In Sermon Illustrations: "Clergy Appreciation Month"

Dire Warnings?

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Mar 24, 2020

Once upon a time. . . . sorry, folks, I couldn’t resist that one. But it wasn’t that long ago that people paid their bills by writing a check and then mailing said item and bill to the address provided. That was true of car insurance, utility bills, credit card bills, among other things. Now, one ...read more

Scripture: Mark 9:42-48, Luke 16:19-31

Tags: Hell, Judgment, Rewards, Warnings

Denomination: Baptist

Ordinary People For Christ

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 18, 2009

ORDINARY PEOPLE FOR CHRIST Bud Villers was a good man. Bud was my neighbor. I grew up beside him until he died when I was in college. Bud helped my dad put a roof on our house, he assisted my dad when they poured concrete sidewalks and porches. My dad helped him put a roof on his patio. When Bud ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 4:5-6

Tags: Evangelism How To

Osceola Mccarty, African-American Philanthropist  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 3, 2009

Osceola McCarty, African-American Philanthropist The late great African-American laundry woman, author, and philanthropist, Osceola McCarty (1908 - 1999), did one thing all of her life: laundry! For decades, Osceola, a frugal Christian woman who never bought a car - who never got married - who ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 26:6-13

Tags: Giving General

Leading A Neighbor To Christ During A Time Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 14, 2009

Leading a Neighbor to Christ During a Time of Grief Someone in Elgin once had a neighbor named Jack. Jack was a tough man. He worked hard, he drank hard, he fought hard, and he was harsh and gruff in his manner. Most people were afraid of Jack. But this one neighbor got brave and said hello to him ...read more

Scripture: Acts 17:1-15

Tags: Christian Witness

Francis Chan: Radical Christian Living

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 1, 2010

FRANCIS CHAN: RADICAL CHRISTIAN LIVING Pastor Francis Chan, the senior pastor of Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, California wrote in his latest book entitled, "Crazy Love". He has already sold one million copies worldwide; a figure he says demonstrates the extent to which he is not alone in ...read more

Scripture: Mark 8:34-38

Tags: Discipleship

The Compassion Of Jesus Makes A Funeral A ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 10, 2010

The Compassion of Jesus Makes a Funeral a Celebration When I was in the 5th grade and we lived above the funeral home in Pawnee, there was no street celebration, no brass band or snare drum or festive umbrellas but the funeral for Rev Sonious’ wife was something to behold. Just months before she ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Tags: Funerals Christian

I Lost My Boat, But I Preserved My Life

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 23, 2008

I LOST MY BOAT, BUT I PRESERVED MY LIFE An American (Ken Barnes), safely headed toward land after three days adrift, said a driving storm off the tip of South America snapped his masts and rolled his yacht, shattering his dream to make a nonstop, round-the-world voyage. "I lost my boat, but I ...read more

Tags: Hardship Of Life

Praying In ...

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Praying in Revival 2 Chronicles 7:14 says: “…if my people, who are called by My Name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” All true spiritual awakenings that have had a ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 7:14

Tags: Revival

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Many Years Ago Now I Served A Small-Town Church ...

Contributed by Bruce Emmert on Sep 22, 2008

Many years ago now I served a small-town church in north central Kansas. The first week I was there two elderly ladies—twins named Mamie and Edith—asked me to visit them. They wanted to talk about being baptized and joining the church. They went to church every Sunday. As faithful and sweet as ...read more

Tags: Baptism

Denomination: United Methodist

Giving: A Step To Revival

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Jan 30, 2009

GIVING: A STEP TO REVIVAL Today we are focusing our attention on the second step to revival: GIVING. We all say we want revival, but many throw away the second step - but you cannot have revival without taking the second step to revival. This step impacts the life and effectiveness of our ...read more

Tags: Giving General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Stethoscope Theology

Contributed by Todd Catteau on Aug 12, 2021

I recently attended a “White Coat Ceremony” for first year medical students. During the ceremony the incoming first year students receive a white coat symbolic of the beginning of their journey into the medical profession. Before the white coats were distributed the Dean of the college introduced ...read more

Scripture: James 1:19, James 1:19-20, James 3:3-12, Proverbs 10:19

Tags: Hear, Communication, Wisdom, Listen, Hearing, Listening  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

"i've Got A Mansion Just Over The Hilltop" Song Story

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Nov 21, 2022

In 1945, a young Christian businessman stood one evening in an evangelistic service in Dallas, Texas, and told how he had learned a valuable lesson from a small child. The gentleman stated that his business, for a number of months, had been in a steady decline. It looked as if it would completely ...read more

Scripture: John 14:1-6

Tags: Death, Revelation, Heaven, Hope, New Jerusalem, Funerals  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Allenby Captures Jerusalem Without Firing A Shot 1917

Contributed by Raymond Petzholt on Mar 12, 2024

Allenby captures Jerusalem without firing a shot 1917 Palestine was now in the hands of a Christian nation which only twelve months previously had officially declared its interest in the return of the Jews to their own land, and promised to assist them in facilitating the creation of a Jewish ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 19:13-15

Tags: Jerusalem, Prayer, Children

Denomination: Baptist

Failure/ Success

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Sep 13, 2025

DO YOU WANT TO HEAR ABOUT A FAILURE, A BASKET CASE? Let us look at a man experience in failure. 1. At 14 dropped out of school. 2. He got a job working on a farm. The work was hard labor. He hated the farm work. 3. He lied about his age and at 16 he joined the ARMY. He could stand the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 19:26, 2 Chronicles 16:9

Tags: Faith, Effort

Denomination: Assembly Of God

One Man's Life Provides A Dramatic Answer To The ...  PRO

Contributed by James Dunn on Mar 12, 2002

One man’s life provides a dramatic answer to the question, can God indeed bring positives out of troubled times? This young man’s name is David, and he is an awesome picture of God’s using difficulties for good. For years he viewed trials as something that affected only his external world, and any ...read more

Scripture: 2 Samuel 2:6, 2 Samuel 6:6

Tags: Growth In Christ, Hardship Of Life

Denomination: Baptist

The Following Story Was Written By A Missionary ...

Contributed by Dennis Davidson on Mar 26, 2009

The following story was written by a missionary doctor who worked in Africa. "One night I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all we could do, she died, leaving us with a tiny, premature baby and a crying two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping ...read more

Tags: Prayer Answered

Denomination: Baptist

The Old Judge Converted

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 27, 2009

THE OLD JUDGE CONVERTED I remember, as I was coming out of the daily prayer meeting in one of our American cities a few years ago, a lady said she wished to speak to me; her voice trembled with emotion, and I saw at once that she was heavily burdened by something or other. She said she had long ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:16

Tags: Christian Witness

Discipleship Calls For Wholehearted Commitment To ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 31, 2009

Discipleship Calls for Wholehearted Commitment to Christ “I have seen the most horrible things, but I have met people who are still full of faith in spite of what they have endured.” That was the opening statement to a gathering of leaders and supporters of Samaritan’s Purse, the organization led ...read more

Scripture: Luke 14:25-33

Tags: Missions

Some Veterans Bear Visible Signs Of Their ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2001

Some veterans bear visible signs of their service: a missing limb, a jagged scar, a certain look in the eye. Others may carry the evidence inside them: a pin holding a bone together, a piece of shrapnel in the leg--or perhaps another sort of inner steel: the soul’s ally forged in the refinery of ...read more

Tags: Holidays Civic, Sacrifice, Soldier, Veteran's Day, Veterans  (view more)  (view less)

The Evolution Of Mothers  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 6, 2002

THE EVOLUTION OF MOTHERS Being a parent changes everything. But being a parent also changes with each baby. Here are some of the ways having a second and third child is different from having the first. Your Clothes 1st baby: You begin wearing maternity clothes as soon as your doctor confirms ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 1:5-10

Tags: Parenting, Mother's Day, Influence, Children