In Sermon Illustrations: "Art Collector"

Repeat After Me

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Nov 27, 2010

REPEAT AFTER ME A pilot was flying a plane-load of passengers to their destination when suddenly the rudder malfunctioned. He radioed the control tower in panic, and shouted, "The RUDDER has malfunctioned! What shall I DO?" The air traffic controller radioed back, "Keep calm, Captain. Just ...read more

Tags: Prayer General

Denomination: Brethren

Covering Your Own Sin

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 30, 2011

COVERING YOUR OWN SIN "Adam, where are you?" God cried as a now sin-tainted Adam and Eve vainly attempted to hide from Him. Adam had a plan: The fig leaves-an easy quick fix, a cover-up. They represent man fixing his sin on his own terms, the quick and easy way. Grab some leaves, cover it quickly. ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 3:6-13

Tags: Sin Exposed

Light Of The W.orld Holman Hunt

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Dec 23, 2025

A verse that means a lot to me is Rev 3:20 where Jesus says 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. The famous painting known as the Light of the World, was begun in 1849 and completed in ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 3:20

Tags: Jesus, Free Will

Denomination: Anglican

Discernment—or Judgment?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 10, 2009

DISCERNMENT--OR JUDGMENT? So how does a critical attitude come back to haunt you? Here’s one way. A man wanted to impress his friends with his eye for art as they went to an art gallery together. He forgot his glasses, was nearsighted, and couldn’t hardly see his hand in front of his face. But he ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:1-6

Tags: Gifts Discernment

What If I Owned A Greenhouse That Had Been Given ...  PRO

Contributed by Darren Ethier on May 9, 2002

What if I owned a greenhouse that had been given to me by my father? He used state of the art equipment to create the ideal structure for growth. The atmosphere is perfect. The lighting exact. The temperature is suited for flowers, fruit, or anything I want, and what I want is flowers and fruit. I ...read more

Tags: Love Of The Disciples, Character

Denomination: Pentecostal

Frances Havergal  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Sep 20, 2002

[Frances Havergal] Frances Ridley Havergal, the British musician and devotional writer, left us such classic hymns as Like a River Glorious, Who is on the Lord’s Side?, I Am Trusting Thee, Lord Jesus, and Take My Life and Let It Be. One day in January, 1858, while visiting the art museum in ...read more

Tags: Disciplines General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Spiritual Satisfaction: 87% American Adults Are ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 20, 2006

Spiritual Satisfaction: 87% American adults are able to identify an activity that brings them the greatest degree of spiritual satisfaction or fulfillment. 23% named attending church services and events as their most fulfilling spiritual activity. 12% indicated spending time with their family ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 19:23

Tags: Disciplines General, Come Back To This

Helen Keller, The Much Beloved Blind, Deaf, And ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Helen Keller, the much beloved blind, deaf, and dumb American author, envisioned what she would most like to see if she could see for just three days. In her article “Three Days to See,” she wrote that she would like to see those she loved on the first day - to look deeply and lovingly into the ...read more

Tags: Faith General

An Impressive Record

Contributed by Elijah Stepp on May 11, 2008

AN IMPRESSIVE RECORD An anonymous author made this striking observation: Socrates taught for forty years, Plato for fifty, Aristotle for forty, and Jesus for only three. Yet the influence of Christ's three-year ministry infinitely transcends the impact left by the combined 130 years of teaching ...read more

Tags: Jesus Christ

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Every Believer Is Impacting The Spiritual Vigor ...

Contributed by Curtis Rowe on Aug 4, 2008

Every believer is impacting the spiritual vigor of those around him! Gordon McDonald gave the following list... • Igniter- The Holy Spirit is the Creator of authentic spiritual energy! Do you provoke others? “I’ll paddle!” • Sharer- “… that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith ...read more

Tags: Zeal

Denomination: Baptist

Dr. Robert Seizer, In His Book "Mortal ...

Contributed by Ronald Franklin on Aug 7, 2008

ILLUS: Dr. Robert Seizer, in his book “Mortal Lessons: Notes in the Art of Surgery,” tells the story of a young husband and wife. He had operated to remove a tumor from the wife’s face, but in the process had unavoidably cut a facial nerve. It left her mouth permanently distorted. She asked him, ...read more

Tags: Compassion

Denomination: Baptist

Christmas Night 2002, Jack Whittaker Had Five Out ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 27, 2008

Christmas night 2002, Jack Whittaker had five out of five numbers in the West Virginia Power ball drawing. Jack Whittaker had just won $314 million, the largest undivided lottery jackpot in history. He took the one lump payment and received $113 million after taxes. Listen closely to this part. ...read more

Tags: Money

The Right Perspective  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2008

THE RIGHT PERSPECTIVE A man was walking through an art gallery when he came upon a picture of the Lord Jesus dying upon the cross. He stopped and looked at the beautiful portrait of Calvary's love. As he stared into the face of Christ, so full of agony the gallery guard tapped him on the shoulder. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 15:21-28

Tags: Worship, Humility, Cross, Submission, Surrender, Worship General  (view more)  (view less)

Forgiveness Quotations

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 13, 2009

FORGIVENESS QUOTATIONS The late great English religious writer and philanthropist, Hannah More (1745 - 1833) once said: "Forgiveness is the economy of the heart...forgiveness saves the expense of anger, the cost of hatred, the waste of spirits." The late great American Protestant theologian, ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness General

The Culture Of Complaint  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 27, 2010

THE CULTURE OF COMPLAINT In 1991, Robert Hughes, an art critic, wrote a book called The Culture of Complaint. His thesis is that we live in a culture in which we perceive ourselves as being entitled to having all our wants and desires fulfilled. When that doesn't happen, we become "victims," we ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 15:1-21

Tags: God Brings Purpose

Bitter Rivalry Between Artists

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 21, 2012

BITTER RIVALRY BETWEEN ARTISTS In 1503, Julius II became Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. He immediately began a building program to beautify the Vatican. In 1509, he commissioned Michelangelo to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo reluctantly agreed to paint the fresco, though ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 4:4

Tags: Envy

Take Me Home

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Sep 23, 2019

Take Me Home I've been everything that I want to be. I've seen everything that I want to see. All over this world I did roam. Now, I'm asking you, Jesus, please take me home. I can hear my spirit within me groan. I wan to be sitting at the foot of Your throne. I've had my fill ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 19:13-14, Philippians 1:23-24

Tags: Sorrow, Despair, Homesick, Success, Failure, Loneliness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Famous Authors Who Mocked God

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Mar 9, 2023

Ernest Hemingway became famous for snubbing his nose at morality and at God, declaring that his own life proved a person could do anything he wanted without paying the consequences. Like many others before and after him, he considered the ideas of the Bible to be antiquated and outdated, ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:7

Tags: Truth, Judgment, Lost, Sowing, Infidels, Reaping, Spiritual Blindness, Irreverence, Mocking God, Unbelievers, Atheists  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

You Are Here To Live, Not To Just Make A Living.

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Apr 10, 2024

In 1923 a very important meeting was held at the Edgewater Beach Hotel in Chicago. Attending this meeting were nine of the world's most successful financiers: Charles Schwab, steel magnate: Samuel Insull, president of the largest utility company: Howard Hopson , president of the largest gas ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:10

Tags: Greed, Life, Riches, Suicide, Fame, Death, Money, Wealth  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Sagrada Familia Basilica.

Contributed by Andrew Moffatt on Dec 22, 2024

Well today just because I can I want to share with you a couple of pictures, one that I took and one that is much better than the one that I took of the same thing. The first is this whooping great big church the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain and the other is a small part of the building, ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 9:6

Tags: Mary, Nativity, Christmas, Donkey, Joseph, Baby Jesus  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Salvation Army