In Sermon Illustrations: "Closed Churches"

A Christ-Less Christmas.

Contributed by Danny Janes on Dec 7, 2012

One of the most enjoyable jobs I ever had before entering the ministry was when I worked for Sears as a salesman in the Men’s Department. I worked there while I was in high school, and part of the time while I was in college. And always the most memorable night of the year to be scheduled to work ...read more

Tags: Christmas Eve

Denomination: Wesleyan

Death Of An Eagle

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Dec 29, 2020

There was a talented young Indian boy that loved hunting. One of his goals was to get an eagle. He so needed the eagle to build his elaborate head dress. All the eagles would fly around the young boy and mock him. He could never be the chief without a beautiful eagle feather head dressing. The ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 40:26-30, Isaiah 54:17

Tags: Weapon, Effective

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Henry Welles Had An Idea More Than A Century Ago, ...  PRO

Contributed by Austin Mansfield on Jun 3, 2007

Henry Welles had an idea more than a century ago, an idea we still abide by today. In 1866, the United States had just emerged from a terrible and bloody civil war between our Northern and Southern states. Henry, a drugstore owner in Waterloo, New York, heard stories about our crippled and maimed ...read more

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Immediately After Former Romanian Dictator ...

Contributed by Ovidiu Radulescu on Jun 11, 2007

Immediately after former Romanian dictator Ceausescu was killed, his residency was open for everybody to visit it. In Bucharest, the capital.Everyone was free to come in take a look. I was curious too and I went. WOW! I was impressed: Gold, marble, exotic wood… I never see such thing before or ...read more

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

A Young Man Emerged From The Metro Train In ...

Contributed by Doug Lyon on Jul 15, 2007

A young man emerged from the Metro train in Washington, DC. The date was January 12th of this year. He positioned himself against a wall beside a trashcan. By most standards, he was nondescript—a young white man in jeans, a long-sleeved T-shirt, and a Washington Nationals baseball cap. He ...read more

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Root Of Bitterness  PRO

Contributed by Herman Abrahams on Aug 16, 2007

Illustration ------------ Years ago there was a terrible outbreak of disease in a tiny village in a remote part of Africa. Both children and adults were, getting sick and overcome with nausea. Several,weeks passed, and the sickness became widespread, and people started dying. Word of the disease ...read more

Denomination: Charismatic

It Is A Narrow Way. It Is A Difficult Road. We ...

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Oct 29, 2007

It is a narrow way. It is a difficult road. We have to leave much behind: our wants, our needs, our baggage, and our misconceptions. One time when we were first married, Kendra and I planned a trip to Cedar Point. I like to save money so we stayed in a hotel about twenty minutes from the point. It ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:1

Denomination: Church Of God

On April 23rd, 1978, In A Small Seaside Chapel In ...

Contributed by Jay Winters on Jan 13, 2008

On April 23rd, 1978, in a small seaside chapel in San Juan, La Union, in the Republic of the Philippines, my father, speaking the local dialect of Ilocano, baptized me, his son. He said I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. On that day, the heavens didn’t ...read more

Denomination: Lutheran

Pastor John Ortberg Once Gave Us This Wake Up ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 8, 2008

*Pastor John Ortberg once gave us this wake up call: “I look in on my children as they sleep at night, [and] I think of the kind of father I want to be. I want to create moments of magic, I want them to remember laughing until the tears flow . . . I want to have slow, sweet talks with them as ...read more

I've Been Reading A Book By A Pastor Named Erwin ...

Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Apr 22, 2008

I've been reading a book by a pastor named Erwin Rafael McManus. He tells about a conversation he had with his daughter, Mariah. He was explaining that Christians often face danger and even death. His daughter asked, "Has anyone ever tried to kill you, Daddy?" And he answered, "Sort of." She ...read more

Tags: Self

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Not-So-Blessings  PRO

Contributed by Brian Atwood on Jul 23, 2008

NOT-SO-BLESSINGS Recently I was taking another turn teaching the children on Wednesday night. After opening with some conversation with the kids about what was going on in their lives I asked for any prayer requests. One girl asked that we pray for her because school would soon start and she was ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Tags: Gratitude

Denomination: Baptist

Have Any Of You Read The Book, The Worst-Case ...

Contributed by Brian La Croix on Nov 19, 2008

Have any of you read the book, The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook by Joshua Piven and David Borgenicht? It’s a great little yellow book that describes all sorts of ways to get out of even life-threatening situations. Here’s how they describe getting free from an alligator: How to Wrestle ...read more

Tags: Peace

Denomination: Wesleyan

God Summons Us To Seek Our Best Creative Selves. ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 12, 2008

"God summons us to seek our best creative selves. He calls us to become artists of life, seers of truth, creators of new possibilities, and innovative problem solvers. Perhaps by looking at Jesus' life and seeing His creative spirit at work, we can begin to awaken to the creative possibilities of ...read more

Tags: Becoming A Christian

The Nobel Story

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 17, 2009

THE NOBEL STORY In 1866, Alfred Nobel invented dynamite and built up companies and laboratories in more than 20 countries all over the world. In the process, he amassed a considerable fortune. When Nobel’s brother died, the newspaper made a mistake and ran an obituary for Alfred Nobel. In the ...read more

Tags: Character

What A Friend We Have In Jesus

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 7, 2009

WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS I want to close this message by singing a great hymn of prayer and faith. "What a Friend We Have in Jesus." This hymn was written by Joseph Scriven who lived from 1819 to 1886. Joseph Scriven had wealth, education, a devoted family, and a pleasant life in his native ...read more

Tags: God In The Hardships

Converted By Dreams And Visions

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 14, 2009

CONVERTED BY DREAMS AND VISIONS Do you know that many Muslims are recently becoming Christians because of dreams and visions? According to Wendell Evans of the Billy Graham Center’s Institute for Muslim Studies, "More and more stories are coming out of closed countries, of God supernaturally ...read more

Scripture: Joel 2:28

Tags: Dreams

We Bring You Us!  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 19, 2009

"WE BRING YOU US!" Michael Sattler tells the story of Christmas 1930. His wife had just passed away the month before, and he was lonely and heartsick. But mostly, he worried about the type of Christmas his girls would have. When Christmas morning came, they opened their presents with unusual ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Tags: Christmas Advent

Driving Very Fast  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 24, 2009

DRIVING VERY FAST In his book "Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life", Pastor Charles Swindoll tells a story about the 19th Century agnostic Thomas Huxley. Some of you might recognize the name Thomas Huxley as a man who promoted Darwinism and Humanism in his attacks on Christianity in Europe in ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 1:1-14

Tags: Goals

Scheming And Tricky

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Aug 15, 2022

3 Greeks and 3 Turks are travelling by train to a conference. At the station, the 3 Turks each buy tickets and watch as the 3 Greeks buy only a single ticket. "How are 3 people going to travel on only one ticket?" asks one Turk. "Watch and you'll see," answers one Greek. ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 2:1-4, Isaiah 4:2-6, Genesis 3:13, Genesis 29:25, Joshua 9:22, 2 Samuel 3:25, 2 Corinthians 11:13, 2 Timothy 3:13, 2 John 1:7  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Trick, Scheme, Lying, Crafty, Scheming, Tricky, Abuse, Dishonesty, Deceive, Cheating, Deceptive, Advantage  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Letting Go

Contributed by Bruce Lee on Jan 27, 2023

Letting Go “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair.” 2 Corinthians 4:8 ESV She was only five years old. It was her first day of school. Her mommy will never forget crying all the way back as she walked to the house after letting her go and ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:8

Tags: Survival, Letting Go, Funeral, Grief

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational