In Sermon Illustrations:

Greed: The Cat And The Vase  PRO

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Feb 9, 2012

GREED: THE CAT AND THE VASE A man wanders into a small antique shop in San Francisco. Mostly it's cluttered with knickknacks and junk. On the floor, however, he notices what looks like an ancient Chinese vase. On closer inspection it turns out to be a priceless relic from the Ming dynasty whose ...read more

Scripture: Luke 12:15, Luke 14:7-14, Luke 14:1-6, 2 Timothy 2:8-15, Daniel 6:1-28, Luke 10:38-42, Romans 6:1-4, Isaiah 7:10-14, Matthew 1:18-25, Luke 10:1-11, 1 Samuel 12:1-41, John 20:18-31, 2 Thessalonians 6:1-10  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Greed

Denomination: Baptist

A Study In Compassion

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Feb 10, 2012

A STUDY IN COMPASSION John Darley and Daniel Batson decided to replicate the story of the Good Samaritan with seminary students. A few variables were introduced. The seminarians were interviewed and asked why they wanted to go into ministry. There were a variety of responses, but the vast majority ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:25-37

Tags: Compassion

Denomination: Baptist

Survivorman And Esau

Contributed by Johnny A. Palmer Jr. on Feb 13, 2012

SURVIVORMAN AND ESAU I love to watch things like Survivorman - he goes all over the world and survives in the harshest enviornments. But he is like Esau! Self-sufficient, I have never seen him bow his head in prayer and ask God for help; I ...read more

Tags: Self

Denomination: Baptist

A Friend In Montana Told Me About A Sheepherder ...  PRO

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Feb 13, 2012

A friend in Montana told me about a sheepherder who discovered oil on his land and became enormously rich. One of the first things he bought was a Rolls Royce limousine, the kind usually driven by a chauffeur who sits in front of a glass partition. When the sheepherder brought this splendid car in ...read more

Scripture: Luke 16:13

Tags: Money, Materialism

Denomination: Baptist

Wearing 30,000 Bibles

Contributed by Chuck Sligh on Feb 26, 2012

WEARING 30,000 BIBLES Years ago a missionary returned to England for a brief furlough after many years of faithful service in India. He was invited to a dinner at a great summer resort where he met many women of prominence and position. After dinner he went to his room and penned a ...read more

Tags: Missions

Denomination: Baptist

Pray And Read Your Bible

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Feb 29, 2012

PRAY AND READ YOUR BIBLE A man was in prison and was in need of some money. He wrote his mother and asked her to send five hundred dollars immediately. Soon after, he got a package in the mail. It was a Bible. On the top of the Bible, there was a letter that said, "Son, I love you. Pray and read ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:19

Tags: Men's Day

Denomination: Baptist

A Sacrifice Of Praise Hurts!

Contributed by Mark Stepherson on Mar 1, 2012

A SACRIFICE OF PRAISE HURTS! Several years ago, there was a song on Christian radio that said, "We bring a sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord." It had a happy, upbeat tune. Listening to it, I had the feeling that the singers were intrigued by the words but had not personally ...read more

Tags: Prayer Adoration

Denomination: Baptist

Two Women Praying

Contributed by Robert Sickler on Mar 6, 2012

TWO WOMEN PRAYING There were two widow women, each with only a single son. The two young men both got involved in drugs and they both ended up in prison. The women were devout Christians and both had been in constant prayer for many years. When their two boys were sent to prison the one woman ...read more

Tags: Prayer Answered

Denomination: Christian Church

The Decline Of Marriage And Children

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Mar 9, 2012

THE DECLINE OF MARRIAGE AND CHILDREN Rutgers University Sociology Prof. David Popenoe, and Jean Bethke Elshtain, Professor of Social and Political Ethics at the University of Chicago divinity School. Concluded that the decline of marriage is mainly responsible for the deteriorating well-being of ...read more

Tags: Divorce

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

That's My Country

Contributed by Guy Mcgraw on Mar 11, 2012

THAT'S MY COUNTRY George Shultz, when Secretary of State during the Reagan administration, kept a large globe in his office. When newly appointed ambassadors had an interview with him and when ambassadors returning from their posts for their first visit with him were leaving his office, Shultz ...read more

Tags: Missions

The Issue Isn't Whether Or Not God Is Speaking; ...

