In Sermon Illustrations: "Called Out"

Sarah's Vase  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 21, 2011

SARAH'S VASE Just like life comes in the place of death, so honor comes in the place of service. Pediatrician David Cerqueira tells the story of a little girl in his wife's Sunday School class. His wife had prepared a lesson on being useful and told the children that everyone can be useful in ...read more

Scripture: John 12:23-26, Mark 14:1-9

Tags: Servanthood

A Letter From John Wayne

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 24, 2011

A LETTER FROM JOHN WAYNE Dr. Robert Schuller’s teenage daughter, Cindy, was in a motorcycle accident and had to have her leg amputated. John Wayne was a big fan of Robert Schuller. He heard Dr. Schuller say on one of his programs that his daughter had been in an accident and had to have her leg ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 1:3-6

Tags: Christian Witness

Unsung Heroes: Nabal's Servant

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Apr 10, 2022

Introduction: David was God’s choice to be king over Israel, but that wasn’t going to happen as long as Saul was ruling as Israel’s first king. David had done some unusual, some might say questionable, things but at this time he and his men were protecting a large flock of sheep and goats. David ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 25:14-17

Tags: David, Nabal, Abigail, Unsung Heroes

Denomination: Baptist

Where Is God Working?

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on May 21, 2023

Pastor Henry Blackaby, of Faith Baptist Church in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada began to sense God leading them to an outreach ministry on the college campus. He had never done student work. Their church had never done student work. Their denominational student ministries department recommended ...read more

Scripture: John 5:17-20, Romans 3:10-11, John 6:44

Tags: Evangelism, Holy Spirit, Discipleship, God At Work, Joining God At Work  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

God Still Has One More Move

Contributed by Jm Raja Lawrence on Sep 22, 2023

This is a story about a painting in a famous art gallery in France. The painting depicts two chess players, one of whom is Satan, who appears arrogantly confident, and the other is a man who looks forlorn. If Satan wins, he wins the man's soul. (The painting is now popularly known as ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 23:4, 1 Corinthians 10:13, James 4:7, Ephesians 6:11, 1 Peter 5:8-9  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Painting, Control, Player, Chess

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Misapplied Scriptures: "There Is But A Step Between Me And Death”

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Sep 24, 2023

Introduction: This verse, on the surface, seems pretty straightforward. The problem is that some well-meaning folks have used it in a different sense. Let’s take a deeper look: Text: 1 Samuel 20:3, KJV: 3 And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 20:3

Tags: David, Death, Jonathan, Misapplied Scriptures

Denomination: Baptist

An Observation About Eternity

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Feb 5, 2024

Text, Ecclesiastes 3:11, American Standard Version: He hath made everything beautiful in its time: also he hath set eternity in their heart, yet so that man cannot find out the work that God hath done from the beginning even to the end. Every day we live takes us one day closer to the end of our ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:11

Tags: Hell, Eternity, Salvation

Denomination: Baptist

Bridle The Tongue

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Feb 6, 2025

Now, it’s time to talk about how to bridle the tongue. A bridle is a small but powerful tool designed for communication and control. Whether with a bit or a bitless attachment, it allows a rider to guide a horse with subtle movements. A well-trained horse responds to the slightest cue, needing ...read more

Scripture: James 3:7-8

Tags: Words, Tongue, Horse, Bridle

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

[229]. A Message From A Poem - Rededication Based On 1 Corinthians 5:7

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Oct 16, 2025

[229]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - REDEDICATION BASED ON 1 CORINTHIANS 5:7 This poem is a penitent’s response to sin in his/her life. I think a lot of us would know David’s prayer and confession in Psalm 51. Christians are not sinless people and the people who have a holiness teaching, and carry it ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 5:7, 1 John 1:8-9, Galatians 6:1, Hebrews 12:1

Tags: Christian Poems, Old Leaven, Confession, Repentance, Rededication, Conviction, Besetting Sin, Falling Into Sin, Forgiveness, Sin  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Donkey That Carried A King

Contributed by David Dunn on Oct 17, 2025

(Told by the donkey who carried Jesus) My name? Oh, I’m just a donkey. Not the fastest, not the strongest, and definitely not the prettiest. My legs are short, my coat’s kind of dusty, and my ears—well, they stick out more than I’d like. Most days I carry firewood or water jugs. Sometimes the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 21:2-9, Zechariah 9:9, Luke 19:35-38, John 12:13-15

Tags: Humility, Purpose, Willingness, Service, Praise  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Troubling Thoughts?

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Dec 14, 2025

Troubling thoughts Introduction: What might make your thoughts cause you trouble? Text, Daniel 5:5-9, KJV: 5 In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the ...read more

Scripture: Daniel 5:5-9

Tags: Daniel, Belshazzar, Thoughts

Denomination: Baptist

[255]. A Message From A Poem – The Blue Dragonfly

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 8, 2026

[255]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THE BLUE DRAGONFLY Forget about man-made complexities of life, and the intrusion of humanism into people’s lives. Forget about the complications of life that western, and developed societies have made things to be. The Lord does not want us to be burdened by all ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:6-7, Matthew 6:25-30

Tags: Dragonfly, Lilies, God Created, Photography, Insects, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, Anxiety, Contentment, Care  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Fruit Requires Effort And Dedication

Contributed by Robert Sickler on Jan 27, 2012

FRUIT REQUIRES EFFORT AND DEDICATION The young boy stood looking up at the naked ice-covered limbs of his favorite cherry tree. It was 4:30 in the morning and the full moon produced a silvery sheen in the ice, which almost seemed to originate within the branches themselves. The young man let out ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 12:33

Tags: Fruit Of The Spirit

Denomination: Christian Church

Miss Bettye And The Power Of Prayer

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Feb 2, 2012

MISS BETTYE AND THE POWER OF PRAYER A 2009 article in the Chicago Tribune told the story of Bettye Tucker, a Christian cook who works the night shift at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. She has been doing her job for 43 years--28 of them on the night shift. She sees a steady ...read more

Tags: Prayer General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Examples Of Generous People

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 4, 2012

EXAMPLES OF GENEROUS PEOPLE In a country where getting and having more seems so normal, people who choose to live with a lot less so they can help others seem, to put it mildly, less than sane. Zell Kravinsky is one of those people. Kravinsky got rich in the real estate business, and then gave ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:7-10

Tags: Giving General

The Agony Of Defeat

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 28, 2012

"THE AGONY OF DEFEAT" Some of you might remember the TV program "The Wide World of Sports". For many years, the opening of the program opened like this: "Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport; the thrill of victory... and the agony of defeat." The opening illustrated "the ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 27:12

Tags: Change

James Dobson's Faith-Full Parents  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 29, 2012

JAMES DOBSON'S FAITH-FULL PARENTS "Of all the values transmitted to me by my father, none made a more lasting impression than his attitude toward money. As an evangelist, he could never depend on the compensation he would be given. The local church would collect a freewill offering for my father, ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 13:5-6

Tags: Father's Day

Was Jesus Married?

Contributed by Mark Stepherson on Sep 22, 2012

WAS JESUS MARRIED? “Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.” 1 Timothy 4:7 “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” 1 Peter 3:15 Popular characters tend to be used, ...read more

Tags: Apologetics Jesus

Denomination: Baptist

The Tree Of Hippocrates

Contributed by Kelly Mitchell on Oct 3, 2012

The Tree of Hippocrates On the island of Kos, the home of Hippocrates, the great physician from whom we get the “Hippocratic Oath”, there grows a tree that history says Hippocrates himself once gathered his students for class. Although the current tree is only about 500 years old, it is purported ...read more

Scripture: Luke 6:46-49

Tags: Revival, Restoration, Church Growth, Church Practices

Denomination: Baptist

Be Holy?

Contributed by John Kilough on Apr 24, 2014

"Be holy, for I am holy." For most people this can be a very intimidating statement. The Lord God says, "Be holy, for I am holy." The issue with that is, well God is God and I am not. It is easy for Him to say be holy, but I just have way too many faults. However, we love the Lord and we are ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:16

Tags: Holiness, God's Commandments

Denomination: Assembly Of God