In Sermon Illustrations: "After Christmas"

Devoting Yourself

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 21, 2014

DEVOTING YOURSELF When it says they "devoted themselves" it means they were steadfast or single minded in purpose or desire. They wanted it and they were going after it, so to speak. In 2008 Sanya Richards-Ross competed in the 400 Meter in Beijing. She started the race strong and built a ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:42-47

Tags: Devotion, Church Body Of Christ, Spiritual Discipline

Reflecting The Light  PRO

Contributed by Everette Pafford on Feb 27, 2014

REFLECTING THE LIGHT A well-known Bible teacher has just finished speaking to a large class of business people on the Christians' responsibility to be light in the world. He had emphasized the as believers we all have the obligation to reflect the Light in the world, the Lord Jesus. After the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:14-16

Tags: Evangelism, Living As Light

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Smell The Rain

Contributed by Dr. David Hallum on Sep 10, 2015

When my daughter Cynthia was a little girl, we lived in Odessa, TX. We made one of the pilgrimages that we did from time to time to see my wife, Rosemary’s family. Rosemary’s brother, Michael was in town at the time from the Navy. Now in West Texas, rain is a beautiful thing. We got one of ...read more

Scripture: John 12:1-10

Tags: Disciples, Aroma, Smell, Pleasant

Denomination: Baptist

I'll Take Hymn!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Feb 26, 2016

One Sunday, a pastor told his congregation that the church needed some extra money. He asked the people to consider donating a little more than usual into the offering plate. He said that whoever gave the most would be able to pick out three hymns. After the offering plates were passed, the pastor ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 2:21-23

Tags: Marriage, Dating, Husbands And Wives, Singles

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Happiness Is Not Found In More Things....

Contributed by Garris Hudson on May 19, 2016

HAPPINESS IS NOT FOUND IN MORE THINGS... If having more would make us happy, we would never need the Tenth Commandment - "You shall not COVET.’ It is written especially for unhappy people who think that happiness is found in more things. Have you heard the story about the king who fell into a ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 20:1-17

Tags: Happiness, Materialism, Ten Commandments, Coveting

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Five Facts About Valleys

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Apr 17, 2017

God designs valleys for His sheep to grow and sometimes He has to "make us lie down" there to teach us how to trust Him. Here are 5 facts about valleys we need to remember: 1. Valleys are INEVITABLE. Jesus promised valleys would come in this world (John 16:33). 2. Valleys are UNPREDICTABLE. ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 23:1-4

Tags: Character, Tests, Trials, Valleys Of Life

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

When You Have Nothing Left But God, Then Fgod Is Enough

Contributed by Tim Smith on Aug 13, 2017

Pastor Norm Johnson tells the story of Bill who was gravely ill in the hospital. Norm was visiting him when the doctor came in and point blank said, “Bill, you're dead. There’s no hope. You’d better get your things in order.” Just that bluntly, no hope, no comfort, no, “How are you doing?” After ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-10

Tags: Hope, God Is Enough

Denomination: Methodist

Love Your Enemies

Contributed by David Simpson on Feb 19, 2018

After the horrific school shooting in Broward County, Florida on February 14, 2018, several prayer vigils were held in the community. The vigil on Thursday evening ended with a request for everyone to write one specific act of good that they would perform in the coming days and weeks as a way to ...read more

Tags: Persecution, Tragedy, Bitterness, Love Your Enemies

Denomination: Christian Church

Lost Sheep

Contributed by Steve Kinnard on Aug 9, 2019

When the sheep strayed, the shepherd left the 99 and searched for the lost one. I was that lost sheep, I got saved at an early age, and loved the lord with all my heart. Everything was great in my life, I married the girl of my dreams, then my world fell apart. In 1968, I got a letter from ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:4

Tags: Loss, Recovery

Denomination: Pentecostal

Why Did You Throw The Old Man Out???

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 30, 2020

Mercy is giving them a piece of your heart, not a "piece of your mind". There's a legend about a rabbi who welcomed a weary traveler into his home for a night of rest. After learning that his guest was almost a hundred years old, the rabbi asked about his religious beliefs. The man ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-12

Tags: Mercy, Endurance, Beatitudes, Patience

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Somebody’s Happy Somewhere.

