In Sermon Illustrations: "David And Goliath"

The Book That Saves

Contributed by David Dunn on Nov 12, 2025

A soldier once wrote home from the front lines. In his letter he said, “They gave me a helmet for my head and armor for my chest, but the best protection I’ve found is the Book in my pocket.” That small New Testament had stopped a bullet meant for ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 119:105, Hebrews 4:12

Tags: Protection, Power

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Why We Hide

Contributed by David Dunn on Nov 12, 2025

Think about a little boy who breaks a lamp in the living room. What does he do? He hides under the bed. Mom still knows. The lamp is still broken. But shame ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 3:8, Psalm 32:3

Tags: Shame, Hiding

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Big Hands

Contributed by David Dunn on Nov 13, 2025

A boy and his mother walked into the corner drug store to buy a few things. And right there on the counter was a big glass candy jar—one of those old-fashioned ones, filled to the brim with all the colors a child’s imagination could want. The boy froze. You know how kids get—locked in, mesmerized, ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 3:20, Psalm 81:10

Tags: Provision, Trust

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Moses' Fan

Contributed by David Dunn on Nov 14, 2025

The man goes to heaven and sees thousands of clocks. Curious, he asks Peter what they represent. Peter smiles: “Each person on earth has a clock. Every time someone sins, the hand moves forward.” The man asks, “Where’s ...read more

Scripture: James 1:14-15, Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

Tags: Sin, Grace

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Stuck In A Rut

Contributed by David Dunn on Nov 14, 2025

The U.S. standard railroad gauge—the width between the rails—is 4 feet, 8 ½ inches. Strange number, isn’t it? You’d think something so crucial would be more logical. So why that width? Because American railroads were built by British expatriates, and that’s how they did it in England. Why ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:2, 1 Peter 1:18-19

Tags: Transformation, Tradition

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

The Watchman And His Lamp

Contributed by David Dunn on Nov 16, 2025

A watchman was stationed at a railroad level crossing. His duty was simple yet critical: to wave a lantern armed with a light, warning approaching motorists or engineers about an oncoming train. One tragic night, a fatal accident occurred despite his presence. In court, he was asked ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:14, Colossians 1:27

Tags: Duty, Authentic, Responsibility

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Newton's Story

Contributed by David Dunn on Nov 21, 2025

The story of John Newton and the hymn Amazing Grace. Newton’s hymn has grown so familiar to us that we sometimes forget the depth of the testimony behind it. Those lines were not crafted by a saint who lived an unblemished life. They were written by a man who walked through the same spiritual ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 33:12, Ephesians 2:8

Tags: Grace, Redemption

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Blue Jeans Gospel

Contributed by David Dunn on Nov 21, 2025

It was just after noon on a gray Thursday. Rick, a young grocery worker, had finished his shift and was heading home when a customer named Ian asked for a favor. Could Rick drive to Toronto to pick up an auto part? He’d lend him his new car and pay him a hundred dollars. Rick said yes. He ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:33, Micah 6:8

Tags: Compassion, Love

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Ten Dollars Is Ten Dollars

Contributed by David Dunn on Nov 28, 2025

A man named Stumpy illustrates how money affects people. Stumpy and his wife Martha went to the state fair every year and every year when Stumpy saw the antique bi-plane he would say, “Martha, I’d like to ride in that airplane.” Martha always replied, “I know Stumpy, but that airplane ride costs ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:24-28

Tags: Money, Stewardship

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Rose?

