In Sermon Illustrations: "Applying"

Failure Maybe Opportunity?

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Sep 12, 2020

REMEMBER FAILURE MAY BE BUT AN OPPORTUNITY---- GEORGE CAMPBELL MORGAN, 12/9/1863. He died May 16, 1945. He preached his first sermon at 13 years of age. In 1888 a young man named CAMPBELL MORGAN had made application to the WESLEYAN SCHOOL of ministry. Campbell was one of 150 men to apply ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:13-14, Ecclesiastes 12:1

Tags: Remember, Opportunity

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Ukraine & God's Masterplan

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Nov 28, 2022

Closed Doors - Open Doors My first trip to Ukraine was in 2000. We visited Kiev and L'viv to connect with ministry training institutions. In 2002 I made my first teaching trip to L'viv to teach at L'viv Theological Seminary (LTS). It was so rewarding to contribute to God's work in ...read more

Scripture: James 4:13-17, Romans 12:1-2

Tags: Direction, Obedience, Sovereignty Of God, Ukraine

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Patience Makes It Happen

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Feb 12, 2023

"The history books are full of stories of gifted persons whose talents were overlooked by a procession of people until someone believed in them. To name a few ... "Einstein was four years old before he could speak and seven before he could read". Einstein became one of the greatest ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23

Tags: Long Suffering, Flesh Vs Spirit, Endurance, Patience, Fruit Of The Spirit, Spirit Filled Life  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Spiritual "boyle's Law"!!!

Contributed by Suresh Manoharan on Sep 9, 2025

One truth related to lessons learnt in the subject of Science in our school days' applies to some core aspects of Christian Living also especially the inter-related Spiritual dynamics of Cross-bearing and Spiritual Growth (Rom 5:3-4). Now what is that Scientific Lesson??? Well, it pertains to ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:16

Tags: Spiritual Progress, Cross Bearing

Denomination: *other

The Other Side Of The Road!" Luke 17: 1-4 Key ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Jan 18, 2005

“The Other Side of The Road!” Luke 17: 1-4 Key verse(s): 3:“So watch yourselves. ‘If you brother sin, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.’” There but by the grace of god go I! From youth on I was taught the valuable resource of this adage. Along with “Don’t pout or your face will stay ...read more

Scripture: Luke 17:1-4

Tags: Forgiveness For Others

Denomination: Lutheran

A Prisoner Who Just Couldn’t Take Any More ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 11, 2001

A prisoner who just couldn’t take any more pulled a daring escape from the county jail in Fordyce, Arkansas. He would have been better off staying put: as the man was escaping, a county judge was ordering his immediate release because he had been locked up too long due to a clerical error. The ...read more

A Survey Of Hundreds Of Pastors Has Allowed Us To ...  PRO

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Oct 18, 2000

A survey of hundreds of pastors has allowed us to compile a preliminary list of measurable quality factors in the life of a congregation in ranking order. The twelve factors are: 1. Bible knowledge. Church members are increasing in their grasp of the teachings of the Bible. They can integrate ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ, Church General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Patience Makes It Happen  PRO

Contributed by John Williams Iii on Nov 10, 2002

PATIENCE MAKES IT HAPPEN "The history books are full of stories of gifted persons whose talents were overlooked by a procession of people until someone believed in them. To name a few ... "Einstein was four years old before he could speak and seven before he could read". Einstein became one of ...read more

Tags: Compassion, Peace, Helpless

Denomination: United Methodist

That Another Might Live—communion Meditation  PRO

Contributed by Donnie Martin on May 11, 2003

THAT ANOTHER MIGHT LIVE- COMMUNION MEDITATION About 6:00 A.M. on a Wednesday morning James Lawson of Running Springs, California (in the San Bernardino mountains) left home to apply for a job. About an hour later his thirty-six-year-old wife, Patsy left for her fifth grade teaching job ...read more

Tags: Unconditional Love, Sacrificial Love, Mothers Love, Parenting, Mother's Day, Love, Great Love  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Model Building Class  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Aug 21, 2003

Illustration of my Model Building Class. I had an interesting week this week teaching a model building class. I had a bunch of students ranging in age from 9-13. I became a little frustrated with some of them this week when they refused to follow directions and as a result they where always ...read more

Tags: Commitment To Christ, Becoming A Christian, Repentance

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Graffiti With Meaning!" Matthew 14: 22-24 Key ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Nov 15, 2004

“Graffiti With Meaning!” Matthew 14: 22-24 Key verse(s): 23: “After he had dismissed the, he went up on a mountainside by himself to prayer. When evening came, he was there alone . . .” “Isolation is not all that bad . . . it just depends on who you spend it with.” At first glance this ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 14:22-24

Tags: Boat, Prayer How To

Denomination: Lutheran

It's Not Worth It To Soldier ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 25, 2009

IT’S NOT WORTH IT TO SOLDIER ON Every year, 100s of Civil war buffs get together and put on mock battles. They form military regiments modeled after the armed forces of that by-gone era and have artillery and cavalry units as well as foot soldiers. And they all don uniforms that soldiers of the ...read more

Scripture: Lamentations 3:19-30

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Would You Hire Him?

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 2, 2011

WOULD YOU HIRE HIM? A certain church found itself suddenly without a pastor, and a search committee was formed. In due course it received a letter from a man applying for the vacant position. The committee chairman read: "I am considered to be a good preacher, and I have been a leader in most of ...read more

Scripture: Acts 26:1-29

Tags: Paul

Honey All The Way Down  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 8, 2011

HONEY ALL THE WAY DOWN In one of his famous escapades, Winnie the Pooh, this lovable toy bear, tries to trap an elephant--or, as he pronounces it, a heffalump. So Pooh digs a hole to catch the heffalump, and decides to bait the trap with some of his own favorite food: honey. But of course, it is ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 15:1-28

Tags: Hypocrisy, Prejudice

Not Allowed To Die  PRO

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Apr 22, 2012

NOT ALLOWED TO DIE Back in March of 2008, the mayor of a city in SW France had a problem. It seems his village was running out of space. Not in housing, nor in the retail district, nor even at City Hall. It seems they were running out of space... in the cemetery. There was no room for any more ...read more

Tags: Death

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

One Time Many Years Ago (Maybe 1993) I Took ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

One time many years ago (maybe 1993) I took Holly and Shane and went to South Bend, IN, to run the Sunburst marathon. She had a friend from college who lived there and we went to visit them as well. The Sunburst marathon was run in June and on a Saturday. Then we had to drive back to southern IL, ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness General

A Graduate's Call

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

A Graduate's Call (Are Only Stewards) A disciplined feeding on the Word of God and surrendering to the Lord in prayer leads to an understanding that mankind are only stewards to what God has given them. A man does not become a steward after he has been saved, nor after he ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 4:2

Tags: Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Walking In The Confidence Of God  PRO

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Walking in the Confidence of God Christians walk in confidence because they serve a "Providential God:" Christians serve a Lord whose plans and purposes come about. Psalms 33:4-11 says, "For the word of the LORD is right and true; He is faithful in all He does. The LORD loves righteousness ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 33:4-11

Tags: Confidence

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Tractor Pulls And Yokes

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 13, 2013

TRACTOR PULLS AND YOKES Some people like going to events called Tractor Pulls. This is when they cover the floor of an arena with dirt and guys in souped-up tractors compete to see who can pull the heaviest loads. That’s nothing new because long before the internal combustion engine, farmers were ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 11:28-30

Tags: Discipleship

The One Question I Didn't Want To Hear

Contributed by Austin W. Duncan on Apr 18, 2026

Before my second senior year at Texas Tech I interned as a graphic designer at a church in Las Vegas. A close family friend named Jud Wilhite was the senior pastor there, and he had offered me an internship during a family trip. Well, several years after that internship, I had kept in touch with ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 4:19, Luke 14:23

Tags: Evangelism, Calling

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational