In Sermon Illustrations: "Bless Others"

Before Her Death, Judy Lawson Became A Spiritual ...  PRO

Contributed by James Wilson on Nov 23, 2000

Before her death, Judy Lawson became a spiritual Mother of scores of hardened criminals. "On her last Mother’s Day," according to Bill Myers, "she received 40 Mother’s Day cards from men whose life she touched." Her prison ministry began eighteen months after her son was brutally murdered. She knew ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness For Others, Forgiveness General, God's Forgiveness

Denomination: Baptist

Pappy Was A Pleasant Fellow. His Face Was Quite ...  PRO

Contributed by Steve Heartsill on Oct 25, 2000

Pappy was a pleasant fellow. His face was quite drawn from age, but when he smiled, even his wrinkles seemed to smile with him. Pappy owned a pawnshop. Everyone who knew him respected and adored him. There was a room in the back of his shop where he spent time tinkering with his own precious items. ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness For Others, Parable Prodigal Son, Parenting

Denomination: Baptist

Listen To This True Story. Rabbi Michael ...  PRO

Contributed by Melvin Newland on Jan 28, 2001

ILL. Listen to this true story. Rabbi Michael Weisser lived in Lincoln, Nebraska. And for more than 3 years, Larry Trapp, a self-proclaimed Nazi & Ku Klux Klansman, directed a torrent of hate-filled mailings & phone calls toward him. Trapp promoted white supremacy, anti-Semitism, & other ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:20, Galatians 3:1-14

Tags: Racism, Pearl Harbor, Forgiveness For Others, Compassion

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

We Talk About Forgiveness A Lot. But We Know ...  PRO

Contributed by Mary Lewis on Feb 2, 2001

We talk about forgiveness a lot. But we know very little of it. We have heard the offer so often that we have lost the wonder of it. German scholar Helmut Thielicke said, "It can be the death of ...read more

Tags: God's Forgiveness, God The Father, Forgiveness For Others

Denomination: Baptist

They Who Wish To Be Saved Must Imitate Those ...  PRO

Contributed by Wayne Burnett on Feb 26, 2001

"...They who wish to be saved must imitate those who take a city by storm-- rush into it ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 11:12

Tags: Forgiveness For Others, Becoming A Christian, Lordship Of Christ

Denomination: Church Of God

One Of The Most Incredible Stories Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Melvin Newland on Mar 13, 2001

ILL. One of the most incredible stories of forgiveness I’ve ever heard came out of Tulsa, OK, a couple of years ago. Tom McGee was a young man who went out for a night of partying & revelry. He got drunk & ran head-on into a car driven by a young man by the name of Ted Morris. He killed Ted ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:43-48, Leviticus 19:17-18, Romans 12:17-21, Matthew 18:21-22, Jonah 4:1-10, Matthew 18:23-35  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Cross Agony, Forgiveness General, Forgiveness For Others

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Tony Crawford Was A Police Officer In The Dallas ...  PRO

Contributed by Melvin Newland on Mar 13, 2001

Tony Crawford was a police officer in the Dallas Police Department. He was shot by two teenagers & was left paralyzed from the waist down. Finally, the trials were completed, & the last assailant was found guilty & sent to prison. But there was a really tender scene pictured in the newspaper ...read more

Tags: God The Father, Forgiveness For Others, Forgiveness General

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Leonardo Da Vinci, Just Before He Commenced Work ...  PRO

Contributed by Jeeva Sam on Mar 20, 2001

Leonardo Da Vinci, just before he commenced work on his "Last Supper" had a violent argument with a fellow painter. Leonardo was so bitter that he determined to paint the face of his enemy, the other artist, into the face of Judas, and thus take his revenge by handing the man down in infamy and ...read more

Scripture: Luke 6:27-36

Tags: God's Forgiveness, Forgiveness For Others, Forgiveness General

Denomination: Methodist

The Father’s Reaction To The Prodigal Son ...  PRO

Contributed by Charles Mallory on Mar 23, 2001

THE FATHER’S REACTION TO THE PRODIGAL SON AND HIS ELDER SON MIRRORS THE ANSWER ABRAHAM LINCOLN GAVE TO A QUESTION HE WAS ASKED ABOUT HOW HE WOULD TREAT THE ALL THE CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS ONCE THE CIVIL WAR WAS OVER. EXPECTING VENGEANCE AND EVEN THOUGHTS OF EXECUTION BECAUSE OF ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:14-16

Tags: Forgiveness For Others, Parable Prodigal Son, Grace

Denomination: Free Methodist

Dr. Karl Menninger, The Famed ...  PRO

Contributed by Larry Sarver on Apr 30, 2001

Illustration: Dr. Karl Menninger, the famed psychiatrist, once said that if he "could convince the patients in psychiatric hospitals that their sins were ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness For Others, Forgiveness General, God's Forgiveness

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Little Boy Just Got Saved And Sat On A Bench ...  PRO

Contributed by Mike Richardson on May 16, 2001

A little boy just got saved and sat on a bench next to old man who looked upset. The little boy said to the man, "Sir, do you need to get saved?" The man startled said abruptly, "I’ll tell you I’ve been a Deacon in this church for over 30 years and Chairman of Deacons for 15 years." The ...read more

Tags: Apologetics General, God's Forgiveness, Forgiveness For Others

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

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

Somewhere I Read The Story Of A Family With A ...  PRO

Contributed by Jelle Horjus on Nov 1, 2005

Somewhere I read the story of a family with a small boy, his parents and his grandfather. It happened that every evening when the family was having dinner at the table, the old grandfather spilled the food on his clothes. He was old, his hands were trembling and he could not move the spoon to his ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:35-45

Tags: Judgment, Mercy, Forgiveness For Others, Forgiveness, Compassion  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

A Second Chance  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 8, 2011

A SECOND CHANCE Some years ago, two teenagers with a long history of crime and misbehavior robbed a YMCA on the lowest East Side of New York City. On the way out they saw a young man at the telephone switchboard. They were frightened and assumed that the man must be calling the police. They held ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 32:1-2

Tags: Love, Hope, Change, Care, Forgiveness For Others  (view more)  (view less)

Adam & Eve's Old House

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 16, 2014

ADAM AND EVE’S OLD HOUSE One day Adam was out hunting with his two boys and came up to the Garden of Eden where he and Eve had been kicked out for for eating the forbidden fruit. Adam was staring at the Garden and one of his boys said, “Daddy, what is wrong with you? Why are you ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 3:1-10

Tags: Sin, Temptation, Adam And Eve, Blaming Others

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Power Of Forgiveness  PRO

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 20, 2014

THE POWER OF FORGIVENESS An African woman gave her heart to Christ. Her husband was the chief of a Zulu tribe. When she told him what she had done, the chief beat her brutally. As she was lying in the floor bleeding, the man mocked her and said, “Now, what can your Jesus do for ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:31-32, Luke 23:34

Tags: Forgiveness, Enemy, New Birth, Forgiving Others

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

What Forgiveness Is Not...

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 27, 2014

I think there are many today who are confused about forgiveness. Let’s talk about what forgiveness IS NOT. FORGIVENESS IS NOT EASY. It is the most difficult you will ever do to forgive someone who has stolen from you, lied about, hurt you or broken a vow to you. FORGIVENESS IS NOT NATURAL. The ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 50:15-20

Tags: Forgiveness, Cross, Forgiving Others, Joseph In Egypt

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Ronald Reagan Forgave

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 27, 2014

RONALD REAGAN FORGAVE President Ronald Reagan has always been one of my heroes in life. His forgiveness of his enemies was one of the many things that made him great. Ronald Reagan's attitude after the 1982 assassination attempt on his life made an impression on his daughter, Patti Davis. As she ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 50:15-20

Tags: Enemy, Leadership, Forgiving Others, Ronald Reagan

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

World Trade Center Hero

Contributed by Tim Smith on Sep 25, 2016

Matt Chandler tells the story of Dave Karnes. When the World Trade Center tumbled to the ground on that dreadfully dark day, more than 3000 people lost their lives. But a few who were buried beneath the rubble miraculously survived. Two of these were Will Jimeno and John McLoughlin, a pair of Port ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:1-10

Tags: Evangelism, 911, Incarnation Of Jesus, Saving Others

Denomination: Methodist

Loaded Gun

Contributed by Steve Kinnard on Feb 15, 2019

LOADED GUN Let's start out with a story; there's a young man standing with his eyes glazing over with shock. His eyes slowly shift in utter disbelief from the still smoking gun in his hand to his best friend laying in the floor with an ever-growing red spot on his chest. His eyes fill with ...read more

Tags: Our Sins Hurt Others, Price For Sin

Denomination: Pentecostal