In Sermon Illustrations: "Answer"

What's Wrong With Slandering Someone?

Contributed by Rev. Matthew Parker on Aug 29, 2014

I was speaking with someone this past week who has spent a great deal of his life travelling around the world, much of it for a mission agency. He spoke of a time when he visited an extremely remote, forested part of India where people live very primitively. He stayed there for a while. This fellow ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 1:5-7, 2 Peter 1:5

Tags: Godly Character, Transparency

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

If I Have Seen Everything....  PRO

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Feb 23, 2016

IF I HAVE SEEN EVERYTHING.... Evangelist Jack Taylor was alone in his hotel room in Houston, Texas after a Southern Baptist Convention meeting. He felt exhausted in ministry. He cried out to God in prayer, "Lord, if I have seen everything You have for me in my ministry.......then take my life ...read more

Scripture: John 15:1-5

Tags: Pastoral Ministry, Total Surrender, Burnt Out

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Loaves, Fish, And Children's Sermons

Contributed by Roberta Karchner on Nov 18, 2017

I love doing chidren's sermons, but it doesn't always work out quite the way I expect. So it went one morning when I spoke to the children about the loaves and fish. Just to make my point, I began by showing them five rolls and two fish sticks on a plate. I asked them how to share it so that all ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 14:13-21, Mark 6:31-44, Luke 9:12-17, John 6:1-14, Matthew 15:32-39, Mark 6:1-9  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Miracles, Miracles Of Jesus, Loaves And Fish, Childrens Sermon

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Ugly Woman

Contributed by Daniel King, D. Min. on Jul 25, 2018

Main Idea: God was willing to pay a high price to redeem you because He thinks you are valuable. Verse: “You are of more value than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:31 NKJV). Illustration: In Africa, a groom must pay a bride price to a woman’s father in order to marry a woman. Usually, this dowry ...read more

Tags: Valuable, Value To God, You Are Valuable

Denomination: Charismatic

The Light Of The Word

Contributed by Taiwo Oyadiran on Mar 23, 2019

I like to tell this story about my son as a 2-year-old. I always liked to give him a shower/bath and like most kids that age, he liked playing with the water. Many times, when there’s water and soap on his head and face, he, of course, had to close his eyes. That part he didn’t like. No kid would ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 119:105

Tags: Faith, Revelation

Christmas Humor

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Dec 21, 2020

A Sunday School was putting on a Christmas pageant which included the story of Mary and Joseph coming to the inn. One boy wanted so very much to be Joseph, but when the parts were handed out, a boy he didn’t like was given that part, and he was assigned to be the inn-keeper instead. He was pretty ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1-12

Tags: Christ, Manger, Birth Of Christ, Mary And Joseph, Coming Of Christ, Christmas  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

How Hard Do You Prepare For Sermons?

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 4, 2021

Howard Hendricks shares this insight about the value of preparing and study for sermons... " When I was a college student—I worked in the college dining hall, and on my way to work at 5:30 am. every morning I walked past the home of one of my professors. Through a window I could see the ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Timothy 4:1-3, 2 Timothy 2:15

Tags: Sermons, Shepherding, Feeding The Flock, Sermon Preparation, Studying The Word  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Witness Barber

Contributed by John Bright on Jan 17, 2021

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: 1 Peter 3:15

Tags: Evangelism, Witness

Denomination: Methodist

Grace Story/Joke

Contributed by Bruce Blythe on Apr 13, 2021

There are not many stories/jokes that illustrate Grace (plenty of definitions of Grace though!) so I made this one up for my sermon on Romans 11 (Reciprocity No, Grace Yes). Hope people find it helpful. Blessings. Bruce A Jew, an Islamic and a Christian were drinking coffee on a ship. Then the ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-9

Tags: Grace Alone, By Grace We Are Saved, Reciprocity

Denomination: Baptist

How Are You Doing?

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Jul 2, 2021

There's a story about a little girl who came home from school one day, and her mother met her at the door: Hi! How was school today? How are you doing? With the honesty of little people, the girl replied, Oh, not so well, mommy. My tummy hurts! Mothers know everything, and this mommy had ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 16:5-6

Tags: Joke, Child Misunderstanding

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Who Is Praying For Me?

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 31, 2022

Pastor Jim Cymbala's daughter had been running from God for a long time. Chrissy had rebelled against her family, had left home, and was living as far from God as she could. But one night, this teenager awoke with the distinct feeling that someone was praying for her. And someone was. The ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 33:3, James 4:1-2

Tags: Petition, Intercessory Prayer, Interceding For Sinners, Prayer

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Why Do So Few Christians Share Their Faith?

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Apr 4, 2022

What makes people hesitate to share their faith? Here are some of the fears that have been mentioned to me: "I am afraid I might do more harm than good." "I don't know what to say." "I may not be able to give snappy answers to tricky questions." "I may ...read more

Tags: Great Commission, Fear Of Man, Great Supper, Man Pleasing, Evangelism, Fear, Gospel, Parables, Excuses, Witnessing  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Staying By The Stuff

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

STAYING BY THE STUFF. A. MY GRAND MOTHER USED TO TELL US BOYS ABOUT AN OLD PERSIAN LEGEND, B. THAT TALKS ABOUT A KING WHO NEEDED A FAITHFUL SERVANT AND HAD TO CHOOSE BETWEEN TWO CANDIDATES FOR THE OFFICE. C. HE TOOK BOTH, AT FIXED WAGES, AND TOLD THEM TO FILL A BASKET WITH WATER FROM A NEARBY ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness General

Learn From The Past And Live Your Future ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Learn from the past and live your future differently I was reading the other day. Once, two men went moose hunting in Canada for a week. A bush pilot dropped them off at their camp and arranged to pick them up in one week. They both shot a moose. When the pilot returned he looked at their two ...read more

Tags: Giving General

Let Me Tell You A Story About A Man. This Man ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Let me tell you a story about a man. This man grew up in the north end residential area of Tacoma, Washington. He graduated from the University of Washington and attended the University of Washington Law School. His friends considered him suave, debonair, handsome, and smooth with the ladies. He ...read more

Tags: Evangelism How To

There Is Always A Thrill In Belonging To A Noble ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

There is always a thrill in belonging to a noble company. Eric Linklater in his autobiography tells of his experience in the disastrous March retreat in the First World War. He was with the Black Watch. They had come out of the battle with one officer, thirty men, and a piper left of the ...read more

Tags: Anger

Let Me Give You An Example Of The Kind Of Faith ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Let me give you an example of the kind of faith and trust that is necessary to become a Christian. The world-famous acrobat, Blondin, was born in France in 1824. His real name was Jean Francois Gravalet. Over the years, he became famous throughout Europe and America. In London he once played a ...read more

Tags: Apologetics General

A Young Employee Secretly Misappropriated ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

A young employee secretly misappropriated several hundred dollars of his business firm’s money. When this action was discovered, the young man was told to report to the office of the senior partner of the firm. As he walked up the stairs toward the administrative office, the young employee was ...read more

Tags: Mercy, Cults

1 John 3:20 Says Simply "He Knows Everything." ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

1 John 3:20 says simply "He knows everything." Does that describe you? Do you know everything? I’ve known people that thought they did. ILLUS - It’s kind of like the little boy that asked his mom, he said "momma, how come the idiots only come out when daddy’s driving." And the answer is because ...read more

Tags: God's Omniscience

The Story Is Told Of A Man And Woman Who Had Been ...  PRO

Contributed by David Swanger on Aug 14, 2007

The story is told of a man and woman who had been married for over 60 years. They had shared everything except there was one secret in their marriage. The wife had a shoe box in the top of her closet, and she had cautioned her husband never to open it and never to ask about it. He never did. But ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