In Sermon Illustrations: "Common Sense"

The Tree Of Hippocrates

Contributed by Kelly Mitchell on Oct 3, 2012

The Tree of Hippocrates On the island of Kos, the home of Hippocrates, the great physician from whom we get the “Hippocratic Oath”, there grows a tree that history says Hippocrates himself once gathered his students for class. Although the current tree is only about 500 years old, it is purported ...read more

Scripture: Luke 6:46-49

Tags: Revival, Restoration, Church Growth, Church Practices

Denomination: Baptist

An Urgent Message At Easter

Contributed by Troy Borst on Apr 4, 2015

EASTER FAMILY TIME (p) It is Easter time and a gathering opportunity for your whole family. Your family made a commitment to all get together this year at Easter to make sure you celebrated something this year as a family. Grandma chose Easter and chose to rent a few beach houses for everyone to ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:15

Tags: Evangelism, Sharing Christ, Christian Witness, Mission To Family

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The V-Formation (Geese)

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Jan 31, 2020

V-SHAPED FORMATION… GEESE ARE STRONG AS A SKEIN. The V-formation is called a skein. Do we understand how wonderful God’s creation is? Study has revealed that GEESE fly in a V-shaped formation when they are migrating. This serves several purposes. The V-formation improves the ...read more

Scripture: Amos 3:3, 1 Samuel 30:8

Tags: Unity, Geese

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Sep 2, 2021

Quit all the comparisons: IT IS ABOUT GOD’S GLORY. HAGGAI and ZECHARIAH LEARNED TO ENCOURAGE THOSE THAT WERE DOING A WORK THAT SEEMED SMALL IN THEIR OWN EYES. Get excited. Haggai 2:2 Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high ...read more

Scripture: Zechariah 4:10

Tags: Glory, Small Things

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Unsung Heroines-The Widow Who Gave Her Last Two Coins

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on May 22, 2022

Introduction: Some of us have heard the phrase, “the widow’s mite”. That phrase came from this passage! Jesus took notice what a certain widow did and her story is still being told to this day. Text: Mark 12:41-44, KJV: 41 And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast ...read more

Scripture: Mark 12:41-44

Tags: Offerings, Mites, Unsung Heroines

Denomination: Baptist

Where Is God Working?

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on May 21, 2023

Pastor Henry Blackaby, of Faith Baptist Church in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada began to sense God leading them to an outreach ministry on the college campus. He had never done student work. Their church had never done student work. Their denominational student ministries department recommended ...read more

Scripture: John 5:17-20, Romans 3:10-11, John 6:44

Tags: Evangelism, Holy Spirit, Discipleship, God At Work, Joining God At Work  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Misapplied Scriptures: "There Is But A Step Between Me And Death”

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Sep 24, 2023

Introduction: This verse, on the surface, seems pretty straightforward. The problem is that some well-meaning folks have used it in a different sense. Let’s take a deeper look: Text: 1 Samuel 20:3, KJV: 3 And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 20:3

Tags: David, Death, Jonathan, Misapplied Scriptures

Denomination: Baptist

For A Mother, A Child Is Never A Burden

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Jan 27, 2024

Text, Exodus 19:4, KJV: Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. When was the last time you found anything inspiring, let alone inspirational, when you renew your car's license plate/s? A few days before I wrote this, ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 19:4

Tags: Eagle Wings, Children, Mothers

Denomination: Baptist

Selfishness

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Apr 12, 2024

A while back I was in store getting some groceries as I observed a mother battling with her child. He was screaming at the top of his lungs and lying on the floor kicking and lashing out at his mother. The mother was really embarrassed by the child’s behavior, and she seemed overwhelmed and shocked ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:3-4

Tags: Selfish, Me Focused

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[104]. A Message From A Poem – God’s Attributes

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jun 8, 2025

[104]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – GOD’S ATTRIBUTES Some people dispute the term Attributes of God. They say it can only be applied to statements such as God IS love. Others look at it in a wider sense taking in the qualities of the Godhead. In this poem, I took 4 words to make 4 stanzas ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:4-5, Ephesians 1:7, Ephesians 2:4-5, Ephesians 2:14, Colossians 3:12, 1 Thessalonians 3:13  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Character Of God, Attributes Of God, Grace, Love, Mercy, Peace, Compassion, Holiness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I Would Like To Read You Something I Came Across ...  PRO

