In Sermon Illustrations: "Being Content"

God's Way Is The Best.

Contributed by Garris Hudson on May 31, 2022

I read the story about a young woman who had prepared for missionary service on foreign fields. She had been appointed by the mission board and was ready to sail when she received a telegram saying that her sister had died in a western state. She cancelled her reservation and went home. The ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:28

Tags: Faith, Trust, Obedience, Purpose, Providence, Will Of God, Sovereignty Of God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Childlike Forgiveness

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 31, 2022

A few months ago, I was in El Paso holding an evangelistic meeting, and the young people were serving dinner to the mothers being that it was Mother’s Day. I was seating in a chair watching what was going on, and right in front, a four-year-old girl pushed a two-year-old boy, who fell on the floor ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:12

Tags: Grace, Forgiveness

What Does It Mean To Have Joy?

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Feb 2, 2023

Joy is God’s gift to believers. Paul speaks of more than just a mood. This is a deep confidence that was rooted in God’s sovereign control of the universe, His on unchanging divine promises and eternal spiritual realities including the assurance of ultimate victory for those in ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:19-22, Philippians 4:4

Tags: Spirit Filled Life, Happiness, Joy, Fruit Of The Spirit

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Faith Becomes Love In Action

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Apr 5, 2023

FAITH IS AN ACTION WORD… Is this real? I place a metal chair in front of the crowd. I talk about how strong the chair appears to be? Then I ask the crowd do you think this chair is strong enough to hold one of us? We discuss why we think this chair could possibly hold a human’s weight. What would ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 4:7-9, John 15:13-16, Luke 24:7

Tags: Faith, Love, Action

Denomination: Assembly Of God

The Hound Of Heaven

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jul 2, 2023

In his book The Call, author Os Guinness writes: We cannot find God without God. We cannot reach God without God. We cannot satisfy God without God—which is another way of saying that our seeking will always fall short unless God’s grace initiates the search and unless God’s call draws us to Him ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-9, Titus 3:5

Tags: Grace, Salvation, Works, Sovereignty Of God

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

We Are Sinners. (The Ache In The Human Heart)

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Jul 4, 2023

There is in each of us a dis-ease, a sense of unfulfillment of some high destiny unmet, of some lofty vow broken and shattered. We are sinners! We long for some word of forgiveness which will make us whole. We sense we have a homeland, but we are exiles. We perceive that we are of royal ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:1

Tags: Depravity, Disobedience, Sin

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Cast The First Stone

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Feb 6, 2024

Marilyn Helleberg told about being a teenager at church camp. She said an ugly rumor got started there about two of the counselors and it quickly became the talk of the camp. The next day, at Morning Prayer, the minister read the story of the adulterous woman. He spoke of Jesus telling the crowd ...read more

Tags: Gossip, Division, Judging, Forgiveness, Confession, Criticism, Mouth, Words, Tongue, Love  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Burnout In The Ministry Is A Serious Problem.

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Nov 12, 2024

Burnout is a serious problem among pastors around the world. Some statistics include: On average, seminary trained pastors last only five years in church ministry. • 100% of 1,050 Reformed and Evangelical pastors had a colleague who had left the ministry because of burnout, church conflict, or ...read more

Tags: Elijah, Ministry, Burnout, Pastors, Simon Peter, Discouraged, Quitting  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Looking For A Loophole. W C Fields Story

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Mar 3, 2026

It is a difficult thing... to look in the mirror of our soul... and see where we really stand ... in our relationship with God. Some hold back ... from a total commitment to Jesus... and in a way, ... are looking for a loophole ... to make them acceptable ... before God. (Pause) W. C. Fields ...read more

Scripture: Acts 17:22-34, John 14:6

Tags: Spirit, Battle, Commitment, Flesh, Loophole  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Anglican

The Following Were Answers Provided By 6th ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 15, 2002

The following were answers provided by 6th graders during a history test. Watch the spelling! Some of the best humor is in the misspelling. Even funnier read aloud to someone else! 1. Ancient Egypt was inhabited by mummies and they all wrote in hydraulics. They lived in the Sarah Dessert. The ...read more

