In Sermon Illustrations: "Called Out"

Perseverance

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Sep 21, 2009

PERSEVERANCE Are you ready for a baseball trivia question? Who is Clint Courtney? If you’re unsure, don’t bother requesting the answer from Cooperstown, N.Y. Clint never came close to making it into the Baseball Hall of Fame. In fact, it’s very doubtful that his picture appeared on any bubble gum ...read more

Tags: Endurance

Denomination: Pentecostal

David Livingstone,

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 30, 2009

David Livingstone, "I Never Made A Sacrifice" In the mid-seventeenth century, a somewhat well-known Englishman was captured by Algerian pirates and made a slave. While a slave, he founded a church. When his brother arranged his release, he refused freedom, having vowed to remain a slave until he ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:1-2

Tags: Servanthood

Consider Also This Letter Found On A Dead ...

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Dec 22, 2009

Consider also this letter found on a dead American Soldier in Italy during one of the great wars: “Look God, I have never spoken to you; but now I want to say ‘How do you do’, You see, God, they told me you didn’t exist, and like a fool I believed all of this; Last night, from a shell hole, I saw ...read more

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Eichmann Is In All Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 18, 2010

Eichmann Is In All Of Us In 1960, Israeli undercover agents orchestrated the daring kidnapping of one of the worst of the Holocaust’s masterminds, Adolf Eichmann. After capturing him in his South American hideout, they transported him to Israel to stand trial. There, prosecutors called a string of ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:12

Tags: Sin Fall Of Man

Saint Patrick  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Mar 15, 2010

SAINT PATRICK Historical Background of Patrick: Patrick lived in the fifth century, a time of rapid change and transition. In many ways we might say that those times of turbulence and uncertainty were not unlike our own. The Roman Empire was beginning to break up, and Europe was about to enter ...read more

Scripture: Ezekiel 13:1-16, John 3:16-20

Tags: Forgiveness General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

God Answers Prayer In World War I ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 23, 2010

God Answers Prayer in World War I Battle An officer in the first World War gives this account of God’s willing and ability to save men from shot and shell when they will pray. A German machine gun crew had their gun trained on an angle of our trenches where troops frequently passed back and forth, ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 15:29

Tags: Prayer Answered

God's Power Vs. Our Power

Contributed by Douglas Stull on Dec 4, 2010

GOD'S POWER VS. OUR POWER "Millions for defense and not a penny for tribute." I learned what that quote meant while in the Army. I was assigned, as were all junior officers In the 82d Aiborne Division, to escort Generals and Colonels from the parking lot to a set of bleachers located in a ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Brethren

It's Ok To Clap

Contributed by Tim Smith on Mar 17, 2011

IT'S OK TO CLAP In 1989, I was an intern pastor at Boston Avenue UMC, a 8,300 member church in downtown Tulsa, OK. Let me give you an image of our worship service. We wore full robes and vestments, we processed with a choir of more than 60 people with the the cross leading the way. We sang hymns ...read more

Tags: Worship General

Denomination: Methodist

The Lottery  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 20, 2011

THE LOTTERY Did you know that the first modern-day lottery was started in 1963 in the state of New Hampshire? Did you know that the state of Massachusetts, started their lottery in 1972 with 50 cent tickets and a drawing once a week. It now has 33 different games to choose from their sales have ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:6-10, Psalm 37:35

Tags: Money, Contentment

Responsible For What We Overhear

Contributed by Davon Huss on May 9, 2011

RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT WE OVERHEAR Matt Proctor in a recent Christian Standard said, "My wife, Katie, and I have 6 children- ages 16, 14, 11, 9, 7, and 3. We're not a family; were a small town! As sheriff of this community, I (with my deputy, Katie) enforce certain rules, one of which we call ...read more

Tags: Law

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Carey: God's Sovereign Will  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 14, 2011

CAREY: GOD'S SOVEREIGN WILL William Carey, who is called the father of modern missions, began his missionary career to India in 1793. He served the Lord in that country for 40 years, never once returning to his home in England. And throughout those years he translated portions of the Bible into ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 46:10

Tags: Gods Will, Still God, God's Sovereign Will, I Can Do All Things

Shoot The Moon

Contributed by Jason Bonnicksen on Jul 17, 2011

SHOOT THE MOON The other day I needed to take my mind off things, so I opened my computer and played a game of hearts. Now, like all card games, no matter how diligent you play, there's time when the unexpected happens, and you're hand turns to disaster. One sneaky move from an opponent and it's ...read more

Tags: Suffering Joy In

Denomination: Lutheran

Having Compassion

Contributed by Rick Gillespie- Mobley on Sep 12, 2011

HAVING COMPASSION Let’s suppose for a moment that it was Friday night and you wanted to go to a movie. You’re running late for the movie because you got home late, and then once you put down the keys, you forgot where you placed them. It was frustrating but you did find them. You finally jump ...read more

Tags: Compassion

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Looking At The Light

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 6, 2012

LOOKING AT THE LIGHT A pastor told a story of a man in his congregation who had lost literally hundreds of thousands of dollars. He owed everybody. One day the pastor asked him, "How in the world are you even surviving? How can you smile? How can you be enthusiastic about Jesus and about life when ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 19:1-21

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

The Heritage Tree  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 11, 2012

THE HERITAGE TREE The Heritage Tree, Cape Perpetua, Central Oregon coast. This giant spruce is called The Heritage Tree because it stands almost 200 feet tall and because it started to grow as a seedling about the same time Martin Luther was pounding his theses on the church door at Wittenberg. ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:1-2

Tags: Discipleship

If I Am The Only ...

Contributed by William Akehurst on Aug 18, 2012

Illustration: What would you do if you were the only Christian in your circle of influence? If you are the only Christian in the shop, the store, or the office where you work, a peculiar: responsibility rests upon you, a responsibility which no other one shares with you. You are Christ's only ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:15

Tags: Witnessing, Examples Of Faith

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Rockefeller's Giving  PRO

Contributed by Davon Huss on Sep 17, 2013

ROCKEFELLER'S GIVING The very first person to reach the status of billionaire was a man who knew how to set goals and follow through. At the age of 23, Rockefeller had become a millionaire, by the age of 50 a billionaire. Every decision, attitude, and relationship was tailored to create his ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:8

Tags: Giving, Missions Giving, Giving General, Principles Of Giving

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

We're On The Same Team  PRO

Contributed by Gaylon Clark on Dec 9, 2013

Richie Incognito and Jonathan Martin had every reason as teammates to be friends, but they were not. Incognito harassed and bullied Martin. He called him a racial slur in a voicemail played by every media outlet in the country. He threatened to kill him and his family. Incognito claimed all of this ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-6, John 17:20-23, Colossians 3:12-17, Psalm 133:1-3

Tags: Teamwork, Christian Unity, Church Unity, Christian Friendship

Denomination: Baptist

What Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes And Lilo And Stitch Tell Us

Contributed by Fr Mund Cargill Thompson on Apr 10, 2015

Two films. The 2014 film “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” and the earlier “Lilo and stitch”. In the Dawn of the Planet of the apes, small groups of human beings and intelligent apes have both survived a deadly plague. A group of humans trying to restart a hydro electric generator stumble across ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 4:18

Tags: Fear, Overcoming Anxiety, Non-Anxious Presence, Ohana

Denomination: Anglican

Joy Vs. Happiness

Contributed by Kerry Haynes on Dec 15, 2019

Joy (used in "Joy Born at Christmas" sermon - 12/11/2019) From Isaiah 35:8-10 (verses below) Someone once said, “The difference beween happiness and joy is that happiness comes from happenings and joy comes from Jesus.” A few years ago Michael Bublé wrote a song that became very ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 35:8-10, Philippians 4:4

Tags: Christmas, Advent, Joy

Denomination: Baptist