Contributed by Roy Fowler on Sep 13, 2020

A grumpy old man and his wife . . . While on a road trip, an elderly couple stopped at a roadside restaurant for lunch. After finishing their meal, they left the restaurant, and resumed their trip. When leaving, the elderly woman unknowingly left her glasses on the table, and she didn't miss ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-12

Tags: Happy, Not Happy

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Three Feet Away

Contributed by Roy Fowler on Dec 14, 2020

During the gold rush, a man from Ohio traveled to California. It had taken him months to get there. He had to get a claim and register it and buy tools before he could start mining. The Ohioan had been mining for months. Finally after all the hard work and finding nothing quit his claim. He was ...read more

Scripture: Mark 1:1-8

Tags: Don't Give Up, Success Isn't Far Away

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Here's A Funny New Approach To Evangelism!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Apr 10, 2022

There was a barber that thought that he should share his faith with his customers more than he had been doing lately. So. the next morning when the sun came up and the barber got up out of bed he said, "Today I am going to witness to the first man that walks through my door." Soon after ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:8

Tags: Sermon Intro, Barbers, Evangelism, Gospel, Humor, Witnessing  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Can I Serve Your Sentence For You?

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Apr 10, 2022

Chuck Swindoll once told the story of a seminary student in Chicago who faced a forgiveness test. Although he preferred to work in some kind of ministry, the only job he could find was driving a bus on Chicago's south side. One day a gang of tough teens got on board and refused to pay the ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness, Forgiving Others

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Two Minutes

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Jul 12, 2022

Two Minutes to Eternity Marshall Shelley tells the story of his son's short life - just two minutes.The baby boy was born with a "chromosomal abnormality" called Trisomy 13. After the delivery, the doctor passed the baby to his mom. He was a healthy pink; Then he began to turn ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 1:27, Psalm 90:10-12, John 14:1-3

Tags: Death, Eternity, Heaven, Birth, Grief  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Close Call -- For Real!

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 3, 2024

The Arms Race was on; we no longer feared atomic bombs, but the H-bomb. Bomb shelters would not protect against that greater level of destruction. At one point, we were a button away from a nuclear holocaust. According to wikipedia.com, “Stanislav Yevgrafovich Petrov…. was a lieutenant colonel of ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 31:15, Matthew 24:6-14, Acts 4:28, Colossians 1:16, Psalm 2:1-12  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: History, Wars, End Times, Sovereignty, Danger, Providence  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Anaconda Attack

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Aug 12, 2024

Lorrie Anderson, missionary to the head-shrinking Candoshi Shapra Indians of Peru, was looking for a quiet place for her daily time of Bible reading and prayer, so she went down by the edge of the river. After reading the Bible, she took up her prayer list. Eyes closed, she did not see the deadly ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:1-10, Ephesians 6:10-18

Tags: Protection, Healing, Satan, Devil, Spiritual Warfare, Prayer, Miracles  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Don’t Hide The Light: The Blackberry Pocket Parable

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Feb 20, 2026

When I first got my Blackberry (throwback, anyone?), it had an annoying habit of opening up to the camera and taking literally hundreds of pictures of the inside of my pocket with the flash going. The camera was not intended to take pictures of lint covered peppermints or the amount of change I’ve ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:13-16, Isaiah 49:6

Tags: Evangelism, Light, Light To The Nations, Hiding The Light

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Being Humble - Young Seminarian Story

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Feb 24, 2026

A young seminarian ... was excited about preaching his very first sermon ... in the small church ... he grew up in. After three years in seminary, ... he felt adequately prepared, ... and when he was introduced to the congregation, ... he walked boldly ... to the pulpit, ...his head high, ... ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:1-6, Matthew 6:16-21, James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:5

Tags: Pride, Boldness, Confidence, Embarrassed, Humble  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Anglican

Native American - Apperances Can Be Deceiving - Humor

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Feb 28, 2026

A film crew ... was on location ... deep ... in the desert. One day ... an elderly Native American ... who had been watching the filming for several weeks ... went boldly up to the director and said, ... "Tomorrow rain." And sure enough ... The next day ... it rained. A week later, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:1-13

Tags: Parable, Deceiving, Apperances

Denomination: Anglican