In Sermon Illustrations: "Burnt Out"

The Hard Work Of Farming

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 9, 2011

THE HARD WORK OF FARMING I was raised in town and not on a farm. However, in 1969 I moved to a small farming town in Iowa called Bayard. It’s about 65 miles northeast of Des Moines, IA. And that’s where I began to learn a little about farming and harder work than I was used to! I had some grain ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:6

Tags: Hardship Of Life

We Don't Know Her Story

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 22, 2011

WE DON'T KNOW HER STORY They called her their troubled one, or their feisty one. She had wild flyaway hair much like that of a punk rocker, but jet-black. And she was only, at the oldest, a couple of weeks old. So small, she looked as if she could fit in one hand. The ICU nurses all took turns ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 19:13-15

Tags: Prayer Supplication

Visions Of Glory

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 9, 2011

VISIONS OF GLORY Chan Gailey, who just began his second season as head coach for the Buffalo Bills, got his start coaching football at Alabama's Troy State University. In 1984, with a 12-1 record, he led the Troy State Trojans to a Division II NCAA national championship. A week before the big ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:5-6

Tags: Pride

Anger Management

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 28, 2011

ANGER MANAGEMENT Mr. Burton was not angry enough to hire a hit man to knock off the AD at the University of Connecticut...but he was angry enough that he wanted to punish him even if it hurt the students and the program he is said to have loved. In a letter sent to the Athletic Director of the ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 14:29

Tags: Anger

The Treasure Of Christmas

Contributed by Suresh Manoharan on Dec 19, 2011

I agree it is time Christmas “message” time folks! But firstly how about having a round of Quiz? Which is your favorite Tintin comic? Do I hear the answers…Tintin in Tibet, Crab with the Golden claws etc etc. Some would even confide, any comic with Captain Haddock (most spicy character) in it. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 1:21

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: *other

Emotional ...

Contributed by Joe Bertone on Aug 1, 2012

EMOTIONAL DECEPTIONS In 1930, in a small town in Oklahoma one high school seemed to loose all the football games they played against their arch rival from a neighboring school. The more important the game the worse they lost. Finally, a wealthy oil producer decided to take matters in his own ...read more

Tags: Emotions, Deception, Failure, Anticipation

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Christ Brings Unity

Contributed by David Ward on Aug 15, 2012

CHRIST BRINGS UNITY Every three years InterVarsity Christian Fellowship sponsors the Urbana Conference, a gathering that challenges university students to get involved in world evangelization. About 16,000 students from around the world attended the 2009 conference. After the main session each ...read more

Tags: Unity

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Great Chicago Fire

Contributed by Gene Gregory on Aug 27, 2012

The fire started at about 9 p.m. on Sunday, October 8, in or around a small barn that bordered the alley behind 137 DeKoven Street.[3] The traditional account of the origin of the fire is that it was started by a cow kicking over a lantern in the barn owned by Patrick and Cahterine O’Leary. Michael ...read more

Tags: Tongue

Denomination: Baptist

Eat, Drink And Be Merry...?

Contributed by Perry Greene on Sep 11, 2012

EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY...? After the "Cold War" was over, a squadron of Russian pilots was invited to participate in tactical war games at a U.S. Air Force base. A gala dinner was planned by the Base Commander. Thinking to relax the guests, he offered a WW II toast to open the meal. Smiling, he ...read more

Tags: Judgment

Denomination: Independent/Bible

God Opposes The Proud At Mt. St. Helens

Contributed by Bret Toman on Oct 31, 2012

GOD OPPOSES THE PROUD AT MT. ST. HELENS In the spring of 1980, the mountain showed signs of awakening. There were earthquakes. There was volcanic activity. Residents were told to leave the area. But Harry Truman would have nothing to do with that. He believed the danger was exaggerated "I don't ...read more

Tags: Pride

Denomination: Baptist

Selling Jesus For A Quarter

Contributed by Lalachan Abraham on Mar 8, 2013

SELLING JESUS FOR A QUARTER Our lives are the only Bible some people will ever read. "You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts." 2 Corinthians 3:3 ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 3:3

Tags: Dishonesty, Bible Truth

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Wanting What You Have

Contributed by Spencer Miller on Mar 10, 2013

WANTING WHAT YOU HAVE The story was told of a young preacher who was rejected by the other associate ministers of the Church he attended. They said very little to him and would often talk behind his back. One day he went to the pastor and expressed his intentions of leaving the Church and seeking ...read more

Tags: Jealousy

Denomination: Baptist

Light In The Darkness  PRO

Contributed by Steven Angus on May 20, 2013

LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS Some of you may be familiar with the name Catherine Marshall. She was a wonderful Christian author who wrote such classics as Christy, which became a television series. There was an occasion in her life when she felt as if the flame of God’s love had gone out. It started ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 23:4, Psalm 22:1-31

Tags: God In The Hardships

Denomination: United Methodist

The Knowledge Of Good And Evil  PRO

Contributed by Lalachan Abraham on Jan 8, 2014

THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL Viktor Frankl in his book, "Man's Search for Meaning," describes the reactions of two brothers with the same heredity, the same environment, in the same concentration camp under the Nazis. One became a saint and the other a swine. Frankl tells us the reason why. He ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 30:19

Tags: Good And Evil, Life And Death, Forbidden Fruit, Knowledge Of Good

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Pastor's Dream Of His Own Worship Service  PRO

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 28, 2014

A PASTOR’S DREAM OF HIS OWN WORSHIP SERVICE The story is told of a pastor of a large church who had a dream one night that really opened his eyes. He dreamed that he could see his own church worship service on Sunday morning. But there was something very strange happening. The choir was ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 16:7

Tags: Church, Worship, Devotion, Intimacy With God

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Stone From The Old West

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 11, 2014

THE PRECIOUS STONE NO ONE SAW Back when the Old West was being settled, pioneers flocked across the country to California and Oregon. In one particular spot on the Eastern slopes of the Rockies there was a large, dirt covered rock protruding in the middle of the trail. Wagon wheels were broken on ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 21:33-46

Tags: Jesus Christ, Capstone, Rejecting Christ, Jesus Is Cornerstone

Trust God He Knows The Future!

Contributed by Roger Whipp on Dec 29, 2014

Testimony: When I was in the Police one of my note books containing vital evidence went missing. I started to panic as in the UK any verbal evidence written down must be shown, if requested in it’s original form at court. The small voice of God prompted me to look in the confidential waste sack. ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 2:1-10

Tags: Trust God, God Knows The Future

Denomination: *other

Commitment

Contributed by Tim Smith on May 28, 2015

Dave Hood tells the story of training to run a 5K run. Every time his wife and he would go running on their favorite trail, they’d walk a little faster, and with a little more gusto. One day, a half mile in and a young lady came at them sprinting towards them. They jumped out of the way so she ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:13-14

Tags: Commitment, Spiritual Growth, Running The Race

Denomination: Methodist

Beauty

Contributed by Tim Smith on Sep 25, 2016

Pastor Randy Kanipe tells the story of a Sabbath time away from his church while he was struggling with failure. He happened to be walking by a cow pasture and stopped to gaze over the fence, pondering the ’green pastures’ that he imagined God leading him through - my attention was drawn down to a ...read more

Scripture: James 3:2, John 1:5

Tags: Failure, Failures, Poop

Denomination: Methodist

Consecration To God--Making A Personal Stand For Jesus

Contributed by Richard Tow on Dec 14, 2017

I read the story of a young woman who out of curiosity entered a little Presbyterian church one evening. She heard the gospel for the first time and was converted. Later she heard God’s call on her life to go to China as a missionary. She was the only daughter of a multi-millionaire. She was ...read more

Scripture: Luke 7:1-50

Tags: Sacrifice, Missions, Consecrated Life

Denomination: Charismatic