In Sermon Illustrations: "Act"

Don't Do Road Rage If You Have A Christian Bumper Sticker!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on May 29, 2022

I love the story of the stressed-out woman who was tailgating a man as they drove on a busy boulevard. When he slowed to a stop at a yellow light, the woman hit the horn, cussing and screaming in frustration and gesturing angrily. As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and ...read more

Tags: Stress, Satan, Obedience, Humor, Hypocrisy, Testimony, Police  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Just Say The Word

Contributed by Samuel M on Jul 6, 2024

The Centurion said, "But just say the word, and my servant will be healed." He meant that if Jesus said the word or gave a command, it would trigger millions of mighty angels (under his control) to instantly act upon the word and fulfil it. These millions of angels are very powerful and ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 8:8

Tags: Faith, Healing

Are We Hypocrites?

Contributed by John Bright on Feb 13, 2025

I once saw a video of a pastor who had figures, covered with sheets, up in the front of the church. As he started to preach, they were uncovered and you could see monsters and scary characters related to Halloween. The preacher kept asking, “Should these be in the House of God?” The congregation ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:11-12

Tags: Holiness, Halloween, Hypocrite

Denomination: Methodist

Paul Brand Wrote In The March 4, 1983 Issue Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Bobby Mcdaniel on Oct 19, 2003

Paul Brand wrote in the March 4, 1983 issue of "Christianity Today:" Blood spatters the pages of mythology and of history. Drinking it gives strength and new life: to the ghosts of the dead in The Odyssey, to the Roman epileptics who dashed onto the floor of the Coliseum to quaff the blood of ...read more

Tags: Assurance Of Salvation, Lord's Supper

Paul Harvey Wrote In Guidepost Magazine About His ...  PRO

Contributed by Ted Mulder on Nov 20, 2004

Paul Harvey wrote in Guidepost Magazine about his own baptism. He said that even though he had received almost every reward for his broadcasting ability that he still felt empty inside. One summer, however, he & his wife were vacationing in a place called Cave Creek, AZ. Sunday morning came & ...read more

Tags: Baptism

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

One Of The Ways That Children Change A Marriage ...

Contributed by Stephen Evoy on Jan 4, 2008

One of the ways that children change a marriage is easy to identify: they require us husbands to grow up and become their daddies. Unfortunately, some husbands are not willing to pursue this change. Many children grow up in homes where daddy often acts like a big baby. I know a guy who accuses ...read more

Denomination: Free Methodist

In The City Of Philadelphia There Was A Little ...

Contributed by Scott Jensen on Jun 26, 2008

In the city of Philadelphia there was a little third-class hotel. Into it one night there came two tired elderly people. They went up to the night clerk and the husband pleadingly said, “Mister, please don’t tell us you don’t have a room. My wife and I have been all over the city looking for a ...read more

Tags: Kindness

Denomination: Lutheran

[241]. A Message From A Poem – Christmas Glory

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Dec 22, 2025

[241]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – CHRISTMAS GLORY This little poem was written for a short Christmas Meditation that is on SermonCentral. As you can see it is an acrostic. I have always been thrilled with this verse from Luke – {{Luke 2:9 “An angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them and THE ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:9, Matthew 17:1-3, Acts 9:3, Philippians 3:21

Tags: Christian Poems, Moses On Sinai, An Acrostic Poem, Christmas, Meditation, Glory Of The Lord, Shepherds, Mount Of Transfiguration  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Some Of Us Love To Take The Simple And Make It ...  PRO

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Jan 25, 2001

Some of us love to take the simple and make it complex. Some of us thrive on taking perfectly obvious matters and making them as obscure as possible. My neighbor’s car has on it a bumper sticker that says, “Eschew obfuscation”. After about ...read more

Scripture: Acts 17:22-31

Tags: Bible Study

Denomination: Baptist

How Do You Have A Loving Church? A Survey Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 1, 2001

How do you have a loving church? A survey of 8,600 people from congregations in 39 different denominations measured their `love quotient’. The conclusion - growing churches are more loving to each other and to visitors than declining churches. Loving ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:42-47

Tags: Unity, Love Of The Disciples, Christian Love, Community, Characteristics  (view more)  (view less)

Hell Freezes Over  PRO

Contributed by Robert Rust on Mar 2, 2001

HELL FREEZES OVER A rough and gruff man from Massachusetts who didn’t live a very good life died and went to hell. The devil really wanted to punish him, so he put him to work breaking up rocks with a sledgehammer. To make it worse he cranked up the temperature and the humidity. After a couple ...read more

Scripture: Acts 16:25-26

Tags: Hell, Lively, Sports, Second Coming

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

One Man Was Always Worrying. He Worried About His ...  PRO

Contributed by Gerald Cornelius on Mar 27, 2001

One man was always worrying. He worried about his children, his job, his wife, his health. One day a friend of this man noted that he was extremely calm and peaceful. "Why are you so calm?, he asked. "You always worry about every-thing. What happened?" The former worrier replied, "I just hired a ...read more

Scripture: Acts 9:10-18

Tags: God Brings Hope, Guilt, Peace

Denomination: Baptist

Years Ago On A Variety Show, A Guest Appeared ...  PRO

Contributed by James May on Apr 20, 2001

Years ago on a variety 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?” ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:1-11

Tags: Holy Spirit Attributes, Finding Fulfillment

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Larry Crabb Wrote In His Book Connecting, ...  PRO

Contributed by Andrew Chan on May 18, 2001

Larry Crabb wrote in his book Connecting, “We have made a terrible mistake! For most of this century we have wrongly defined soul wounds as psychological disorders and delegated their treatment to trained specialists. Damaged psyches aren’t the problem. The ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:42-47

Tags: Compassion, Church Small Groups, Unity

Denomination: Evangelical Free

Requires A Can Of Coca-Cola) Coca-Cola Is One ...  PRO

Contributed by R. Darrel Davis on Jun 2, 2001

(Requires a can of Coca-cola) Coca-cola is one product that has far outgrown its humble beginnings. In 1886, Dr. John Pemberton first introduced Coca-Cola in Atlanta, Georgia. The pharmacist concocted a caramel-colored syrup in a three-legged brass kettle in his backyard. He first "distributed" ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:8

Tags: Sharing Your Faith, Evangelism How To, What Is Evangelism?

Denomination: Baptist

D L Moody Was Once Asked Why He Urged Christians ...  PRO

Contributed by Owen Bourgaize on Jun 3, 2001

D L Moody was once asked why he urged Christians to be filled constantly with the Holy Spirit. "Well," he said, "I need a continual infilling because I leak!" He pointed to a water tank which had sprung a leak. "I’m like that!" he said. It’s a fact that living in this sinful world we do need to ...read more

Scripture: Acts 8:35-40

Tags: Holy Spirit Baptism, Love Of The Disciples

Denomination: Baptist

Carlyle Fielding Ste, How Long Will You Limp?: ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 1, 2001

Carlyle Fielding Ste, How Long Will You Limp?: "Too many churches today are devoid of the Spirit of Pentecost because they are dry and stale, where people are in a stupor; where worship services are wooden and so scripted that they are hollow; where the preaching is dull and flat; where the ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:1-13

Tags: Apathy, Lack Of Joy, Revival, Preservation, Pentecost  (view more)  (view less)

Do You Remember Bubba Smith? He Retired ...  PRO

Contributed by Melvin Newland on Nov 13, 2001

ILL. Do you remember Bubba Smith? He retired from professional football a few years ago. Then, after he retired from playing football, Bubba Smith started making beer commercials. He was the guy who tore the top off of beer cans, & engaged in the argument about whether it is less filling or ...read more

Scripture: Acts 17:22-37

Tags: Christian Love

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Christian, If Thou Wouldst Know The Path Of Duty, ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 10, 2002

Christian, if thou wouldst know the path of duty, take God for thy compass; if thou wouldst steer thy ship through the dark billows, put the tiller into the hand of the Almighty. Many a rock might be escaped, if we would let our Father take the helm; many a shoal or quicksand we might well avoid, ...read more

Scripture: Acts 16:6

Tags: Holy Spirit In Believers, God's Omniscience, God The Father

The Evangelist, Lieghton Ford Was Speaking At An ...  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Howell on Apr 11, 2002

The evangelist, Lieghton Ford was speaking at an open-air crusade in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Billy Graham was to speak the next night and had arrived a day early. He came incognito and sat on the grass at the rear of the crowd. Because he was wearing a hat and dark glasses, no one recognized him. ...read more

Scripture: Acts 20:24

Tags: Evangelism How To, Sharing My Testimony

Denomination: Wesleyan