In Sermon Illustrations: "Back Row"

Ultra-Marathoner, Dean Karnazes, Is A Modern Day Superman

Contributed by Tobin Crenshaw on Aug 15, 2010

Dean Karnazes is a modern day Superman. He has run fifty marathons in fifty days in fifty states, and runs ultra marathons of over 200 miles. He details his amazing accomplishments in his book Ultramarathon Man. After one particularly grueling 200 mile marathon he shared the following contents of ...read more

Tags: Endurance, Sports

Denomination: Brethren

When We Truly Are The Church

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Feb 6, 2011

WHEN WE TRULY ARE THE CHURCH Chuck Colson tells this story: "My mind goes back to a Christmas 20 years ago in Romania, when the country was still in the grip of communist tyranny. The story begins with Laszlo Tokes, pastor of a fast-growing reformed church in the city of Timisoara. His ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Denomination: Methodist

What Are You Doing, Lord? Amazing Grace

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 31, 2011

WHAT ARE YOU DOING, LORD? AMAZING GRACE A couple days ago I was commuting to the church from Boissevain where we were camping this week, and heard an interview with a young woman named Kristen James Anderson, ironically on the last day of our free satellite radio. She came from a great family, ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 42:5

Tags: Grace

The Clarence Principle

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 7, 2011

THE CLARENCE PRINCIPLE That's what spiritual maturity is--It's not just being a Christian for a little while. It's being able to discern the difference between right and wrong, because you have practiced applying the principles of God's Word in your every-day life. It's being able to discern the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:1-4

Tags: Leadership General

Fire In The Hole

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 7, 2011

FIRE IN THE HOLE Centralia was a small mining town in the eastern part of Pennsylvania with about 1000 residents making their income off of the coal dug just underneath the crust. The town had existed the same way for over a century when pre-Civil War settlers moved out to dig up the anthracite ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:21-30

Tags: Hell

Grace And George Williams

Contributed by Tim Smith on Feb 19, 2012

GRACE AND GEORGE WILLIAMS Max Ellerbusch tells the story of the Friday six days before Christmas. He was working feverishly in his instrument repair shop so he could have all of the Christmas holiday at home with the family when the call came. His 5-year-old Craig had been fatally struck by a car. ...read more

Tags: Grace

Denomination: Methodist

Howard Hughes Vs. Jim Elliot

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 8, 2012

HOWARD HUGHES VS. JIM ELLIOT Howard Hughes' last years were spent in isolation, hidden on the top floor of the Xanadu Hotel in the Bahamas. One biographer wrote about Hughes' appearance before he died: "He was emaciated, practically skeletal, with only 120 pounds stretched over his six-foot, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 16:24-28

Tags: Discipleship

Testimony About God's Comfort After A Suicide

Contributed by Rick Crandall on Jun 26, 2012

Mot Richey was one of the precious senior adults at McClendon Baptist Church in West Monroe. She went home to be with the Lord in 2006. Mot was a lovely Christian lady. She was also a wonderful singer, wife and cook. In my whole life, I never met a more loving couple than Jack and Mot Richey. ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1:1-4, John 16:33, John 14:1-6

Tags: Grief, Suicide, God's Comfort

Denomination: Baptist

Satan's Ways

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Dec 5, 2012

His written speech: This speech was broadcast by legendary ABC Radio commentator Paul Harvey on April 3, 1965: 48 years ago! If I were the Devil . . . I mean, if I were the Prince of Darkness, I would of course, want to engulf the whole earth in darkness. I would have a third of its real estate and ...read more

Tags: Sin General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Message Of The Straight Jacket

Contributed by Christopher Roberts (Barrister) on Jan 22, 2013

THE MESSAGE OF THE STRAIGHT JACKET Satan employs a number of tactics against us, which most often God uses for our greater good. One of those tactics is to place a straight jacket of circumstance upon us, something that we are unable to deal with ourselves. Such a straight jacket might relate to a ...read more

Tags: Hardship Of Life

Denomination: Christian Church

Ministry Meltdown

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 3, 2013

MINISTRY MELTDOWN My dear friends, when life seems overwhelming, don't get busy; get help! Otherwise, you'll just wear yourself out and those around you. That's what Bob Merritt, pastor of the Eagle Brook Church in Minnesota, was doing. In a recent issue of Leadership Journal he writes about ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 11:28-30

Tags: Stress

Dreams

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Dec 27, 2014

“There are many ways of breaking a heart. Stories were full of hearts being broken by love, but what really broke a heart was taking away its dream - whatever that dream might be.” - Pearl S. Buck Everybody has a dream. What’s your dream? What was your dream when you were young and full of ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 34:18

Tags: Adversity, Brokenhearted, Broken Dream

Denomination: Charismatic

Ears To Hear

Contributed by Todd Catteau on May 27, 2015

I’ve done a lot of funerals in my twenty plus years of ministry, far more than I thought I would ever do. Every service touches me in a unique way and with each funeral I seem to come away with a life-lesson I needed to hear. Recently I was taught a valuable lesson as I eulogized a certain man. ...read more

Scripture: James 1:19-25

Tags: Communication, Listen, Ears, Hearing

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Substitute  PRO

Contributed by Paul Steen on Oct 8, 2016

The Moose was in the game to score. He took the handoff at the five-yard line from the quarterback and stunted to the right. The right guard and tackle had split the defenders and there was a slight hole in the line for him. Moose instantly was in the hole. He put his head down and fought through ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:3

Tags: Substitute, Substitute Sacrifice, Our Substitute

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Famous Hoaxes On April Fools Day & Skepticism

Contributed by David Simpson on Apr 16, 2018

It’s ironic that this year Easter falls on April Fools day. Have you ever fallen for an April Fools joke or prank? I know as a kid there was always some classmate pulling a prank on someone, with the rest of us in on it and watching that poor soul make a fool of themselves by believing the prank. ...read more

Tags: Doubt, Skepticism, Hoaxes

Denomination: Christian Church

The Payment For The Parts

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Feb 20, 2020

One of the worst things that could happen to anybody is a car accident. My oldest son had this happen recently. He was okay, just a few bruises, but the car was totaled. Not good. A day or so later, he and I went to the garage where the car had been towed. We took turns removing his personal ...read more

Scripture: Romans 6:23

Tags: Salvage, Accidents, Recycling

Denomination: Baptist

Failed Love

Contributed by Ed Sasnett on Sep 15, 2020

Thomas Carlyle lived from 1795 to 1881. He was a Scot essayist and historian. During his lifetime, he became one of the world’s greatest writers. However, he was human, and humans make mistakes. On October 17, 1825, Carlyle married his secretary Jane Welsh. She was an intelligent, attractive, ...read more

Scripture: Song of Songs 7:1

Tags: Love, Marriage

Denomination: Baptist

The Difference Maker

Contributed by Ed Sasnett on Sep 16, 2020

My pastor, Wana Archer, tells about a time when he was a teenager and worked at a restaurant for .25 cents/hour. In this restaurant, there was a gambling machine that looked like a pinball machine. A player would deposit a nickel and get one shot to hit the jackpot or win some money. He noticed ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:1-11

Tags: Holy Spirit, Obedience

Denomination: Baptist

Courage

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Jul 2, 2021

Mary Slesser (1848-1915) when Mary was a teenager, she volunteered to help organize a mission in the slums of Scotland. Despite Mary's genuine and caring efforts, many of the people the mission was designed to help oppose the work because they felt it avoided the "real" needs of the ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 118:6-14

Tags: Mission Work, Mary Slesser, Courage

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Unsung Heroes-These Men Of Damascus Saved Saul’s Life!

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Oct 22, 2021

Text, Acts 9:23-25, KJV: 23 And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him: 24 But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him. 25 Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket. Thoughts: ...read more

Scripture: Acts 9:23-25, 2 Corinthians 11:32-33

Tags: Persecution, Saul Of Tarsus, Unsung Heroes

Denomination: Baptist