In Sermon Illustrations: "Coming Home"

The Importance Of A Name

Contributed by Ovidiu Radulescu on Sep 21, 2010

THE IMPORTANCE OF A NAME I went to a doctor for some pain here, upper side of my stomach… in those days I used to eat 6 times a day like for 3 people… But my doctor was sick too, staying home, another doctor replacing him. His name was Vlad Tzepelea – in translation THE IMPALER… like Dracula… Vlad ...read more

Tags: Commandments God's Name

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Am I Still Your Child?

Contributed by Guy Mcgraw on Dec 6, 2011

AM I STILL YOUR CHILD? What if Lynne and I adopted a child and brought him/her into our home. That child might be so thankful that every day they might ask, "Can I mow the lawn today, can I do the dishes for you, do you need a foot massage?" That would be great, but it would break my heart to ...read more

Tags: Adoption

What Time Does The Library Open?

Contributed by Samuel Fulkerson on Aug 23, 2012

What time does the library open?" the man on the phone asked. "Nine A.M." came the reply. "And what's the idea of calling me at home in the middle of the night to ask a question like that?" "Not until nine A.M.?" the man asked in a disappointed voice. "No, not till nine A.M.!" the librarian said. ...read more

Tags: Humor

Denomination: Pentecostal

The New Guy  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Ball on Mar 29, 2013

THE NEW GUY We all need real hope. There were four ladies in a nursing home one time that were sitting there talking, and the nurse brings in a new man to the facility. He was quite dapper for an older man, and one of the ladies asked him where he had been for so long. He responded by saying he ...read more

Tags: Faith General

Denomination: *other

It Just Takes Over

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Jul 21, 2022

One day my friend was looking at the beautiful blooming wisteria vine entwined in the fence by her home thinking how the woody vines just take over everything around them and choke the life out of it. They are extremely hard to eradicate once they've taken hold. Wisteria is actually an ...read more

Scripture: Romans 6:23

Tags: Death, Sin, Wages

Denomination: Charismatic

I Just Cried With Her

Contributed by Loyd C. Taylor on Feb 23, 2024

I Just Cried With Her A little girl came home and told her mom that her best friend's grandma had died over the weekend. Her mom said, "That's so sad." The little girl said, "Yes it was Mommy. She just sat in her chair and cried and cried." ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 18:24

Tags: Compassion, Friendship, Tears, Friends, Burdens, Children  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

My Name Is Gossip

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Feb 11, 2025

I am more deadly than a shell from the howitzer. I win without killing. I tear down homes, break hearts, and wreck lives. I travel on the wings of the wind. No innocence is strong enough to intimidate me, no purity pure enough to daunt me. I have no regard for truth, no respect for justice, no ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:20

Tags: Gossip, Power Of Words

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Be Careful Who You Accuse

Contributed by John Bright on Apr 6, 2025

Miss Abigale was the one church member sure to stick her nose into everyone’s business. One day, she accused George, a new member and a man of few words. She told him, in front of others, that he must be a drunk because his truck had been seen in front of the town’s only bar. George did not ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 6:16-19

Tags: Revenge, Gossip

Denomination: Methodist

Mount Hope Church In Lansing, Mi, Was Attacked On ...

Contributed by Charles Wallis on Nov 17, 2008

Mount Hope Church in Lansing, MI, was attacked on November 9, 2008, by homosexual activitist who disrupted the service with unmentionable actions. It is a sad fact that our world has come to this, but the world is coming to the church. The question is, will they hear the gospel ...read more

Tags: Persecution

Denomination: Pentecostal

We Were At The Loveall's House The Other Day ...

Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Feb 2, 2010

We were at the Loveall's house the other day (having Louisiana style gumbo!) and I noticed this saying on a plaque on their wall. "Live in such as way that those who don’t know God will come to know God because they have come to know you." If ...read more

Tags: Christian Witness

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Love Is A Decision - Is A Book I'd Strongly ...  PRO

Contributed by Steve Malone on Jul 23, 2002

Love Is A Decision - is a book I’d strongly recommend - the second chapter in this book is on honor.....let me share a brief excerpt from that chapter to nail home this point about honor. Gary Smalley is Christian family counselor and the author of the book ...one day years ago when he came ...read more

Tags: Marriage Obligations, Marriage Commitment

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Craigslist Murder

Contributed by Chris Mccarthy on Aug 17, 2010

THE CRAIGSLIST MURDER When Charlene Sanders drove home from a routine day of work April 28, the last thing she expected was that she would be telling family of her husband’s death later that night. At about 9 p.m. on April 28, Jim Sanders invited a young man and women into his home to view a ring ...read more

Tags: Christian Witness

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Craigslist Murder

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 29, 2011

THE CRAIGSLIST MURDER When Charlene Sanders drove home from a routine day of work April 28, the last thing she expected was that she would be telling family of her husband's death later that night. At about 9 p.m. on April 28, Jim Sanders invited a young man and women into his home to view a ring ...read more

Scripture: John 15:12-13

Tags: Heroism

Five Thousand Fishes And Two Thousand Loves?

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Nov 6, 2022

• A young preacher graduated from Bible College and was invited back to his home congregation to preach a sermon. He wanted to make a good impression. He did his best to prepare to preach to his home church. He wrote his sermon word for word and memorized it. He had a very dramatic beginning to the ...read more

Scripture: John 6:1-14

Tags: Jesus, Miracles, Sermons, Preacher Jokes

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Everything Worth Having Has Pain

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on May 2, 2009

EVERYTHING WORTH HAVING HAS PAIN "In everything worth having, even in every pleasure, there is a point of pain or tedium that must be survived, so that the pleasure may revive and endure: the joy of reading Virgil comes after the bore of learning him; the glow of the sea-bather comes after the icy ...read more

Tags: Disciplines General

Denomination: Catholic

Imagine Yourself In A Place So Dark You Cannot ...

Contributed by Clark Tanner on Sep 18, 2009

"Imagine yourself in a place so dark you cannot see your hand before your face. Either you want it that way because you want to sleep, or because you’re doing something you don’t want anyone else to see, in which case the sudden coming of light would be an irritation to you, or you wish you could ...read more

Tags: Jesus Christ

Denomination: Orthodox

Y2k

Contributed by Gene Gregory on Aug 27, 2012

13 years ago, there were people running all over the place, buying up food and bottled water and gas and everything else they could think of, just in case something happened with all of that Y2K stuff. They did all of that just in case they were without power, or open food stores for a few days. ...read more

Tags: Judgment

Denomination: Baptist

I Heard About A Small Country Church That Was ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

I heard about a small country church that was holding a revival in a packed building. It was so crowded that they had to put up chairs everywhere, right up to the pulpit. The evangelist was preaching about the second coming of Christ and had really warmed up to the subject. He was one of those fire ...read more

Tags: Heaven

Let's Give Them A French Kiss!!  PRO

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 14, 2014

SERMON BLOOPER!!! One of our youth pastors was leaving to go to another church on the same day my wife and I returned from a mission trip to France to encourage our missionaries there. As we closed the service, I brought my wife on the stage on live tv and illustrated how French churches "greet ...read more

Scripture: Romans 16:16

Tags: Humor, Preacher Bloopers, Holy Kiss

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

When I Look At History I Think Of Another Time ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 21, 2001

When I look at history I think of another time when America faced a crisis. The year was 1857. America was at both an economic and spiritual low. Attendance in churches had dwindled and there was a cynicism among many concerning religion. It was in the midst of this spiritual crisis that God gave a ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:18-27

Tags: Vision, God's Sovereign Will, God's Omniscience