Contributed by David Dunn on Dec 10, 2025

John had always been famously forgetful. Everyone knew it—birthdays, appointments, even his own anniversary once. So when he ran into his friend Bill at the grocery store, he could hardly wait to share the news. “Bill!” he said, grinning. “You’re not going to believe this. My memory problem? I ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 103:14, Isaiah 49:15-16

Tags: Identity, Memory

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Still Standing

Contributed by David Dunn on Dec 16, 2025

When I was in ninth grade, I was chosen to recite the Declaration of Independence in a high school patriotic play. I had the whole thing memorized. Every word. Every pause. I had practiced it until it lived in my bones. What I didn’t know — and wouldn’t discover until later — was that my zipper ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:9, 1 Corinthians 1:27

Tags: Grace, Weakness

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

The Little Word That Changes Everything

Contributed by David Dunn on Dec 26, 2025

Opening (attention hook) (Hold up a big card with the word IF written on it) “Does anyone know this word?” (Let them shout: IF!) “This is a tiny word… but it can change what happens next.” >> The Story There was a little girl named Lily, and Lily loved to ask questions. One morning her ...read more

Scripture: John 14:15, James 1:22

Tags: Choice, Obedience

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Monkey Business

Contributed by David Dunn on Jan 15, 2026

I want to tell you a story about monkeys. This story takes place in a country called India. When I was about your age, I lived with my parents and my brothers and sisters in India. In that country they have monkeys. The monkeys don’t live in zoos like they do here. They live in the trees—right ...read more

Scripture: James 1:5, Proverbs 15:1

Tags: Mercy, Wisdom

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Actual Answering Machine Answers Recorded And ...  PRO

Contributed by Dru Ashwell on Dec 16, 2001

Actual answering machine answers recorded and verified by the world-famous International Institute of Answering Machine Answers. ~~~~~ Hi. Now you say something. ~~~~~ Hi, I’m not home right now but my answering machine is, so you can talk to it instead. Wait for the beep. ~~~~~ Hello. I am David’s ...read more

Tags: Prayer Adoration

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Graduate's Call

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

A Graduate's Call (Powerful thirst and hunger for the Word of God) The first step to walking on the path to Biblical success is to find God's plan for you through a powerful thirst and hunger for the Word of God. The New American Standard Bible holds this truth for the Christian graduate, "And ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 29:13

Tags: Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Integrity Meltdown

Contributed by Bruce Rzengota on Feb 2, 2009

INTEGRITY MELTDOWN What do the following people have in common? John Edwards David Duchovny Fast Eddie Johnson Winona Ryder Jeremiah Gunner Scott Karen Raborn Heather Johnston Amy Wilkins The all experienced some type of integrity meltdown. John Edwards -- Had and affair and fathered a child ...read more

Tags: Character

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

The Catch-22 Of Incompetence  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Oct 26, 2001

THE CATCH-22 OF INCOMPETENCE Most incompetent people don’t know they are incompetent. In fact, researcher Dr. David A. Dunning of Cornell University reports that people who are incompetent are more confident of their abilities than competent people. Dunning and his associate Justin Krueger ...read more

Tags: Evangelism The Lost, Sin Separates From God

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Any One More Than Forty-Five Years Old Can ...  PRO

Contributed by Dan Cormie on Oct 25, 2002

Any one more than forty-five years old can probably remember where they were when they first heard of President Kennedy’s assassination in 1963. British novelist David Lodge, in the introduction to one of his books, tells where he was--in a theater watching the performance of a satirical revue he ...read more

Tags: Worship Purpose

Denomination: Mennonite

March Of 1981, President Reagan Was Shot By John ...  PRO

Contributed by Lou Nicholes on Apr 6, 2005

March of 1981, President Reagan was shot by John Hinckley, Jr. , and was hospitalized for several weeks. Although Reagan was the nation’s chief executive, his hospitalization had little impact on the nation’s activity. Government continued. On the other hand, suppose the garbage collectors in this ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:35-44, Acts 20:7-12

Tags: Gifts General

Denomination: Baptist

Christian Country There's A New Wave Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 19, 2007

Christian Country There’s a new wave of faith-based, Nashville sounds. Whether it’s Carrie Underwood’s prayerful Jesus, Take the Wheel or Brooks & Dunn’s nostalgic Believe, country charts are sounding like Sunday morning. The reason, says David Fillingim, Shorter College religion and philosophy ...read more