In Sermon Illustrations: "Misunderstandings"

Misunderstanding

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Aug 23, 2021

A woman was trying hard to get the ketchup out of the jar. During her struggle the phone rang so she asked her 4-year-old daughter Amanda to answer the phone. And kids view the world differently sometimes. Literally. She answered the phone obediently, "Hello, this is Amanda. Mommy can't ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 29:12-17

Tags: Children, Interpretation, Hermeneutics, Misunderstanding, Amusing, Wording  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Misunderstanding!

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Jan 22, 2025

Today, I spent an hour in my car terrified to go inside because I thought my house was being burgled. I saw rapid shadows in the light of my lounge. Eventually I plucked up the courage to creep inside with a rock to find it wasn't a ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 4:9-16, Joshua 22:11-34

Tags: Assuming, Jumping To Conclusions, Error, Assumptions, Mistake  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Christmas Misunderstanding

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Dec 21, 2020

A little five year old girl took a sheet of brown construction paper and cut out the letter “E” with her safety scissors. She wrapped it and gave it to her dad for Christmas. When dad opened the present, he looked at it with a smile and asked, “what ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:15

Tags: Christmas, Gifts, Misunderstanding, Oops

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Misunderstandings Can Be Hilarious

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Jun 6, 2022

Misunderstandings happen all the time. Here are some: My toddler was about to hit her head on a bar at the playground, so I told her to duck. She quacked at me and then hit her head. A guy ran into a service station and said he needed some 710. They had no idea what he was talking about. So he ...read more

Scripture: John 14:1-11

Tags: Humor, Literal, Misunderstanding, Too Literal, Miscommunication  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Misunderstanding The Value Of The Cross

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Nov 9, 2022

Some years ago, a 14-foot bronze crucifix was stolen from Calvary Cemetery in Little Rock, Arkansas. It had stood at the entrance to that cemetery for more than 50 years. The cross was put there in 1930 by a Catholic bishop and had been valued at the time at $10,000. The thieves apparently cut it ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 3:1-4, Romans 5:8

Tags: Crucifixion, Salvation, Gospel, Truth, Cross, Lost, Saved, Blood Of Jesus  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

There Is Much Misunderstanding About What ...

Contributed by David Scudder on Jul 19, 2007

There is much misunderstanding about what forgiveness really means. Like the story about a pastor who visited a man who had been active in the church, but, due to a dispute with a fellow member, he had stopped coming to church. He reasoned with him at length about the need for forgiveness and ...read more

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Six Misunderstandings About Temptation

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 8, 2024

Misunderstandings regarding temptation: 1) Temptation itself is sin. 2) We fall into temptation. 3) God is disappointed and displeased when we are tempted. 4) To be strongly tempted means we are as guilty as if we had actually committed sin. 5) We overcome all temptation by separation ...read more

Scripture: James 1:10-15

Tags: Satan, Temptation, Failure, Tests, Trials, Sin, Lust  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Misunderstanding Can Lead To Creativity. "Bell ...

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Nov 29, 2006

Misunderstanding can lead to creativity. "Bell was inspired to start development of the telephone when he read an account, written in German, describing an invention which he thought had the function of a telephone. After demonstrating his first working telephone Bell learned that, because of the ...read more

Denomination: Independent/Bible

How Are You Doing?

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Jul 2, 2021

There's a story about a little girl who came home from school one day, and her mother met her at the door: Hi! How was school today? How are you doing? With the honesty of little people, the girl replied, Oh, not so well, mommy. My tummy hurts! Mothers know everything, and this mommy had ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 16:5-6

Tags: Joke, Child Misunderstanding

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

There's A Familiar Story About The New Bride Who ...

Contributed by Paul Barreca on Jan 11, 2014

There's a familiar story about the new bride who is cooking a big family dinner. As the ladies are gathered in the kitchen, the bride puts the roast in the pan and asks her mother why we always cut the end of the roast and put it in another pan? They ask grandma who says, "well honey, I cut the ...read more

Scripture: James 1:1-2

Tags: Newlywed, Tradition, Ritual, Misunderstandings

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Grandpa Croaked!  PRO

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 1, 2014

GRANDPA CROAKED! A little girl crawled up in the lap of her Grandpa and cuddled close. Then she looked into Grandpa’s face with those big blue eyes of hers and said, "Grandpa, can you please make a sound like a frog?" Grandpa thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "Ribbit. Ribbit." ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 9:27

Tags: Death, Children, Heaven, Misunderstandings

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Missing The Point

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Aug 2, 2021

A minister decided that a visual demonstration would add emphasis to his Sunday sermon. Four worms were placed into four separate jars: The first worm was put into a container of alcohol. The second worm was put into a container of cigarette smoke. The third worm was put into a container of ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, 1 Corinthians 10:1-5

Tags: Interpretation, Conclusion, Misunderstanding, Error, Perspective, Failure  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

How Do I Know?

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 22, 2025

[Australian joke] Ricky decides to go back home to Melbourne so he calls Qantas Airlines to book his flight. The operator asks him, 'How many people are flying with you?' Ricky ...read more

Scripture: Mark 13:1-13

Tags: Communication, Honesty, Confusion, Misunderstanding, Dual Meaning  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Love Involves A Peculiar Unfathomable ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

Love involves a peculiar unfathomable combination of ...read more

Tags: Christian Love

Ever Since Eve Gave Adam The Apple, There Has ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"Ever since Eve gave Adam the apple, there has been a misunderstanding ...read more

Tags: Sin Fall Of Man

Wayne Grudem Writes, "In A Day When It Is Common ...

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Jan 25, 2010

Wayne Grudem writes, "In a day when it is common for people to tell us how hard it is to interpret Scripture rightly, we would do well to remember than not once in the Gospels do we ever hear Jesus saying anything like this: 'I see how your problem arose--the Scriptures are not very clear on this ...read more

Tags: Bible Study

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Constant Kindness Can Accomplish Much. As The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, ...read more

Tags: Christian Love

A ...

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Nov 18, 2009

A SERMON I’d rather see a sermon than hear one any day. I’d rather one should walk with me than merely show the way. The eye’s a better pupil, and more willing than the ear; Fine counsel is confusing, but example is always clear. So I’d rather get my lesson by observing what you do; It is not ...read more

Tags: Action

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Say All You Have To Say In The Fewest Possible ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"Say all you have to say in the fewest possible words, or your reader will be sure to skip them; and in the plainest possible ...read more

Tags: Words

It Is Excellent Discipline For An Author To ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 11, 2007

"It is excellent discipline for an author to feel that he must say all that he has to say in the fewest possible words, or his reader is sure to skip them; and in the plainest ...read more

Tags: Art