In Sermon Illustrations: "Bearing"

Years Ago Harry Reasoner Wrote A Piece About ...  PRO

Contributed by John Hamby on Dec 23, 2002

Years ago Harry Reasoner wrote a piece about Christmas for the show “60 Minutes,” in it he said; “the basis for this tremendous burst of buying things and gift giving and parties and near hysteria, is a quiet event that happened a long time ago. You can say that in all societies there has always ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Baptist

The Jordan River Flows From The Top Of Mount ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 12, 2004

The Jordan River flows from the top of Mount Herman where the snow melts and travels down to the lowest point on earth, the Dead Sea. For the most part the Jordan River is neither beautiful nor peaceful. It’s 25 percent mud and plunges downhill at a furious pace, falling nine feet per mile. In ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 3:13-17

I Want To Share With You The Top 10 Motivational ...  PRO

Contributed by Joe Fornear on May 5, 2005

-I want to share with you the Top 10 motivational tips of the cynic. 1) Motivation – If a pretty poster and a cute saying are all it takes to motivate you, you probably have a very easy job, the kind robots will be doing soon. 2) (Snowflakes). Individuality –Always remember that you are ...read more

Tags: Finding Fulfillment, Vision

Denomination: Independent/Bible

In Our Basement We Have A Piece Of Paper Stapled ...  PRO

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on May 8, 2005

In our basement we have a piece of paper stapled to a door frame. About twice a year I bring all the grandkids to the basement and they stand against the door frame to measure how tall they are and how much they have grown. The paper is covered with lines, beside which are their names and dates. ...read more

Tags: Discipleship, Love Of The Disciples

Denomination: Methodist

The Noted Bible Scholar James M. Gray Told A ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 17, 2006

The noted Bible scholar James M. Gray told a story that underscores the importance of reading the Scriptures for personal growth. He said that when he was a young Bible teacher he became deeply impressed by the peace and spiritual poise of a friend with whom he often talked. Since Gray wanted that ...read more

Tags: Bible Study

I Went To Haiti A Couple Of Years Ago With One Of ...

Contributed by Mark Suter on Sep 16, 2006

I went to Haiti a couple of years ago with one of our missionaries. I had never done anything like that, but I thought traveling with Tom, an old hand, would be a good way to give it a try. As you may know, Haiti is probably the poorest, most economically deprived country in the Western Hemisphere, ...read more

Denomination: Methodist

Forgotten How To ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 25, 2009

FORGOTTEN HOW TO FISH? I read an interesting story about a group of pelicans in California. If you’ve ever seen pelicans in action, you know they’re great fishermen, or fisher-birds. These pelicans were hanging out near a fleet of fishing boats. The fishermen on the boats would pull into the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 4:7-14

Tags: Servanthood, God's Direction

Fleeing Unto Jesus, Not Away From Him

Contributed by C Jordan on Dec 5, 2009

FLEEING UNTO JESUS, NOT AWAY FROM HIM (JESUS IS ANOINTED BY MARY AT BETHANY) "I heard (this story) from a friend who works with the down-and-out in Chicago: "A prostitute came to me in wretched straits, homeless, sick, unable to buy food for her two-year-old daughter. Through sobs and tears, she ...read more

Tags: Grace

Denomination: *other

Compassion For The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 7, 2009

Compassion for the Down-and-Out “I heard (this story) from a friend who works with the down-and-out in Chicago: A prostitute came to me in wretched straits, homeless, sick, unable to buy food for her two-year-old daughter. Through sobs and tears, she told me she had been renting out her daughter – ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 9:10-13

Tags: Compassion

Blackaby In His Book

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Feb 26, 2010

Blackaby in his book "Power of the Call" shares on pages 14-17 what the qualifications of a spiritual leader are: i. A leader has an absolute sense of urgency (Matt. 9:35-37) ii. A leader has an absolute priority and commitment to prayer (Matt. 9:38). iii. A leader is unconditionally related to ...read more

Tags: Ordination

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Preparing For Departure

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Nov 23, 2010

PREPARING FOR DEPARTURE I once read how, in the spring of 1981, a young man was flown into desolate northern Alaska to photograph the natural beauty and mysteries of the tundra. He took along 500 rolls of film, several firearms, and 1,400 pounds of provisions. As the months passed, the words in ...read more

Tags: Preparation

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Be Not Terrified By Adversity

Contributed by Rodelio Mallari on Dec 31, 2010

BE NOT TERRIFIED BY ADVERSITY One of the most treasured pieces in the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont, is a rug bearing the Latin inscription Nec Aspera Terrent (Be Not Terrified by Adversity). It always has had special meaning for Baroness Maria von Trapp and her children—the famous Trapp ...read more

Tags: Hardship Of Life

Denomination: *other

Jesus Is The Amplifier

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Jan 2, 2012

JESUS IS THE AMPLIFIER Jesus said: "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 So... without Jesus I can't do anything? Now, that doesn’t mean you and I can’t do things that might be impressive. ...read more

Tags: Sharing Your Faith

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

H: The Aspirate Word

Contributed by Suresh Manoharan on Jan 22, 2013

H: THE ASPIRATE WORD When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him.....No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be AbraHam, for I have made you a father of many Nations.- Genesis 17:5 God also said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her ...read more

Tags: Restoration

Denomination: *other

Joni Eareckson Tada's Wedding

Contributed by Davon Huss on Nov 16, 2014

Joni Eareckson Tada, who since a diving accident as a teenager has lived from a wheelchair, wrote about the day of her wedding: “I felt awkward as my girlfriends strained to shift my paralyzed body into a cumbersome wedding gown. No amount of corseting and binding my body gave me a good shape. ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 19:7-9

Tags: Wedding Supper, Wedding Ceremony, Jesus As Bridegroom

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Take It First To The Lord In Prayer  PRO

Contributed by Palitha Jayasooriya on Apr 3, 2017

Take it to the Lord in prayer My mobile phone crashed a few months ago and I had to switch to my wife's old one as a temporary measure. On the first day of using the phone, there was one particularly important feature that neither I nor my wife could grasp, though we tried to figure it out for a ...read more

Scripture: John 16:24

Tags: Prayer, Trusting God, Trusting Christ

Denomination: Assembly Of God

George Sweeting, In His Book The No-Guilt Guide ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

George Sweeting, in his book The No-Guilt Guide for Witnessing, tells of a man by the name of John Currier who in 1949 was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison. Later he was transferred and paroled to work on a farm near Nashville, Tennessee. In 1968, Currier’s sentence was ...read more

Tags: Evangelism How To

First, Give Your Kids The Luxury Of A Mistake ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

First, Give your kids the luxury of a mistake now and then. You made a few growing up. Acceptance by you and approval from you is critical to their healthy development. Second, Give your kids room to come to their own convictions and conclusions. Parents are foundational to success. At the same ...read more

Tags: Children

In You Mind Put Yourself On The Western Prairie ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 14, 2007

In you mind put yourself on the western prairie in the summer of 1866. Imagine being asleep at night when you are awaken by the smell of burning weeds. That prairie brush fire smoke would strake fear into your heart. It is impossible to out run the fire. It moves fast as the wind and wide as ...read more

Standing On A Small Platform, A Reader Calls Out ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 8, 2008

Standing on a small platform, a reader calls out names, “Michael Hyde. Donald Jackson. Jose Munoz.” The names being read were those engraved on “The Wall.” No one calls it anything else. It was once highly controversial. This was not a statue, no soldier on horseback, but a black granite gash in ...read more