In Sermon Illustrations: "1 Samuel 1:1-40:1"

Love Is Action  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 5, 2001

LOVE IS ACTION In his book, Dad, The Family Coach, Dave Simmons tells of an act of sacrificial love that occurred in a shopping mall. One day he took his eight year old Helen and five year old Brandon to the Cloverdale Mall. He needed to buy some tools in Sears. When they pulled into ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:7, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

I Have A Dream That One Day On The Red Hills Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Tim Zingale on Jan 9, 2001

"I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.. ...I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:12-20, 1 Corinthians 12:20

Tags: One Body, Unconditional Love, Racism

Denomination: Lutheran

My Wife And I Recently Visited With A Couple Who ...  PRO

Contributed by Howard Harden on Jan 18, 2001

My wife and I recently visited with a couple who were the proud parents of a baby boy, just over a year old. As soon as we entered their home, we noticed that everything about this house was dedicated to protecting their baby. There were plastic plugs in the electrical outlets to keep the baby from ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 16:9, 1 Corinthians 16:13-14

Tags: Home, God's Provision, Evil, Trinity

Denomination: Baptist

One Of The Most Memorable Books I Have Ever Read ...  PRO

Contributed by Dan Erickson on Nov 21, 2000

One of the most memorable books I have ever read is A Severe Mercy. This is the story of Sheldon Vanauken and his wife Davy, who happened to be friends of C. S. Lewis. This couple was deeply in love and they sought to build the ideal marriage. They would only read books that the other wanted to ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, 1 Corinthians 13:7-10

Tags: Fulfillment, Marriage Commitment, Marriage General, Success

Denomination: Baptist

God Has Given Us All A Sweet Spot—in Fact, ...  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Emmert on May 29, 2001

God has given us all a sweet spot—in fact, Paul says that God has given us the gift of a sweet spot so that we could serve God and produce the maximum result and maximum satisfaction both for God and for us. Mark McGwire said, “When I feel the ball hit right on the sweet spot, a home run is ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:7, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Tags: Field, Gifts General

Denomination: United Methodist

How Does Adoption Change Things? ...  PRO

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Mar 1, 2008

Illustration: How does adoption change things? Here’s a secular example: In 1952 a probation officer in New York City tried to find an organization that would assist in the adoption of a twelve-year-old boy. Although the child had a religious background, none of the major denominations would assist ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 2:15-17, 1 John 2:25-26

Denomination: Other

Christian Education Recognized The Inspired ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"Christian education recognized the inspired Word of God, not only as its text and the sum of its message, but also as the source of the principles by ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 4:1-16, 1 Timothy 4:12-16

Tags: Christian Values

The Real Trouble With This World Of Ours Is Not ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"The real trouble with this world of ours is not that it is an unreasonable one. The trouble is that it ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 2:15-17, 1 John 2:3-17

Tags: Worldliness

If Crumbs Of Joy Now, What Next?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 2, 2012

IF CRUMBS OF JOY NOW, WHAT NEXT? A widely respected man known as "Uncle Johnson" died in Michigan at the incredible age of 120. Perhaps his advanced years could be credited in part to the cheerful outlook that characterized his life. One day while at work in his garden, he was singing songs of ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 2:9-16, 1 Corinthians 2:2

Tags: Joy

Blackaby: What Does A Calling Look Like?  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Jan 3, 2013

BLACKABY: WHAT DOES A CALLING LOOK LIKE? Henry Blackaby shares from his book "The Power of the Call" pages 10-14 a clear picture of what one looks like who is called by God into pastoral ministry: 1. The pastor is chosen 2. He is chosen by God 3. He is chosen by God to be His servant 4. He is ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:1-4, 1 John 4:7-10

Tags: Pastor, Leadership General, Elder, Shepherd

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Marriage: Preparation Is Key  PRO

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Jan 12, 2013

MARRIAGE: PREPARATION IS KEY "Promises are no substitute for preparation in marriage. Just because you say 'I Do' does not make you able. Just because you say 'I Do' does not make you capable. It only makes you accountable. And when you are accountable for something you are not capable of ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 7:1-7, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Tags: Love, Marriage, Wedding, Promise, Marriage Struggle  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Golfers Have A Change Of Heart

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 21, 2013

GOLFERS HAVE A CHANGE OF HEART When you willingly give Jesus all that you are and all that you have, you receive so much more in return. I heard a story once about a group of guys who were returning from playing golf in rural Georgia. As they drove down a two-lane road they came up on a ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 3:16-20, 1 Timothy 6:6-19

Tags: Compassion

Ashamed When It Counted The Most

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Dec 18, 2019

Ashamed when it counted the most My two sisters, when they were somewhat younger, liked to play the piano and took lessons for some time. I like music, too, but not all the practicing that went along with it! We found out there was going to be a “recital” where all of the students in their ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:12-15, 1 John 2:28

Tags: Christian Life, Shame, Rewards

Denomination: Baptist

It’s Closer Than I Thought!

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Feb 7, 2020

My wife and her parents used a certain brand of ketchup for many things over a long period of time. They hadn’t had any of it, though, in maybe 30 years or so. They believed this brand wasn’t available, locally, so they never got around to finding any more of it. Now, I grew up in a different part ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:3, 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Tags: God's Will, Discovery, Sharing

Denomination: Baptist

Why The Interruptions?

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Feb 27, 2020

Like many of us, I love listening to good Bible teachers on the radio. Great men of the past and great men of the present have given a great deal of time to explain and comment on the Word of God. We are truly blessed because of their efforts. My prayer is the Lord rewards them greatly when we ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:8, 1 Corinthians 3:14

Tags: Interruptions, Bible Teachers

Denomination: Baptist

They Took It Away!

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Mar 3, 2020

My parents used to operate a true “Mom and Pop” grocery store before I started school. I still remember some of the good times—and some of the bad times, too, unfortunately—from those days gone by. Some of the items they had for sale were plastic models. These were mostly Revell, Lindberg, or ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 3:22, 1 John 5:18

Tags: The Will Of God, Take It Or Leave It

Denomination: Baptist

The Man Of God Who Spoke To Ahab, King Of Israel

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Jun 25, 2020

The man of God who spoke to Ahab, king of Israel Text: 1 Kings 20:28 And there came a man of God (identity unknown), and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the LORD, Because the Syrians have said, The LORD is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys, therefore will I ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 20:28, 1 Kings 16:31

Tags: Ahab, Man Of God

Denomination: Baptist

Enticed By A False Prophet

Contributed by Richard Tow on Apr 26, 2021

Shortly after Jeanie and I were married, we were fresh out of Bible College and I was doing some teaching. The associate pastor of our church approached us in private with a very flattering word. He said that God had told him to gather an elite circle of you couples for him and his wife to mentor. ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 14:29, 1 John 2:27

Tags: Prophecy, False Prophets, Deception

Denomination: Charismatic

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

Super Bowl Mvp

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Feb 14, 2022

When receiver Cooper Krupp was named MVP of the 2021 NFL Super Bowl fans may think an athlete would soak up the attention, inflate their ego and define their identity according to their on field accomplishments. But Kupp actually minimized the place of football and elevated the kingdom of God. He ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:25, 1 Corinthians 3:10-15

Tags: Gospel, Discipleship, Reward, Witness, Eternity  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational