In Sermon Illustrations: "Absent From The Body"

The Importance Of Focus

Contributed by Mark Tonkery on Feb 3, 2012

THE IMPORTANCE OF FOCUS When the Alaskan Pipeline was being built, there were many Texans who went to Alaska and found work on the pipeline. The Texans could only work a few hours in the frigid weather, yet the Eskimos, the native Alaskans, could work indefinitely in the cold. They decided to ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 13:4-8

Tags: Affliction

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Christlikeness: A Painful Process  PRO

Contributed by Josh Hunt on May 9, 2012

CHRISTLIKENESS: A PAINFUL PROCESS The truth is that the Spirit of the living God is guaranteed to ask you to go somewhere or do something you wouldn’t normally want or choose to do. The Spirit will lead you to the way of the cross, as He led Jesus to the cross, and that is definitely not a safe or ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:18, Matthew 16:24-25, Revelation 12:1-2

Tags: Holy Spirit In Believers

Denomination: Baptist

The Damage Of Disunity

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 9, 2012

THE DAMAGE OF DISUNITY Dwight L. Moody once stated, "I have never yet known the Spirit of God to work where the Lord's people were divided." Notice what Phinehas said: "This day we perceive that the Lord is among us" (Jo 22:31). The Lord's presence was among His people, because they walked in His ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-6

Tags: Divisions

Playing In The Dirt

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 15, 2012

PLAYING IN THE DIRT If you see a baby playing in the dirt, the baby may be dirty but you pretty much don’t make a big deal about it because it’s understood that babies play in dirt. Babies try to eat dirt. Babies scrub themselves in dirt. Dirt is a toy to a baby. But if you see a ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:11-16

Tags: Growth In Christ

Avoid ...

Contributed by Joe Bertone on Aug 1, 2012

AVOID TRAGEDY David Bloom, Today show co-host on weekends, died on April 6, 2003, while covering Operation Iraqi Freedom. Ironically, Bloom did not die from injuries sustained in conflict, but rather of a pulmonary embolism. Pulmonary emboli occur among those who sit for long periods of time, and ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 4:7

Tags: Tragedy, Ignorance, Counsel, Precautions, Parable Ten Virgins  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Woman, Her Attacker, And The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 5, 2012

A WOMAN, HER ATTACKER, AND THE BIBLE Earlier this year, a North Carolina woman read the Bible to her attacker for an hour and a half after he slashed her throat before the man apologized and left. Lindsay Wood, 32, of Shelby, N.C., had just arrived home from Bible study on Wednesday. Wood asked her ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:31-39

Tags: Bible Influence

The Vacuum Salesman  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 8, 2012

THE VACUUM SALESMAN A vacuum salesman down in rural Tennessee. He had a his vacuum cleaner and all of this tools and everything, and he went out there and he told a lady, "I’ve got the most exciting vacuum cleaner you have ever seen. It will clean your house from top to bottom...you only have to ...read more

Scripture: Luke 24:44-49, Mark 9:48-50, Leviticus 2:12-14

Tags: Power

The Master's Hand

Contributed by James Kelly on Aug 11, 2012

THE MASTER'S HAND An auctioneer was taking bids on household items. He was tired and wanted to go home. There was only one item left an old violin. It wasn’t much to look at and no sound came from it. It was a seemingly worthless instrument. The auctioneer started the bid who will give me one ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17-19

Tags: Grace

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Is There Hope For The Next Generation Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 7, 2013

IS THERE HOPE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF EVANGELICALS? Russell Moore recounts a conversation with the evangelical theologian Carl Henry. As Moore and some of his friends were lamenting the miserable shape of the church, they asked Dr. Henry if he saw any hope in the coming generation of ...read more

Scripture: Acts 9:1-15, Acts 2:47, Romans 8:31-36, Proverbs 20:21, Luke 8:22-25, Matthew 16:18  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: God Brings Hope

A Pastor In Disguise

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 9, 2013

A Pastor in Disguise A few years ago at a Methodist Church in North Wales, as worshippers arrived at the church, they were distressed to see a dirty, drunk, smelly homeless man on the front steps. They didn't realize this bum was actually their pastor, Derek Rigby, who had disguised himself as a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:31-46

Tags: Compassion, Homeless

The Virgin Birth

Contributed by Davon Huss on Dec 17, 2014

M.R. DeHaan- From a beginningless eternity Jesus was the infinite Son of God, one of the three persons of the trinity, equal with God the Father and the Holy Spirit. And then when the time for the payment of redemption’s price came, Jesus left the glories of the Father’s house, laid aside the form ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:6-8

Tags: Incarnation, Virgin Birth, Christ's Incarnation, Christmas Meaning

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Vastness Of Space

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Jan 2, 2015

I have read that the nearest star to our sun is called Proxima Centauri, and it’s about 4.22 light years away. As you know, a light year is not a measurement of time; it is a measurement of distance. Light is the fastest thing we know of, and a light year is how far it takes light to travel in a ...read more

Scripture: Romans 1:18-23

Tags: Creation, Astronomy

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Eating The Wrong Cookies - Assumptions

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Sep 30, 2019

A traveller, between flights at an airport, went to a lounge and bought a small package of cookies. Then she sat down and began reading a newspaper. Gradually, she became aware of a rustling noise. From behind her paper, she was flabbergasted to see a neatly dressed man helping himself to her ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 9:1-14

Tags: Satan's Craftiness, Deception, Assumptions

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Imhotep And Joseph

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Dec 9, 2019

A memory of Joseph may have been merged into the legend of Imhotep: “According to Egyptologists, the Pharaoh Djoser employed an adviser named Imhotep, who designed his pyramid. Prior to that time, Pharaohs were buried in low, rectangular structures called mastaba. Imhotep’s design used a creative ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 41:1-57

Tags: Leadership, Joseph, History, Egyptology, Imhotep  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Bad And Good Decision

Contributed by Sourav Dasgupta on Dec 30, 2021

Decision (Good & Bad Consequences) Esther 1: King Ahsereus & Queen Vasti) Errors of King 1.Wine Temptation 2.Queen Display 3.Anger Demonstration Errors of Queen 1.Husband's Disobedience 2.No Ungodly Guidance (Job Money Security Deposit) Proverbs 12:15 3.No 3rd Person in H-W ...read more

Tags: Godly Counsel, Obedience To Seniors

God's Assurance

Contributed by Jerry Cosper on Feb 13, 2023

Have you ever been in a store and see a child that has gotten separated from his parents? The fear is very evident on the child's face as well as the parents’ face. It's a horrible feeling when the child turns around and can't find his parents. They frantically look through every ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 24:15-22

Tags: Assurance, God's Plan

Denomination: Baptist

Go In This Might Of Yours

Contributed by Samuel M on Jul 17, 2024

When Israelites were oppressed by the Midianites, God came to Gideon and said “Go in this might of yours and deliver Israelites”. God did not bestow on Gideon any additional or greater strength and wisdom, but said that the existing might of his was sufficient to deliver the Israelites. So many ...read more

Scripture: Judges 6:14

Tags: Faith, Hope

Angels - Do You Believe?

Contributed by John Bright on Mar 20, 2026

Please raise your hand if you believe in angels. Thanks, put your hand down. Please raise your hand if you believe in demons. Thanks, put your hand down. If you raised your hand both times, you have a Biblical view of angels. Too many church members have a view of angels that contains New Age ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 2:10-16, Jude 1:8-11

Tags: Angels, Demons, Billy Graham

Denomination: Methodist

Victor Frankl, The Jewish Psychologist Who Spent ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 31, 2001

Victor Frankl, the Jewish psychologist who spent time in a Nazi concentration camp in Germany wrote, "They striped me naked. They took everything -- my wedding ring, watch. I stood there naked and all of a sudden realized at that moment that although they could take everything away from me -- my ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness General, Compassion, Christian Disciplines

A Few Years Ago, The World Press Review Carried ...  PRO

Contributed by Gene Barron on Mar 1, 2001

A few years ago, the World Press Review carried a quotation from the National Concord of Lagos, Nigeria. That paper reported that twenty-six lakes have been found beneath the Sahara desert. The American space shuttle “Columbia” determined by echoes it received that there are miles and miles of ...read more

Tags: Gifts General

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