In Sermon Illustrations: "Coming"

The Temple We Are Building Is Not One Of Stone, ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2008

The Temple we are building is not one of stone, cedar and gold. It is a living Temple made of living stones, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, aligned with our chief cornerstone, Jesus Christ. As with the Temple of Haggai’s day, perhaps the working group most subject to ...read more

Tags: Prophecy

A ...

Contributed by Stephen Funderburk on Jan 16, 2009

Absence A strange silence I have never heard As I walk a path alone, An unfamiliar moment When I realize you are gone. As I look around to notice That the roads have all been changed For there’s one that now is fading At a place I called your name. So I must go on without you With the memories ...read more

Scripture: James 4:14

Tags: Time

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Absence

Contributed by Stephen Funderburk on Jan 18, 2009

Absence A strange silence I have never heard As I walk a path alone, An unfamiliar moment When I realize you are gone. As I look around to notice That the roads have all been changed For there's one that now is fading At a place I called your name. So I must go on without you With the memories ...read more

Scripture: James 4:14

Tags: Death

Denomination: Assembly Of God

The Church Is Dark When You're Not There

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 26, 2009

THE CHURCH IS DARK WHEN YOU’RE NOT THERE In a certain mountain village in Europe several centuries ago, a nobleman wondered what legacy he should leave to his townspeople. At last he decided to build them a church. No one saw the complete plans for the church until it was finished. When the people ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Americans In Pain

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 16, 2009

AMERICANS IN PAIN Americans in households making less than $30,000 a year spend nearly 20% of their lives in moderate to severe pain vs. less than 8% of those in households earning above $100,000, finds a study by Princeton economist Alan Krueger and Stony Brook Univ. professor Arthur Stone. The ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 3:14-19

Tags: Hardship Of Life

Chicago - A 15-Year-Old Boy Who Lay Bleeding From ...

Contributed by Bruce Howell on Feb 26, 2009

CHICAGO - A 15-year-old boy who lay bleeding from a head wound just steps away from a hospital could not be rescued -- because rules required that ambulances bring in patients. Frustrated police officers finally carried the fatally wounded Christopher Sercye into Ravenswood Hospital, but he died a ...read more

Tags: Compassion

Denomination: Wesleyan

Memorial Day - Never Forget The Cost Of Freedom

Contributed by David Simpson on May 24, 2018

Needless to say, protecting our freedom has come at a great cost. President Franklin Roosevelt said: “Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy forget in time that men have died to win them.” Our Lord Jesus Christ knew that we all have trouble remembering things, even important ...read more

Tags: The Lords Supper, Freedom, Memorial Day

Denomination: Christian Church

A Living Memorial

Contributed by James Chandler on May 29, 2018

When our children were young, we took a vacation to Washington D.C. We saw the many different memorials. The highlight of our trip was Arlington National Cemetery. It was quite a moment standing there with my wife and children watching the changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier. ...read more

Tags: Sacrifice, Memorial, Empty Tomb

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Tomorrow

Contributed by Steve Kinnard on Feb 10, 2019

It is reported that Colonel Rahl, commander of the British troops in Trenton, New Jersey, was playing cards when a courier brought an urgent message stating that General George Washington was crossing the Delaware River. Rahl put the letter in his pocket and didn't bother to read it until his ...read more

Scripture: James 4:13-17

Tags: Procrastination, Tomorrow

Denomination: Pentecostal

A Trip To Hell

Contributed by Steve Kinnard on Feb 15, 2019

TRIP TO HELL Can we take a trip, a trip so many will take; but a trip none must make. Let's take a trip that all the lost will take, a journey down the dark corridors of the doomed and the damned. As we fall over the edge, we enter a chasm that is filled with total darkness. We are overcome by ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 2:4-6

Tags: Hell, Doomed

Denomination: Pentecostal

Redwood Trees Teach A Lesson On Unity

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Aug 12, 2019

The huge redwood trees in California are considered the largest living things on earth and the tallest trees in the world. Some of them are over 300 feet high and over 2,500 years old. One would think that trees so large would have a tremendous root system, reaching down hundreds of feet into the ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:1-9

Tags: Unity, Working Together

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Sleep Walking With A Loaded Gun

Contributed by Davon Huss on Dec 29, 2019

Vs. 14 is an invitation to those who have been walking in their sleep, to wake up. Also an invitation for those who are asleep in darkness to wake up and come to the light. Sanford Rothman told police he woke up to a “bang” and realized he has suffered a gunshot wound to his knee. Rothman told ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:14

Tags: Light, Wake Up, Sleep Walking, Outer Darkness

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Missing Pieces

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Aug 25, 2020

A not-so- bright gal calls her boyfriend and says, “Please come over here and help me. I have a killer jigsaw puzzle, and I can’t figure out how to get it started.” He asks, “What is it supposed to be when it’s finished?” The girl says, “According to the picture on the box, it’s a tiger.” Her ...read more

Scripture: Acts 19:1-10, Acts 18:24-28

Tags: Immaturity, Thinking, Gaps, Missing Information, Dunning Kruger, Wisdom, Learning, Ignorance  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Flying High

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Sep 8, 2020

Sept. 1 2020 (UPI) -- An American Airlines pilot preparing to land in Los Angeles reported an unusual encounter at about 3,000 feet with a "guy in a jetpack." A recording of the conversation between the pilot and air traffic control Sunday evening at Los Angeles International Airport ...read more

Scripture: Acts 19:21-40

Tags: Funny, Surprise, Weird, Clouds, Anomaly, Irregular, True Funny Story, Jet Pack  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

On Evangelism Tactics

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Apr 9, 2021

Many Christians have a wrong interpretation of 1 Corinthians 9:22. Paul would not have gotten a tattoo, a Mohawk, piercings etc. to witness to a group like that because it would have hindered him in witnessing to other groups. He spoke to them from their frame of reference, like all great teachers, ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:22, 2 Corinthians 6:17

Tags: Evangelism, Separation, Piercings, Tattoos

Denomination: Baptist

Pastor, Please Don't Stop Preaching On Hell.

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Apr 18, 2022

"Preachers must not neglect preaching on the reality of Hell and the catastrophic consequence of rejecting Christ. When you abandon preaching on Hell, you ignore the accent in the Epistles on the coming judgment, you will need to skip large portions of Jesus’ teaching in the Gospels, and you ...read more

Tags: Hell, Salvation, Preaching, Judgment, Repentance, Pastors, Preachers  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Keys To Understanding The Parables

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Nov 13, 2022

KEYS TO UNDERSTANDING THE PARABLES Parables provide insight into the nature, coming, growth and of the Kingdom of God. Parables are by design intended to be surprising. They often sneak up on us. Parables are used to simulate thinking and cause the hearer to carefully contemplate what they ...read more

Tags: Teaching, Truth, Preaching, Parables, Kingdom Of God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Hank Aaron And Yogi Berra

Contributed by David Swanger on Jan 19, 2024

There is a story involving Yogi Berra, the well-known catcher for the New York Yankees, and Hank Aaron, who at the time was the chief power hitter for the Milwaukee Braves. The teams were playing in the World Series, and as usual Yogi was keeping up his ceaseless chatter, intended to pep up his ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:13-14

Tags: Goals, Distractions

8 Types Of Suffering In The Bible

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Mar 25, 2024

Walter Kaiser’s article on “where Job’s friends went wrong about suffering” is very interesting. In the article, Kaiser identifies eight types of suffering mentioned in the Bible. 1. retributive suffering (caused by sin and disobedience to God) 2. educational or disciplinary suffering (as in ...read more

Tags: Glory Of God, Trials, Faith, Doubt, Prayer, Suffering, Testimony, Tribulation, Hurt, Pain  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Jesus Loves Me—and I Love Jesus!

Contributed by John Bright on Apr 8, 2025

Sociology professor Anthony Campolo recalls a deeply moving incident that happened in a Christian junior high camp where he served. One of the campers, a boy with spastic paralysis, was the object of heartless ridicule. When he would ask a question, the boys would deliberately answer in a halting, ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:15

Tags: Evangelism, Testimony

Denomination: Methodist