In Sermon Illustrations: "Becoming A Christian"

A Sobbing Little Girl Stood Near A Small Church ...  PRO

Contributed by Jim Kane on Jun 4, 2001

A sobbing little girl stood near a small church from which she had been turned away because it ’was too crowded.’ "I can’t go to Sunday School," she sobbed to the pastor as he walked by. Seeing her shabby, unkempt appearance, the pastor guessed the reason and, taking her by the hand, took her ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 90:1

Tags: Giving General, Christian Disciplines, Church Practices

Denomination: Church Of God

Growing Up As A Missionary Kid In The De. Rep. ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 5, 2001

Growing up as a missionary kid in the De. Rep. of the Congo, we were forced out of our mission station by communist rebels in 1964. I was only 8 years old at the time; but I remember that our family, with 20 others white people on the station had received a radio message that the rebels were close ...read more

Tags: God's Provision, Christian Disciplines, Call Of The Disciples

Will You Wash My Dishes?  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Aug 10, 2001

[Will You Wash My Dishes?] Sometimes we get a distorted idea about what love is. One night, a man decided to show his wife how much he loved her. After dinner he began to recite romantic poetry, telling her he would climb high mountains to be near her, swim wide oceans, cross deserts in the burning ...read more

Scripture: James 5:1-12

Tags: Christian Disciplines, Patience, Servanthood, Romantic Love

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

: "Scarred Hands” (James S. ...  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Howell on Aug 21, 2001

Illus.: “Scarred Hands” (James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited, pp. 119-120) A small orphaned boy lived with his grandmother. One night their house caught fire. The grandmother, trying to rescue the little boy asleep upstairs, perished in the smoke and flames. A crowd gathered around the ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:6-8

Tags: Forgiveness In Jesus, Christian Disciplines, Lordship Of Christ

Denomination: Wesleyan

Shakespeare Wrote Of A Dying King And His Son, ...  PRO

Contributed by Michael Milton on Aug 29, 2001

Shakespeare wrote of a dying king and his son, who was hovering over him and speaking to him, "thou hast a thousand daggers in thy thoughts against me." So, did ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness For Others, Christian Love, Dealing With Conflicts

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Oyster  PRO

Contributed by John Edmerson on Sep 13, 2001

The Oyster There once was an oyster whose story I tell, Who found that sand had got under his shell; Just one little grain, but it gave him much pain, For oysters have feelings although they’re so plain. Now, did he berate the working of Fate Which had led him to such a deplorable state? Did ...read more

Scripture: James 1:2

Tags: God In The Hardships, Human Body, Christian Love

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Some Of You Might Have Heard Of The Late Malcolm ...  PRO

Contributed by Michael Milton on Sep 25, 2001

Some of you might have heard of the late Malcolm Muggeridge. He was a British journalist and a noted atheist for many years of his life. But in his sin, in the very midst of about to commit yet another vile act of wickedness, he came face to face with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He repented and ...read more

Tags: Lordship Of Christ, Basics Of Christianity, Commitment To Christ

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Story Is Told About 3 Brothers Who ...  PRO

Contributed by Melvin Newland on Oct 11, 2001

ILL. The story is told about 3 brothers who started working at the same time for a fur company owned by an old friend of their father. After working there for more than a year, one son was still receiving the same salary as when he started, & seemed to be unhappy with his job. The second son ...read more

Tags: Love Of The Disciples, Leadership General, Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Nothing Can Choke The Heart And Soul Out Of ...  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Oct 11, 2001

Nothing can choke the heart and soul out of walking with God like legalism. Consider the story of Hans the tailor. Because of his reputation, an influential entrepreneur visiting the city ordered a tailor-made suit. But when he came to pick up his suit, the customer found that one sleeve ...read more

Scripture: Luke 5:33-35, Mark 5:1-12

Tags: Love Of The Disciples, Christian Love, What Is Evangelism?

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A. A Kentucky Mountaineer Fighting Overseas In ...  PRO

Contributed by Davon Huss on Oct 16, 2001

A. A Kentucky mountaineer fighting overseas in WW1 kept getting nagging letters from his wife back home. He was too busy fighting to write letters, even to his wife. At last, angered by his wife’s scolding letters, he sat down and wrote her: "Dear Nancy: I been a-gittin yore naggin letters all ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 21:9, Habakkuk 3:17-18

Tags: Christian Love, Marriage Obligations, Marriage, Polygamy

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

One Of My Favorite Christmas Stories Is ...  PRO

Contributed by Melvin Newland on Nov 6, 2001

ILL. One of my favorite Christmas stories is about the old shoe cobbler who dreamed one Christmas Eve that Jesus would come to visit him the next day. The dream was so real that he was convinced it would come true. So the next morning he got up & went out & cut green boughs & decorated his ...read more

Tags: Christmas Advent, Christian Disciplines, Love Of The Disciples

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Benjamin Frankin Once Coined A Saying That Could ...  PRO

Contributed by David Fox on Nov 10, 2001

Benjamin Frankin once coined a saying that could well describe the previous chaper of Judahs history (and our own nation as well). “A little neglect may breed great mischief… · For want of a nail the shoe was lost… · For want of a shoe the horse was lost… · For want of a horse the rider was ...read more

Tags: Leadership General, Disciplines General, Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Pentecostal

I Heard A Definition Of The Contrast ...  PRO

Contributed by Melvin Newland on Nov 14, 2001

ILL. I heard a definition of the contrast between infatuation & love. It says, "Infatuation is when you think your husband is as handsome as Tom Cruse, as amusing as Rodney Daingerfield, as intellectual as Albert Einstein, as devout as Billy Graham, & as athletic as Hulk Hogan." That is ...read more

Tags: Romantic Love, Marriage Commitment, Christian Love

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Which Way You Went  PRO

Contributed by David Whitten on Nov 29, 2001

WHICH WAY YOU WENT Years ago a man was searching his family roots and visited several cemeteries and read many inscriptions on the tombstones. There was one tombstone on which was engraved "Pause now stranger as you pass by; as you are now, so once was I. as I am now , so soon you will be. Prepare ...read more

Tags: Death Nearness, Funerals Non-Christian, Heaven

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Rev. Tom Erickson Told A Story About The Public ...

Contributed by Jason Patrick on Dec 1, 2001

Rev. Tom Erickson told a story about the public Library having a system called "Dial-A-Tale." Anytime a young child wants to hear a fairy tale, he can call the number and a voice comes on reading a short fairy tale to the listening young ear. However, the number is only one digit different from ...read more

Tags: Promises Of God, Love Of The Disciples, Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Baptist

A Sunday School Class Was Discussing King ...  PRO

Contributed by Kelly Hudnall on Dec 12, 2001

A Sunday school class was discussing King Solomon. People pointed out that though Solomon had been so wise, he made some foolish choices. Finally, the teacher asked, "Are we picking too much on Solomon?" One ...read more

Tags: Marriage Obligations, Ot Kings, Christian Love

Denomination: Pentecostal

Loving And Giving  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2001

LOVING AND GIVING One can give without loving, but one cannot love without ...read more

Tags: Giving General, God The Father, Christian Love

The Measure Of A Life, After All, Is Not Its ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2001

The measure of a life, after all, is not its duration, but its donation. ...read more

Tags: Christian Love, Giving General, Love Of The Disciples

Letting Go Of Sin  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2001

LETTING GO OF SIN Men who trap animals in Africa for zoos in America say that one of the hardest animals to catch is the ring-tailed monkey. For the Zulus of that continent, however, it’s simple. They’ve been catching this agile little animal with ease for years. The method the Zulus use is based ...read more

Tags: Sin Bondage To, Temptation General, Christian Disciplines

I Shall Not Live In Vain

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2001

I Shall Not Live In Vain If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain; If I can ease one life the aching, Or cool one pain, Or help one fainting robin Unto ...read more

Tags: Love Of The Disciples, Giving General, Christian Disciplines