In Sermon Illustrations: "Death"

There Was A Priest In Dublin Who Explained The ...  PRO

Contributed by Jane White on Dec 6, 2002

There was a priest in Dublin who explained the difference between this life and the next life by talking about the life of the dragonfly. At the bottom of the pond little grubs were crawling around. They wonder what happens to their members who climb up the stem of the lily and never come back. ...read more

Tags: Death, Growth In Christ

Denomination: Methodist

O! What Pains Do Men Take To Get To Hell! Early ...  PRO

Contributed by Sean Smuts on Jan 29, 2003

"O! what pains do men take to get to hell! Early and late they toil at sin; and would not Divine justice be in their debt, if it ...read more

Tags: Death, Sin Wages Of

Denomination: Mennonite

From My Departed Husband  PRO

Contributed by Greg Madden on Jun 4, 2003

FROM MY DEPARTED HUSBAND A couple from north Oklahoma decided to go to Florida for a long weekend to thaw out during one particularly icy winter. Because they both had jobs, they had difficulty coordinating their travel schedules. It was decided that the husband would fly to Florida on Thursday, ...read more

Scripture: John 13:31-35

Tags: Hell, Heaven, Death

Denomination: Pentecostal

I Heard About A Rich Man Who Was Determined To ...  PRO

Contributed by Charles R. Swindoll on Sep 28, 2004

I heard about a rich man who was determined to take his wealth with him. He told his wife to get all his money together, put it in a sack, and then hang the sack from the rafters in the attic. He said, "When my spirit is caught up to heaven, I’ll grab the sack on my way." Well he eventually died, ...read more

Tags: Death, Heaven, Hell

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

It Was The End Of The Autumn Season, Past ...  PRO

Contributed by Tim Zingale on Jan 24, 2005

It was the end of the autumn season, past bulb-planting time. The greenhouse operator had gathered all the unsold tulip bulbs and, finding that these leftovers were mostly in inferior anyway, was bagging them for the trash bin. The good ones had been sold, so he wasn’t concerned about the loss of ...read more

Tags: Death, Parable General

Denomination: Lutheran

What Are We Voting For?

Contributed by Dan Thompkins on Jan 11, 2008

WHAT ARE WE VOTING FOR? A parishioner had dozed off to sleep during the morning service. “Will all who want to go to heaven, please stand?” the pastor asked.” – All stood, except the sleeping parishioner. After they sat, the pastor continued, “Well, will all who want to go to the other place ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:29-30, Mark 9:43-48

Tags: Death, Heaven, Salvation

Denomination: Pentecostal

Peter Marshall's Calling

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 17, 2009

PETER MARSHALL’S CALLING In her book, A Man Called Peter, Catherine Marshall tells how her late preacher-husband felt a sense of destiny a sense of call in his life. One dark night, Peter, then a young man, decided to take a shortcut across the Scottish moors. He knew there was a deep deserted ...read more

Tags: Death, Call Of The Disciples

A Grain Alone Or With Many ...

Contributed by Mark Pierce on May 25, 2010

A grain alone or with many others? STORY OF ONE GRAIN OF WHEAT: Farmer plows soil, digs shallow trenches, but must drop only one grain of seed at a time. Still true. Farmers pull a “grain drill.” Notched wheel drops seed through tube exactly one grain at a time. Single grain gathers moisture ...read more

Tags: Death, Sowing And Reaping

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Baseball In Heaven  PRO

Contributed by Joe Bertone on Jul 23, 2012

BASEBALL IN HEAVEN A preacher and a song leader were both avid baseball fans. These guys didn't just like baseball; they lived, breathed and ate baseball. What time they weren't about church duties, they were attending a game, watching a game on the tube, or coaching a little league game in the ...read more

Tags: Death, Heaven, Baseball

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Gravedigger's Cough

Contributed by Ed Sasnett on Nov 29, 2012

English writer F.W. Boreham tells a story about an old gravedigger who had a terrible cough. A visitor to the cemetery expressed sympathy to the old man and his cough. The gravedigger motioned to the graves around him and said, “There’s plenty here who would be glad of my cough.” His point being ...read more

Tags: Conscience, Death And Life

Denomination: Baptist

Finish Strong

Contributed by Jeffrey Rowe on Dec 29, 2012

In 2 Tim 4:7 Paul said that death was like finishing the race. Like crossing the finish line. That all of life is really about one thing – finishing well. Accomplishing the dreams and goals that God has for your life. I ran cross country in high school. We’d go out to these golf courses and ...read more

Tags: Death, Running The Race

Denomination: Holiness

See You On The Other Side Of The River

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 2, 2014

SEE YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RIVER Kansas City, Missouri is separated from Kansas City, Kansas by the Missouri River. Years ago, there was an old farmer who lived on the Kansas side of the river. He had a farm, a wife and a beautiful daughter. The farmer and his family had never been across ...read more

Scripture: John 14:1-6

Tags: Death, Heaven, Funeral

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Mothers

Contributed by Don Berry-Graham on Feb 29, 2016

To Mama and Jesus, You and He, You gave me life and He extended it. You saved me from the cold and He from sin. You taught me hope and He defended it. From you I once was born . . . from Him again. You let me skip in fields that He had made. He bid me bless the loaves you baked for me. You ordered ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:1-6

Tags: Death, A Mother's Heart

Denomination: Baptist

Who's Got The Power?

Contributed by Dr. David Hallum on Jul 10, 2017

The light switch in the main bathroom in our house has been sketchy and in need of replacement for some time. Last Friday night it finally gave up the ghost. Do you think it broke in the “on” position or the “off” position? Of course it broke in the off position. If you drop buttered bread it ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 8:6-8

Tags: Power, Life And Death

Denomination: Baptist

The First Thing Bartimaeus Saw

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 30, 2020

Think of what Bartimaeus saw when he received his sight! Think of the wonders of seeing for the first time a crowd of human beings just like himself, the walls and palm-tree groves of Jericho, the sky, so blue above him, and the hills of Moab in the distance. But that was not the first thing that ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 21:1-7

Tags: Death, Heaven, Miracles

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Remember Your Creator

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Feb 13, 2020

How many of you remember minibikes? These “bikes” were smaller than motorcycles, and used a smaller engine. I thought they looked like lawnmower engines, but maybe they were bigger. The minibikes were fun, but you had to have space on your property to ride them. They weren’t legal for riding on the ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 12:1

Tags: Death, Youth, Accidents

Denomination: Baptist

Epitaphs

Contributed by Davon Huss on Apr 17, 2021

The Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, has an exhibit of unique epitaphs. Give a few. Near Uniontown, Pennsylvania there’s a gravestone that reads, “Here lies the body of Jonathan Blake. He stepped on the gas instead of the brake.” Boot Hill Cemetery in Tombstone, ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:1-10

Tags: Death, Headstones, Epitaphs

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

It Just Takes Over

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Jul 21, 2022

One day my friend was looking at the beautiful blooming wisteria vine entwined in the fence by her home thinking how the woody vines just take over everything around them and choke the life out of it. They are extremely hard to eradicate once they've taken hold. Wisteria is actually an ...read more

Scripture: Romans 6:23

Tags: Death, Sin, Wages

Denomination: Charismatic

My Dad’s Obituary

Contributed by Rev. Randy Barker on Apr 3, 2025

**Obituary for Marvin Barker Sr.** It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Marvin Barker Sr., who was called to his eternal home on [date]. Born to Virgil Barker Sr. and Anna Barker, both of whom have preceded him in death, Marvin lived a life full of love, devotion, and faith. He ...read more

Tags: Death, Sample Obituary

Denomination: *other

Literal Hell

Contributed by Joe Bertone on Jul 23, 2012

LITERAL HELL When it comes to believing in hell I think of the story of Dr. Maurice Rawlings a noted and celebrated coronary care doctor, who writes of his conversion to belief in a literal hell in Beyond Death’s Door. In 1977 he was giving a stress test to a man who was having chest pains. In the ...read more

Tags: Hell, Death, Afterlife, Demons

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