In Sermon Illustrations: "Almost"

A Few Years Back, A Galveston Church Had A ...  PRO

Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Jun 23, 2004

A few years back, a Galveston church had a Tithing Demonstration Sunday for its members. On a designated Sunday everyone was asked to give a tithe of one week’s salary. They urged everyone … whether or not they usually tithed … to give a tithe that one time. As you could imagine, the offering ...read more

Tags: Giving General, Gifts Giving

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

65279;at One Point Early In Julius Caesar's ...

Contributed by Kevin Barron on Sep 5, 2004

At one point early in Julius Caesar’s political career, feelings ran so high against him that he thought it best to leave Rome. He sailed for the Aegean island of Rhodes, but en route the ship was attacked by pirates and Caesar was captured. The pirates demanded a ransom of 12,000 gold ...read more

Tags: Jesus Christ

Denomination: United Methodist

A Couple Moved Into A Community. The Wife Was A ...

Contributed by Charles R. Swindoll on Oct 10, 2004

A couple moved into a community. The wife was a backslid Christian, the husband had never received Christ. They were visited a couple of times by members of the local church. They became almost abusive in stating that they wanted to be left alone. One day the wife was looking out the front window ...read more

Tags: Worship Definition

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

They Were Sitting On The Back Porch Of The ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 6, 2004

They were sitting on the back porch of the parsonage and the man said, "Pastor, I’ve got something to tell you. I’ve never told this to a soul, it’s extremely difficult to tell you this now, but my wife and I have had a fight almost every day for the past 30 years of our marriage." The pastor was ...read more

Indiana Jones Movie: The Last Crusade

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Jan 24, 2005

Indiana Jones movie The Last Crusade: It’s the story of Indiana Jones and his father’s quest for the Holy Grail, the legendary chalice that Jesus used in his Last Supper with his disciples. In one of the final scenes, the ancient temple they’ve found the chalice in is collapsing and people are ...read more

Tags: Bible Influence

Denomination: Independent/Bible

It Was 103°f In Hell Creek, South Dakota, One ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

It was 103°F in Hell Creek, South Dakota, one day in September 1993. Dinosaur hunter Michael Hammer was amazed at what he saw. Sticking out of the ground were the remains of a Thescelosaurus, a plant-eating dinosaur. The skeleton was almost complete. Hammer says he knew right away that it was "very ...read more

Tags: Faith General

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

My Unspoken Prayers

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

An unknown confederate soldier wrote: I asked God for strength that I might achieve I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey I asked for health that I might do greater things I was given infirmity that I might do better things I asked for riches that I might be happy I was given poverty ...read more

Tags: Promises Of God

As I Listened To Dr Ron Hawkins On The ...

Contributed by Paul Wallace on Sep 4, 2007

As I listened to Dr Ron Hawkins on the Counseling Ministry DVD’s he said his dad who was a pastor told him after he had retired, “If I had it to do over I would preach more messages of comfort. People have so much pain in their lives.” It reminded me of the many times God would bring this text to ...read more

Denomination: Wesleyan

Perfect Obedience: Arabian ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 9, 2009

PERFECT OBEDIENCE: ARABIAN HORSES Arabian horses go through rigorous training in the deserts of the Middle East. The trainers require absolute obedience from the horses, and test them to see if they are completely trained. The final test is almost beyond the endurance of any living thing. The ...read more

Tags: Obedience

Grief Doesn't Always Go Away

Contributed by Ovidiu Radulescu on May 26, 2009

GRIEF DOESN'T ALWAYS GO AWAY "Jimmy had died just yesterday." I listened closely as details spilled out. Jimmy had been a handsome guy, thoughtful and very caring. "It was a summer day. He and some friends had gone to a meeting. On his way – heart attack. Dead within two minutes." It did not ...read more

Tags: Death

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

In An Effort To Attract The Unchurched, Some ...

Contributed by John Dobbs on Jan 9, 2010

In an effort to attract the unchurched, some churches have considered translating their unfamiliar terminology into familiar football phrases: *Blocking: Talking endlessly to the preacher at the church door and keeping everyone else from exiting. *Extra Point: What you receive when you tell the ...read more

Tags: Sports

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

John Wesley Sells Painting To Meet Someone's ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 6, 2010

John Wesley Sells Painting to Meet Someone’s Need The story is told of the famed evangelist and preacher, John Wesley, who, one winter day, met a poor girl in one of the schools under his care. She seemed almost frozen. He asked her if she had no clothing but the thin garments she was wearing. She ...read more

Scripture: Luke 4:14-21

Tags: Compassion

Battling The Temptation To ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 9, 2010

Battling the Temptation to Steal Listen to the man who was tempted: A man in a responsible position, entrusted with large sums of money, was one day tempted to put some of the cash to his own account. He knew that it would be a long time before his theft could be discovered. He resisted the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:13

Tags: Temptation Power

One Of The Most High And Holy Times I Ever Had In ...

Contributed by Rick Crandall on Apr 19, 2010

One of the most high and holy times I ever had in Ukraine was the Lord’s Supper service we had at the children’s camp in Kaniv. We were upstairs from the craft room that afternoon. Junk and dirty clothes were scattered everywhere around the room. Some people sat on rough benches, some sat on the ...read more

Tags: Lord's Supper

Denomination: Baptist

The Mental Attitude

Contributed by Rodelio Mallari on Dec 1, 2010

THE MENTAL ATTITUDE A person's mental attitude has an almost unbelievable effect on his powers, both physical ad psychological. The British psychiatrist, J.A. Hadfield, gives a striking illustration of this fact in his booklet, The Psychology of Power. "I asked three people," he wrote, "to ...read more

Tags: Attitude General

Denomination: *other

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

Garlands Of Heaven

Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Dec 29, 2011

GARLANDS OF HEAVEN In India, whenever I preached I would get a garland made of carnations or roses or some other kind of flower. (This was done as a gesture of honor.) They smelled nice at first, but they were bulky and awkward (most of them would hang down almost to your knees), and after your ...read more

Tags: Servanthood

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Pure White

Contributed by Joe Bertone on Jul 23, 2012

PURE WHITE A little girl went to the countryside on holiday. The cabin where she stayed was next to a grassy hillside on which sheep grazed. She had never seen sheep before. The girl could look from the front door of the cottage and see the sheep milling around on the slope of green. She exclaimed ...read more

Tags: Condition, Compare, God's Standard, Sin General

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Vanishing Waves

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 28, 2012

VANISHING WAVES A wise man once told me to pour a glass of water. He dipped his index finger into the cup, I watched as miniature waves hit the glass only to halt seconds later. The wise man told that regardless of how important the world will ever view me or my accomplishments, history will only ...read more

Scripture: Luke 12:13-34

Tags: Parable Rich Fool