In Sermon Illustrations: "A Natural Man"

Forgiving Flowers

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Jun 9, 2011

FORGIVING FLOWERS Fifteen years ago in Houston, a man named Ron Flowers accidentally shot school teacher Deirdra Washington through a car window during the course of a failed drug deal and was sent to prison for 35 years. Her family was consumed, destroyed by grief and anger. For 14 years Flowers ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness General

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

A Savior, Not An Example

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 12, 2011

A SAVIOR, NOT AN EXAMPLE D.M. Stearns was preaching in Philadelphia. At the close of the service a stranger came up to him and said, "I don’t like the way you spoke about the cross. I think that instead of emphasizing the death of Christ, it would be far better to preach Jesus, the teacher and ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:10-11

Tags: Jesus Christ

Pavarotti's Grandmother

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 8, 2011

PAVAROTTI'S GRANDMOTHER Luciano Pavarotti, the famous opera star, almost missed his calling. As a young man, he taught elementary school and sang only occasionally. But several people made the difference for him. One was his grandmother who, when he was a boy, would hold him in her lap and say, ...read more

Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 1:3-4

Tags: Encouragement

Jealous In A Restaurant  PRO

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Jan 10, 2013

JEALOUS IN A RESTAURANT There is an old story about an older couple having dinner in a restaurant. The wife sees another couple about their age sitting in a booth nearby. She sees the husband sitting close to his wife, with his arm around her. He is whispering things in her ear, and she is smiling ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:28

Tags: Contentment, Marriage General

Denomination: Baptist

New Perspective

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 15, 2013

New Perspective A guy was crossing the street to visit his neighbor. As he started to cross the street, a car was bearing down on him, so he stopped and backed up to the curb. The car stopped, so he started to cross, and the car started to move toward him. He changed direction and went back to the ...read more

Tags: Empathy, Thoughtfulness

The Body Of Christ Is Not Divided  PRO

Contributed by Silas Eke on Feb 26, 2015

A Baptist Pastor had a dream and found himself fully dressed with a Bible in hand at the gate of heaven. As he was about to enter, he heard so many people crying and wailing in hell. He went to the gate and met the gate-keeper. He asked the gate-keeper “Who are those crying? Is there a Baptist ...read more

Tags: Denominationalism, Unity In Christ

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Touched By A Five Year Old

Contributed by John Gullick on Aug 15, 2017

On July 27th In Indiana a policeman, Lieut Aaron Allen was shot by a man he was trying to help. He was killed and he had a five year old son. Not long after police including the police chief drove cars 1- 2 hours down highway 31 in Indiana and arrived in a town with their sirens going. They ...read more

Scripture: Luke 17:15-19

Tags: Thankfulness, Love

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Captain Is My Daddy

Contributed by Paul Steen on Dec 24, 2018

A little boy was standing on the banks of the Mississippi River waving and shouting at a steamboat that was going by. He was beckoning the steamboat to come to shore. A stranger came by and said, “That's foolish young man. The boat will never come ashore for you. The captain is too busy to ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:9, 2 Thessalonians 2:16

Tags: Father, Answered Prayer

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Alone In A Dark Cave

Contributed by Steve Kinnard on Feb 14, 2019

Alone in the dark in the Cave Back in my teenage years we would go exploring caves. One day five of us went cave exploring, we only had two flashlights but being young , we thought that was enough. We were deep inside the cave and I decided to climb up a shelf, while the others waited and held the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 31:1-5

Tags: Fear, Trouble

Denomination: Pentecostal

Meeting William Shatner

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Jan 27, 2020

“When I was a kid, my dad and I were driving somewhere on a nice, sunny afternoon…. My window was rolled down. The town we live in isn’t known to be a destination for celebs of any kind. We pull up to a light; we’re the second car from the front. A polished limo pulls up next to us, and the window ...read more

Tags: Famous, Ordinary, Fame, Human, Celebrity  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Watch Your Mind And Mouth

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Jan 5, 2021

Titus 3:9 But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain. 10 A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject; 11 Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of ...read more

Scripture: Titus 3:9-11

Tags: Heresy, Shun, Arguments, Strivings

Denomination: Baptist

Old Bible

Contributed by John Bright on Jan 17, 2021

A collector of rare books ran into an acquaintance who told him he had just thrown away an old Bible that he found in a dusty, old box. He happened to mention that Guten-somebody-or-other had printed it. "Not Gutenberg?" gasped the collector. "Yes, that was it!" "You ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 4:12

Tags: Bible, Word Of God

Denomination: Methodist

Jesus, As An Example

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Jun 11, 2007

Illustration: Jesus, as an example D. M. Stearns was preaching in Philadelphia. At the close of the service a stranger came up to him and said, “I don’t like the way you spoke about the cross. I think that instead of emphasizing the death of Christ, it would be far better to preach Jesus, the ...read more

Denomination: Other

In Edward Gibbons Book, The Decline And Fall Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

In Edward Gibbons book, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, he mentions a statement from one of the most powerful, prosperous, and prestigious Muslim rulers of the Roman era. Gibbons wrote, “It may therefore be of some use to borrow the experience of the same Abdalrahman, whose magnificence ...read more

Tags: Humility

Edwin Arlington Robinson (1869–1935) Wrote A ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Edwin Arlington Robinson (1869–1935) wrote a poem about a rich man during the early 1900s, called “Richard Cory”: Whenever Richard Cory went down town, We people on the pavement looked at him: He was a gentleman from head to crown, Clean favored, and imperially slim. And he was always quietly ...read more

Tags: Humility

Children's Prayers

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

CHILDREN’S PRAYERS: Dear God: Please send a new baby for Mommy. The new baby you sent last week cries too much. Debbie, 7 Dear God: Who did you make smarter? Boys or girls? My sister and I want to know. Jimmy, 6 Dear God: How many angels are there in heaven? I would like to be the first kid in my ...read more

Tags: Prayer How To

Poem: Invictus By William Ernest Hensley

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Poem: Invictus by William Ernest Hensley Out o the night that covers me, Black as the Pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be for my unconquerable soul. In the fell clutch of circumstance, I have not winced nor cried aloud, Under the bludgeonings of chance, my head is bloody, but ...read more

Tags: Faith

Years Ago On A Tv Show, A Guest Appeared That ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Years ago on a TV show, a guest appeared that was a body builder. As he entered the stage with his huge muscular body the crowd went crazy as the body builder began to flex his muscles and show his power. The first question asked of him was this: “What do you use all those muscles for?” Without ...read more

Tags: God Brings Purpose

There Is One Great And Mysterious Thing That ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

There is one great and mysterious thing that happens in the lives of little boys all across the country - it’s the phenomena called the “New Sneaker Syndrome.” You all know exactly what I am talking about. When a little boy gets a new pair of shoes, what happens? THEY CAN RUN FASTER I remember ...read more

Tags: Sin Bondage To

B) Albert Ackley Series Of Evangelistic Meeting, ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

B) Albert Ackley series of Evangelistic meeting, when young Jewish man asked “Why should I worship a dead Jew?” … Ackley searched it out, and would resolve “He lives I tell you, he is not dead…I can prove it by my own experience: "I serve a risen Savior, He’s in the world today; I know that he is ...read more

Tags: Joy