Tags: Children, Ot Characters

Manuscript Evidence Of The Bible

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 4, 2021

Do we have any of the originals of the Bible's 66 books? NO. Not 1. But, we do have enough pieces of the cross to build several crosses, and enough other relics to rebuild several sacred objects several times over. Get the point? Anytime something of religious significance survives the ages, ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Timothy 4:1-3, 2 Peter 1:21, Hebrews 4:12

Tags: Bible, Scripture, Apologetics, Truth, Word Of God, Biblical Manuscripts  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Honest Is The Best Policy

Contributed by John Bright on Mar 20, 2026

A successful businessman knew it was time to choose a successor to lead his business. Instead of appointing one of his directors, or one of his children, he decided to call the company's young executives together. He said, "It is time for me to choose the next CEO. I have decided to ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 10:9, Proverbs 11:3

Tags: Humility, Honesty

Denomination: Methodist

In January, 1995, According To An Article ...  PRO

Contributed by Tony Miano on Jan 20, 2001

“In January, 1995, according to an article written by Gary Thomas, J. Robert Ashcroft had fewer than forty-eight hours to live, but he was holding on to life, hoping to see his son, John Ashcroft, sworn into the U.S. Senate the following day. [John Ashcroft, as we all know by now, is in the ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness General, Workplace Evangelism

Denomination: *other

Writer & Speaker Joni Erickson Tada Was Paralyzed ...  PRO

Contributed by Steve Malone on Apr 5, 2001

Writer & speaker Joni Erickson Tada was paralyzed from the neck down in a diving accident. In her book Secret Strength, Joni wrote about facing temptation. I was in my late 20’s, single, and with every prospect of remaining so. Sometimes lust or a bit of fantasizing would seem so inviting and so ...read more

Scripture: Luke 5:18-26, Luke 5:1-7

Tags: Prayer Hardship, Sin General, Temptation Resisting

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Mother Teresa Visited Australia. A New Recruit ...  PRO

Contributed by Davon Huss on Apr 30, 2001

Mother Teresa visited Australia. A new recruit to the Franciscan order in Australia was assigned to be her guide and “gofer” during her stay. “Thrilled and excited at the prospect of being so close to this woman, he dreamed of how much he would learn from her and what they would talk about. But ...read more

Tags: Giving General, Poverty

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Are You A Risk-Taker Or A Safety-Seeker?  PRO

Contributed by Mary Lewis on May 9, 2001

Are you a Risk-taker or a safety-seeker? Responding to the increasing destructiveness of high winds in the Midwest, one developer in Tulsa, Oklahoma, offered an optional tornado-safe room in the new homes he was selling. It cost an additional $2,500 for the room—which can also be used as a ...read more

Tags: God's Omnipotence, God's Provision, Endurance

Denomination: Baptist

There Was A Man Who Lived Up In Upstate New York ...  PRO

Contributed by Steve Malone on May 22, 2001

There was a man who lived up in upstate New York and he was getting tired of the cold weather, so he decided to go to Florida. His wife was on a business trip at the time so he called her to let her know what he was doing and to tell her not to go back to New York but to meet him in ...read more

Tags: Communication General, Truth

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Simple Obedience  PRO

Contributed by Ted Sutherland on Jun 7, 2001

Spurgeon: “It is my first public declaration that a thing which looks to be unreasonable and seems to be unprofitable, being commanded by God, is law, is law to me. If my Master had told me to pick up six stones and lay them in a row I would do it, without demanding of him, ‘What good will it do?’ ...read more

Tags: Baptism, Encouragement, Faith, Obedience, Law  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

In The Movie, Remember The Titans, The Coach ...  PRO

Contributed by Joel Pankow on Jun 21, 2001

In the movie, Remember the Titans, the coach pushed the students to the brink of their abilities. Some accused him of trying to ruin them and break their spirits. But by pushing them - he made them stronger. It prepared them for a difficult season of football - and in the end they went ...read more

Tags: Death, Endurance

Denomination: Lutheran

So We Are Not Only Talking About The Sex Act ...  PRO

Contributed by Steve Malone on Jul 9, 2001

So we are not only talking about the sex act itself, but also anything that feds these shameful evil desires.... And listen one thing that does that, and it something I need to talk about briefly is pornography... because It is an epidemic that is destroying our country... It has it’s death ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 34:1-10

Tags: Addiction, Pornography

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