In Sermon Illustrations: showing 341-360 of 840

In 1858 The Illinois Legislature Sent Stephen A. ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Mar 20, 2006

In 1858 the Illinois legislature sent Stephen A. Douglas to the U.S. Senate instead of Abraham Lincoln, although Lincoln had won the popular vote. (In those days the Illinois legislature elected its federal senators and not the voters.) The future president was stunned by the outcome but took it ...read more

Scripture: Judges 11:1-2, Judges 7:1-30

Tags: Promises Of God

Denomination: Lutheran

A Young Preacher-To-Be, Having Passed His ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Mar 19, 2006

A young preacher-to-be, having passed his doctrinal examinations, faced his trial sermon. In a cavernous auditorium sat three ministers and 75 others who came to listen. When he stepped into the pulpit, the vast room and the searching, critical eyes caused him to falter. Two weeks later his name ...read more

Scripture: 2 Samuel 7:8-16

Tags: God's Love, Rejection, Promises Of God

Denomination: Lutheran

A Small Girl Had Been Promised The Privilege Of ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Mar 13, 2006

A small girl had been promised the privilege of climbing to a nearby hilltop where her brother enjoyed playing. But when she came within sight of the steep, rough path, she drew back in dismay. “Why, there isn’t a smooth spot anywhere. It’s all bumpy and stony!” she exclaimed.  “Yes,” said her ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 4:1-2

Tags: God In The Hardships

Denomination: Lutheran

A Funny Thing Happened In Darlington, Maryland, ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Mar 12, 2006

A funny thing happened in Darlington, Maryland, several years ago. Edith, a mother of eight, was coming home from a neighbor’s house one Saturday afternoon. Things seemed too quiet as she walked across her front yard. Curious, she peered through the screen door and saw five of her youngest children ...read more

Scripture: Job 21:22

Tags: God In The Hardships

Denomination: Lutheran

In 1924, Two Climbers Were Part Of An Expedition ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Mar 9, 2006

In 1924, two climbers were part of an expedition that set out to conquer Mount Everest. As far as is known, they never reached the summit; and they never returned. Somewhere on that gigantic mountain they were overpowered by the elements and died. After the failure of the expedition, the rest of ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 1:29

Tags: Endurance

Denomination: Lutheran

The Great Violinist, Nicolo Paganini, Willed His ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Mar 8, 2006

The great violinist, Nicolo Paganini, willed his marvelous violin to Genoa -- the city of his birth -- but only on condition that the instrument never be played upon. It was an unfortunate condition, for it is a peculiarity of wood that as long as it is used and handled, it shows little wear. As ...read more

Scripture: Luke 14:27

Tags: Workplace

Denomination: Lutheran

Submitting Totally To God's Plan For Us And Our ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Mar 7, 2006

Submitting totally to God’s plan for us and our loved ones, is difficult to do. But, it is a must for any Christian seeking the “whatever it takes” solution to the difficult problems in life. In 1878, when William Booth’s Salvation Army was beginning to make its mark, men and women from all over ...read more

Scripture: John 2:5

Tags: God In The Hardships

Denomination: Lutheran

During The American Revolution A Man In Civilian ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Mar 6, 2006

During the American Revolution a man in civilian clothes rode past a group of soldiers repairing a small defensive barrier. Their leader was shouting instructions, but making no attempt to help them. Asked why by the rider, he retorted with great dignity, “Sir, I am a corporal!” The stranger ...read more

Scripture: Acts 21:21

Tags: Call Of The Disciples

Denomination: Lutheran

Tomorrow's Trivia! (02.24.06--Do Not Worry!--Luke ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Feb 22, 2006

Tomorrow’s Trivia! (02.24.06--Do Not Worry!--Luke 22:24) An average person’s anxiety is focused on: 40% -- things that will never happen, 30% -- things about the past that can’t be changed, 12% -- things about criticism by others, mostly untrue, 10% -- about health, which gets worse with ...read more

Scripture: Luke 22:24

Tags: Fear And Worry

Denomination: Lutheran

There Was Once A Great And Noble King Whose Land ...  PRO

Contributed by Tim Zingale on Feb 21, 2006

There was once a great and noble King whose land was terrorized by a crafty dragon. Like a massive bird of prey, the scaly beast delighted in ravaging villages with his fiery breath. Hapless victims ran from their burning homes, only to be snatched into the dragon’s jaws or talons. Those devoured ...read more

Scripture: Mark 9:2-9

Tags: Transfiguration, Transformation, Sin Deceptive

Denomination: Lutheran

One By One

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Feb 21, 2006

Taking today’s problems one by one, instead of diving into the things in this life that concern us tomorrow, is the best way of avoiding have all the troubles in life collapsing on us at the same time. In 480 B.C. the outmanned army of Sparta’s King Leonidas held off the Persian troops of Xerxes by ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 20:24

Tags: God's Provision

Denomination: Lutheran

Years Ago New Engineers In The Lamp Division Of ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Feb 6, 2006

Years ago new engineers in the Lamp Division of General Electric were assigned, as a joke, the impossible task of frosting light bulbs on the inside. None of the engineers took the assignment seriously since frosting a bulb on the inside was not a possibility by engineering standards. Eventually, ...read more

Scripture: 2 Kings 19:1-7

Tags: Creation

Denomination: Lutheran

Charles F. Kettering, Former Research Head Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Feb 6, 2006

Charles F. Kettering, former research head of General Motors, was fond of telling this story. When he called a research and development meeting on a particular problem of not an immediate probability of presenting a ready solution, and he wanted the problem solved, he’d take care to first find a ...read more

Scripture: 2 Kings 7:1-2

Tags: God's Omnipotence

Denomination: Lutheran

Note: This Was The Introduction To A Sermon On ...  PRO

Contributed by Anthony Seel on Feb 5, 2006

Note: this was the introduction to a sermon on Elisha’s healing miracle in the cited chapter, and Jesus’ healing miracles in Mark 1:29-39. Title: The CSI Effect- A crime scene investigator from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department was dusting for fingerprints in a home that had been ...read more

Tags: Miracles Of Jesus

Denomination: Lutheran

The Next Time You Feel Yourself Feeling ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Feb 2, 2006

The next time you feel yourself feeling confident, challenge yourself to do the impossible. You just may. There are legions of people with unchallenged genius potential. Take the story of two Irish music hall players who, in 1912, were spending an afternoon in a pub at Stalybridge in Cheshire, ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 6:10-12

Tags: God's Omnipotence

Denomination: Lutheran

Author Irving Stone Has Spent A Lifetime Studying ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Jan 31, 2006

Author Irving Stone has spent a lifetime studying greatness, writing novelized biographies of such men as Michelangelo and Vincent van Gogh. Stone was once asked if he had found a thread that runs through the lives of these exceptional people. He said, “I write about people who sometime in their ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:7

Tags: Step, What Is Except, Disappointment, How To Be Great

Denomination: Lutheran

On The Fourth Of July In 1951, Florence Chadwick, ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Jan 30, 2006

On the Fourth of July in 1951, Florence Chadwick, the first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions, attempted to swim from Catalina Island to the California coast. The challenge was not so much the distance, but the bone-chilling waters of the Pacific. To complicate matters, a dense ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:6

Tags: Endurance

Denomination: Lutheran

Take The Story Of Young William Wilberforce. He ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Jan 26, 2006

Take the story of young William Wilberforce. He was discouraged one night in the early 1790s after another defeat in his ten year battle against the slave trade in England. Tired and frustrated, he opened his Bible and began to leaf through it. A small piece of paper fell out and fluttered to the ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:5

Tags: Faith General

Denomination: Lutheran

Jean Nidetch, A 214 Pound Homemaker Desperate To ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Jan 23, 2006

Jean Nidetch, a 214 pound homemaker desperate to lose weight, went to the New York City Department of Health, where she was given a diet devised by Dr. Norman Jolliffe. Two months later, discouraged about the 50 plus pounds still to go, she invited six overweight friends home to share the diet and ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:10

Tags: Doubt

Denomination: Lutheran

For The Love Of Work  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Jan 18, 2006

The story goes that when the company founded by Andrew Carnegie was taken over by the U.S. Steel Corporation in 1901 it acquired as one of its obligations a contract to pay the top Carnegie executive, Charles M. Schwab, the then unheard of minimum sum of $1,000,000. J.P. Morgan of U.S. Steel was in ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:21

Tags: Workplace

Denomination: Lutheran