In Sermon Illustrations: "Burnt Out"

Church ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 13, 2009

CHURCH DROP-OUTS 70% of people who discontinue going to church in America do so between ages 18 and 22. Of those who attend college, 69% of active churchgoing youth stop attending church for at least a year between ages 18 and 22. Yet 71% of active churchgoing youth ...read more

Tags: Youth

The Importance Of Purpose

Contributed by Guy Mcgraw on Mar 12, 2009

THE IMPORTANCE OF PURPOSE The University of Success...a discussion of the universal qualities of successful people. I was struck with the statement that "all successful people have a clear purpose in life." They have a compelling reason to get out of bed in the morning, and that driving purpose ...read more

Tags: Character

In Every Business, No Matter How Small Or How ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"In every business, no matter how small or how large, someone is just around the corner forever trying to steal your ideas and build his success out of your imagination, struggling after that which you have toiled endless years to secure, striving to outdo you in each and every way. If such a ...read more

Tags: Competition

Resolved, To Live With All My Might While I Do ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"Resolved, to live with all my might while I do live. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time, to improve it in the most profitable way I possibly can. Resolved, never to do anything which I should despite or think meanly of in another. Resolved, never to do anything out of revenge. ...read more

Tags: New Year's Day

I Would Rather Be Ashes Than Dust I Would ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"I would rather be ashes than dust I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry-rot. I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The proper function of man is to ...read more

Tags: Learning

One Of These Days In Your Travels, A Guy Is ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"One of these days in your travels, a guy is going to come up to you and show you a nice brand-new deck of cards on which the seal is not yet broken, and this guy is going to offer to bet you that he can make the Jack of Spades jump out of the deck and squirt cider in your ear. But, son, do not ...read more

Tags: Sin Deceptive

Dennis The Menace Was Caught Causing Trouble ...

Contributed by Dave Kinney on Mar 29, 2009

Dennis the Menace was caught causing trouble around the house and his mother had all she could take from him and said to him, "Dennis the way you’re behaving, how do you expect to get into heaven?" To that Dennis said, "Well, I’ll just keep slamming the door ...read more

Tags: Heaven

Denomination: Baptist

Family—the Bottom Line Of Life

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 22, 2009

Family--The Bottom Line of Life Chuck Swindoll said of the family, "Whatever else may be said about the home, it is the bottom line of life, the anvil upon which attitudes and convictions are hammered out. It is the place where life’s bills come due, the single most influential force in our ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:1-33, Ephesians 3:1-8

Tags: Family

As Christian We Might Have Dropped Some Of Those ...

Contributed by Ladonna Omobude on Nov 24, 2009

As Christian we might have dropped some of those four lettered curse words; however we still curse others by speaking evil and wishing evil upon them. The Bible says in James 3:10"Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so ...read more

Tags: Conscience, Blessings Vs. Curses

Denomination: Pentecostal

Turning – Story Of ...

Contributed by Mark Pierce on May 25, 2010

Turning – Story of Wabush Wabush, a town in a remote portion of Labrador, Canada, was completely isolated for some time. But recently a road was cut through the wilderness to reach it. Wabush now has one road leading into it, and thus, only on one road leading out. If someone would travel the ...read more

Tags: Repentance, Turning

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Sell Your Soul?

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Oct 11, 2010

A bored student at the University of Washington used an Internet auction site to sell his soul to the highest bidder. As it turned out, the top offer was only $400. Since the soul is immaterial, it can’t be extracted from a body like a physical organ such as a heart. The student had to admit, “I ...read more

Tags: Soul

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Three Bones In Church

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 23, 2011

THREE BONES IN CHURCH Church members may be divided into three classes in a mere skeleton outline: wishbones, jawbones, and backbones. The wishbones are always languidly hoping that their church will somehow grow without their effort. The jawbones talk their way out of doing things, and the ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:15-16

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

There Would Be No Islam

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 25, 2011

THERE WOULD BE NO ISLAM A Hindu professor once found out that a man in his class was a Christian. The professor said to this student, "If you Christians were like Jesus Christ, India would be at your feet tomorrow." A learned Muslim who recently became a Christian said, "If Christians were truly ...read more

Scripture: John 13:34-35

Tags: Christian Witness

No Entrance And No Exit  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 3, 2011

NO ENTRANCE AND NO EXIT Peter Larson: "Despite our efforts to keep him out, God intrudes. The life of Jesus is bracketed by two impossibilities: a virgin's womb and an empty tomb. Jesus entered our world through a door marked 'No Entrance' and left through a door marked 'No Exit.'" ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:1-7

Tags: Easter Resurrection

James 3:10 Principle: Choose Life

Contributed by William Akehurst on Jul 19, 2012

JAMES 3:10 PRINCIPLE: CHOOSE LIFE I remember being asked by a friend one early morning how I was doing. My answer was a reluctant and half-hearted OK. This spawned the stern correction from my friend. "NOOOO…when I ask you how you are doing, regardless of ...read more

Tags: Principles

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Optimism Is Healthy

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 19, 2013

OPTIMISM IS HEALTHY "Middle-aged adults who are more optimistic about their future tend to have higher antioxidant levels than their less optimistic peers, according to new research out of Harvard. Investigators studying nearly one thousand people over ten years found that increases in optimism ...read more

Tags: Optimism, Possibilities

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Something Somewhere

Contributed by David Dunn on Nov 2, 2025

I once read a novel about a father and son wandering through a burned, ashen world. Everything alive was gone. They survived on scraps, dodging others who had turned to cannibalism just to stay alive. When they finally reached the sea, the boy looked out over the gray horizon and asked, “What’s ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:11, Hebrews 11:16

Tags: Eternity, Hope

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Check The $100 Bill

Contributed by John Bright on Feb 4, 2026

Folks who work in banks are taught to recognize counterfeit $100 bills. Do you know how? Do you think they have to learn every trick of every forger? Nope. They study and learn the real thing. That way, the forgeries will be obvious. That’s what we need to do. You ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 4:12

Tags: Truth, False Teaching, God's Word, Lie

Denomination: Methodist

The Foxhole Christian  PRO

Contributed by Troy Borst on Jan 23, 2001

ILLUSTRATION…the foxhole Christian “’There are no atheists in foxholes,’ wrote William T. Cummings in 1942. ‘While crouched in a trench with bullets zinging overhead, even the most reluctant heart begins to bargain with God- just in case He might exist. ‘God if you only get me out of this alive, ...read more

Tags: Apologetics General, Faith General, Faith

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Years Ago, Leslie Flynn Penned A Book Called, ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 1, 2001

Years ago, Leslie Flynn penned a book called, Great Church Fights. In it he chronicled the way people in different churches would go after each other – all in the name of Jesus Christ. A young father heard a commotion out in his backyard, he looked outside and saw his daughter and several ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:1-11, Matthew 14:13-21

Tags: Jesus Teachings, Love Of The Disciples, Unity