In Sermon Illustrations: "Called Out"

We Can Overcome

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 8, 2009

WE CAN OVERCOME Take for example Egyptian hieroglyphics. In seminary I had plenty of brilliant folks for classmates, just amazing people. One man, Kevin was with us on our trip to the Holy Land. Kevin finishing his M.Div at Princeton and was soon on his way to Harvard for a Ph.D. in biblical ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 5:4-5

Tags: God Brings Hope

Work Completed In Due ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 28, 2009

WORK COMPLETED IN DUE SEASON Adoniram Judson clearly was appointed by the Holy Spirit to minister the Word of God to the heathen. He reached Calcutta in the summer of 1812, ready to preach the Gospel, however was given orders to get out. He was saddened and could not understand how an effectual ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:9

Tags: Knowing God's Will

Stayed To ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 12, 2009

STAYED TO SERVE Last fall, Baptist deacon Joe Lusi was suspected of spying. Lusi is a physician in Rwanda, right near the border where the refugees cross into Zaire. Joe Lusi is a Zairian, but the Baptist hospital is in Rwanda. Moreover, the government-run hospital across town had always been ...read more

Scripture: Mark 9:35

Tags: Servanthood

Back To One Of David's Legacy's His Mighty Men. ...

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Sep 22, 2009

Back to one of David’s legacy’s his mighty men. The people are now saying, “Wow, have you seen David’s mighty men, talk about quality leaders and warriors. Hero’s who once where rift-raft and discontented, in debt, stressed out men and women’ Wow, how they are now “Mighty!” All because David ...read more

Tags: David

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Courage: Breaking The Barrier

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 19, 2009

COURAGE: BREAKING THE BARRIER Seek courage and strength to move out of your comfort zone. You will need it. Even the smallest of changes even if they are for the best disrupts our relational systems. Without courage, without trusted companions, and with strength, growth and maturity will never ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 16:13

Tags: Growth In Christ

Terah And The Gods

Contributed by Johnny Wilson on Oct 26, 2009

TERAH AND THE GODS There is a Jewish midrash (not Scripture) that tells a funny story about Terah being a merchant who sold idols but had a son named Abram who wasn’t convinced about the validity of the gods because the real God had been speaking to him. Since it isn’t actually Scripture, I’m ...read more

Tags: Idolatry

Denomination: *other

Stowell: How People Go Astray  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 28, 2009

STOWELL: HOW PEOPLE GO ASTRAY Dr. Joseph M. Stowell, in his book, Following Christ, asks the question: HOW DO PEOPLE GO SO FAR ASTRAY SPIRITUALLY? The question was prompted when Dr. Stowell read an article given to him from the local paper the about Tom Wilson who died, gunned down as a member ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:12

Tags: Apostasy

Newsman Clarence W. Hall Sees The Impact Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 29, 2009

Newsman Clarence W. Hall Sees the Impact of Missions on Okinawa in 1945 A newsman, named Clarence W. Hall, followed American troops through Okinawa in 1945. He and his jeep driver came upon an Okinawan village that stood out as a beautiful example of a Christian community! The entire village had ...read more

Scripture: John 12:44-46

Tags: Missions

The Real Christmas ...

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Dec 26, 2009

The REAL CHRISTMAS ICON in some ways should have been JOHN THE BAPTIST Instead of a RED SUIT we would have people in CAMEL’S HAIR and LEATHER BELTS walking around the shopping centres shouting “PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD”, and giving out SAMPLES OF WILD LOCUSTS AND HONEY for people to try. ...read more

Tags: New Year's Day

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

You Have To Love Him Into It

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 1, 2010

"You Have To Love Him Into It"--A Stock Assistant Learns a Big Lesson A stock assistant was working at a grocery store on Christmas Eve. One of the things he was responsible for was the display in one of the aisles which was a pyramid of canned products. He had to rebuild this display many times ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:8-20

Tags: Unconditional Love

We're Building Two A Day

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Feb 22, 2010

WE'RE BUILDING TWO A DAY In the 1880s the Methodist Church was privileged to have a leader named C. C. McCabe. He was a church extension pioneer and strategist, and a great achiever he was. One day he was on a train, riding out to the Pacific Northwest to help develop and launch a strategy for ...read more

Tags: Church Growth

Denomination: Pentecostal

Rappeling Down The Wall Of Fear

Contributed by Jim Kane on Feb 27, 2010

RAPPELING DOWN THE WALL OF FEAR In a book, whose title and author escapes my memory is the author’s story of rappelling down the side of a steep cliff as part of an outdoor learning experience. Now rappelling involves ropes, strong ropes, safety equipment, helmet, good shoes, and guts. It ...read more

Tags: Fear And Worry

Denomination: Church Of God

Perpetua's Story

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Sep 30, 2010

PERPETUA'S STORY In A.D. 202, Emperor Septimius Severus disallowed conversions to Christianity. In the wake of that act, severe persecution broke out against Christians, particularly in North Africa. Living in Carthage at the time was a young woman of nobility named Perpetua, age 22. She had ...read more

Tags: Examples Of Faith

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Year Of The Yes  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 23, 2010

THE YEAR OF THE YES Playwright Maria Hedley had her fill of terrible dates. Most of the dates she went on she thought the guys would be great candidates but they were totally unsatisfying. She got sick of her own taste and decided that fate couldn’t mess up her love life anymore than she could, ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 7:25-40

Tags: Kindness

The Impact Of Put-Downs On A Marriage

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 25, 2011

THE IMPACT OF PUT-DOWNS ON A MARRIAGE In order to uncover the processes that destroy unions, marital researchers study couples over the course of years, and even decades, and retrace the star-crossed steps of those who have split up back to their wedding day. What they are discovering is ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:29

Tags: Marriage Struggle

Falling After Dark

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2011

FALLING AFTER DARK There is a story told about a construction worker. This construction worker was employed on a high-rise building project, which required him and others to work after dark. He was busy on the edge of one of the walls which was many stories high, when he suddenly lost his balance ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:6-7

Tags: Fear And Worry

Serving Saves A Soul

Contributed by Rick Crandall on Jul 8, 2011

SERVING SAVES A SOUL One of the best ways to do these good things is to get involved in Vacation Bible School: Praying for VBS, inviting kids to come, serving in VBS, and following up on our guests. Kids will get saved. Sometimes even parents get saved through VBS. Florence Lee can tell you that. ...read more

Tags: Evangelism The Lost

Denomination: Baptist

The First Thanksgiving

Contributed by Paul Barreca on Nov 19, 2011

THE FIRST THANKSGIVING Let's consider the first Thanksgiving in America. It was in the fall of 1621, one year after the Pilgrim’s landed. There was great affliction in their voyage. 102 Pilgrims the left Holland, stopped briefly in England before sailing to America. They were at sea for 66 ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Tags: Thanksgiving Holiday

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

We Know Our Future Includes A Promise. But We Do ...  PRO

Contributed by Ed Lu on Nov 26, 2011

We know our future includes a promise. But we do not know how to transition into that promise. Maybe ’not knowing’ is just an excuse – we just straight out refuse to take that next step. That’s because while we are in the present, we often permit the past to occupy and govern our emotions. We drag ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 32:17-21, 2 Kings 5:1-14

Tags: Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Baptist

Only In Obedience Are We Free

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Feb 19, 2012

ONLY IN OBEDIENCE ARE WE FREE In his book "Run with the Horses," Eugene Peterson tells how he saw a family of birds teaching their young to fly. Three young swallows were perched on a dead branch that stretched out over a lake. One adult swallow got alongside the chicks and started shoving them ...read more

Tags: Obedience

Denomination: Brethren