In Sermon Illustrations: "All Nations"

Accused

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Oct 29, 2012

ACCUSED A Louisiana man has been released from death row, becoming the 300th prisoner nationwide to be freed after DNA evidence showed he was innocent. Of those 300 prisoners, 18 had been on death row, according to lawyers from the New York-based Innocence Project. [source: Good News Network]. It ...read more

Tags: False Teaching

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Our Solar System Is Special

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Nov 4, 2012

OUR SOLAR SYSTEM IS SPECIAL Back in 2005, five secular planetary scientists met at the American Museum of Natural History and agreed that our solar system appears special. One commented, (Fritz Benedict of the University of Texas) "The older I get, the less likely it seems to me there'd be a bunch ...read more

Tags: Creation, Solar System

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Kyle Idleman On Carrying Your Cross

Contributed by Kevin Karhoff on Mar 18, 2013

There is no comfortable way to carry a cross; I don’t care how you position it. I often talk to people who are convinced that some suffering or pain in their lives is an indication that they must not be following Jesus. After all, if they are following Jesus, the Son of God, doesn’t it follow ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:23

Tags: Surrender, Jesus Christ, Commitment To Christ, Carrying Your Cross

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Few Who Bear His Cross  PRO

Contributed by Ken Pell on Jul 18, 2013

FEW WHO BEAR HIS CROSS In Thomas á Kempis' book, The Imitation of Christ he says, Jesus has many who love his kingdom in heaven, but few who bear his cross. He has many who desire comfort, but few who desire suffering. He finds many to share his feast, but few his fasting. All desire to rejoice ...read more

Scripture: John 12:24-26, Galatians 2:20, Luke 12:32-40, Mark 11:1

Tags: Lordship, Following Jesus

Denomination: Nazarene

Don't Play It Safe!

Contributed by Trae Durden on Nov 11, 2014

“Life was no cakewalk for Jesus, and he didn’t promise it would be any easier for his followers. We shouldn’t be surprised by resistance and persecution. Yet most of us play it safe. We pursue comfort. We spend ourselves to get more stuff. And we prefer to be entertained. We are all tempted by the ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:34-38

Tags: Comfort, Risk, Life In Christ, John Piper

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

God's Tnt

Contributed by Silas Eke on Feb 28, 2015

Once the great Evangelist Billy Graham sent his New Testament to a book-binder and instructed him to write on the edge of the book “The New Testament”; the book-binder after binding the New Testament felt that the edge was too little to contain the full words “The New Testament” so he wrote “TNT”. ...read more

Scripture: Romans 1:16-17

Tags: Bible, Power Of God, Gospel Power, Tnt

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Following Jesus

Contributed by David Simpson on Mar 23, 2017

Mark Batterson said in his book: “All In” – “Most people in most churches think they are following Jesus, but I’m not so sure. They may think they are following Jesus, but the reality is this: they have invited Jesus to follow them.” Too many times I want Jesus to follow me, to serve my ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 58:11

Tags: Following Jesus, Follow Jesus

Denomination: Christian Church

Fail In Order To Succeed

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jul 15, 2017

An old axiom says that failure is the stepping stone to success. Are we afraid of failure? The road to success is paved with failures. Before the farmer in the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13) had a successful crop he failed in three areas. We fail in these same areas. We allow the devil to snatch ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:1-23

Tags: Sower, Success, Failure, Parable Of Sower, Quitting  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Vacation For Seniors!

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Jul 22, 2019

A number of years ago I attended a pastors gathering in Toronto. A retired Pastor, now crippled by a stroke, sat along the wall on a chair, all alone. In his prime he was a highly esteemed professor, author and preacher. Now, he sat alone and unnoticed. I walked across the room and lamented this ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:12-20

Tags: Loneliness, Community, Aging

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Guilt Trip

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Sep 24, 2019

My mother, a master of guilt trips, showed me a photo of herself waiting by a phone that never rings. “Mom, I call all the time,” I said. “If you had an answering machine, you’d know.” Soon after, my brother installed one for her. When I called the next time, I got her machine: “If you are a ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 27:4-7

Tags: Guilt, Manipulation, False Guilt, Making The Point

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Giving

Contributed by Steve Malone on Oct 2, 2019

“I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. In other words, if our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc, is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving ...read more

Scripture: 2 Samuel 24:24

Tags: Sacrifice, Giving

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

We Can Witness, But We Cannot Convert

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Nov 18, 2019

We may use all means, by but we cannot command success. We may teach, but we cannot convert. We may show those around us the bread and water of life, but we cannot make them eat and drink it. We may point out the way to eternal life, but we cannot make others walk in it. ‘It is the Spirit that ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:1-10

Tags: Straying, Evangelism, Family, Witnessing, Unbelief  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Computers

Contributed by Roberta Karchner on Feb 21, 2020

Three ways our choice to follow God is like a computer (phone/electric device) 1. We need to stay plugged in to keep our batteries charged. (prayer, scripture, worship all charge our batteries) 2. We need to keep our Virus Protection up-to-date. (Sin is as prevalent as viruses on the internet. ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 30:15-20, 2 Timothy 1:12

Tags: Computers, Virus, Connected, Phones, Charged, Virus Protection, In God's Hands  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Good News Bad News

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Jun 9, 2020

A woman walks into a doctor’s office. She schedules an appointment and sits down it the waiting room. Whem it’s her turn to talk to the doctor, she describes all of her symptoms, and they’re unlike anything he’s heard before. The doctor runs a few tests and steps out of the room. He comes back ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:18-27

Tags: Curse, Disease, Sickness, Illness, Redemption Of Body  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Preach!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 25, 2021

“PREACH” The word, “preach” comes from the Greek word, kerusso, and means to proclaim as a herald or make a proclamation in a public gathering. The herald may not even have liked the message he was to proclaim or the people may not have wanted to hear it and, thus, the temptation for the herald ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Timothy 4:1-3

Tags: Preaching, Pastors, Churches, The Word Of God

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Mom, Why Do You Have White Hair???

Contributed by Garris Hudson on May 5, 2022

One day, a little girl is sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly notices that her mother has several strands of white hair sticking out in contrast to her brunette hair. She looks at her mother and inquisitively asks: “Why are some of your hairs white, ...read more

Tags: Aging, Humor, Mothers, Mother's Day, Grandmothers, Sermon Introductions  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Never Throw Away Your Freedom

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Oct 23, 2022

Sitting on top of the United States capitol building is a 20-foot statue known as the “Freedom Lady”. She was sculpted by Italian artists in the city of Rome and shipped across the Atlantic Ocean to her perch in Washington DC. During the delivery, the ship carrying the statue encountered a fierce ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:1-16

Tags: Patriotism, Freedom, America

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Is The Solar Eclipse A Sign Of The Last Days?

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Apr 6, 2024

“The Bible says a number of times that there’s going to be lots of signs in the heavens before Jesus Christ returns to Earth. What about the Solar Eclipse that is coming on April 8? We see this as possibly one of those." “However, my number one encouragement to people would be to just ...read more

Tags: Solar Eclipse, End Times, Prophecy, Last Days, Son Of God, Sun, Return Of Christ, Revelation, Salvation, Hope  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Preacher's Kid Brags On His Daddy!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Nov 12, 2024

Bragging Boys Three boys in the schoolyard were bragging about their fathers. The first boy says, “My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he then calls it a poem, they give him $50.00.” The second boy says, “That’s nothing, My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 17:22

Tags: Pride, Bragging, Churches, Fathers, Pastor's Kid, Father's Day Jokes  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Your Sermon Reminded Me Of The Peace And Love Of God!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Nov 12, 2024

After a very long and boring sermon the parishioners filed out of the church saying nothing to the preacher. Towards the end of the line was a thoughtful person who always commented on the sermons. "Pastor, today your sermon reminded me of the peace and love of God!" The pastor was ...read more

Tags: Paul, Preaching, Peace Of God, Eutychus, Love Of God, Preachers, Boring Sermons, Long Sermons  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational