In Sermon Illustrations: "Christmas Present"

Consider The Queen Mary, Now A Floating Museum In ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 9, 2008

Consider the Queen Mary, now a floating museum in California. This great ship was built as a luxury liner, and it served the wealthy with lavish comforts. Part of the ship has been restored to show the way it was outfitted in all its regal glory, with grand dining rooms set with china and gold ...read more

Tags: Materialism

Watch Out For The Wise Guys Col. ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 12, 2008

Watch out for the 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 ...read more

Tags: Truth

Watch Out For The Wise Guys Col. ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 27, 2008

Watch out for the 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 ...read more

Tags: Truth

Living And Waiting To Live

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 31, 2008

LIVING AND WAITING TO LIVE Most of us tend to think that happiness is just around the corner. JOY will come one of these days--when things get better...when we finally get out of school...or get a better job...or get married...or get our kids raised and out of the house...or after we get that ...read more

Tags: Joy

Martyrdom Of John ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 1, 2013

MARTYRDOM OF JOHN DENLEY One day, on the way to visit some friends, John Denley was stopped and searched by the authorities, who found his written confession of faith. Denley believed the Church was built upon the apostles and prophets, with Christ as its head, and that the present state church, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:10-12

Tags: Faith, Persecution, Martyr

Stop Offering A Comfortable Christian Message

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 4, 2021

Most evangelistic appeals today pitch the gospel as the way to have an abundant life. “Jesus came to offer you abundant life. Trust in Him and He will give you peace, joy, and a truly happy life.” While all of those claims are true if properly defined, what the salesman hasn’t told the potential ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:12, Luke 9:23, Galatians 2:20, Romans 12:1-2, Romans 1:16  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Commitment, Discipleship, Truth, Suffering, Greasy Grace, Comfortable Christianity  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Have You Lost The "scent"?

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Feb 1, 2021

DEMAS LOST THE "SCENT" A man bought a new hunting dog. Eager to see how the dog would perform, the man took him out to track a bear. No sooner had they gotten into the woods than the dog picked up the trail. Suddenly he stopped, sniffed the ground, and headed in a new direction. He had ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:10, 1 John 2:15-16

Tags: Compromise, Worldliness, Backsliding, Values, Loving The World  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

God's Currency

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Mar 19, 2023

Jesus might have asked, when presented with the coin with Caesar's image on it: "Whose image do you bear, whose image is stamped on you?” And the answer would have been - or should - have been: "We are carrying God’s image, we are carrying God’s name.” He coined us in his image. He ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:34-40, Matthew 22:19-21

Tags: Coin, Image Of God, Jesus The Stranger, Circulation, Joseph G Donders  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Wesley Fetter Lane

Contributed by John Bright on Jun 5, 2025

Each year, on May 24, we remember the date in 1738 when John Wesley had his heart “strangely warmed” in the Bible study on Aldersgate Street. I tend to agree with the folks that claim this is the day Wesley became a Believer and after this, he had a great assurance of his salvation. Have you ever ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:1-4, Galatians 5:22-23

Tags: Power, John Wesley, Aldersgate, Fetter Lane, Holy Spirit  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Methodist

When A Thief Was Surprised At Church!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Nov 13, 2023

When I was pastoring in Texas, something strange happened one Christmas that I will never stop laughing about. Because it was a Christmas holiday, we were at home with our family taking a break from our normal ministry schedule. We did not go to the church campus for the weekend. But, while we ...read more

Scripture: Malachi 3:10-11, Proverbs 3:9-10, 1 Timothy 6:10, 1 Corinthians 16:1-2

Tags: Pastors, Tithing, Robbing God, Stealing, Surprises, Church, Giving, Humor  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

On February 24, 1948, One Of The Most Unusual ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 19, 2002

On February 24, 1948, one of the most unusual operations in medical history took place in Ohio State University’s department of research surgery. A stony sheath was removed from around the heart of Harry Besharra, a man thirty years of age. When only a boy he had been shot accidentally by a ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 6:11

Tags: Humility, Hardship Of Life, Emotions

James Dobson On Halloween  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 21, 2002

JAMES DOBSON ON HALLOWEEN Mr. Dobson’s reply to the question: "What about Halloween?" "Halloween is a rather different story. Whereas it can be argued that Christmas is a Christian holiday with Christian origins that has suffered the effects of growing secularism, Halloween can be traced to ...read more

Tags: Supernatural, Satan

Church Attendance Surge Over: For The Last Three ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 18, 2006

Church Attendance Surge Over: For the last three decades, Gallup Poll has found the percentage of Americans who attend church or synagogue weekly to hover between 39% and 43%. In May ‘01, the figure was 41%, in the 10 days after 9/11, it climbed to 47%—a noticeable rise, but no more than what is ...read more

Tags: Church General

Revelation And Ovaltine

Contributed by Johnny Wilson on Jun 27, 2009

REVELATION AND OVALTINE The word often translated "revelation" or as I translated it, "unveiling," could also be understood as "decoding." Ever heard of those Ovaltine Decoder Rings in the '40s? Ovaltine drink advertisements used to have a coded message on them (as did some of the Ovaltine radio ...read more

Tags: Holy Spirit In Believers

Denomination: *other

On The Night Of April 14, 1912, During Its ...

Contributed by Richard Goble on Nov 2, 2007

* On the night of April 14, 1912, during its first trip from England to New York, the Titanic struck an iceberg. The collision tore a 300-foot gash in its hull, and in 2½ hours the unsinkable ship sank. Some 1500 people died. * On May 6, 1937, in Lakehurst, New Jersey, the mighty German Zeppelin, ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

St John's Point Is Not That A Baby Was Born In ...

Contributed by Ruth Hind on Dec 19, 2007

St John’s point is not that a baby was born in Bethlehem and laid in a manger but that God became a person and that person was Jesus Sometimes we can get really hung up on this. If God was person, who did every-one pray to during Jesus life time, who did all the God-stuff while Jesus was on earth? ...read more

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

The Big Question

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 1, 2008

THE BIG QUESTION “What things are important and what things are trivial?” Christmas night 2002, Jack Whittaker had five out of five numbers in the West Virginia Power ball drawing. Jack Whittaker had just won $314 million, the largest undivided lottery jackpot in history. He took the one lump ...read more

Tags: Materialism

The Big Question "What Things Are Important And ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 12, 2008

The BIG question “What things are important and what things are trivial?” Illus. Christmas night 2002, Jack Whittaker had five out of five numbers in the West Virginia Power ball drawing. Jack Whittaker had just won $314 million, the largest undivided lottery jackpot in history. He took the one ...read more

Tags: Money

A Silent Kindness

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Feb 27, 2019

Sir Nicholas George Winton – “A Silent Kindness” Nicholas Winton’s parents were German Jews who had moved to London two years before his birth. The family name was Wertheim, but was changed to Winton, they also converted to Christianity, and had Nicholas baptised. Nicholas Winton became a banker ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:15-17

Tags: Love, Children, Compassion, Kindness

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Mercy In A World War 2 Battle

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Feb 1, 2020

Here is a unique, moving story about "MERCY" from the Second World War: The American pilot glanced outside his cockpit and froze. He blinked hard and looked again, hoping it was just a mirage. But his co-pilot stared at the same horrible vision. “Dear God, this is a nightmare,” the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-12

Tags: Mercy, Beatitudes, War, Hate, Ww2  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational