In Sermon Illustrations: "Bible"

Futile Renovations

Contributed by Richard Goble on Nov 23, 2007

Futile Renovations London businessman Lindsay Clegg told the story of a warehouse property he was selling. The building had been empty for months and needed repairs. Vandals had damaged the doors, smashed the windows, and strewn trash around the interior. As he showed a prospective buyer the ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Unopened Letters

Contributed by Richard Goble on Nov 23, 2007

Unopened Letters A childhood accident caused poet Elizabeth Barrett to lead a life of semi-invalidism before she married Robert Browning in 1846. There’s more to the story. In her youth, Elizabeth had been watched over by her [oppressive] father. When she and Robert were married, their wedding was ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

A Little Hobby Of Mine Is Collecting Old ...

Contributed by Robbie Parsons on Feb 17, 2008

A little hobby of mine is collecting old Coca-Cola memorabilia. One of my prized possessions is this old bottle from around 1910 to 1920. It was made at the Charleston Bottling Works in Charleston, WV. Many of you will doubtlessly remember when soda came in a glass bottle like this, not in ...read more

Denomination: United Methodist

Several Famous People Were Asked What They Felt ...

Contributed by Aubrey Vaughan on Feb 24, 2008

Several famous people were asked what they felt was the saddest word in the English language. Here’s what some of them said, • Poet T. S. Eliot: “The saddest word in the English language is, of course, ‘saddest.’” • Lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II: “But.” • Writer John Dos Passos quoted John Keats: ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Cleaning Is Hard Work

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Jun 20, 2009

CLEANING IS HARD WORK When I was in Bible College. Fridays were not fun. Those were the nights we had "work sections." You heard me -- "work sections." We changed out of our holy threads to work-clothes and started cleaning the College, from scrubbing potatoes to scrubbing floors. And none of this ...read more

Tags: Atonement

Denomination: Salvation Army

I Sat In A Courtroom As A Witness For The Motel ...

Contributed by Jerry Blaxton on Aug 27, 2009

I sat in a courtroom as a witness for the motel I was working for, and, we were waiting on our case to come up, and one of the cases that was presented, was a man who stole food from a grocery store, and the reason he gave was that he and his family were hungry. Now, it is a terrible thing that we ...read more

Tags: Servanthood

Denomination: Baptist

Fanny Crosby Gained Spiritual Insight From ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 28, 2009

Fanny Crosby Gained Spiritual Insight from Blindness Fanny Crosby was only six weeks old when she developed a minor eye inflammation. It was a simple thing to treat even in 1820, the year she was born. All the doctor had to do was apply some poultices to her eyes with a little medication. Only the ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:7-11

Tags: Gratitude

Hell, Literally

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Jan 3, 2010

HELL, LITERALLY Now the word for "hell" is interesting. According to William Barclay, it literally referred to the Valley of Hinnom, to the South West of Jerusalem. William Barclay says "It was notorious as the place where Ahaz had introduced into Israel the fire worship of the heathen god Molech, ...read more

Tags: Hell

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

As A Young Man, Augustine Packed A Lot Of Life ...

Contributed by Dennis Davidson on Jan 11, 2010

As a young man, AUGUSTINE packed a lot of life into a few years. He was a brilliant professor on the fast track with powerful Roman politicians. Yet despite his success and pursuit of pleasure, his soul was restless. His mother was a devout Christian, but Augustine wasn't interested in ...read more

Tags: Repentance

Denomination: Baptist

Have We Held The Line? Should Those Who Have Died ...

Contributed by Curtis Emerson on Jun 8, 2010

Have we held the line? Should those who have died rest easy because we are holding to the values that they were willing to give their lives for? Consider this timeline; "in 1954 churches began to grow silent; by 1963 the Bible and prayer were removed from public schools; by 1965 the sexual ...read more

Tags: Patriotism, America's Decline

Denomination: Lutheran

Church Conflict

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 16, 2011

CHURCH CONFLICT In Winchester, Ohio there’s a church called the Bethlehem Church of Christ. It’s been in existence for over 150 years, and over the years different events have been recorded in their “history” book. One of their recent ministers was reading back over the different entries in this ...read more

Scripture: Numbers 16:1-41

Tags: Divisions

Does Your God Bleed?  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 3, 2011

DOES YOUR GOD BLEED? A little boy went up to a missionary Sunday School leader in a pagan country. The boy said, "I like what you say about the God of the Bible but I can’t see him. But if I go to the temple I can see my God." The missionary said to the little boy, "Listen, does your God ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:19-20, 1 Peter 3:1-12

Tags: Blood Of Christ

The Inspiration Behind The Statue Of Liberty

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 6, 2011

THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THE STATUE OF LIBERTY The Statue Of Liberty has towered above Bedlow Island, near the entrance to New York Harbor, as a symbol of freedom. The famous sculptor, Bartholdi, gave twenty years of devoted effort to the work, personally superintending the raising of the ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 31:10-31, Proverbs 31:1-27

Tags: Mother's Day

The Prayer Police

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 16, 2011

THE PRAYER POLICE A little over 3 years ago, a group of students at an Alabama high school recited the Lord’s Prayer together in the lunchroom, which prompted a suit by the parents of another student. In response, Judge Ira Dement, on October 29, 1997, termed the action "religiously based ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:11-16

Tags: Persecution

It Was Enough

Contributed by Brad Henry on Sep 8, 2011

IT WAS ENOUGH This past Sunday morning I had an encounter with God. I had a bad headache (from God to keep me home) so I did not go with Julie and the boys to church. I got my bible out and then started praying. I felt the Lord flood my soul and then I felt like laying prostrate on the floor and ...read more

Tags: Prayer Answered

The Right Use Of The Eyes  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 28, 2012

THE RIGHT USE OF THE EYES A bishop of the early church, who was a remarkable example of the virtue of contentment, was asked his secret. The venerable old man replied: "It consists in nothing more than making a right use of my eyes. In whatever state I am, I first of all look up to heaven and ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:10-13

Tags: Gratitude

Working Hard To Earn Salvation

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 21, 2012

WORKING HARD TO EARN SALVATION United Methodist Bishop Reuben Job writes, "If we are just good enough, do enough, deny ourselves enough, we will be forgiven, redeemed, and reconciled to God. Following this path brings no peace, assurance, or sense of companionship with God. Rather than asking ...read more

Tags: Grace

Denomination: Methodist

Does Your God Bleed?  PRO

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Mar 4, 2014

DOES YOUR GOD BLEED? A little boy went up to a missionary Sunday School leader in another country. The boy said, "I like what you say about the God of the Bible but I can’t see him. But if I go to the temple I can see my God." The missionary said to the little boy, "Son, may I ask you a ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:8

Tags: Salvation, Cross, Blood Of Jesus

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Dna Points To A Creator

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Sep 23, 2019

DNA is found in every cell of our bodies (in at least some stage of its development) and has a beautiful appearance, having the shape of a spiral staircase. The steps (or rungs) are like letters in our alphabet and, ascending or descending the staircase, the letters taken together spell words which ...read more

Scripture: Romans 1:19-22

Tags: Creator, Dna, Intelligent Design, Natural Revelation

Denomination: Independent/Bible

A Young Couple Very Much In Love Were Getting ...  PRO

Contributed by Brian Harvison on Apr 5, 2008

A young couple very much in love were getting married in church. However, Sue the wife was very nervous about the big occasion and so the Pastor chose one verse that he felt would be a great encouragement to them. 1 John 4:18 which says “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear” ...read more

Tags: Fear

Denomination: Baptist