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Mar 15, 2012

The issue isn't whether or not God is speaking; it’s whether we will have ears to hear what he says. [Hybels, Bill (2010-07-27). The Power of a Whisper: Hearing God, ...read more

Scripture: John 14:26

Tags: Holy Spirit In Believers

Denomination: Baptist

Facing The Music

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Mar 19, 2012

FACING THE MUSIC Many years ago a man wanted to play in the Imperial Orchestra, but could not play a note. Since he was, however, a person of great wealth and influence, he demanded to be allowed to join the orchestra so that he could perform in front of the king. The conductor agreed to let him ...read more

Tags: Judgment

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Cross Of Victory

Contributed by Mark Schaeufele on Mar 30, 2012

THE CROSS OF VICTORY John Stott is his book The Cross of Christ, wrote, "It is impossible to read the New Testament with being impressed by the atmosphere of joyful confidence which pervades it, and which stands out in relief against the rather jejune (superficial) religion that often passes for ...read more

Tags: Cross

Denomination: Methodist

The Inner Need For Excellence

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Apr 3, 2012

THE INNER NEED FOR EXCELLENCE Years ago during a speaking engagement, I stayed in a hotel in Dallas. It was late at night, and after flipping channels for a while, I landed on ESPN, which is how I learned that tennis legend Martina Navratilova had just won a grueling match in Florida earlier that ...read more

Scripture: Malachi 1:7-8

Tags: Attitude General

Denomination: Baptist

Holy Joy

Contributed by Ken Pell on Apr 6, 2012

HOLY JOY Richard Foster describes holy joy like this: "Joy, not grit, is the hallmark of holy obedience. ...It is a cheerful revolt against self and pride. ...Utter abandonment to God is done freely and with celebration. And so I urge you to enjoy this ministry of self-surrender. ...The saints ...read more

Tags: Joy

Denomination: Nazarene

Not Ready

Contributed by Guy Mcgraw on Apr 9, 2012

NOT READY After a presentation on the Evidences of God in Science four physics professors came up to Hugh Ross afterwards. Hugh asked if any of them could deny any of what had been presented. They said they could not. He then asked, "Why are you not ready to accept the conclusions?" One said ...read more

Tags: Atheism

Spiritual Redwoods

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 18, 2012

SPIRITUAL REDWOODS Can you imagine a redwood tree saying, "I’d just rather remain a little bush"? That would seem insane, right? I want to put up on the screen some pictures of redwood trees. They are truly magnificent. My oldest daughter and her husband were married at the foot of redwood that ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 1:3-14

Tags: Growth In Christ

On The Obedience Of A Dog

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 18, 2012

ON THE OBEDIENCE OF A DOG It's been said that it is not the dog's keen smell or hearing that has endeared him to modern man, it's his uncomplaining readiness to obey and lavish affection on his human friends. A dog is loyal, loving, and lovable, even if his master can boast none of these ...read more

Scripture: Luke 6:46-49

Tags: Obedience

Baptism Long Ago

Contributed by Guy Mcgraw on Apr 23, 2012

BAPTISM LONG AGO Centuries ago the circumstances of one's baptism would come on Easter eve at midnight. In the semidarkness, he or she would disrobe and descend into the waters to be immersed three times, in the name of the Father, then the Son, and finally the Holy Spirit. The newly baptized ...read more

Tags: Baptism

Fulfilling Your Purpose

Contributed by Chuck Sligh on Apr 24, 2012

FULFILLING YOUR PURPOSE When we lived in Wiesbaden, some missionary friends bought a German toaster. When they got home, they plugged it in, placed some bread in it, and then waited for the toast to pop up a few minutes later. Well, the toast never did pop up from it because...well, it didn’t ...read more

Tags: God Brings Purpose

Denomination: Baptist