In Sermon Illustrations: "Center"

That Reminds Me Of A King, Who Went Out Hunting ...  PRO

Contributed by Eric Vertein on Mar 27, 2004

That reminds me of a king, who went out hunting one day. In the forest, he was surprised to come across several trees which had targets painted on them, and in each of the targets, perfectly in the center, there was an arrow. “I must find this incredible archer and make him part of my special ...read more

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Lutheran

Apollo 13 Lifted Off 2:13 Pm April 11, 1970 ...

Contributed by Tom Doubt on May 17, 2004

Apollo 13 lifted off 2:13 PM April 11, 1970 [Apollo 13 web site]. James Lovell, John Swigert, Fred Haise read their instruments at 55:52:31 into the flight. The master caution light was triggered by low pressure in hydrogen tank #1. At 55:54:57 oxygen tank # 2 read off-scale; in plain language, ...read more

Tags: Hardship Of Life

Denomination: Baptist

Far Too Many People Are Deceived About The Danger ...

Contributed by Donnie Martin on Jun 28, 2004

Far too many people are deceived about the danger of sin. Take it too lightly, and it may destroy you. What happened to the great city of Ephesus? Often mentioned in the New Testament, it was one of the cultural and commercial centers of its day. Located at the mouth of the Cayster River, it was ...read more

Tags: Sin Deceptive

Denomination: Baptist

Flying A Plane Down  PRO

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Jul 6, 2004

FLYING A PLANE DOWN Robert and his pilot friend Wesley went for a flying trip from Indianapolis to Muncie, Indiana, in June 1998. During the flight, his pilot had a heart attack and slumped over the controls. He was dead. The Cessna 172 single-engine plane began to nosedive and Robert grabbed ...read more

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Dreary Statistics  PRO

Contributed by Pb Stetser on Jul 6, 2004

Dreary Statistics • 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes --U.S. D.H.H.S., Bureau of the Census • 85% of all children that exhibit behavioral disorders come from fatherless homes --Center for Disease Control • 80% of rapists motivated with displaced anger come from fatherless homes ...read more

Tags: Father's Day, Parenting

Denomination: Holiness

In A Recent Issue Of Newsweek Magazine [7/12/04], ...

Contributed by Doug Lyon on Sep 11, 2004

In a recent issue of Newsweek magazine [7/12/04], the cover reads: “The New Infidelity—From Office Affairs to Internet Hookups, More Wives Are Cheating Too.” The article goes on to ask, “Just how many married women have had sex with people who are not their husbands? … Couples therapists estimate ...read more

Tags: Sexuality, Adultery

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Business Professors Gary Hamel And C. K. ...  PRO

Contributed by Philip Harrelson on Sep 27, 2004

Business professors Gary Hamel and C. K. Prahalad have written about an experiment that was conducted with a group of monkeys. It is a vivid story of failure. Four monkeys were placed in a room that had a tall pole in the center. Suspended from the top of that pole was a bunch of bananas. One ...read more

Tags: Character

Denomination: Pentecostal

Most Of You Probably Already Have Your Christmas ...

Contributed by Timothy Smith on Dec 18, 2004

Most of you probably already have your Christmas tree. If you don’t have a "fake" tree than you probably went to a lot, or got a permit to cut one down. You looked at various trees, you selected one, put it in a tree stand, watered it & decorated it. It will be the center of attention in your home ...read more

Tags: Death

Denomination: Christian Church

After My Senior Year Of High School I Went To ...

