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
     | 14,601 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
     | 14,174 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
     | 13,610 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
     | 13,147 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.

  • A False Witness That Speaks Lies

    Contributed by James Dina on Jul 31, 2020
    based on 1 rating
     | 10,862 views

    Being a false witness is acting as an agent of Satan; completely under the devil’s control, a false witness pours out lies and he becomes a social insult. False witnesses will be punished .God will put them to punishment that will be beyond human understanding.