In Sermon Illustrations: "Caught Up"

Why Don't They Let Him In?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 20, 2011

WHY DON'T THEY LET HIM IN? A picture of the Lord Jesus knocking at the door of a heart was taken one day by a parish visitor to a house where a father and mother lived with their small son. Some impulse made the mother pin the picture up in their little kitchen, and when the small boy came in from ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 3:20

Tags: Commitment To Christ

The Mayor's Martyr Maid

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Jun 3, 2011

THE MAYOR'S MARTYR MAID "I found one!" The inquisitor held up a Bible and hollered out, "Bring in the mayor and his family. Someone is studying the Bible in this house!" In the 16th century, Philip II sent the Duke of Alba to Flanders to stamp out the Protestants who insisted on reading the ...read more

Tags: Commitment To Christ

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Harry And The Mountain

Contributed by Guy Mcgraw on Jun 22, 2011

HARRY AND THE MOUNTAIN On March 17th of 1980, a radical thing took place in the state of Washington, something that hadn’t happened in at least 123 years. It started when an earthquake registering 4.1 on the Richter scale was reported near Mt. St. Helens in S.W Washington. Forest rangers were ...read more

Tags: Revelation

Trust Made The Difference

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Jul 3, 2011

TRUST MADE THE DIFFERENCE Years ago, when my nephew Josh was about 9 years old, we were out in the yard playing tag. He had tagged me and was running for all he was worth to get away from me. He was laughing and laughing as he looked back at me chasing him. Then he turned around and ran into a ...read more

Tags: Trust

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Bury It Right!  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 1, 2011

BURY IT RIGHT! The story is told of a teenage son who wanted to be Scripturally baptized. His father told him that the sprinkling he got as a baby was sufficient. The son tried to explain that you can only picture the idea of burial by completely being submerged. Angry, the father told him to ...read more

Scripture: Acts 8:36-39

Tags: Baptism

Improving On A Good Design...or Not

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 8, 2011

IMPROVING ON A GOOD DESIGN...OR NOT Years ago I bought a Chevy Caprice at a used car lot. It was a thing of beauty. It was big and stylish and it purred as I drove it down the road. Well, it purred for the first few days. Then it began to cough and sputter and I had difficulty getting above 30 ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 1:27-30

Tags: Church General

Tears And Trust

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 23, 2011

TEARS AND TRUST Years ago, when my nephew Josh was about 9 years old we were out in the yard playing tag. He had tagged me and was running for all he was worth to get away from me. He was laughing and laughing as he looked back at me chasing him. Then he turned around and ran into a tree. It ...read more

Scripture: Habakkuk 3:17-19

Tags: Faith, Trust

Jesus Saves Me Now

Contributed by Larry Wilson on Aug 30, 2011

JESUS SAVES ME NOW The old version used to tell us that He was able to keep us from falling. The new version, giving a closer rendering of the Greek, tells us that He is able to guard us from stumbling. So He can. So He will. But we must trust Him. Moment by moment we must look into His face, and ...read more

Tags: Security

Denomination: Baptist

Fear Of Witnessing

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 31, 2011

FEAR OF WITNESSING Leighton Ford, Good News is for Sharing, 1977, David C. Cook Publishing Co., Page 15: In preparing for this book, I have talked to a lot of people, and the fear issue comes up front again and again. What makes people hesitate to share their faith? Here are some of the fears ...read more

Scripture: John 20:21-22

Tags: Evangelism Fear Of

When I Was Your Age...

Contributed by Larry Wilson on Sep 2, 2011

WHEN I WAS YOUR AGE... A young man who was also an avid golfer found himself with a few hours to spare one afternoon. He figured if he hurried and played very fast, he could get in 9 holes before he had to head home. Just as he was about to tee off, an old gentleman shuffled onto the tee and ...read more

Tags: Aging

Denomination: Baptist

Set Free

Contributed by Davon Huss on Sep 5, 2011

SET FREE It all began on Sunday, December 11, 2005, when a fisherman spotted a 50-ton humpback whale tangled up in crab trap lines off the coast in northern California. His call for help was answered by a group of Coast Guard divers and whale experts. The rescue operation was both difficult and ...read more

Tags: Sin Bondage To

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Wynton Marsalis: Someone To Play With

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 8, 2011

WYNTON MARSALIS: SOMEONE TO PLAY WITH People are preoccupied with their own thoughts and interests. When we show interest and concern for another person’s interest or concern, it meets a deep need. People feel cared for and valued. Wynton Marsalis is a recognized musician. He is invited to teach ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:1-4

Tags: Humility

Who Do You Say I Am—in England?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 9, 2011

WHO DO YOU SAY I AM--IN ENGLAND? A teaching assistant accused of looting. An 11 year old girl appears in court and admits breaking windows in Nottingham. Teenagers appear before Magistrates with no parent in attendance. Magistrates ask, "Where are their parents?" Two girls interviewed by the BBC ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 3:4-10

Tags: Sin Exposed

Fasting Before The Great Awakening

Contributed by Mark Stepherson on Oct 22, 2011

FASTING BEFORE THE GREAT AWAKENING Jonathan Edwards was a man used by God in the First Great Awakening. I have read that he preached in a weak, squeaking, monotone voice and held his tiny manuscript so close to his face that people could not see his expressions. When he preached, "Sinners in the ...read more

Scripture: Acts 13:2-3, Matthew 9:14-15, Mark 2:18-20, Luke 5:33-35, Acts 14:23, Luke 2:37, Matthew 6:16-18  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Prayer, Fast

Denomination: Baptist

Are You Ready For A Missions Trip?

Contributed by Brad Henry on Oct 24, 2011

ARE YOU READY FOR A MISSIONS TRIP? Last Wednesday I received a text from a dear friend of mine in Phoenix. He said that his 15 year old daughter Katie was going in for some tests to determine the reasons for some health issues she was having. I went to bed without knowing the results. I woke up ...read more

Tags: Fear And Worry

A Very Young Christian Family

Contributed by Richard Koskela on Oct 24, 2011

A VERY YOUNG CHRISTIAN FAMILY While traveling as a missionary on home assignment, I had the privilege of eating an evening meal with a young couple with two small children. When it was time for the children to go to bed, they asked me if I wanted to go with them to the children’s bedroom while ...read more

Tags: Family

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Saved Covered By Wings

Contributed by Jerry Cosper on Dec 13, 2011

SAVED COVERED BY WINGS An article in the National Geographic several years ago provided a picture of God’s love for us. After a forest fire in Yellowstone National Park, forest rangers began their trek up a mountain to assess the damage. One ranger found a bird literally petrified in ashes, ...read more

Tags: Salvation

Denomination: Baptist

A Darkened Mind

Contributed by Andy Grossman on Feb 15, 2012

A DARKENED MIND The god of this age, Satan, wants people to be blinded to the Truth. He loves a darkened mind. Sean Sellers was a willing mind. His parents were long haul truckers from Colorado. Sean filled the empty hours with the occult. He began with Dungeons and Dragons. The he began ...read more

Tags: Cults

Denomination: Holiness

Anger Vs. Annoyance  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 3, 2012

ANGER VS. ANNOYANCE A young girl who was writing a paper for school came to her father and asked, "Dad, what is the difference between anger and annoyance?" The father replied, "It is mostly a matter of degree. Let me show you what I mean." With that the father went to the telephone and dialed a ...read more

Scripture: James 1:19-20, Ephesians 4:26

Tags: Anger

The Shepherd's Voice

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 10, 2012

THE SHEPHERD'S VOICE If you know and follow Jesus as Shepherd you will be able to flee from untruth and ungodly belief systems. D.L. Moody told the following: A friend, who was traveling in the East, heard that there was a shepherd who still kept up the custom of calling his sheep by name. He ...read more

Scripture: John 10:1-18

Tags: Parable Lost Sheep