Contributed by Mark Adams on Jan 1, 2005

After my Senior year of high school I went to Honduras with a group of 70 teenagers from 4 states. While there, we worked with three different churches as well as a medical center. We also build 14 small houses for poor families. It was a fantastic experience. All the kids went home excited ...read more

Tags: Giving General

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Sgt. Juanita Wilson Was On Patrol Outside ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Sgt. Juanita Wilson was on patrol outside Baghdad when a roadside bomb exploded beneath her vehicle. She was trying to help her driver after the explosion when she felt something unusual. When she looked down, her hand was gone. Less than two years after her injury, she is demonstrating her ...read more

Tags: Faith

Being A Parent And A Father Can Be An ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Being a parent and a father can be an interesting and trying experience. Someone said, “Fathers spend the first part of a child’s life urging him to talk and walk, and the rest of his childhood telling him to sit down and keep quiet.” A son who was in college wrote home to his dad. He said, “Dear ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 1:2-21

Tags: Children, Father's Day, Challenge, Parenting

Confusing Messages

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Aug 19, 2009

CONFUSING MESSAGES PARIS (AFP) – Heart attack survivors who eat chocolate two or more times per week cut their risk of dying from heart disease about threefold compared to those who never touch the stuff, scientists have reported. ...the new study, led by Imre Janszky of the Karolinska Institute ...read more

Tags: False Teaching

Denomination: Independent/Bible

A Spiritual Rhythm

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Nov 16, 2009

A SPIRITUAL RHYTHM Developing a rhythm in your spiritual life means organizing your life around times of stopping to remember God. What is important is not the length of time but that you regularly stop to refocus on God. It could be five minutes or forty minutes. It could be your break time. ...read more

Tags: Disciplines General

Denomination: Church Of God

A Roman Census And Taxing Forced The Town Of ...

Contributed by Thomas Cash on Dec 10, 2009

A Roman census and taxing forced the town of Bethlehem to burst at its seams. Neither the locals nor the visitors would have been very happy about the decree. Tempers were short, words were spoken in anger, people were taken advantage of, and rooms were at a premium. Mary was obviously in labor ...read more

Tags: Anxiety

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

March Of The Penguins: Fellowship

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Dec 24, 2009

MARCH OF THE PENGUINS: FELLOWSHIP The documentary The March of the Penguins follows the emperor penguins of Antarctica on their incredible journey through ice and snow to mating grounds up to 70 miles inland. Narrated by Morgan Freeman, this beautiful film captures the drama of these ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Flying A Plane ...

Contributed by Paul Carlson on Jan 25, 2010

FLYING A PLANE DOWN Robert and his pilot friend Wesley went for a flying trip from Indianapolis to Muncie, Indiana, in June 1998. During the flight, his pilot had a heart attack and slumped over the controls. He was dead. The Cessna 172 single-engine plane began to nosedive and Robert grabbed the ...read more

Tags: Blessing

Denomination: Baptist

Firm Foundation  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 5, 2011

FIRM FOUNDATION Ravi Zacharias told about doing a lectureship several years ago at the Ohio State University. As he was being driven to the lecture, they passed what was then the "new" Wexner Art Center. The driver commented, "This is a new art building for the university. It is a fascinating ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:24-27

Tags: Foundation

Wishing Vs. Hoping  PRO

Contributed by Thomas Clawser on Dec 3, 2011

WISHING VS. HOPING Eugene Peterson (Living the Message: Daily Help for Living the God-Centered Life) points out that what a lot of people call hope is in reality something different. It's wishing, not hoping: and wishing and hoping are not the same thing. "Wishing," Peterson says, "is something ...read more

Tags: Christmas Advent

Denomination: Other

Toy Story: Friendship

Contributed by Ken Pell on Jun 23, 2012

TOY STORY: FRIENDSHIP "As iron sharpens iron so one man sharpens another." (Proverbs 27:17) Henry Ford said, "My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me." And what's true of a good church is true of a good friend; they love you and they help you aspire to grow and be whole. Have ...read more

Tags: Friendship General

Denomination: Nazarene

Trampled By Shoppers?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 19, 2012

TRAMPLED BY SHOPPERS? In November 2003, a sale on DVD players at a Florida Wal-Mart created a rush of shoppers that apparently resulted in one woman being trampled. Patricia VanLester had her eye on a $29 DVD player, but when the siren blared at 6 a.m. announcing the start to the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 6:9-10

Tags: Greed