In Sermon Illustrations: "Becoming Finished"

Honor Your Mother And Father

Contributed by Jim Blevins on May 15, 2009

HONOR YOUR MOTHER AND FATHER One Mother's Day I was preaching in another state and during the Sunday School class I told about one of the two times that I sassed my mother. Now my mom is about 4 foot 11 inches tall and I was approaching 6 feet so I towered over her. She had told me to do something ...read more

Tags: Commandments Parents

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Honesty Matters  PRO

Contributed by Michael Deutsch on Jul 6, 2009

HONESTY MATTERS I read about a high school golfer, Chelsee Richard, of Bloomingdale High School in Brandon, Florida. She lost her chance to win the 2004 state championship — by being honest. In the qualifier for the state finals, Chelsee hit her tee shot on the second hole into the rough. Without ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1:1-4, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-14

Tags: Commandments Testimony

Denomination: Baptist

Zoo Attendent Cleans Cage Of Wildcat Without ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 6, 2009

Zoo Attendent Cleans Cage of Wildcat Without Fear Writing in Moody Monthly, Carl Armerding recounted his experience of watching a wildcat in a zoo. "As I stood there, " he said, "an attendant entered the cage through a door on the opposite side. He had nothing in his hands but a broom. Carefully ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 43:2-3

Tags: Confidence

Climate At Church Compared To Jewelry Store Grand ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 11, 2009

Climate at Church compared to Jewelry Store Grand Opening John Bisagno former Pastor of Houston’s First Baptist Church tells the story of his coming as a candidate for the position of pastor many years ago. He said that as he entered the auditorium it was dimly lit, with just a few people huddled ...read more

Scripture: Luke 4:14-30

Tags: Pastors

A Few Months Ago I Went Into Hospital For An ...

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Dec 21, 2009

A few months ago I went into hospital for an operation. I had my wisdom tooth removed as well as a chipped tooth fragment removed, which had found it’s way into my sinus cavity. I was under anaesthetic so I didn’t feel a thing and woke up on the operating table after the procedure was finished. I ...read more

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Truly Humble Man Is Hard To Find, Yet God ...

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Dec 21, 2009

A truly humble man is hard to find, yet God delights to honor such selfless people. Booker T. Washington, the renowned black educator, was an outstanding example of this truth. Shortly after he took over the presidency of Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, he was walking in an exclusive section of town ...read more

Tags: Humility

Denomination: Pentecostal

Resolutions Through The Years

Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Dec 30, 2010

RESOLUTIONS THROUGH THE YEARS Has anyone decided what your New Year’s Resolutions will be for 2011? Before you do it, let’s take a look at how Resolutions tend to work out… Here are some examples: 2007: I will read at least 10 books this year 2008: I will try to finish the book I started last ...read more

Tags: New Year's Day

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Do Whatever The Champion Does

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 24, 2011

DO WHATEVER THE CHAMPION DOES In 1976, Finland’s Lasse Viren made Olympic history when he became the first man to win both the 5,000 and 10,000 meter races in successive Olympiads. After his victory, his coach decided to take on the record of the legendary Emil Zatopek. Earlier in the century at ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:1-5

Tags: Discipleship

Memorial Day: Remember The Martyrs

Contributed by Jason Bonnicksen on Jun 4, 2011

MEMORIAL DAY: REMEMBER THE MARTYRS It’s honorable and fitting this morning we remember the sacrifice of our nation’s great veterans, who gave their lives on battlefields abroad and here at home. By some estimates, nearly 1.3 million Americans have shed their blood and died for freedom’s cause. ...read more

Tags: Holidays Civic

Denomination: Lutheran

Precious Stone

Contributed by Ronnie Miller on Jul 31, 2011

PRECIOUS STONE Peter says that Jesus is a living stone rejected by men, but chosen by God and precious. He also says that we are living stones...so we are precious to God also. We are precious to God because of what Jesus has done for us. If we are precious to God and he calls us a living stone, ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 2:1-3

Tags: Atonement, Persecution, Troubles, Trial

Denomination: Baptist

Chippie's Story  PRO

Contributed by Scott Spencer on Nov 14, 2011

CHIPPIE'S STORY Max Lucado shares the story of a parakeet named Chippie. Chippie’s owner decided to clean his cage...with a vacuum cleaner. She was almost finished when the phone rang, so she turned around to answer it. Before she knew it, Chippie was gone. In a panic she ripped open the vacuum ...read more

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Who Influences Whom?

