In Sermon Illustrations: "Death Nearness"

Not If Jesus Is Like Dad  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 21, 2011

NOT IF JESUS IS LIKE DAD Some months ago I heard a touching story about a humble, consecrated pastor whose young son had become very ill. After the boy had undergone an exhaustive series of tests, the father was told the shocking news that his son had a terminal illness. The youngster had accepted ...read more

Scripture: John 14:1-3

Tags: Father's Day

Ingersoll And The Patience Of God

Contributed by Guy Mcgraw on Mar 5, 2012

INGERSOLL AND THE PATIENCE OF GOD Robert Ingersoll, an American Agnostic, after delivering one of his addresses, pulled his watch from his pocket and said, "According to the Bible, God has struck men to death for blasphemy. I will blaspheme Him and give Him five minutes to strike me dead and ...read more

Tags: Judgment

Jesus Freaks

Contributed by Joe Bertone on Jul 23, 2012

JESUS FREAKS In the book, Jesus Freaks, is the story of the Hine family. They lived in Cambodia during the Vietnam War. At that time it was very dangerous to be Christian in Cambodia. They were arrested one day for being Christians and thus enemies of the revolution and bad blood. One morning ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:13-14, Hebrews 11:1-40

Tags: Sacrifice, Paradise, Dying, Sacrifices, Martyr  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Pray With Me: An Intercession Story

Contributed by Davon Huss on May 31, 2014

In his book Stories for the Journey, William White tells of a European seminary professor and his wife, Hans and Enid. During WW2 they escaped to America, where Hans began teaching in a seminary. Students loved this Bible teacher, and they enjoyed observing the tender love that Hans and Enid ...read more

Scripture: John 16:20-22

Tags: Grief, Prayer Partner, Intercessory Prayer

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

What Child Is This?

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Dec 20, 2020

What Child is this? • To the seeker, He's the Way; • to the philosopher, He’s the Truth; • to the penitent, He’s the Life. • • He is Joshua's captain, • He is Moses' smitten rock, • He is Ruth’s Kinsman Redeemer, What Child is this? • He is David’s Covenant King, • He is Esther’s ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1-12

Tags: Messiah, Christmas, Jesus, Salvation, Prophecy  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Discipleship Is A Call To Suffer

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 4, 2021

John R. Scott gives a modern example of one who suffered for the gospel observing that… "Few men of this century have understood better the inevitability of suffering than Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He seems never to have wavered in his Christian antagonism to the Nazi regime, although it meant for ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:12, Philippians 3:1-20, Romans 1:16

Tags: Church, Commitment, Discipleship, Suffering, Will Of God, Bonhoeffer  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Christian Maturity: It's In The Details

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 16, 2009

CHRISTIAN MATURITY: IT'S IN THE DETAILS Ted Williams, who died in 2002 was arguably the best hitter baseball has ever known. He was the last baseball player to hit better than .400 in a season. Upon his death, George Will said in his column "There is no joy in Red Sox Nation, a.k.a. New England, ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 5:14

Tags: Growth In Christ

If They Were Our ...

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Dec 24, 2009

IF THEY WERE OUR OWN If you boy or my girl were in darkness – Were groping alone in the night, Soul—weary and helplessly seeking In vain for a glimmer of light, Thro’ the dangerous depths of a forest, Bewildered and frightened and lost, Would I be at home by the fireside Demurring and counting ...read more

Tags: Evangelism Urgency

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Boice On The Virgin Birth  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2009

BOICE ON THE VIRGIN BIRTH One well-known Christian author, James Montgomery Boice, eloquently documents amazing things Jesus’ virgin birth, sinless life and sacrificial death accomplished for mankind as an amazing sign of His love. Jesus endured a human birth to give us a new spiritual birth. ...read more

Scripture: John 1:14

Tags: Birth Of Jesus

Dave Mcpherson Told This ...

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on May 6, 2010

Dave McPherson told this story: A U.S. Air Force transport plane with its captain and 5 crew members was flying over Alaska in the mid-50s when they entered an unusually fierce snowstorm. The navigator contacted an air base only to be told that he had veered several hundred miles off course. ...read more

Tags: Pride

Denomination: Pentecostal

The Love Of Christ Enables Believers  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 31, 2010

THE LOVE OF CHRIST ENABLES BELIEVERS I like the way one pastor put it years ago (1986) when he became overwhelmed with all the "ideals" he was collecting from church growth seminars and books. He said, "Quite frankly, I'm sick to death of ideals. I have so many ideals and I've been so frustrated ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 4:13-16

Tags: Growth In Christ

A Call To Die

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Jun 28, 2010

A CALL TO DIE The story is told of the military legend Alexander the Great, King of Macedonia (336-323) and conqueror of Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt, Babylonia, and Persia, almost all of the known world. One day on the warpath, Alexander and small company of soldiers approached a strongly fortified ...read more

Tags: Commitment To Christ

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Wandering Sheep

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Nov 23, 2010

THE WANDERING SHEEP Dr. Andrew Bonar tells of how in the Highlands of Scotland, a sheep would often wander off into the rocks and get into places that they can't get out of. The grass on these mountains is very sweet and the sheep like it, and they will jump down ten or twelve feet, and then ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:6

Tags: Parable Lost Sheep

Denomination: Brethren

During One Summer While I Was In Seminary, I ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

During one summer while I was in seminary, I worked as a chaplain at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, MD. I discovered while I was there that there were one group of people who were really open to prayer and to hearing about the need for Christ in their lives. Who were they? Men in the cardiac ...read more

Tags: Endurance

Folks In The Arkansas Hills Have A Tradition Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Folks in the Arkansas hills have a tradition of strong family ties, which has sometimes led to unfortunate results. Like the time that Jeb Hollings stole a mule from the McCrary place. When the McCrary boys went to recover the mule, one of the Hollings clan shot Frank McCrary for trespassing. ...read more

Tags: Will Of God, God's Omnipotence

Our Body Is Murphy's Law In Action: If Anything ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Our body is Murphy’s Law in action: if anything can go wrong, it will. Five diseases - heart disease (29%), cancers (22.9%), stroke (6.8%), chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (5.1%), and diabetes (3%) - claimed 1.6 million lives or more than two-thirds of all deaths in the United States. Not ...read more

Tags: Easter Resurrection

Rebellion In China

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Illustration from Tai Ping Rebellion in China We don’t learn much world history anymore in school. Back in the 1860s, a man arose in China who claimed to be a Messiah. [11] His name was Hong Xiuquan. Hong was this disturbed young salesman who read a bunch of heretical Christian literature, ...read more

Tags: Second Coming

Alexander M. Sanders, Jr., Is The Chief Judge Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Mary Lewis on Jun 11, 2004

Alexander M. Sanders, Jr., is the Chief Judge of the South Carolina Court of Appeals. When his daughter Zoe graduated from the Univ. of South Carolina in 1992, he told this story that happened what she was just three years old. Sanders came home from work one day to find his home – and especially ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:16, Philippians 4:4

Tags: Children, Commandments Murder

Denomination: Baptist

Historical Background On The Book Of Jonah: ...  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Mar 11, 2008

Historical Background on the Book of Jonah: Following information from THE MINOR PROPHETS Jonah by Al Maxey Jonah is the only "minor prophet" ever to be mentioned by Jesus Christ. He is also the only OT figure that Jesus Himself likens unto Himself (Matthew 12:39-41; 16:4; Luke 11:29-32). Although ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Stay In The Refuge For Protection

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 13, 2009

STAY IN THE REFUGE FOR PROTECTION As long as the accused remained within the refuge, they were safe and protected. [CASTILLO DE SAN MARCOS, ST. AUGUSTINE, FL] Castillo De San Marcos- Spanish fort, made of stone, protected town, during battle, all towns people ran to the fort, the town was ...read more

Scripture: Numbers 35:6-34

Tags: God In The Hardships