In Sermon Illustrations: "Crucifixion Painting"

A New Body Repairman Was Just Breaking In At The ...  PRO

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Sep 20, 2002

A new body repairman was just breaking in at the car shop. He was working on his first official project, a banged up car. He made significant repairs, taking his time, feeling the edges, and touching up to the point of perfection. It was feathered out perfectly. Soon the customer came by. ...read more

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Left Hand Of God  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Jan 17, 2003

[The Left Hand of God.] The story is told of a little girl and her mom discussing the morning Sunday school class. The child told her mom that they talked about Jesus going up to heaven and that He is now sitting beside God. As they continued to look at the Sunday School paper, the mother noticed ...read more

Tags: Divinity Of Christ, Lordship Of Christ, Humanity Of Christ

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Computer Has Been Used To Decipher The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 15, 2005

A computer has been used to decipher the enigmatic smile of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, concluding that she was mainly happy. The painting was analysed by a University of Amsterdam computer using "emotion recognition" software. It concluded that the subject was 83% happy, 9% disgusted, 6% ...read more

Tags: Emotions

I Hope They See Him When They See Me

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Jul 19, 2009

I HOPE THEY SEE HIM WHEN THEY SEE ME I'll never forget Gary. He showed up on my doorstep in the late 90s. I opened the door to see a man wearing jeans with holes and smattered with paint. His shirt exposed arms covered in dust, but his smile was warm and friendly. He was a contractor. He didn't ...read more

Tags: Christian Witness

Denomination: Salvation Army

Right And ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 22, 2008

Right and Wrong While Leonardo da Vinci was painting the “The Last Supper”, he became incensed with a certain man. His temper flared, and he lashed out with bitter words. Returning to his work, he attempted to brush some delicate lines on the face of Jesus. But he was so distraught that he could ...read more

Tags: Marriage Struggle

No Faith, No Power

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 13, 2009

NO FAITH, NO POWER One night at dinner a man, who had spent many summers in Maine, fascinated his companions by telling of his experiences in a little town named Flagstaff. The town was to be flooded as part of a large lake for which a dam was being built. In the months before it was to be ...read more

Tags: God Brings Hope

Seven Stanzas At Easter

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Mar 19, 2023

John Updike put it in his wonderful poem : Make no mistake: if he rose at all it was as his body; If the cells dissolution did not reverse, the molecules reknit, the amino acids rekindle, the church will fall. Let us not mock God with metaphor, Analogy, sidestepping transcendence; Making ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:14, Matthew 28:1-10

Tags: Resurrection, Tomb, John Updike

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

And He Was Changed  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 11, 2004

AND HE WAS CHANGED In 1918, a notorious criminal named Tokichi Ichii was sentenced to hang. While in prison in Tokyo, he was sent a New Testament by two missionaries, Miss West and Miss McDonald. After a visit from Miss West, he began to read the story of Jesus’ and crucifixion. When he reached ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:1-23

Tags: Parable Sower And Seed

Bill Mckibben, In His Harper's Magazine Essay, ...

Contributed by Mike Wilkins on Oct 14, 2005

Bill McKibben, in his Harper’s magazine essay, "The Christian Paradox" talks about how America is the most professing Christian of all nations in the world. 85% of Americans identify themselves as Christian. “Israel, by way of comparison, is 77 percent Jewish. It is true that a smaller number of ...read more

Tags: Call Of The Disciples

Denomination: *other

I Recently Read An Article That Told This Story, ...  PRO

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Mar 19, 2007

I recently read an article that told this story, “The most sacred symbol in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is a tree: a sprawling, shade-bearing, 80-year-old American Elm. Tourists drive from miles around to see her. People pose for pictures beneath her. Arborists carefully protect her. She adorns ...read more

Denomination: Methodist

I Recently Read An Article That Told This Story, ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

I recently read an article that told this story, “The most sacred symbol in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is a tree: a sprawling, shade-bearing, 80-year-old American Elm. Tourists drive from miles around to see her. People pose for pictures beneath her. Arborists carefully protect her. She adorns ...read more

Tags: Endurance

No Faith, No Power

Contributed by Ken Pell on Jun 5, 2011

NO FAITH, NO POWER When I was growing up in Oklahoma, there was a lake my family and I frequented a lot called Keystone Lake. Keystone was not a natural lake; prior to its creation in 1962, there were towns located there, one of which gives the lake its name. The town was to be flooded to make a ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:3

Tags: God Brings Hope

Denomination: Nazarene

Cadillac Through And Through

Contributed by Brian Harvison on Nov 12, 2008

CADILLAC THROUGH AND THROUGH It is kind of like a brand new Cadillac. Inside, it has all the latest features installed. As it rolls off the assembly line at GM it has everything you would expect in a Caddy: Top of the line electronics, voice activated GPS navigation system, great surround sound ...read more

Tags: Character

Denomination: Baptist

Joni Eareckson Tada

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Dec 22, 2008

Joni Eareckson Tada In 1967, a diving accident left Joni Eareckson Tada paralyzed from the neck down. She has had no feeling or movement in her arms or legs. She uses her mouth to paint and write. God used her greatly. She has been a great witness for God and an encouragement to many. She has ...read more

Tags: Affliction

Denomination: Independent/Bible

A Tale Of Two Artists

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Mar 4, 2023

The great Danish theologian Soren Kierkegaard told a parable of 2 artists: One bragged, “I have travelled much and seen much in the world, but I have sought in vain to find anyone worth painting. In every face I have seen one or another fault. Therefore I seek in vain.” The second one, on the other ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 1:26-31, Matthew 25:40-46

Tags: Art, Creativity, Attitude, Kierkegaard

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Cost Of Giving In To Temptation

Contributed by Edward Hardee on Aug 14, 2024

Illustration: Cost of Giving in to Temptation There is a cost when we give into temptation. Here I have a sample of a wall. This is a wall of sheetrock. Looks good when painted. Most houses are made of this. What do you think would happen if I take this hammer and knock a hole in it? ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:13

Tags: Temptation, Character, Damage

Denomination: Church Of God

Who Is This Guy?

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Aug 29, 2011

WHO IS THIS GUY? Chuck Colson relates this interesting story in his book How Then Should We Live?: "In William Steig's Yellow & Pink, a delightfully whimsical picture book for children, two wooden figures wake up to find themselves lying on an old newspaper in the hot sun. One figure is painted ...read more

Tags: Creation

Denomination: Methodist

The Last Supper By Leonardo Da Vinci

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Oct 21, 2025

Story: Leonardo da Vinci took seven years to paint his famous picture the "Last Supper". He used living people to depict the figures representing the Twelve Apostles and Christ. He started the fresco with Jesus Christ himself. It is reputed that he viewed hundreds and hundreds of ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:9-14

Tags: Last Supper, Leonardo Da Vinci

Denomination: Anglican

Auto Body Repair Ministry--I Have A Friend Back ...

Contributed by Peter Loughman on Feb 9, 2010

- AUTO BODY REPAIR MINISTRY--I have a friend back home, Michael. Michael is without a doubt a man with a call from Jesus Christ into ministry. Michael ministry is owning and running an auto body repair shop. Running an auto body repair shop may sound like the farthest thing there is from a church, ...read more

Tags: Workplace

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Clarence Principle

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 7, 2011

THE CLARENCE PRINCIPLE That's what spiritual maturity is--It's not just being a Christian for a little while. It's being able to discern the difference between right and wrong, because you have practiced applying the principles of God's Word in your every-day life. It's being able to discern the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:1-4

Tags: Leadership General