In Sermon Illustrations: "Casting Out Demons"

Out-Of-Whack Priorities

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 26, 2011

OUT-OF-WHACK PRIORITIES USA Today ran an article on October 25th, 1995 that is a great illustration about priorities. It reads... "Ronald Warwick, captain of the luxury cruise ship Queen Elizabeth II, questioned a passenger who paid full fare for his dog to join them on an around-the-world ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 2:15-17

Tags: Worldliness

Stay Out Of The Stagnant Water

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 25, 2011

STAY OUT OF THE STAGNANT WATER Palmer Chinchen, in his book, True Religion, talks about traveling to the western edge of Zimbabwe with his brothers to raft the Zambezi River, starting at the base of the Victoria Falls. The falls are the largest in the world, more than a mile wide and three hundred ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 4:12-19

Tags: Church Practices

Pouring Out Like Sweat  PRO

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 8, 2011

POURING OUT LIKE SWEAT Several years ago, Gatorade had an ad with Michael Jordan where he was covered in orange drops of sweat. The image says clearly that Michael Jordan is so full of Gatorade that it is literally pouring out of him like sweat. That’s an appropriate image of the Holy Spirit in ...read more

Scripture: John 14:15-24

Tags: Holy Spirit In Believers

Denomination: Methodist

When The World Goes Out

Contributed by Davon Huss on Aug 27, 2015

A contest was held in England to find the best definition of a friend. Thousands of answers were received but the one that received the prize was this: “A friend is the one who comes in when the world has gone out.” Can we ...read more

Scripture: John 15:13-15

Tags: Friend In Jesus, Faithful Friend, Jesus' Friends

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Tribulation – Followed By Crying Out – But Then ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Tribulation – followed by crying out – but then JOY Distress and grief, followed by crying out: Where are you? Or why didn’t you rescue us? Bible filled with similar stories (Exodus 15:1) “The horse and rider have been thrown into the sea.” Four stories that illsutraite this principle: A) Ray ...read more

Tags: Joy

Your Will Gives Out First

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 1, 2008

YOUR WILL GIVES OUT FIRST I can remember trying out for the cross country team at my high school, I could not understand how some of these guys did it, they could run and be fine at the finish line, I on the other hand was literally dying and giving up a mile short. The coach told me that the ...read more

Tags: Endurance

Watch Out For Wise Guys

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 1, 2008

WATCH OUT FOR WISE GUYS Col. 2:8-10 A college student was in a philosophy class which had a discussion about God’s existence. The professor presented the following logic: "Has anyone in this class heard God?" Nobody spoke. "Has anyone in this class touched God?" Again, nobody spoke. "Has anyone in ...read more

Tags: Faith

Grow Out Of Your Shell

Contributed by Donny Granberry on Jun 21, 2008

GROW OUT OF YOUR SHELL From time to time lobsters have to leave their shell in order to grow. They need their shell to protect them, yet if they do not abandon it the old shell would become their prison – and finally their casket. We are not much different from lobsters. To change and grow we ...read more

Tags: Discipleship

Denomination: Assembly Of God

There Was A Little Old Church Out In The ...

Contributed by Jerry Hillyer Ii on Jul 7, 2008

There was a little old church out in the countryside: painted white and with a high steeple. One Sunday, the pastor noticed that his church needed painting. He checked out the Sunday ads and found a paint sale. The next day, he went into town and bought a gallon of white paint. He went back out to ...read more

Tags: Sin General

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

All Out War At Work - - ...

Contributed by Peter Loughman on Aug 12, 2008

ALL OUT WAR AT WORK - - - Years ago I worked in a large store with over 300 employees. Truly, there were only a handful of us who were Christians at this store. One of the few Christians was April. April was very open about her Christianity and would tell others about Christ at every ...read more

Tags: Workplace Evangelism

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Fisherman Who Was Out Of Fellowship With The ...

Contributed by Dave Kinney on Nov 1, 2008

A fisherman who was out of fellowship with the Lord was at sea with his heathen buddies when a huge storm came out of nowhere and was close to destroying their small ship. His friends begged him to do anything, even pray, but he said to his buddies, “It’s been a long time since I’ve done that or ...read more

Tags: Prayer Hardship

Denomination: Baptist

In And Out" Is A Very Successful Restaraunt ...

Contributed by Charles Wallis on Dec 11, 2008

"In and Out" is a very successful restaraunt franchise because they pride themselves on fresh food and great customer service. In the same way, the church must be "in and out" - we must have a fresh message of salvation and focus on reaching out. We cannot become ...read more

Tags: Outreach

Denomination: Pentecostal

Tell Them Out Loud  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2008

TELL THEM OUT LOUD Scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer once said "The best way to send an idea is to wrap it up in a person." The theological word for all of that is incarnation, meaning "in the flesh." Jesus was the incarnation of God. Jesus was the way that God sent His "idea" to humanity; there was ...read more

Scripture: Luke 21:18-25, Hebrews 1:1

Tags: Christmas

Stepping Out-Of-Bounds

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 12, 2009

STEPPING OUT-OF-BOUNDS I had missed a game winning free-throw. I swore that would never happen again. So I practiced until I became excellent at free-throws. In the next big tournament, I swished two free-throws. On the last one, I heard an ear-splitting whistle in my ear. I had stepped over the ...read more

Tags: Holy Spirit In Believers

A Branch Plucked Out Of The Fire

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Apr 10, 2018

Back in ’09 there was a house fire that led to a dramatic rescue. One of the family’s sons was trapped in the house. A quick-thinking neighbor had someone get on his shoulders in order to reach the boy. Their bravery and ingenuity allowed five-year-old John to escape just seconds before the ...read more

Tags: John Wesley, Methodist, Hell, Flame, Salvation, Rescue, Purpose, Fire  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

The Truth Will Always Come Out.

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Apr 18, 2022

We live in a generation of government corruption and evil that is unparalleled. How long will God tolerate this? The Bible says in Luke 8:17 (NLT), "For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to light and made known to ...read more

Tags: Evil, Truth, Corruption, Last Days, Lies, Government, Reaping  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

How To Put Out A Fire

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 20, 2022

It was Pentecost Sunday. As the congregation filed into the church, the ushers handed each person a bright red carnation to symbolize the day's festive spirit. The people listened attentively to the reading of the Pentecost story from the Book of Acts about how the disciples had heard “what ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:1

Tags: Giving, Tithes, Offerings

The Church That Voted God Out!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 28, 2024

The story is told about a poor woman who lived across the tracks and wanted to join a very fashionable church. She talked to the pastor about it, but he sought to discourage her. He suggested she go home and think about it carefully for a week. At the end of the week she came back. He said, “Go ...read more

Scripture: James 2:1-12

Tags: Church, Revival, Favoritism, Pastors, Membership, Partiality  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Before The Stones Cry Out

Contributed by Samuel M on Feb 15, 2025

But Jesus answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.” Luke 19: 40 What if Jesus literally meant it. Stones have a voice and are waiting to burst forth into praise. Before the stones cry out and praise God, let we start praising ...read more

Scripture: Luke 19:40

Tags: Faith, Hope

Music To Raise The Dead

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on May 10, 2010

"MUSIC TO RAISE THE DEAD", an album from a Christian Rock group called Resurrection startled the Christian world with it's intensity in the 1970's. They did this in a day when many conservative pastors and evangelists actively thundered their warnings from the pulpit against the evils of rock music ...read more

Tags: Gifts Healing

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational