In Sermon Illustrations: "Dark Days"

Sharpen The Ax

Contributed by Matthew Sickling on Jun 5, 2009

SHARPEN THE AX Back in the 1800’s a young man was looking for a job and went to the local logging company to apply for a job. The foreman asked him if he could cut a tree down with an ax. The young man said yes, and proceeded to take his ax, walk over to a tree and drop it like an old pro. The ...read more

Tags: Bible Study

Denomination: Baptist

The Church Doesn't Need Squirts

Contributed by Bret Toman on Jun 7, 2009

THE CHURCH DOESN'T NEED SQUIRTS Soren Kierkegaard once wrote about a town where a fireman lived. Everyone liked the fireman because he was a nice guy. He made it a habit to be gentle and kind, which was unusual for firemen, who were supposed to be tough. There was a fire one day, and the fireman ...read more

Tags: Church Purpose Of

Denomination: Baptist

Chargers Vs. Broncos

Contributed by Sean Harder on Jun 16, 2009

I was looking for modern day example of Paul’s heart, and I found it to some degree in an NFL football player. In a game between the San Diego Chargers and the Denver Broncos on December 10, 2006, Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson (known as L.T.) took his position the same way he had done ...read more

Tags: Humility, Sports

The Scripture Texts We Will Be Looking At Today ...

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Sep 11, 2009

The Scripture texts we will be looking at today continue to paint a portrait of two lives. These two life stories communicate to us today the importance of having integrity and a strong relationship with the Lord. David’s story shows how he was a man after God’s own heart. The result of this ...read more

Tags: David, Integrity

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Poisonous Snakebite Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 16, 2009

The poisonous snakebite of sin Recently, the news has carried stories about how that snakes formerly kept as pets have been released and found new habitat. The Everglades is overrun with such snakes. In an effort to prevent the problem from escalating, the authorities are removing snakes from ...read more

Scripture: James 1:13-15

Tags: Wages Of Sin, Sin Wages Of

Businessman Risks Life For ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 19, 2009

Businessman Risks Life for Money Suze Orman in her book, “9 Steps to Financial Freedom” writes: When I was 13, my dad owned his own business—a tiny shack where he sold chicken, ribs, hamburgers, hot dogs, and fries. One day the oil that the chicken was fried in caught fire. In a few minutes the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:24

Tags: Money

We Bring You Us!  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 19, 2009

"WE BRING YOU US!" Michael Sattler tells the story of Christmas 1930. His wife had just passed away the month before, and he was lonely and heartsick. But mostly, he worried about the type of Christmas his girls would have. When Christmas morning came, they opened their presents with unusual ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Tags: Christmas Advent

Check-Out Line Deception  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 21, 2009

Check-Out Line Deception And in verse 7, Jeremiah is mad at God! He says "O LORD, you deceived me, and I was deceived; you overpowered me and prevailed. You tricked me!" (From a sermon by Marc Axelrod, When You Are Mad at God, 10/20/2009) This reminds me of the guy who was shopping at WalMart. ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 20:7-8

Tags: Fool

Joy And Phyllis Diller  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 21, 2009

JOY AND PHYLLIS DILLER A thirty-eight-year-old scrubwoman (cleaning lady) would go to the movies and sigh, "If only I had her looks." She would listen to a singer and moan, "If only I had her voice." Then one day someone gave her a copy of the book, The Magic of Believing. She stopped comparing ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 126:2

Tags: Joy

Loneliness And Suicide, Products Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 26, 2009

Loneliness and Suicide, Products of Materialism Can you guess who said this? "I sit in my house in Buffalo and sometimes I get so lonely it’s unbelievable. Life has been so good to me. I’ve got a great wife, good kids, money, my own health--and I’m lonely and bored.... I often wondered why so many ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 18:1-8

Tags: Materialism

Just A Scrap Can Change A Life

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 1, 2009

JUST A SCRAP CAN CHANGE A LIFE Back in the 1500s, people didn't have a Bible they could read. The Catholic Church controlled the translating of Scripture and only offered it in Latin. But when Martin Luther rebelled against the abuses of the Church of his day he worked hard to make a translation ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16

Tags: Bible Influence

Goldfish Dies From Soap Used To Clean Its ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 5, 2009

Goldfish Dies From Soap Used To Clean Its Tank [KILLER SOAP] Sometimes we consider it our responsibility to correct a brother or sister in Christ. We may notice an action or attitude that is contrary to the teachings of the Bible. So we decide it’s up to us to correct the wrong. We need to be sure, ...read more

Tags: Encouragement, Words

God's Grace Is Like Lightning And Transforms ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 19, 2009

God’s Grace Is Like Lightning and Transforms Whoever it Strikes Martin Luther found that out. Walking through the forest one day, praying and working through spiritual torment, literally, the lightning did strike close by. And he felt that as the summons of God. Luther came closer, and when God ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 18:20-39

Tags: Grace, God's Grace

The Spite ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 23, 2009

The Spite House Once there was a millionaire who owned a lot in an exclusive residential area of a large city. This lot presented an unusual problem. It was only 2 yards wide but nearly 100 feet long. There was nothing that he could do but sell it to one of the neighbors on either side. He went to ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:12-15

Tags: Bitterness

Dare To Be Different

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 7, 2009

DARE TO BE DIFFERENT A number of years ago I was traveling in the western part of North Carolina, near the town of Bryson City. I had not had my license very long and had been given specific instructions by my family members concerning the road that I would find once I left the main highway. I was ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:12-14

Tags: Holiness

I Remember Years Ago That A Man Wrote A Nasty ...

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Jan 4, 2010

I remember years ago that a man wrote a nasty letter to me and included in it a curse and all kinds of false accusations. To this day, I don’t know why he wrote it. It was so vicious and untrue, but he had built up a case against me and it all bubbled out in this letter. It included distorted views ...read more

Tags: Confrontation, Love Of The Disciples

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I Remember Once My Car Was Not Running Quite ...

Contributed by Aubrey Vaughan on Jan 13, 2010

I REMEMBER ONCE MY CAR WAS NOT RUNNING QUITE RIGHT - I CHOSE TO IGNORE IT THINKING IT MIGHT GO AWAY – BUT IT DIDN’T - I REMEMBER THE NEXT DAY OPENING THE BONNET FIDDLING WITH THE WIRES AND SO ON - YET THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTED - SO I TOOK IT INTO THE GARAGE – THEY RAN A FREE ...read more

Tags: Law

Denomination: Baptist

Wilma Rudolph, Stricken As A Child With Polio, ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 6, 2010

Wilma Rudolph, Stricken as a Child with Polio, Achieves Olympic Gold Wilma didn’t get much of a head start in life. A bout with polio left her left leg crooked and her foot twisted inward so she had to wear leg braces. After seven years of painful therapy, she could walk without her braces. At age ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-2

Tags: Endurance

Blackaby In His Book

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Feb 26, 2010

Blackaby in his book "Power of the Call" shares on pages 14-17 what the qualifications of a spiritual leader are: i. A leader has an absolute sense of urgency (Matt. 9:35-37) ii. A leader has an absolute priority and commitment to prayer (Matt. 9:38). iii. A leader is unconditionally related to ...read more

Tags: Ordination

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

My Dad's Testimony  PRO

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Mar 4, 2010

MY DAD'S TESTIMONY My Dad died of cancer in a nursing home. He was in a partial coma when I visited him before that day came. We had come down from Queensland to Wagga Wagga, his birthplace. I was wondering where he was in terms of his relationship with Christ. And yes, the thought crossed my mind ...read more

Tags: Death

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational