In Sermon Illustrations: "2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18"

Many People Are Physiologically Sensitive To ...

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Oct 19, 2008

Many people are physiologically sensitive to chocolate. Certain of the larger benzene compounds present in chocolate are resisted by their bodies through an allergic reaction. Depending on the individual, this reaction may range from very mild, producing a minor skin rash, to very severe, producing ...read more

Tags: Law

Denomination: Other

Christmas Night 2002, Jack Whittaker Had Five Out ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 27, 2008

Christmas night 2002, Jack Whittaker had five out of five numbers in the West Virginia Power ball drawing. Jack Whittaker had just won $314 million, the largest undivided lottery jackpot in history. He took the one lump payment and received $113 million after taxes. Listen closely to this part. ...read more

Tags: Money

What’s Giving Thanks All ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 31, 2008

What’s giving Thanks all about A. The pilgrims did it 1. In 1621, the pilgrims celebrated the first harvest at Plymouth 2. To them, it was a religious holiday celebrating all that God gave them The Pilgrim Proclamation of 1623 Inasmuch as the great Father has given us this year an abundant ...read more

Tags: Thanksgiving Holiday

Fake Seatbelts And Submission

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 28, 2009

FAKE SEATBELTS and SUBMISSION Seatbelts can be a hassle. Some people just don’t want to be bothered even when the law requires them to buckle up. According to the Associated Press, a New Zealander named Ivan Segedin took it to an extreme. The police ticketed him 32 times over five years for ...read more

Tags: Arrogance

Last Week We Attended Our Niece's Wedding. Our ...

Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Mar 4, 2009

Last week we attended our niece’s wedding. Our little 2 year-old granddaughter Lydia was the Flower Girl and our 5-year-old grandson David was Ring-Bearer. Susan was talking to David after the wedding about what a great job he did coming up that aisle. She told him, “Charis said you were an ...read more

Tags: Pride

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Rich So You Can Be Generous

Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Mar 4, 2009

RICH SO YOU CAN BE GENEROUS While I’m not a proponent of the health and wealth gospel, I find verses 8-11 of 2 Cor. 9 to be nothing short of amazing in terms of a Biblical promise. How else would you interpret words like these? "You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on ...read more

Tags: Giving General

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Choice: Build Up Or Tear Down  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 11, 2009

THE CHOICE: BUILD UP OR TEAR DOWN Years ago I picked up a poem named "The Choice." I do not know where I got it nor the author, but it illustrates the importance of building others up. This poem raises the question of whether we will "tear down or build up." "I watched some men tearing a building ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:11, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

Tags: Encouragement

You Think He Was ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 12, 2009

"YOU THINK HE WAS MAD?..." An important business executive boarded the New-Orleans-to-Washington train. He was a heavy sleeper, and he needed to be awakened in order to get off the train in Atlanta about five o’clock in the morning. He found a porter and told him, "I want you to awaken me in order ...read more

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Changing The Label On ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 13, 2009

CHANGING THE LABEL ON SIN Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman told of a distinguished minister, Dr. Howard, from Australia who preached very strongly on the subject of sin. After the service, one of the church deacons came to counsel with him in the study. "Dr. Howard," he said, "we don’t want you to talk as ...read more

Tags: Sin General

To Win Them, You Must Weep For Them  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 27, 2009

TO WIN THEM, YOU MUST WEEP FOR THEM A woman went to her pastor and said, "I’ve been a Christian for 20 years. I’ve read books on how to win souls. I’ve memorized scripture. I’ve taken courses on how to win the lost. And yet I haven’t won one person to the Lord. Why?" The pastor’s answer ...read more

Scripture: Luke 19:41-44

Tags: Evangelism How To

Get On With It, You Old Goat

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 28, 2009

"GET ON WITH IT, YOU OLD GOAT." I heard the story about a college choir which was all set to present a concert in a large church which was to be carried live by a local radio station. When everything appeared to be ready, the announcer made his final introduction and waited for the choir director ...read more

Scripture: James 1:22-24

Tags: Action

Love In The Driveway  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 25, 2009

LOVE IN THE DRIVEWAY One young boy said, "Love is when his daddy reads me a bedtime story. True love is when he doesn’t skip any pages." I remember when my son Shawn was in high school. Several times he parked his truck in the middle of the driveway. That got my dander up, because I could not get ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Tags: Christian Love

Ignoring The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 25, 2009

IGNORING THE WARNINGS On Sep. 28, 1986 heavy rains flooded many low-lying areas of the Midwest. Two years before, there was a flood that many remember as the "Memorial Day Massacre" that claimed the lives of twenty people in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as small creeks and drainage ditches became killer ...read more

Scripture: Ezekiel 18:30-32

Tags: Evangelism, Evangelism Urgency

Silence: Taking Your Soul With You  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 25, 2009

SILENCE: TAKING YOUR SOUL WITH YOU Author Kathleen Norris used to play a game with elementary-school children in which she would make a deal with them. "First you get to make noise," she would bargain, "and then you’ll make silence." The time of noise was always predictably chaotic -- shouting, ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 46:10

Tags: Maturity, Disciplines Silence

The Miracle In A Bug  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 25, 2009

THE MIRACLE IN A BUG Shortly before his death, the legendary film producer Cecil B DeMille wrote this beautiful meditation: "One day as I was lying in a canoe, a big black beetle came out of the water and climbed up into the canoe. I watched it idly for some time. Under the heat of the sun, the ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 1:26

Tags: Creation

George Barna Has Shown His Skill In Taking The ...

Contributed by Charles Wilkerson on Jul 7, 2009

George Barna has shown his skill in taking the pulse of the church in the US for years. April 2 of this year he published a new book titled The Seven Faith Tribes: Who They Are, What They Believe, and Why They Matter. The tribes Barna identify are the seven tribes include Casual Christians, Captive ...read more

Tags: Salvation

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Kingdom In My Heart

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 10, 2009

KINGDOM IN MY HEART Alistair MacLean quotes a story from Tauler, the German mystic: One day Tauler met a beggar. "God give you a good day, my friend." he said. The beggar answered, "I thank God I never had a bad one." Then Tauler said, "God give you a happy life, my friend." "I thank God," said ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:11-13

Tags: Fear And Worry

Talk To Jesus Like Your Daughter

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 10, 2009

TALK TO JESUS LIKE YOUR DAUGHTER I was reading about a grieving woman. She went to the Rev. F. B. Meyer looking for help. She said, "Pastor, my daughter died last year. I miss her so much. I made breakfast for her every morning. And even when I had to go to work, I knew that she would be there ...read more

Scripture: John 11:35

Tags: God In The Hardships

Don't Get Tangled ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 10, 2009

DON’T GET TANGLED UP A few years ago, at the 2002 Winter Olympics, there were five finalists for the Men’s 1000 Meter Speed Skating Race. During the final lap, the American and Chinese were out front with the Canadian and Korean skaters hot on their heels. Australia trailed behind obviously ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:8-10

Tags: Temptation, Temptation Resisting

Leaving A Message For ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 13, 2009

LEAVING A MESSAGE FOR GOD In March 2009, Dutch artist Johan van der Dong decided God needed a telephone number. So, he got him one, a cell phone number to be exact--to show that God was "available anywhere and anytime." In an interview, Dong said, "In earlier times you would go to a church to say ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 15:29

Tags: Prayer, Prayer General