when their current supply was finished. Then, last month, something even more remarkable happened. After all these months of hording, greed, and then cautiously enjoying, the birds began to demonstrate a nobler characteristic. They began calling for one another at mealtime.

Today, when the seed is spread for the birds, one will call for the others to share what they’ve discovered. The greed is less frequent. The jealous pecking is rare. The trees seem fuller these days with the joy of satisfaction from birds that have learned to share. The music of multiple...

Continue reading this sermon illustration (Free with PRO)

Related Sermon Illustrations

Related Sermons

  • Making The Best Of A Bad Situation

    Contributed by Kraig Pullam on Feb 17, 2014
    based on 3 ratings
     | 40,217 views

    God takes the disadvantages of our dead ends and uses them as an opportunity to propel His plan into the spectrum of His greater glory and our greater good, as seen in the discourse between the disciples and Christ prior to His ascension.

  • The World's Worst Missionary Series

    Contributed by Tom Shepard on Jan 5, 2015
    based on 6 ratings
     | 37,844 views

    This sermon has four points. 1. God's Call Is UNPREDICTABLE, 2. God's Call Is UNCOMFORTABLE, 3. God's Grace Is INCOMPREHENSIBLE, 4. How We respond to God's call MATTERS

  • The Purpose Of Walls

    Contributed by Jeff Strite on Nov 23, 2015
    based on 15 ratings
     | 37,370 views

    God built His church to be ONE... but Satan builds walls to divide that church. How do we identify what the Devil does so that we can unify our church and challenge the power of the evil one?

  • The Beauty Of Unity Series

    Contributed by David Dykes on Oct 31, 2014
    based on 1 rating
     | 35,019 views

    When a lost person comes in the doors of this church, they sit down and they look around and see a thousand Christians in here singing praises to God. That has an impact on them because with one heart and one voice, we are glorifying God together.

  • 20/20 Vision

    Contributed by Rick Pendleton on Apr 23, 2012
    based on 1 rating
     | 31,071 views

    A church is headed nowhere until it has a clear vision