In Sermon Illustrations: "Mark 4:13-13:20"

Secure In My Pocket

Contributed by Larry Turner on Jul 28, 2014

My phone was secure. I had it shoved far down into my pants pocket. There was no way it could fall out; no way could I lose it. I denied it at the time but I saw the signs. They read “Please put any items that you do not want to lose in the bins or lockers before getting on the ride.” I chose to ...read more

Scripture: Mark 8:35

Tags: Dying To Self, False Confidence

Denomination: Foursquare

Humble Confidence

Contributed by Suresh Manoharan on Aug 11, 2014

At the outset, I desire to bring to the fore, a ‘juicy’ tale adorning Science history. When, the invention-coal miner’s lamp- of Sir Humphrey Davy began to pale relatively before the astounding discoveries of his far more illustrious pupil Michael Faraday (in the field of electro-magnetism and ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:31

Tags: Work, Hardened, Softened

Denomination: *other

Leave You Nickel On The Table

Contributed by Larry Turner on Jan 9, 2015

Everyone who has met my little 4 year old grand-daughter Ava knows she is very witty at times. The things this child says and does often blow me away. Last Sunday she found a nickel on the floor after church. I told her she could keep it. What she did with it was precious and a life lesson. We ...read more

Scripture: Mark 12:41-44

Tags: Trusting God, Assurance, Tithes And Offering

Denomination: Foursquare

Matt Mikalatos Has Identified Several Imagina...

Contributed by Tim Smith on May 28, 2015

Matt Mikalatos has identified several Imaginary Jesus’ we hold. There’s TV Jesus, who says: "If you follow me, you will have the life you always wanted. Money! Wealth! Big house! Fancy plane! Unending health!" There’s Hollywood Jesus who is mild and kind and never asks for anything difficult. ...read more

Scripture: Mark 8:27-35

Tags: Barriers To Growth, Potholes

Denomination: Methodist

Standing Up For Persecuted Christians

Contributed by John Crowe on Oct 29, 2015

Michael Horowitz is a Jewish attorney in Washington, D.C. who has done more for persecuted Christians than almost any Christian I know. He recently wrote to me that from his long experience with efforts to help rescue persecuted Christians, his sad experience is that U. S. Christian leaders are ...read more

Scripture: Mark 9:41

Tags: Persecution, Persecuted Christian

Denomination: Baptist

Little Gifts

Contributed by Gerald Manning on Dec 14, 2015

The man was quite obviously hard pressed by life .. his clothing was a bit tattered, he hadn’t shaved for several days, his face was gaunt, his eyes vacant. He was hungry, no doubt, and all I had in my pocket was a quarter. I knew that it wouldn’t buy much, but perhaps it was a start, and I ...read more

Scripture: Mark 12:41-44

Tags: Offering, Giving, Small Gifts, Poor People

Denomination: Nazarene

Spiritual Hunger: Stop Feeding People Who Are Not Hungry!

Contributed by Kingdom Focus Institute on Jan 31, 2016

About that time there was once again a large crowd with nothing to eat. Jesus called his disciples and said to them, 2 “I feel sorry for the people. They have been with me three days now and have nothing to eat. 3 If I send them home before they’ve eaten, ...read more

Scripture: Mark 8:1-3

Denomination: *other

In The 1971 Film Willy Wonka And The Chocolat...

Contributed by Davon Huss on Aug 25, 2016

In the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, chocolateer Willy Wonka (played by Gene Wilder) launches a worldwide frenzy when he inserts five golden tickets into his famous Wonka Bars. Each ticket gives the owner a chance to tour the chocolate factory and win a lifetime’s supply of ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:13-16

Tags: Childlike Faith

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Feed Them

Contributed by Andrew Moffatt on Sep 12, 2016

The thing is that Jesus did perform the miracle, but he didn’t feed the five thousand. You may be thinking here; Andrew you’re just being a bit silly about this. But for Jesus disciples this was one of those great learning moments. The disciples rock up with a problem and Jesus says we'll solve it, ...read more

Scripture: Mark 6:35-44

Tags: Equipped For Service, Miracle, Hands On, Service, Feeding 5000  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Salvation Army

True Faith Is Grounded In True Discipleship

Contributed by Brandon Sirolli on Jun 23, 2017

The Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to two flight attendants called into the cockpit of a small passenger jet. There the captain of the airliner told them the jet would soon crash and they needed to hand out parachutes but do so in an orderly manner so as not to cause problems. The two talked it ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:31-38

Tags: Truth, Cost Of Discipleship, Prosperity Gospel, Faith, Discipleship  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Loaves, Fish, And Children's Sermons

Contributed by Roberta Karchner on Nov 18, 2017

I love doing chidren's sermons, but it doesn't always work out quite the way I expect. So it went one morning when I spoke to the children about the loaves and fish. Just to make my point, I began by showing them five rolls and two fish sticks on a plate. I asked them how to share it so that all ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 14:13-21, Mark 6:31-44, Luke 9:12-17, John 6:1-14, Matthew 15:32-39, Mark 6:1-9  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Miracles Of Jesus, Loaves And Fish, Childrens Sermon, Miracles

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Connotations For Us As Disciples Of Christ

Contributed by Gordon Mcculloch on Feb 11, 2018

Jesus also tells us in Matthew 28, (the most familiar version of the Great Commission), that, “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:16-20, Mark 9:2-9

Tags: Transfiguration, Great Commission

Denomination: Episcopal

Mark 11:1-11

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Mar 20, 2018

Jesus’ Mock Parade Imagine for a minute a grand parade. It might be one of those that celebrates military might with tanks and rockets. It might have brass bands, flags waving and marchers goose-stepping in rhythm, with a dictator either clapping from a grandstand or even at the head of the ...read more

Scripture: Mark 11:1-11

Tags: Politics, Palm Sunday, Mocking

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Ten Word Sermon

Contributed by Kevin Barron on Aug 31, 2018

The shortest sermon I know is only ten words. It was preached by my grandfather to a small, country congregation on the story of the Good Samaritan (Mark 10:35-45). He read the account of an outsider who demonstrates true neighbor love by stopping on the road to care for a bleeding and badly ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:35-45

Tags: Compassion, Good Samaritan

Denomination: United Methodist

A Gift Of Kindness - You Never Know

Contributed by Roberta Karchner on Oct 20, 2018

A number of years ago, my husband and I went to Applebees on our Anniversary for a quiet dinner together. It was, indeed, very quiet, because my husband had just been ordered to undergo an MRI, and we knew that the results might change our future forever. Still, we did what old married couples ...read more

Scripture: Mark 12:31, Hebrews 13:2, Matthew 25:39-40

Tags: Do Unto Others, Love Your Neighbor, Loving Acts, Kind Acts

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Unhappy Church Member

Contributed by Kerry O'neill on Jan 27, 2019

A christian man was stranded on a deserted island for many years. He was finally discovered and a rescue crew arrived. They were impressed with all the things he built by himself, most prominently 3 buildings. They asked him about the first building and he answered, “That is where I live.” Then ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:45

Tags: Negativity, Church Hopping

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Watch Out For Icebergs

Contributed by Steve Kinnard on Feb 10, 2019

: On April 14, 1912 there was another boat out on the water in Trouble. this ship was considered unsinkable, it had the latest Technology built in. The Captain of the ship said “ I can’t Imagine any condition that would cause this ship to flounder I cannot conceive of any vital disaster ...read more

Scripture: Mark 4:35-41

Tags: Disaster, Touble

Denomination: Pentecostal

God's Doing Something

Contributed by Steve Kinnard on Feb 14, 2019

GOD IS DOING SOMETHING Gas Station Business Card A few years ago, I was impressed of God to design a business card that had a picture of hell on the front with the words “GET OUT OF HELL FREE” on the back I placed Salvation Scriptures. I was driving to work early one morning and nearing my exit, ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:27

Tags: Obedience, Unexpected

Denomination: Pentecostal

Almost

Contributed by Steve Kinnard on Feb 15, 2019

Almost Story It started out with a low rumbling; then there was the sound of the explosion. It seemed like the whole world was rocking and reeling under the blow of Mother Nature. The sky was filled with smoke as dark as a midnight; the ashes from the eruption were falling like snow in a winter ...read more

Scripture: Mark 4:17

Tags: Delay, Almost

Denomination: Pentecostal

The Inner Life - To Few Who Love The Cross

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Feb 22, 2019

Thomas a Kempis wrote: Jesus today has many who love his heavenly kingdom, but few who carry his cross; many who yearn for comfort, few who long for distress. Plenty of people he finds to share his banquet, few to share his fast. Everyone desires to take part in his rejoicing, but few are ...read more

Scripture: Mark 8:34-38

Tags: Submission, Carry Your Cross

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed