In Sermon Illustrations: "Beautiful"

The Cross: Solution To Alignment Problems  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 18, 2009

THE CROSS: SOLUTION TO ALIGNMENT PROBLEMS I remember when my first car, a beautiful 92 Chevy Cavalier, developed and alignment problem. I would be driving down the freeway, and it pulled to the right pretty hard. In fact, you really had to work against the car to make it get in the left lane. On ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 19:25-26

Tags: Cross

Newsman Clarence W. Hall Sees The Impact Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 29, 2009

Newsman Clarence W. Hall Sees the Impact of Missions on Okinawa in 1945 A newsman, named Clarence W. Hall, followed American troops through Okinawa in 1945. He and his jeep driver came upon an Okinawan village that stood out as a beautiful example of a Christian community! The entire village had ...read more

Scripture: John 12:44-46

Tags: Missions

D.l. Moody's Thoughts Before His Death Illustrate ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 15, 2009

D.L. Moody’s Thoughts Before His Death Illustrate an Important Habit--Begin with the End in Mind Steven Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People, states that one of those habits is to “Begin with the end in mind”; for the final days and hours of a man are often some of the most ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 7:1-2

Tags: Death Nearness

The Longer I Walk With Christ The Uglier My Sin ...

Contributed by Chris Surber on May 9, 2010

The longer I walk with Christ the uglier my sin seems to me. The closer into communion with God I am the more desperately thankful to God I am for having forgiven this broken, brazen, bold, sinner’s heart. It is only when we have been in the light that darkness is well defined. Interestingly ...read more

Tags: Sin Hurtful To God

Denomination: Christian Church

A Change Of Words, A Change Of Focus  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 23, 2010

A CHANGE OF WORDS, A CHANGE OF FOCUS Here is a story that I believe show how our journey is made better simply by a change in words. A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign, which said: "I am blind, please help." There were only a few coins in the hat. ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Tags: Gratitude

A Minor Detail, A Major Distraction

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 26, 2011

A MINOR DETAIL, A MAJOR DISTRACTION Anything that hinders the worship of God incites the anger of God, and should be abandoned immediately. "It was a majestic evening. On Friday, October 18th, 1991, the world-class Chicago Symphony presented the final concert in its year-long celebration of the ...read more

Scripture: John 4:21-24

Tags: Worship Purpose

What Will You Need?

Contributed by Rick Gillespie- Mobley on Sep 25, 2011

WHAT WILL YOU NEED? Let's suppose for a moment you are in a place you have never been before. You have no idea how you got there. A person comes out and tells you, "You must go into that room and choose one of four things to take with you on your journey when you leave this place. You may not ask ...read more

Tags: Knowing God's Will

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Looking At The Light

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 6, 2012

LOOKING AT THE LIGHT A pastor told a story of a man in his congregation who had lost literally hundreds of thousands of dollars. He owed everybody. One day the pastor asked him, "How in the world are you even surviving? How can you smile? How can you be enthusiastic about Jesus and about life when ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 19:1-21

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

The Recycled ...

Contributed by Ken Pell on Mar 23, 2013

THE RECYCLED ORCHESTRA In December of last year (2012) NPR told the story of a poor community in Paraguay has formed an amazing orchestra that plays instruments created from recycled trash. The young musicians in a slum that's built on a landfill. More than 1500 tons of trash gets dumped into the ...read more

Tags: Grace

Denomination: Nazarene

Light In The Darkness  PRO

Contributed by Steven Angus on May 20, 2013

LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS Some of you may be familiar with the name Catherine Marshall. She was a wonderful Christian author who wrote such classics as Christy, which became a television series. There was an occasion in her life when she felt as if the flame of God’s love had gone out. It started ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 23:4, Psalm 22:1-31

Tags: God In The Hardships

Denomination: United Methodist

The Big Turkey In The Freezer

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Nov 21, 2023

A Christian woman went into the local pet shop to buy a parrot for company. She selected a beautiful bird, but the pet store owner said he didn't think that she'd be happy with this particular parrot because he had belonged to a salty old sailor who used very bad language. She replied ...read more

Tags: Birds, Parrots, Holidays, Food, Profanity, Punishment, Discipline, Cursing, Thanksgiving  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Kindness That Echoes Eternity

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Apr 13, 2025

A few years ago, a sports columnist named Steve Rushin wrote about a moment at a baseball game that stuck with me. It didn’t involve a home run or a dramatic win—but something much quieter and more meaningful. Steve and his teenage son were at a Minnesota Twins game, sitting among the crowds when ...read more

Scripture: Acts 20:35

Tags: Humble, Giving, Kindness

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Baby Steps!" Numbers 33: 1-49 Key Verse(S): 2a: ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Nov 29, 2004

“Baby Steps!” Numbers 33: 1-49 Key verse(s): 2a: “At the Lord’s command Moses recorded the stages in their journey . . .” I opened up the paper the other day and there staring me right in the face was a “huge success.” The newspaper was focusing on people who had made it; you know, those who ...read more

Scripture: Numbers 33:1-49

Tags: Gifts General

Denomination: Lutheran

I Want To Begin With The Most Famous Logical ...

Contributed by Ronnie Knight on May 9, 2008

I want to begin with the most famous logical argument ever posited for the existence of God taken from St. Thomas Aquinas Suma Theologiae. So, we begin with “The Five Ways of St. Thomas Aquinas”. First, we have the argument from motion. This argument speaks to the issue of creation. Most ...read more

Tags: Apologetics God

Denomination: Baptist

What A Friend We Have In Jesus  PRO

Contributed by Jonathan Campbell on Jun 24, 2008

WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS Only the Lord and the man in question really know what burdens of sorrow and affliction were heaped upon the writer of this great hymn. One thing we do know, however, is that this beautiful and blessed hymn would never have been penned if the author had not known ...read more

Scripture: John 15:15

Tags: Music

The Tablecloth  PRO

Contributed by Tim Smith on Feb 19, 2012

THE TABLECLOTH The brand new pastor and his wife were assigned to their first church in Brooklyn and were to reopen it. They arrived in early October excited about their opportunities. When they saw the church, it was run down and needed a lot of work. They set a goal to have everything done in ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Methodist

Wheat ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 5, 2012

WHEAT HARVEST I grew up in Wellington, Kansas which is a small farm town of about 8,000 people located 30 miles south of Wichita, Kansas. Wellington’s big claim to fame is being the Wheat Capitol of the World. The farmers of my home town produce more wheat per capita than anywhere else in the ...read more

Scripture: John 4:34-38

Tags: Evangelism Urgency

How Can Salvation Be Free While Following Christ Demands Everything?

Contributed by Garris Hudson on May 31, 2022

I am often asked, "How can salvation be free, but, yet, Jesus said that we cannot by His disciple unless we forsake everything for Him?" (Luke 14). Let me explain the answer to this question in a story. Once there was a man who collected and traded in pearls. He had a fine collection ...read more

Tags: Count The Cost, Grace, Commitment, Salvation, Discipleship, Obedience  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Salvation Is Free, But It Will Cost Your Life

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 28, 2024

I am often asked, "How can salvation be free, but, yet, Jesus said that we cannot by His disciple unless we forsake everything for Him?" (Luke 14). Let me explain the answer to this question in a story. Once there was a man who collected and traded in pearls. He had a fine collection of ...read more

Tags: Sacrifice, Salvation, Discipleship, Free, Eternal Life, Grace, Mercy  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Love Is Action  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 5, 2001

LOVE IS ACTION In his book, Dad, The Family Coach, Dave Simmons tells of an act of sacrificial love that occurred in a shopping mall. One day he took his eight year old Helen and five year old Brandon to the Cloverdale Mall. He needed to buy some tools in Sears. When they pulled into ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:7, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13