In Sermon Illustrations: "Approved Workers"

The Risk Of Fishing For Souls  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 3, 2011

THE RISK OF FISHING FOR SOULS A little more than 10 years ago (2000), a movie called The Perfect Storm was released, which graphically portrayed the dangers of the fishing industry even in modern times. The movie is about the crew of the Andrea Gail, a fishing boat out of Gloucester, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 10:14-39

Tags: Evangelism Fear Of

Fatal Oversight

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 9, 2009

FATAL OVERSIGHT On September 1, 1923, the island of Japan was ravaged by the most devastating earthquake in recorded history up until that time. The tragic Canto earthquake began at 11:58 A.M. and continued for more than three and a half hours, creating a casualty list that would stagger the ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 23:3-16

Tags: God's Provision

The Crowd Jumps To Its Feet. Many Clench Tissues ...  PRO

Contributed by Everette Pafford on Apr 15, 2002

The crowd jumps to its feet. Many clench tissues or wipe tears on their sleeves. The applause is thunderous, intermingled with cheers and praise to God. Who would have guessed a developmentally challenged teen could invoke such a response? For my son, Christopher Kline, from Madison ...read more

Tags: Jesus Teachings, Children

Denomination: Pentecostal

The Year Was 1980, Bill Brodherst Who Hadn't Ran ...  PRO

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Jan 12, 2003

The year was 1980, Bill Brodherst who hadn’t ran in any race since his high school days decided to begin training for a marathon known as the Pepsi Challenge 10k in Omaha Nebraska. Sending in his application, he wasn’t sure they would accept him as a participant, but soon the approval came back ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:7-8

Tags: Church Small Groups, Fulfillment, Endurance

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Handicapped But Complete

Contributed by Richard Goble on Nov 26, 2007

Handicapped But Complete About two years ago my wife Kay was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease, mainly characterized by inflammation of the lining of the joints. It can lead to long-term joint damage, resulting in chronic pain, loss of function and ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Separation Of Church And ...

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Separation of Church and State “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech…” (excerpt from Amendment I, U. S. Constitution) If our United States Constitution actually commands Congress to ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 55:6-7

Tags: Politics

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Biblical Change  PRO

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Biblical Change "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:1-2

Tags: Renewal, Change, Transformation

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Thomas Didymas - The Twin

Contributed by Sam Mccormick on Jul 17, 2017

THOMAS DIDYMUS The Twin “Doubting Thomas” - was a more unfair moniker ever pinned on a person? For by taking into account the full account of his first encounter with the risen Christ, Thomas may just as rightly be styled as “Believing Thomas.” For reasons we cannot presume to know, the ...read more

Scripture: Romans 15:7, John 20:24-29

Tags: Doubt, Criticism, Thomas, Doubting

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Rapture Why God Doesn't Reveal When

Contributed by Raymond Petzholt on Feb 26, 2024

When I and my sister were young children we use to regularly have babysitters when our parents went out in the evenings. Some of the babysitters were fun! Some weren’t. The fun ones were the ones that let us play wild games that normally our parents would never let us do in the house if ...read more

Scripture: Mark 13:32, Matthew 24:36

Tags: Second Coming, Rapture, Judgment

Denomination: Baptist

[093]. A Message From A Poem – Foraging In The Depths Of Scripture

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Apr 30, 2025

[093]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – FORAGING IN THE DEPTHS OF SCRIPTURE This poem deals with getting into the heart of scripture. There are images and techniques and encouragement in these stanzas. I actually make the comparison between a mudskipper that flits across the shallows on the water, and ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 4:12, Psalm 119:27, 2 Timothy 2:15, 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Tags: Buried Treasure, Inspired, Dig Deep, Eel, Mudskipper, Scripture, Word Of God, Workman  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I Heard Recently Of A Business Owner Who, As A ...  PRO

Contributed by Steven Chapman on May 2, 2001

I heard recently of a business owner who, as a seeker, had employed scores of Christians in his company. He watched them like a hawk. "You know, I was naturally drawn to God by observing Christian workers who were conscientious and kind and thorough and aggressive on the job," he said. "But I’ll ...read more

Tags: Holiness, Sharing My Testimony, Workplace Evangelism

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Saved From Our Rubble Of Sin- Communion ...  PRO

Contributed by Matthew Rogers on Sep 10, 2002

SAVED FROM OUR RUBBLE OF SIN- COMMUNION MEDITATION The September 11, 2002 issues of TIME magazine has a touching article about 31-year old Genelle Guzman. Genelle was the last of just four people caught in the debris of the Twin Towers to be found alive. After the planes hit the World Trade ...read more

Tags: Lord's Supper, Lordship Of Christ, Salvation

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

In The Closing Days Of World War Ii, Allied ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 22, 2002

In the closing days of World War II, Allied bombings of the munitions factories around Essen, Germany, became more and more frequent and fierce. When the air raid sirens sounded, armed guards would rush to bomb shelters, leaving the slave laborers (often Jewish and female) to huddle in the rubble ...read more

A Modern Version Of The Parable Of The ...  PRO

Contributed by Steven Simala Grant on Jul 18, 2003

A MODERN VERSION OF THE PARABLE OF THE LABOURERS: A large, mulit-national, retail giant moved into a new city. We’ll call it “Stuff Mart.” They put an add in the paper inviting applications for people to work for one month to stock their shelves, and received 100 applications. The manager ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 20:1-16

Tags: Parable Vineyard

Denomination: Baptist

What We Can Learn From The "Lesser Knowns"

Contributed by Tom Mccrossan on Jan 21, 2004

What We Can Learn From the "Lesser Knowns" The media makes note of the well-known celebrities who die, and this year there is quite a long, sad list: John Ritter. Fred Rogers. Johnny Cash. June Carter Cash. Bob Hope. David Brinkley. Gregory Peck. Katharine Hepburn. Buddy Hackett. Buddy Ebsen. But ...read more

Tags: Christian Disciplines, Funerals Christian, Forgiveness General

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

There Is No Exchange! (11.15.05--Heart And ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Nov 14, 2005

There Is No Exchange! (11.15.05--Heart and Soul!--2 Chronicles15:14-15) Life is full of the tentative. It would seem that the ability to be decisive is fast becoming a relic; replaced instead with a sleek, stream-lined, today’s-age, model that places indecisiveness as the norm and decisiveness as ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 15:14-15

Tags: Call Of The Disciples, Discipleship

Denomination: Lutheran

Jesus Didn't Just Sit Around The Synagogue All ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Jesus didn’t just sit around the synagogue all day. Jesus didn’t just hang around the temple courtyard all the time. Instead Jesus went out where the people were. He didn’t isolate himself alone on a mountain top. Although he certainly did retreat there from time to time for prayer and refreshment. ...read more

Tags: Call Of The Disciples

Lt. Col. Brian Birdwell Injured During 9/11 ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 1, 2009

Lt. Col. Brian Birdwell Injured during 9/11 Attack on Pentagon On September 11, Lt. Col. Brian Birdwell watched the television in his boss’ office as a second hijacked airplane slammed into the World Trade Center. The Army officer had no idea that minutes later madmen would ram a Boeing 757 into ...read more

Scripture: James 4:13-17

Tags: War

Margaret Waage Wrote Of An Especially Important ...

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Dec 26, 2009

"Margaret Waage wrote of an especially important Christmas eve in her life. She got off her job at noon and stood dejectedly in the crowd waiting for the subway train. She had worked by herself all morning since her fellow workers had been given the day off. Now many people around her were talking ...read more

Tags: Christmas Eve

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Former Convict And Judge Together At ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 22, 2010

Former Convict and Judge Together at Communion A large prosperous city church had three mission churches under its care that it had started. On the first Sunday of the New Year all the members of the mission churches came to the city church for a combined Communion service. In those mission ...read more

Scripture: Luke 5:1-11

Tags: Lord's Supper