In Sermon Illustrations: "Coming Home"

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Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 3, 2010

Contrasting Poems on Servanthood Matthew 20:28 "The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." If He came to serve, what must we do? ILL.- “I gave a little party this afternoon at three— ’Twas very small Three guests in all Just I, Myself, and ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 20:28

Tags: Servanthood

In A Remote Swiss Village Stands A Beautiful ...

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Jun 28, 2010

In a remote Swiss village stands a beautiful church - Mountain Valley Cathedral. It has high pillars and magnificent stained glass windows, but what makes it special is the most beautiful pipe organ in the whole region. People would come from far off lands just to hear the lovely tunes of this ...read more

Tags: Salvation, Restoration

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Some Time Later

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Dec 10, 2010

SOME TIME LATER Day after day the drudgery of books had began to depress me. Don't misunderstand. I love reading books. I was working in a warehouse at the time. Two of us would work in a large cubicle to pack books into boxes according to a computer order and convey them to be stacked onto ...read more

Tags: Finding Fulfillment

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

What We Watch Affects Our Behavior

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 26, 2011

WHAT WE WATCH AFFECTS OUR BEHAVIOR Studies are even showing how we are affected by what we watch on television, hear on our radios, or read in books and the paper. A study recorded in American Psychologist reported that “Psychologists have studied the effect of violent media on aggression for ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:22-23

Tags: Television And Movies

How Not To Market The Church

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 10, 2011

HOW NOT TO MARKET THE CHURCH When we speak of marketing the church (writes David Wells) we are not referencing such things as advertising church events, providing excellence in church programming, being kind to visitors, or providing ample parking. No one is arguing the importance and value of ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:14-16

Tags: Church Practices

Do You Have The Nerve Of A Squirrel?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 12, 2011

DO YOU HAVE THE NERVE OF A SQUIRREL? A young writer with a very uncertain income went into a quiet park to contemplate a serious problem. For four years he had been engaged, but felt he did not have enough money to get married. He wanted to live and write in Paris, Rome, Vienna, ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 3:5-6

Tags: Trust

Live In A Way That Glorifies God  PRO

Contributed by Mark Stepherson on Jul 19, 2011

Live in a Way That Glorifies God Dan Blocker was my favorite character, Hoss, on the TV series Bonanza. When he died unexpectedly, Hoss died. The producers knew they could not replace him. The story was that woman was caught in a flood. Hoss held her above the water with one hand and held a ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:31, Matthew 5:16, 1 Peter 2:12

Tags: Glory

Denomination: Baptist

The Wrong Oil  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 8, 2011

THE WRONG OIL Phil (a member of our congregation) owns a stunning sports car. It's a Viper. It's a thing of beauty. And it has a powerful engine with 10 cylinders. Most of us common folks have cars with 6 and 8 cylinders... but this car has TEN cylinders. I'm pretty sure it can take you anywhere ...read more

Scripture: Jude 1:3-4

Tags: Doctrine

Margin Or Messiah?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 24, 2011

MARGIN OR MESSIAH? Richard Swenson wrote a book in the 1990's titled, "Margin" in which he describes modern society as so overcommitted and over scheduled that we have no space left for rest. A reviewer writes: Overload is not having time to finish the book you're reading on stress. Margin is ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 11:28-30

Tags: Stress

Visions Of Glory

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 9, 2011

VISIONS OF GLORY Chan Gailey, who just began his second season as head coach for the Buffalo Bills, got his start coaching football at Alabama's Troy State University. In 1984, with a 12-1 record, he led the Troy State Trojans to a Division II NCAA national championship. A week before the big ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:5-6

Tags: Pride

We Have The Key

Contributed by Matthew Olanrewaju on Sep 17, 2011

WE HAVE THE KEY Father William Bausch told a story of a boy who one morning had arrived very early at school and waited patiently at the door. Next to arrive was a lady who was surprised that this youngster had arrived so early. "It’s locked" the pupil said as the teacher tried the door. She began ...read more

Tags: Salvation

Denomination: Methodist

Give The Spirit More Of You

Contributed by Davon Huss on Feb 13, 2012

GIVE THE SPIRIT MORE OF YOU R.A. Torrey: "It is of the highest importance from the practical standpoint that we decide whether the Holy Spirit is merely some mysterious and wonderful power that we in our weakness and ignorance are somehow to get hold of and use, or whether the Holy Spirit is a ...read more

Tags: Holy Spirit In Believers

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Looking At The Light

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 6, 2012

LOOKING AT THE LIGHT A pastor told a story of a man in his congregation who had lost literally hundreds of thousands of dollars. He owed everybody. One day the pastor asked him, "How in the world are you even surviving? How can you smile? How can you be enthusiastic about Jesus and about life when ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 19:1-21

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

The Eventual Rescue

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 5, 2012

THE EVENTUAL RESCUE How many of you like Winnie the Pooh stories? In one poignant story, we see Pooh Bear walking along a river bank. Eeyore, his stuffed donkey friend, suddenly appears floating downstream, on his back of all things, and is obviously troubled about the possibility of drowning. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 9:35-37

Tags: Compassion

It's What's Under The Hood That Counts  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 25, 2012

IT'S WHAT'S UNDER THE HOOD THAT COUNTS Harry Reider tells a story about the first car that he ever owned. He was sixteen years old and his father took him to a car auction and bought a pink car for $75. It was a 1957 Ford that his dad insisted that the color was really "coral." "I can't drive a ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:8

Tags: Holy Spirit In Believers

The Savior And The Judge

Contributed by Bruce Ball on Sep 6, 2012

THE SAVIOR AND THE JUDGE I heard a story that took place in a western town in the late 1800's. It told of a horse that was spooked and then bolted, running away uncontrollably with a small boy in the bed of the wagon. Seeing the child was in grave danger, a young man risked his life to catch the ...read more

Tags: Judgment

Denomination: *other

Peace And The Chicken

Contributed by David Simpson on Jan 15, 2013

PEACE AND THE CHICKEN As you and I well know, there are so many times when the circumstances around us are not peaceful. There is tension and turmoil that is so unsettling. It reminds me of the chicken that fell out of the chicken truck a few years ago. I pulled into the church driveway one ...read more

Tags: Peace

Denomination: Christian Church

Judge Roy Moore And Faith

Contributed by Davon Huss on Feb 5, 2013

JUDGE ROY MOORE AND FAITH Recently Roy Moore reclaimed his position as Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, a post he was forcibly removed from because he refused to take down a monument of the Ten Commandments in defiance of a federal order. Not going to get into the dispute over the ...read more

Tags: Law

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Stone From The Old West

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 11, 2014

THE PRECIOUS STONE NO ONE SAW Back when the Old West was being settled, pioneers flocked across the country to California and Oregon. In one particular spot on the Eastern slopes of the Rockies there was a large, dirt covered rock protruding in the middle of the trail. Wagon wheels were broken on ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 21:33-46

Tags: Jesus Christ, Capstone, Rejecting Christ, Jesus Is Cornerstone

Mr. Incredible, Jesus, And The Pharisees

Contributed by Nickolas Kooi on Jun 1, 2018

In the movie The Incredibles, there is a scene where ex-Super Hero Bob Parr, aka Mr. Incredible, has a confrontation with his boss. Mr. Incredible has been forcibly retired from the hero business for years, and is working at an insurance company. He is doing a good job, but too good of a job. He ...read more

Scripture: Mark 3:1-6

Tags: Healing, Sabbath, Sabbath Controversy, Healing By Jesus

Denomination: Lutheran