Contributed by Mary Lewis on Sep 24, 2001

I would like to read you something I came across this week. It was written by a man named Tamim Ansary– who is an Afghani-American writer [ taken from Salon.com ]. I don’t generally like to read something of this length, but I think it is important for us to hear. [start quote] I’ve been hearing a ...read more

Tags: Stand Fast, World Religions

Denomination: Baptist

I'm A Different Person  PRO

Contributed by Clark Tanner on Jul 27, 2003

I'M A DIFFERENT PERSON “…that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind…” When I still lived in California, and for a while was selling cars until I repented, I worked with a very lovely young woman named Sheri. We became good friends, because we were hired very close to the same time. She ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:1-2, Colossians 3:12-17

Tags: Call Of The Disciples, Disciplines Meditation

Denomination: Orthodox

Father's Day: A Tribute Today Is Father's Day. A ...  PRO

Contributed by John Raulerson on Oct 12, 2005

FATHER’S DAY: A TRIBUTE Today is Father’s Day. A day of cologne. A day of hugs, new neckties, long-distance phone calls, and Hallmark cards. Today is my first Father’s Day without a father. For thirty-one years I had one. I had one of the best. But now he’s gone. He’s buried under an oak tree in a ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 23:1-10, Psalm 91:1-16

Tags: Parenting

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Father's Day: A Tribute By Max Lucado.

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on May 22, 2007

FATHER’S DAY: A TRIBUTE by Max Lucado. Today is Father’s Day. A day of cologne. A day of hugs, new neckties, long-distance phone calls, and Hallmark cards. Today is my first Father’s Day without a father. For thirty-one years I had one. I had one of the best. But now he’s gone. He’s ...read more

Denomination: Pentecostal

History And Purpose Of Memorial ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 29, 2010

History and Purpose of Memorial Day We set aside time in America each year to remember some of the important dates of our history. Tomorrow is one of those days: Memorial Day. On May 30, 1868, our country observed the first day memorializing those who had fallen in battle during the Civil War. It ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Tags: Holidays Civic

Guardrails

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 30, 2012

GUARDRAILS A guardrail is actually a system designed to keep vehicles from straying into dangerous or off-limit areas. Now, nobody pays attention to guardrails unless you need one. There are all different kinds of guardrails, but guardrails are that invisible part of our driving experience. We’re ...read more

Scripture: Acts 24:15-16

Tags: Conscience

Tavian's Story From Insanity Of God

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Mar 22, 2019

Story from Insanity of God Tavian, pages 183-185: Up four flights of creaking stairs, in a tiny apartment, we met a white-haired, stooped-over, shell of a man. It was clear that, earlier in his life, he had cast a longer shadow. He invited us into his apartment. The aged furnishings made the room ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 13:15

Tags: Joy, Tribulation, Power Of Praise

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Post-It Note Christianity

Contributed by Todd Catteau on Jul 6, 2021

I’m a minister and, for the most part, the people I’m around know that. But in the church I serve we don’t wear any special clerical clothing, so on occasion I find myself in conversations with people who don’t know I’m a minister. That can create some interesting situations. I golf occasionally ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 3:3

Tags: Faithfulness, Sincerity, Faith, Commitment, Dedication  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

[135]. A Message From A Poem – I Will Still Praise God My Saviour

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jul 17, 2025

[135]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – I WILL STILL PRAISE GOD MY SAVIOUR Some people find it hard to be joyous a lot of the time and get despondent over various setbacks and trying circumstances in life. In fact I do not know a Christian who at some time has not been through this. Honesty will admit ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:13, Habakkuk 3:17-19

Tags: Praise, Setbacks, Christian Poems, Crops Fail, I Will Praise God, Exalt The Lord, No Fruit, Vine, Faithfulness, Fail, Fig Tree, Olive, Despondent  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Of A Famous Person Being Filled And ...

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Aug 8, 2012

Illustration of a famous person being filled and empowered with the Holy Spirit from Evangelist John Rice's book called, How Great Soul Winners Were Filled with the Holy Spirit published in 1949. He wrote this book to show how its the Holy Spirit's power which empowered the great men of faith of ...read more

Tags: Holy Spirit In Believers

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational