In Sermon Illustrations: "Name" showing 2,281-2,300 of 3,796

The Purpose Of Life  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 28, 2012

THE PURPOSE OF LIFE There's a guy named Hugh Morehead who 45 years ago began a hobby of writing to famous philosophers and scientists and authors and asking them, "What is the purpose of life?" The responses he got back were depressing at best. Isaac Asimov wrote back, "As far as I can see there ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 1:1-14

Tags: God Brings Purpose

Be ...  PRO

Contributed by Joe Bertone on Aug 1, 2012

BE PREPARED A student is taking a class in ornithology, the study of birds, and it’s a very difficult class with a very ornery professor. He walks in for the final, and he thinks he’s studied up for it, but there’s no paper and pencil questions, no little blue books. He looks above the chalkboard ...read more

Scripture: Luke 3:1-6

Tags: Preparation, Prepare, Final, Parable Ten Virgins

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Truth Of The Book  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Oct 23, 2012

THE TRUTH OF THE BOOK John Ortberg states "It’s a strange thing: the book has never been so accessible. According to Guinness Book of Records, L. Ron Hubbard’s writings of scientology have been translated into 65 languages; the Koran is supposed to be read in Arabic so it hasn’t been translated ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16-17, 1 Corinthians 13:1-7

Tags: Bible Truth

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Christ Is The Wind, Christianity Is The Sail  PRO

Contributed by Ken Pell on Mar 2, 2013

CHRIST IS THE WIND, CHRISTIANITY IS THE SAIL Does the practice of our religion reflect the God we serve? In Shane Hipps' book, "Selling Water by the River: A Book about the Life Jesus Promised and the Religion that Gets in the Way," he uses an analogy from sailing to express what has happened in ...read more

Scripture: James 1:26-27

Tags: Religion

Denomination: Nazarene

Abraham Lincoln: Merit Your Freedom  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 8, 2013

ABRAHAM LINCOLN: MERIT YOUR FREEDOM In the last days of the Civil War, the Confederate capital, Richmond, Virginia, fell to the Union army. Abraham Lincoln insisted on visiting the city. Even though no one knew he was coming, slaves recognized him immediately and thronged around him. He had ...read more

Scripture: John 21:3-14, Romans 6:1-23, Galatians 5:13-15

Tags: Christian Liberty

A Surprise Visit From Abraham Lincoln

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 9, 2013

A SURPRISE VISIT FROM ABRAHAM LINCOLN In the last days of the Civil War, the Confederate capital, Richmond, Virginia, fell to the Union army. Abraham Lincoln insisted on visiting the city. Even though no one knew he was coming, slaves recognized him immediately and thronged around him. He had ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:13-14

Tags: Freedom, Christian Liberty

Rain Man Doesn't Understand Inheritance

Contributed by David Ward on Feb 25, 2016

"Rain Man" was the top moneymaking film of 1988, and also won the Oscar for Best Picture. It tells the story of an abrasive and selfish wheeler-dealer named Charlie (Tom Cruise), who discovers that his estranged father has died and bequeathed all of his multimillion-dollar estate to his other son, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:19-34

Tags: Eternal Inheritance, Treasures In Heaven, Priorities, Wealth And Riches

Denomination: Baptist

Jesus The Perfect Man  PRO

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Jul 3, 2016

Harry Ironside, the Bible teacher, told of a visit to Palestine years ago by a man named Joseph Flax. He had an opportunity to address a gathering of Jews and Arabs and took for the subject of his address the first Psalm. He read it and then he asked the question: "Who is this blessed man of whom ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 1:1-6

Tags: Wisdom, Perfection

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Being Crucified With Christ

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Aug 11, 2016

As I was typing up the many pages of notes I would use for my weekly podcast sermon, I needed to replace some letters in a name in part of my document with "M-E," so it would read correctly as I recorded. I was trying to use the ’Find & Replace’ command, but it looked a little ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 2:20

Tags: Sin, Flesh, Self, Crucified With Christ, Crucify Flesh, Crucified  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Charismatic

Surrounded By Idiots

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Aug 10, 2021

Do you ever feel like you are surrounded by idiots? One web site collected stories… I was signing the receipt for my credit card purchase when the clerk noticed that I had never signed my name on the back of the credit card. She informed me that she could not complete the transaction ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 29:5-7

Tags: Sense, Brains, Idiots, Dumb Things We Do, Halfwit, Stupid  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

I Got You

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Oct 2, 2021

I like to take my dogs places with me. They have their own seats in the back seat of my pickup. I have a small elderly dog named Bambi who has always had anxiety, I think from having to survive on her own when she lived in the streets as a tiny little thing with no one to feed or care for her. A ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 54:4, 1 Peter 5:7

Tags: Adversity, Assurance, Anxious

Denomination: Charismatic

Obstacles To The Goal

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Oct 29, 2021

COLLEGE: WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU ARE HIT REAL HARD. ROY RIEGELS WILL FOREVER BE KNOWN AS “WRONG WAY ROY.” Roy played for the University of California from 1927 to 1929. Back then freshmen and sophomores never played on varsity. On January 1, 1929 Roy played in the ROSE BOWL. The GOLDEN ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:12-15, Matthew 13:45

Tags: Goal, Obstacle

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Trust Issues

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Jul 18, 2022

John 2:23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. 24 But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, 25 and needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man. As I ...read more

Scripture: John 2:23-25

Tags: Trust, Opposers, Opposition, Brethren, Betrayal  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

The Obituary Of Someone Else

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Nov 20, 2022

Our church was saddened to learn this week of the death of one of our most valued members, Someone Else.   Someone’s passing creates a vacancy that will be difficult to fill. Else has been with us for many years and for every one of those years, Someone did far more than a normal person’s ...read more

Tags: Volunteers, Church Members, Service, Sacrifice

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Simple Confession, Profound Forgiveness

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 31, 2022

In 1818 one out of six women who had children died of something called “childbirth fever.” A doctor’s daily routine back then started in the dissecting room, where he performed autopsies, and from there he made his rounds to examine expectant mothers. No one even thought to wash his hands...at ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 1:9

Tags: Grace, Forgiveness

The Angel Of Music

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jun 14, 2023

In Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical The Phantom of the Opera, a young chorus girl named Christine Daae receives voice training from a mysterious musician she calls the “Angel of Music.” Christine believes this is the angel her dying father had promised to send to complete her musical training. As ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 3:8, 1 John 4:4

Tags: Satan, Temptation, Spiritual Warfare, Evil, Armor Of God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Everybody Ought To Know!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jul 17, 2023

I had a friend who pastored in Texas years ago who was going door-to-door to invite people to church and to know Christ. The pastor knocked on one door and an elderly woman answered. He said, “I am here to invite you to our church and to tell you about Jesus Christ. “ The woman said ...read more

Tags: Hell, Angels, Devil, Demons, Lucifer, Rebellion, Satan, Spirits, Spiritual Warfare  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Worst Dad Joke Ever

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jul 17, 2023

I usually begin every one of my Sunday sermons with a funny story to get our congregation comfortable before I begin to dive in deeply to the Word of God. If you like dad jokes or puns (old name) and you want to make your congregation groan a little bit.........check this dad joke out! CHESS ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 17:22, Galatians 5:22-23

Tags: Dad Jokes, Happiness, Humor, Medicine, Laughter, Joy  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Pride Illustration

Contributed by Bruce Blythe on Dec 27, 2023

The Background My observation, after reading my Bible, Observing fellow Christians, And considering my own Christian life is: Pride is the biggest problem, For 99.9% plus of Christians! You could not tell it though. Christians don’t talk about it (much). Preachers don’t preach on it (much). But the ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 16:18

Tags: Pride, Lesson

Denomination: Baptist

John Harper's Last Convert

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 22, 2024

A man stood up in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada four years after the sinking of the Titanic in a testimony meeting and this is what he said. He said, “I am a survivor of the Titanic. When I was drifting alone on that awful night, the tide brought a man toward me in the sea and his name was John ...read more

Scripture: Acts 16:25-34

Tags: Believe, Death, Faith, Evangelism, Salvation, Saved, Trust, Testimony, Lost, Witnessing  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational