In Sermon Illustrations: "Answers"

Kneeling With Runkie

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 31, 2008

KNEELING WITH RUNKIE Have you heard the story of the incident that took place in a Church youth group in Akron, Ohio, at Christmas time? What took place started a tradition in that church, a pattern for us to follow. The high school boy's name was Howard, but he was best known as "Runkie". He had ...read more

Tags: Christmas

On The Day President Obama Was Inaugurated, Eliot ...

Contributed by Joe La Rue on Jan 27, 2009

On the day President Obama was inaugurated, Eliot Swainson happened to be in Washington, D.C. The city authorities had expected record numbers of people to attend the inauguration, so they asked for assistance from other cities to help with crowd control. Metro Officer Swainson from Houston, ...read more

Tags: Salvation

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

That's Just Denny.

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 11, 2009

"THAT'S JUST DENNY." John Ortberg tells of a man in a church he once pastored whom he called Denny. Denny was not a happy man. He had attended church his whole life, but he had never been happy. Even the expression on his face was perpetually negative - so much so that one day a deacon asked him, ...read more

Tags: Character

Life Without Easter  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 13, 2009

LIFE WITHOUT EASTER The story is told of a young mother who found herself on the last train out of Poland during Hitler’s regime. She had her first-born toddler and her newborn nursing infant with her. The bombing was fierce, and the train had to stop many times for the passengers to take cover. A ...read more

Scripture: Mark 16:6

Tags: Easter, Joy, Purpose, Eternal Life, Easter Resurrection  (view more)  (view less)

Springing Into Action  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 8, 2009

SPRINGING INTO ACTION On the day President Obama was inaugurated, Eliot Swainson happened to be in Washington, D.C. The city authorities had expected record numbers of people to attend the inauguration, so they asked for assistance from other cities to help with crowd control. Metro Officer ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:28-39

Tags: God In The Hardships

He Died For Me  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 27, 2009

HE DIED FOR ME During the U.S. Civil War, conscription was not absolute. The drafted man could always hire a substitute if he could afford it. Starting in 1862, the U.S. government allowed this escape from military service on the theory that, so long as each name drawn from the wheel produced a ...read more

Scripture: Romans 3:21-30

Tags: Cross

What Do You Hold ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 14, 2009

WHAT DO YOU HOLD SACRED? One of the most profound things I learned in graduate school was taught to me by one of my professors. He is now my Counselor Intern Supervisor, my mentor, and my good friend, Tom Moore. It was really more of a question than a profound fact to puzzle over. On an essay ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:17-31

Tags: Christian Values

Integrity And Faithfulness In Work Yields Peace ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 19, 2009

Integrity and Faithfulness in Work Yields Peace of Mind The late great American Methodist clergyman and author, Rev. Charles Livingstone Allen (1913 - 2005), told this story in his sermon entitled "How To Sleep Well On A Windy Night:" "A boy went to a farmer and asked to be given a job as a hired ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:22-24

Tags: Workplace Integrity

One Day An Expert In Time Management Was Speaking ...

Contributed by Bret Toman on Jan 8, 2010

One day an expert in time management was speaking to a group of business students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration those students will never forget. As he stood in front of the group of high powered overachievers he said, "Okay, time for a quiz." Then he pulled out a one-gallon, ...read more

Tags: Principles

Denomination: Baptist

Absolute Truth Vs. Relative ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 26, 2010

Absolute Truth vs. Relative Truth First of all, “What is Truth?” Pilate asked that question of Jesus. Today, our postmodern age is questioning that there even is such a thing as truth. They say truth lies in our experience. And if my experience is different than your experience, then my truth is ...read more

Scripture: John 1:14-18

Tags: Truth Absolute, Moral Absolutes

I Am Suffering At The Moment With A Cold, ...

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Apr 10, 2010

I am suffering at the moment with a cold, coughing and spluttering and my brain feels like it is packed tightly in sponge and being bounced down the slope of a mountain. A good friend said she is praying in Jesus Name for healing and believing for me to be well by Monday. I am believing for this ...read more

Tags: Compassion

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Can't Stop Crying  PRO

Contributed by Charles Jones on Dec 16, 2010

CAN'T STOP CRYING Consider this there was a story about a little boy who would not stop crying. No matter what his mother did, he would always cry. So one day this lady next door after hearing the baby cry thought she knew the answer to the problem and assured the mother that she could stop her ...read more

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Denomination: Pentecostal

The Prayer And The Chair

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 22, 2011

THE PRAYER AND THE CHAIR A woman called a pastor to come to the house to see her father. He goes to the house not knowing whether the man is Christian or not but he notices as he talks to him and the man answers back that he must be a Christian and there is a chair sitting close by. An empty ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:5-15

Tags: Prayer How To

The Unexpected King

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 5, 2011

THE UNEXPECTED KING Just a year ago (on September 16, 2009), an article in The Washington Post began with these words: "The king folds her own laundry, chauffeurs herself around Washington in a 1992 Honda, and answers her own phone. Her boss's phone, too." The article was about Peggielene Bartels, ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:3-8

Tags: Election

How Do You Know You're Saved?

Contributed by Chuck Sligh on Apr 15, 2011

HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU'RE SAVED? When I ask some people if they're saved, they sometimes answer, "Well I think so" or "I hope so." What if someone came up to me and asked, "Pastor Sligh, are you married?" Suppose I say, "Well, I think so." You say, "Now wait a minute. You either are or you aren't. I ...read more

Tags: Assurance Of Salvation

Denomination: Baptist

Relationships Matter Most In Happiness

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 10, 2011

RELATIONSHIPS MATTER MOST IN HAPPINESS In 1937, a researcher at Harvard University began a study (originally named The Harvard Study of Adult Development) on what factors contribute to human well-being and happiness. The research team selected 268 male Harvard students who seemed healthy and well ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 2:24-26

Tags: Happiness

The Rug: Making And Keeping Good Boys

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 6, 2011

THE RUG: MAKING AND KEEPING GOOD BOYS A preacher tells how he was once entertained by a teacher and his wife who had two boys in their middle teens. He writes, "Immediately on entering, I felt the home atmosphere. They were evidently a fine Christian family. However, I noticed that the carpet in ...read more

Scripture: Titus 2:1-6

Tags: Mother's Day

I Was Waiting For You  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 18, 2011

I WAS WAITING FOR YOU A family was out vacationing at the lake one summer. Dad had been puttering out by the boat house. Two of his sons, a 12 year old and a 3 year old were down playing along the dock. The 12 year old was suppose to be watching his little brother, but he got distracted. The 3 ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:45

Tags: Evangelism Urgency

The Story Of The Nobel Prize

Contributed by Suresh Manoharan on Jan 10, 2012

THE STORY OF THE NOBEL PRIZE Quiz time, folks--who invented dynamite? Do I hear the answer: Alfred Nobel! In fact in 1867, Nobel received U.S. patent number 78317 for his dynamic invention. That this explosive instead of being used peacefully for blasting the rocks during mining operations (as was ...read more

Tags: Parable Talents

Denomination: *other

Under The Influence

Contributed by Greg Nance on Apr 13, 2012

UNDER THE INFLUENCE David Kupelian's book The Marketing of Evil, published in 2005, is an eye-opening study of what we face today. I wish every parent would read it. Does anyone here remember what happened to Robert Bauman in 1980? He was elected in 1973 as representative of the First ...read more

Tags: Sin Bondage To

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