In Sermon Illustrations: "Matthew 25:14-30"

A Guy Came To His Pastor And Said, ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 1, 2001

A guy came to his pastor and said, “Reverend, I only have one talent.” The pastor asked, “What’s your talent? The man said, "I have the gift of criticism." The pastor was wise and replied, "The Bible says that the guy who had only ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:14-30

Tags: Christian Love, Parable Talents

The Right Side  PRO

Contributed by Larry Daugherty on May 22, 2001

THE RIGHT SIDE The story is told of a little girl who had lived her life in the city and was acclimated to the many street lights at night. She had opportunity to go to the country on a vacation. One starlit night, she and her mother stood gazing up into the sky without any street lights to ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:1-30

Tags: Preparation, Heaven

Denomination: Holiness

To Risk  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on May 25, 2001

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool To weep is to risk appearing sentimental To reach out for another is to risk involvement To expose feelings is to risk exposing, your true self To place your ideas, your dreams before a crowd is to risk their loss To love is to risk not being loved in ...read more

Scripture: Numbers 24:1-13, Matthew 25:14-30, Matthew 25:31-46

Tags: Fear And Worry, Endurance, Doubt

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Too Many People Come To Church Three Times ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Hensley on May 31, 2001

Too many people come to Church three times primarily. They're Baptized, they get married, and they have their funeral service at the Church.The first time they throw ...read more

Scripture: Luke 19:10, Luke 19:1-10, John 21:15-21, Matthew 25:14-30

Tags: Time, Church General, Apologetics General, Faith, Faith Vs. Works  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

In Other Words, We Begin Our Christian Life In ...  PRO

Contributed by Bill Sullivan on Jul 11, 2001

In other words, we begin our Christian life in God’s grace, and then quickly abandon grace, and try to live our life, and almost to continue to earn our salvation, - by what we do, by our works. Author Jerry Bridges puts it like this: "We tend to give an unbeliever just enough of the gospel to get ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:14-30

Tags: Character, Faith Vs. Works, Sowing, Tares, Weeds, Judgment, Grace  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Missionary Was Seated On A Plane Next To A ...  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Howell on Apr 17, 2002

A missionary was seated on a plane next to a well-dressed young man and they soon began conversing. The missionary asked him what he did for a living. He answered, “I’m in big business.” “So am I,” replied the missionary. With that the young man remarked, “I cover the entire U.S. with my ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:14-30

Tags: Great Commission, Church Body Of Christ, Kingdom Of God, Matthew

Denomination: Wesleyan

One Saturday Morning A Wife Awoke To The ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 24, 2002

One Saturday morning a wife awoke to the delightful smell of waffles and the sound of her two small boys in the kitchen with her husband. Padding down to breakfast, she sat on her husband’s lap and gave him a big hug for his thoughtfulness. Later that day, she and her husband were having a heated ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:24-30

What Is Your Colt?  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 8, 2003

WHAT IS YOUR COLT? Bill Wilson pastors an inner city church in New York City. His mission field is a very violent place. He himself has been stabbed twice as he ministered to the people of the community surrounding the church. Once a Puerto Rican woman became involved in the church and was led to ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:14-29

Tags: Easter Palm Sunday

Fifteen Years Ago, I Was Serving As Pastor In ...  PRO

Contributed by David Dykes on Apr 10, 2003

Fifteen years ago, I was serving as pastor in Alabama and our church was in a capital stewardship campaign to raise money to build a new building. There was one particular lady in our church who was a widow. Her husband had left her a lot of money, and she had a lot more than she really needed. She ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:14-29

Tags: Gifts Giving

Denomination: Baptist

In A Speech Made In 1863, Abraham Lincoln Said, ...  PRO

Contributed by Jeff Simms on Jul 22, 2003

In a speech made in 1863, Abraham Lincoln said, "We have been the receipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prospertiy; we have grown in numbers, wealth, and power as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 8:13-14, Proverbs 30:8-9, Matthew 13:22, Luke 15:11-32, Titus 2:11-15, Isaiah 26:3, Luke 9:52-62, Psalm 139:7-8, 2 Corinthians 3:13-18, Colossians 3:10, Luke 19:32, Luke 4:14-27, 1 Peter 1:1-9, Ephesians 2:8-10, Ephesians 4:11-16, John 20:24-31, John 15:13-15, Matthew 24:17-21, 2 Chronicles 7:1-4, Zechariah 9:9-12, John 1:1-18, Proverbs 4:1-30, Romans 8:35-39, 1 Peter 1:4, 2 Peter 1:4, Galatians 1:1-22, 1 Peter 1:22, Matthew 28:19-20, Luke 5:1-11, James 4:1-10, Isaiah 57:15, 1 John 2:2, Genesis 17:15-19, Jeremiah 31:27-34, Revelation 2:4-5, Joshua 18:1-25, Luke 18:9-14, 2 Peter 1:3-11, Luke 19:1-10, Matthew 25:31-46, Nehemiah 2:18-20, John 13:23-24, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4, Matthew 25:21, John 4:21-24, John 10:7-15, John 12:1-8, Mark 3:1-9, Ecclesiastes 3:1-9, Mark 10:35-45, Psalm 100:1-5, Matthew 24:36-44, Luke 6:27-30, Matthew 2:1-18, Isaiah 7:1-16, Matthew 1:23, 2 Corinthians 3:1-11, Matthew 3:1-12, Luke 2:1-7, Matthew 2:13-23, 1 Kings 17:1-7, Matthew 5:21-37, Revelation 2:1-29, Hebrews 1:6-14, 2 Timothy 1:3-5, John 17:1-24, Colossians 2:1-10, John 1:29-42, 1 John 4:7-12, Proverbs 1:20-30, Joshua 1:1-9, 1 John 5:1-12, 1 John 5:10-12, Joshua 1:1-11, James 1:19-27, Matthew 22:37-40, John 2:1-11, Genesis 6:5-13, 1 Corinthians 13:1-7, Matthew 26:26-30, 2 Samuel 7:12-16, 1 Corinthians 9:19-34, 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, 2 Timothy 3:10-17, Exodus 14:10-15, 1 Timothy 6:19, Romans 12:1-2, Matthew 4:1-11, 1 John 1:1-10, Philemon 1:17-19, Hebrews 11:8-10, Genesis 40:1-23, John 8:1-11, Colossians 4:2-6, John 14:15-21, Isaiah 48:17-18, 2 Chronicles 1:6-12, Titus 3:1-5, Acts 8:9-24, Romans 12:12-14, 1 Peter 1:18-23, Exodus 1:1-8, 2 Samuel 9:6-13, 1 John 5:14-15, Mark 10:17-31, Luke 13:1-17, Matthew 21:1-11, Ecclesiastes 9:10, Romans 8:24-25, Philippians 4:6-12, Hebrews 7:1-28, John 14:15-17, Luke 6:6-11, Hebrews 11:1-40, Philippians 2:5-11, Matthew 25:14-28, Psalm 138:1-8, Psalm 13:1-6, Romans 1:8-15, Isaiah 27:6, Matthew 13:44-52, John 20:19-31  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Christian, Compassion, Commit, Commitment, Grace, Greatness, Injustice, Jude, Judgment, Heaven Our Hope, Hope, Humility, Forgotten, Faith, Peace Of God, Privilege, Promise, Pride, Love, Prosperity, Safari, Strength, Wealth, Wear, Trust  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Let's Play ‘let's Pretend'. Let's Pretend That ...  PRO

Contributed by Charles R. Swindoll on Oct 13, 2004

Let’s play ‘Let’s Pretend’. Let’s pretend that you work for me. In fact, you are my executive assistant in a company that is growing rapidly. I’m the owner and I’m interested in expanding overseas. To pull this off, I make plans to travel abroad and stay there until a new branch office gets ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 3:1-13, Matthew 25:14-30, Matthew 17:1-13, James 1:22, John 19:30-31, John 11:1-45, John 11:45-57  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Leighton Farrell Was The Minister Of Highland ...  PRO

Contributed by Joel Vicente on Feb 14, 2005

Leighton Farrell was the minister of Highland Park Church in Dallas for many years. He tells of a man in the church who once made a covenant with a former pastor to tithe ten percent of their income every year. They were both young and neither of them had much money. But things changed. The layman ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:14-30, Matthew 25:14-30

Tags: Gifts Giving, Giving General

Denomination: Baptist

Sheila-Ism?" Matthew 25:14-30 Key Verse(S) ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Apr 6, 2005

“Sheila-ism?” Matthew 25:14-30 Key verse(s) 24:“Then the man who had received the one talent came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.’” Taking the safest route is something that my father always ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:14-30

Tags: Faith, Faith General, Gift, Money, Obedience  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Lutheran

Carpe Diem." Seize The Day. Make The Most Of ...  PRO

Contributed by David Flowers on May 4, 2005

“Carpe Diem.” Seize the day. Make the most of every opportunity. Seize – the day. Notice the phrase is not “with utmost care and caution, after you have worked out the cost/benefit analysis and determined that there is no logical reason why all systems should not be go, and have assured ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:14-30

Tags: Giving Yourself

Denomination: Free Methodist

Only A Risk Away! (08.26.05--Under ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Aug 25, 2005

Only A Risk Away! (08.26.05--Under Pressure!--Judges 6:25-30) Is it worth Risking? It used to be that life was a matter of “this I will risk” but “this I will not.” Risk was something that was weighed on a daily basis. It was a part of life. You picked one thing over another because you had ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:14-30, Judges 6:25-30

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

Two Sons And What They Did With Their ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 11, 2009

Two Sons and What They Did With Their Marbles Once upon a time, a mother gave each of her sons two dollars and took them to a toy store to buy the beautiful, shiny marbles they had been asking for. The older son quickly figured out how many marbles he could get with his two dollars, chose the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:14-30

Tags: Stewardship

Using The Resources You Have  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 18, 2012

USING THE RESOURCES YOU HAVE At 12:55 pm the mayday call crackled through the speakers at the Flight Service Station on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula. The desperate pilot of a Piper A22, a small single-engine plane, was reporting that he had run out of fuel and was preparing to ditch the aircraft in ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:14-30, Ruth 1:1-5

Tags: Grace, Stewardship, Investment, Value, Give Back  (view more)  (view less)

And Also With You!  PRO

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 30, 2014

I love the story about the Lutheran pastor who always started each service off with the phrase, "The Lord be with you." The people would then respond, "and also with you.” However, one Sunday the sound system wasn’t working very well. The pastor stepped up to the pulpit and said, "There’s ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:4, Matthew 6:7, Matthew 25:14-22, James 1:2-12

Tags: Sin, Mistakes, Honesty, Confession Of Sin

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Ballerina - Using Your Talents

Contributed by John Gullick on Oct 22, 2015

Let me tell you a story - it is a modification of a story I wrote a few years ago and I simply want to draw out that each person invested what God had invested in them. It is called the Ballerina. Once upon a time there was an orphan ballerina - how she loved to dance. She was the most elegant of ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:14-44

Tags: Gifts, Talents, Ballerina

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed