In Sermon Illustrations: "Awesome Wonders"

I Knew He Would Come.

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 10, 2011

"I KNEW HE WOULD COME." Bruce Howell tells the story of a father and his son and daughter who were 8 and 10. They went swimming in the Atlantic Ocean off New Jersey a few years back. They were all great swimmers. They were a long way from shore and they became separated when the dad realized that ...read more

Scripture: John 14:1-3

Tags: Father's Day

Beware Of Dog!

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 22, 2011

BEWARE OF DOG! Upon entering a little country store a stranger noticed a sign saying "DANGER! BEWARE OF DOG!" posted on the glass door. Inside, he noticed a harmless old hound dog asleep on the floor near the cash register. He asked the store’s owner "Is that the dog folks are supposed to beware ...read more

Scripture: Acts 20:17-35

Tags: Giving, Receive, Blessed, Christian Witness

God And The Rabbit

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 8, 2011

GOD AND THE RABBIT When I was a 4th grader, I went on a spiritual retreat. We had worship one night and the counselor sent us to go find a private spot where we could pray individually. I went by a large tree away from everyone else. As I began to pray and pour my heart out to God, I heard a ...read more

Tags: Holy Spirit General

Denomination: Methodist

The Old Man And The Savior

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Nov 9, 2011

THE OLD MAN AND THE SAVIOR Jan Weinert wrote: "The old man came into the service shortly after it started. He sat at the end of my row, with two vacant seats between us. A noticeable hearing aid was in his ear, and he held the bulletin up to within inches of his thick glasses to try to read it. As ...read more

Tags: Worship General

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Mother Teresa's Feet

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Feb 10, 2012

MOTHER TERESA'S FEET Shane Claiborne, who spent a summer in the slums of Calcutta with Mother Teresa, wrote the following about one of his experiences: People often ask me what Mother Teresa was like. Did she glow in the dark or have a halo? She was short, wrinkled, and precious, maybe even a ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:25-37

Tags: Compassion

Denomination: Baptist

What Kind Of Example Are You?

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 11, 2012

WHAT KIND OF EXAMPLE ARE YOU? It is said that for many years Monterey, a California coast town, was a pelican’s paradise. As the fishermen cleaned their fish, they flung the innards to the pelicans. The birds grew fat, lazy, and contented. Eventually, however the innards were utilized, and there ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:11-16

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Where Is The Church When It Hurts?

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 13, 2012

WHERE IS THE CHURCH WHEN IT HURTS? Where is God in the midst of the storm? One author answered that question with this incident: "In Washington and Chicago, as I talked about the special edition of Where Is God When It Hurts?, inevitably the interviewer would turn the question back on me. 'Well, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 14:22-36

Tags: Comfort

Rent A Family…?

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 14, 2013

RENT A FAMILY...? I read a recent article about how people in Japan are so busy that older people can now rent a family. Here’s the quote: "In Japan, you can rent a family. Elderly Japanese who are isolated from their children by the frantic pace of modern life can rent a 'family' for lunch and a ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:42-47

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Encouragement

Contributed by Don Berry-Graham on Mar 1, 2016

In August 1995, the church I pastored made the decision to do a major renovation on our thirty-five-year-old sanctuary. The first step was to put together a crew of people to do internal demolition. Around forty people showed up to take care of this task. Dust was everywhere as we ripped up ...read more

Tags: Encouragement, Encourage, Gifts Encouragement

Denomination: Baptist

Ten Rules For Improving The Church

Contributed by David Parks on Jun 3, 2022

TEN RULES FOR IMPROVING THE CHURCH 1. Tell yourself over and over that since you are not perfect you would not fit into a perfect congregation, if one existed. 2. Instead of picking out the worldly members to point to, pick out the sincere, dedicated, spiritual members and thank God for them. You ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:1-2, 1 Peter 4:8, Matthew 7:1-5

Tags: Encouragement, Judgementalism, Church

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Brooklyn Bridge Scam

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Nov 13, 2022

The greatest con artist in American history was George C. Parker. After the Brooklyn Bridge opened in NYC in 1883, George C. Parker saw a tourist admiring it, so he decided to try selling it to him. It was so easy, he decided to sell it again. Over a period of years he averaged selling the Brooklyn ...read more

Tags: Sin, Deception, Cheating, Fraud, Liars, Bewitched  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Moving Story Of A Godly Father

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Mar 13, 2023

Hear our Lords Words: BIBLE Be merciful ... even as your Father (in Heaven) is merciful. END (Luke 6:36) Some time ago ... I heard a touching story .... about a humble, ... consecrated pastor ... whose young son had become.... Extremely ill. After the boy had undergone an exhaustive series of ...read more

Scripture: Luke 6:36, Proverbs 1:8, Matthew 6:1-18

Tags: Father, Father's Day, Salvation, Godly

Denomination: Anglican

The Worst Dad Joke Ever

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jul 17, 2023

I usually begin every one of my Sunday sermons with a funny story to get our congregation comfortable before I begin to dive in deeply to the Word of God. If you like dad jokes or puns (old name) and you want to make your congregation groan a little bit.........check this dad joke out! CHESS ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 17:22, Galatians 5:22-23

Tags: Happiness, Joy, Humor, Laughter, Medicine, Dad Jokes  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

How Do You Use Your 18,000 Words Per Day?

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Feb 6, 2024

Do you have any idea how many words you use in the course of an ordinary day? To illustrate, let’s take the books of Tom Clancy. I’m sure you have read or heard of those techno-thrillers: “Hunt for Red October,” “Cardinal of the Kremlin,” “Clear and Present Danger,” “The Sum of All Fears,” “Without ...read more

Tags: Conversation, Mouth, Words, Tongue, Talk  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Contact With Another World

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Aug 12, 2024

A group of scientists are directing their thoughts and needs into the heavens, but not to the God of the Bible. They have calculated that as many as fifty million civilizations may exist somewhere in space, and they believe that some of them may have found methods to improve our lives and control ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 33:3, Mark 11:24

Tags: Faith, Prayer, Intercession, Believing, Asking, Scientists  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Amazing Grace

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Oct 24, 2025

Amazing Grace Paul wrote of a higher righteousness that comes from God himself and never depends on our doings. Whenever we know that righteousness of God firsthand, it always changes our lives. One man tells that one day he blundered into an affair with someone else’s wife. He was weak and ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:1-16

Tags: Higher Righteousness, Amazing Grace

Denomination: Anglican

Big Hands

Contributed by David Dunn on Nov 13, 2025

A boy and his mother walked into the corner drug store to buy a few things. And right there on the counter was a big glass candy jar—one of those old-fashioned ones, filled to the brim with all the colors a child’s imagination could want. The boy froze. You know how kids get—locked in, mesmerized, ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 3:20, Psalm 81:10

Tags: Trust, Provision

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Rain On The Rocks

Contributed by Jack Kale on Sep 30, 2017

Rain on the Rocks We were on the last morning of a five day float down the Buffalo River in Arkansas. Our family joined another for the second annual Kale-Parker river trip. Everyone had their own boat and each was packed with supplies ranging from coolers, cook-wear, clothes, fishing gear, and ...read more

Tags: Beauty, Color, Rain, Rocks, Stones  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: *other

A Hungry Enemy  PRO

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Oct 27, 2002

A HUNGRY ENEMY A woman wrote to "Pulpit Helps" to explain a miraculous lesson her family experienced. During one of their family Bible readings as new Christians, they ran across the verse, "If your enemy is hungry, feed him" (Romans 12:20 RSV). She writes: Ours sons, 7 and 10 at the time, ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:20, Matthew 5:43-48

Tags: Forgiveness For Others, Enemy, Forgiveness General, Christian Love, Christlikeness, Love  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Are You A Patter?" 2 Timothy 4:11 Key Verse(S) ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on May 8, 2005

“Are You A Patter?” 2 Timothy 4:11 Key verse(s) 11:“Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.” Everyone seems to have a purpose; but what is mine? Do you sometimes wonder just what your calling in life is? For some it seems pretty obvious. ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:11

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Lutheran