Contributed by Perry Greene on Feb 15, 2012

WHO INFLUENCES WHOM? I heard a joke about Bill and Hillary Clinton recently. It seems they were on vacation one weekend, and decided to go for a drive to see the beautiful countryside. After a while, they needed to stop for gas. They pulled into a tiny gas station, and out walked a man to help ...read more

Tags: Worldliness

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Hymn Story : "Holy God, Sinful Man"

Contributed by Lawrence Bradford on Sep 26, 2012

Hymn Story : "Holy God, Sinful Man" A story of God’s Ring of Love (eternal and everlasting)for humanity. "Holy God, Sinful Man" Chorus: Had it not been for Jesus to die on that cross. All mankind would surely be lost. Verse 1: There would be no forgiveness no ...read more

Tags: God's Love

Denomination: Baptist

Being Crucified With Christ

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Aug 11, 2016

As I was typing up the many pages of notes I would use for my weekly podcast sermon, I needed to replace some letters in a name in part of my document with "M-E," so it would read correctly as I recorded. I was trying to use the ’Find & Replace’ command, but it looked a little ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 2:20

Tags: Sin, Flesh, Self, Crucified With Christ, Crucify Flesh, Crucified  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Charismatic

Car Keys

Contributed by Nickolas Kooi on Sep 7, 2017

“You shall not steal,” the Seventh Commandment. Not only do we not take what is not ours, we actually help to improve and protect the possessions and income of other people. I had this done to me a few weeks. I was finishing up something at home on a Friday, and Dawn came to pick me up in the ...read more

Tags: Theft, Seventh Commandment

Denomination: Lutheran

A Branch Plucked Out Of The Fire

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Apr 10, 2018

Back in ’09 there was a house fire that led to a dramatic rescue. One of the family’s sons was trapped in the house. A quick-thinking neighbor had someone get on his shoulders in order to reach the boy. Their bravery and ingenuity allowed five-year-old John to escape just seconds before the ...read more

Tags: Purpose, Fire, John Wesley, Methodist, Hell, Flame, Salvation, Rescue  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

The Importance Of Preaching

Contributed by David Parks on Aug 27, 2020

March 4, 1881 was a beautiful spring day in Washington D.C. James Garfield stood on the Capitol steps, placed a hand on the Bible, another on his heart, faced a crowd of thousands, and was sworn in as the 20th President of the United States. Like every Inauguration, it was a day ripe with ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:1-5

Tags: Truth, Preaching, Minister

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Light In The Dark

Contributed by Carl Allen on Jul 8, 2022

While leaving in Germany, I had the fortune of going camping in the black forest. I found out quickly why they call it the black forest. When the sun goes down it is pitch black and you can barely see your hand in front of your face. We had just finished setting up camp and I had to run back out ...read more

Scripture: John 9:5, Psalm 119:105

Tags: Found, Direction, Light, Darkness, Lost, Saved  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Churches In Competition Against Each Other

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Aug 5, 2023

Three churches, located on different corners of the same intersection, didn't get along together. One Sunday each of them opened their meeting with a rousing song service. It was a warm day and all the doors and windows were wide open. One congregation began singing the old hymn, "Will ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-7, Philippians 2:5-11

Tags: Critical Spirit, Hymns, Enemies, Division, Church, Worship, Competition, Rivalry  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Sagrada Familia Basilica.

Contributed by Andrew Moffatt on Dec 22, 2024

Well today just because I can I want to share with you a couple of pictures, one that I took and one that is much better than the one that I took of the same thing. The first is this whooping great big church the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain and the other is a small part of the building, ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 9:6

Tags: Mary, Nativity, Christmas, Donkey, Joseph, Baby Jesus  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Salvation Army