In Sermon Illustrations: "Bible Reading"

Picked From The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 1, 2010

Picked From the Fire John Wesley never forgot a terrible night of his childhood. He was only six years old at the time, and he had awakened in the family’s old rectory to find it ablaze from top to bottom. Everyone else had been dragged from the building, but by some extraordinary oversight he had ...read more

Scripture: Zechariah 3:1-5

Tags: Hell, Fire

Poem: I Met A Traveler From An Antigue Land By ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 30, 2010

Poem: I Met A Traveler From an Antigue Land by Percy Bysshe Shelley In 1818, Percy Bysshe Shelley published a poem on the ephemeral nature of human kings and political powers: I MET A TRAVELER FROM AN ANTIQUE LAND I met a traveler from an antique land Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of ...read more

Scripture: John 18:33-38

Tags: Truth

In 1982 There Was A Letter To The Editor Which ...

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Jun 22, 2010

In 1982 there was a letter to the editor which read, “Dear Editor, I would like to tell your readers how mad I was when I was forced to go out and pay $45 for an infant seat, and to top it off we couldn’t fit everybody in my pickup truck with that big bulky thing. On April 2, my wife was forced to ...read more

Tags: Law

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

More Beyond  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 15, 2010

MORE BEYOND The Strait of Gibraltar is the strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. On either side of the Strait of Gibraltar there are two mountains, which were known in ancient times as the Pillars of Hercules. According to Greek mythology, Hercules built these pillars ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:13-18

Tags: Heaven

Forgiveness Limits...?

Contributed by Ovidiu Radulescu on Jul 31, 2010

FORGIVENESS LIMITS...? I feel more comfortable when I can see the extent of my obligations. That brings light to the lesson of Peter in Matthew 18. Peter was concerned about how many times he should forgive his neighbor. Peter knew what the rabbis had to say on the topic. They had read the hook ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness General

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

The Gospel Tract Dispenser

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 20, 2010

THE GOSPEL TRACT DISPENSER Mike Slaughter tells the story of rushing through the airport to catch his connecting flight. He ran into the bathroom and went into a stall. And when he began to pull on the toilet paper, and a Gospel tract fell out onto the floor. He picked it up and began to read ...read more

Tags: Evangelism How To

Denomination: Methodist

Patience And Jell-O

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 6, 2011

PATIENCE AND JELL-O Jell-O celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1997. I was fascinated to read the story of the man who invented it. In 1897, a man by the name of Pearle Wait wore several hats. He was a construction worker. He dabbled in patent medicines and went door to door selling homemade ...read more

Scripture: 1 Chronicles 12:32

Tags: Christian Values

Death As Reward

Contributed by Brad Henry on Sep 15, 2011

DEATH AS REWARD I am reading a book that has changed a lot of the ways I think about things of God. One statement really got me. "Your life is free to be radical when you see death as your reward." The book “Radical” by David Platt. That’s it isn’t it? That is why we worry. Because we don’t see ...read more

Tags: Death

At Any Price

Contributed by David T. Smith on Oct 24, 2011

AT ANY PRICE Several years ago a woman by the name of Mrs. Jane Kolodziej was attempting to have her husband released from the psychiatric ward where he had been committed because she had testified that he had tried to kill her and their two sons. She had told the judge that she believed her ...read more

Tags: Sin Wages Of

Denomination: Baptist

Facing The Music

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Mar 19, 2012

FACING THE MUSIC Many years ago a man wanted to play in the Imperial Orchestra, but could not play a note. Since he was, however, a person of great wealth and influence, he demanded to be allowed to join the orchestra so that he could perform in front of the king. The conductor agreed to let him ...read more

Tags: Judgment

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Christlikeness: A Painful Process  PRO

Contributed by Josh Hunt on May 9, 2012

CHRISTLIKENESS: A PAINFUL PROCESS The truth is that the Spirit of the living God is guaranteed to ask you to go somewhere or do something you wouldn’t normally want or choose to do. The Spirit will lead you to the way of the cross, as He led Jesus to the cross, and that is definitely not a safe or ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:18, Matthew 16:24-25, Revelation 12:1-2

Tags: Holy Spirit In Believers

Denomination: Baptist

The Vastness Of Space

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Jan 2, 2015

I have read that the nearest star to our sun is called Proxima Centauri, and it’s about 4.22 light years away. As you know, a light year is not a measurement of time; it is a measurement of distance. Light is the fastest thing we know of, and a light year is how far it takes light to travel in a ...read more

Scripture: Romans 1:18-23

Tags: Creation, Astronomy

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Eating The Wrong Cookies - Assumptions

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Sep 30, 2019

A traveller, between flights at an airport, went to a lounge and bought a small package of cookies. Then she sat down and began reading a newspaper. Gradually, she became aware of a rustling noise. From behind her paper, she was flabbergasted to see a neatly dressed man helping himself to her ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 9:1-14

Tags: Satan's Craftiness, Deception, Assumptions

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Holding Others Up

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 4, 2021

One of the best leaders and models in discipleship was Dawson Trotman, who died after helping to rescue two drowning girls. Says Chuck Swindoll: “When Dawson Trotman passed away, he probably left a legacy of discipleship on this earth that will never be matched except perhaps in the life of Jesus ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:19-20, Luke 9:23, Romans 12:1-2

Tags: Teaching, Discipleship, Following Jesus, Great Commission, Dawson Trotman  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Simplicity Of The Gospel

Contributed by Jerry Cosper on Jan 31, 2022

How does the thief on the cross fit into your theology? I think many times we complicate the issue of getting into heaven. What is required? Let's think about the the thief on the cross. No baptism, no communion, no confirmation, no speaking in tongues, no mission trip, no volunteerism, and ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16

Tags: Gospel, Cross

Denomination: Baptist

God Knows What Is Happening In Your Nation

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Aug 21, 2023

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that God is asleep when it comes to nations, or that He is out of touch when it comes to carnal banquets, or that He sits in Heaven wringing His hands when it comes to godless rulers (and foolish presidents!) who make unfair, rash, or stupid decisions. Mark it ...read more

Tags: Nations, Kings, Governments, Presidents, Wicked Rulers  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Larry Norman Funeral Was A Going Away Party

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Mar 25, 2024

What a gathering! Over 500 poured into a church this morning to pay our respects to Larry Norman. As we entered, we were handed ‘circus programs’ (instead of a boring pamphlet) that read: "Larry Norman Presents: A Going Away Party." It was a gathering of friends, family and fans ...read more

Tags: Funerals, Christian Music, Death, Celebration, Heaven, Mourning  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Spiritual Advice! Story: Einstein, Edison Disney And Caruso

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Feb 25, 2026

Do Not get counsel from your detractors (Matthew14:25-27) Seek Spiritual Advice from Spiritually mature Christians. Albert Einstein ... had difficulty speaking until he was four years old ... and did not read ... until he was seven. Beethoven's music teacher said: .... "As a composer, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 14:25-27

Tags: Advice, Counsel, Teachers, Detractors

Denomination: Anglican

Angels - Do You Believe?

Contributed by John Bright on Mar 20, 2026

Please raise your hand if you believe in angels. Thanks, put your hand down. Please raise your hand if you believe in demons. Thanks, put your hand down. If you raised your hand both times, you have a Biblical view of angels. Too many church members have a view of angels that contains New Age ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 2:10-16, Jude 1:8-11

Tags: Angels, Demons, Billy Graham

Denomination: Methodist

Dog Returns To His Vomit

Contributed by John Bright on Jun 22, 2026

In the 1730s and 1740s, revivals swept across England and the American colonies during what we call “The First Great Awakening.” John Wesley saw thousands of folks claim salvation, but some of them fell back into their old ways of drinking at the local pub every night or neglecting to read God’s ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 2:22

Tags: Sin, Accountability, John Wesley, Small Group, First Great Awakening  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Methodist