Plan for: Thanksgiving | Advent | Christmas

Sermon Illustrations

Olympian Ben Johnson Stripped of Gold Medal for Cheating

In the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, Ben Johnson of Canada won the one-hundred-meter dash, setting a new Olympic record and a new world record. Our American contender, Carl Lewis, came in second, and most were shocked that he hadn’t won the gold. After the race, the judges learned that Johnson had had an illegal substance in his body. He ran the race illegally, so the judges took away his medal. Though he ran faster and made an unforgettable impression, he did not deserve the reward…God is the final judge! He searches our hearts; He alone knows our motivation. And He will be the One to say, “This deserves a reward. Ah, but that does not.” —Charles R. Swindoll, Hope Again, (Word, 1996), p. 34.

From a sermon by David Cook, Now Through Eternity, 2/1/2010

Related Sermon Illustrations

Related Sermons

  • The Truth About Lying

    Contributed by Derrick Tuper on Oct 26, 2012
    based on 2 ratings
     | 14,260 views

    Although the movie, "Liar, Liar" is a comedy, the issue of lying is anything but funny. Max’s birthday wish was for his father to stop lying. God has that same desire for us. He understands how serious of an issue lying is and how important it is for his

  • A Failure Of Faith Series

    Contributed by David Owens on Jun 12, 2017
    based on 1 rating
     | 13,684 views

    No one is perfect. Even the greatest of Biblical characters are sinners. When Abraham faced the first crisis since deciding to walk with God, he defaulted to his old ways of falsehood rather than walking by faith.

  • Which Bridge Is Safe?

    Contributed by Bruce Ball on Apr 8, 2015
    based on 4 ratings
     | 13,403 views

    Using the analogy of a bridge crossing a chasm, we discuss that even though there seems to be many bridges available, only one really leads to the other side and we must be careful when deciding which bridge.

  • Accentuate The Positive Series

    Contributed by Dennis Davidson on Mar 7, 2013
    based on 4 ratings
     | 12,905 views

    Prudent, accurate, honest, sensitive communication is a major theme threaded through Proverbs. This emphasis is mandated because words & actions are the way we relate to one another. Basically, we need to accentuate the positive & eliminate the negative.

  • The Value Of Honesty

    Contributed by Dennis Lee on Nov 17, 2019
    based on 4 ratings
     | 10,433 views

    Today's Message is looking at the value of honesty in our series on building lasting values in our lives as we build up God's house within us. We also look at several steps to help us out in the process.