In Sermon Illustrations: "Despair Can Have Help"

Limited Understanding

Contributed by Bret Toman on Jan 4, 2011

LIMITED UNDERSTANDING Suppose I take my 2 year old to the doctor and he gets a shot in the arm and it really hurts. He doesn’t understand that the shot is to help him get better. All he knows is that shot hurt. And daddy just stood there. Doesn’t dad know how bad a shot hurts? Was he unable to ...read more

Tags: Humility

Denomination: Baptist

We Need More Wilberforces

Contributed by Merv Budd on May 2, 2011

WE NEED MORE WILBERFORCES In the middle of the eighteenth century, Christians became increasingly concerned about the slave trade. They amassed information on the inhumane treatment of the slaves and believed that eventually they could generate sufficient public support to overcome the slave trade ...read more

Tags: Heroism

Denomination: Baptist

Clean Conscience

Contributed by Shine Thomas on Aug 2, 2017

Martin Luther who brought the protestant reformation out of the Catholic church questioned the doctrine and practices of the Catholic church in a thesis called ‘The Ninety-Five Theses’ in October of 1517. The Roman Catholic church wanted Martin Luther to recant his view. The Diet of Worms of 1521 ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 119:11

Tags: Conscience, Clean Conscience, Pure Conscience

Denomination: Assembly Of God

When The First Ice Cream Cone Was Born

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Aug 12, 2019

A lot gets accomplished when people work together. In the summer of 1904, at the World’s Fair in St. Louis, it was hot and people were searching for something to help cool them off. A vendor named Arnold had just what they were looking for……something called ice cream. People lined up for what ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:1-7

Tags: Unity, Working Together

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Six Ways To Be A Modern Day Barnabas

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Aug 2, 2023

Below are six ways to encourage someone. When was the last time you encouraged someone in any of the following ways? Have you ignored some gentle promptings by the Spirit to encourage someone? Perhaps today you might ask God to whom you might send a note or make a call? Yes, dear brother or ...read more

Scripture: Acts 4:36

Tags: Encouragement, Barnabas, Serving, Ministry To Others, Volunteers, Fellowship, Support, Giving  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Dog Returns To His Vomit

Contributed by John Bright on Jun 22, 2026

In the 1730s and 1740s, revivals swept across England and the American colonies during what we call “The First Great Awakening.” John Wesley saw thousands of folks claim salvation, but some of them fell back into their old ways of drinking at the local pub every night or neglecting to read God’s ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 2:22

Tags: Sin, Accountability, John Wesley, Small Group, First Great Awakening  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Methodist

There Once Was A Carpenter Who Visited One Of Two ...  PRO

Contributed by Karl Eckhoff on Feb 12, 2004

There once was a carpenter who visited one of two brothers who had recently grown embittered with each other over a misunderstanding over the farm they had managed together for the past 40 years. The carpenter was in need of work; or so he said, and he asked the one brother if there was anything ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:11-13

Tags: Jesus Teachings, Parable General

Denomination: Lutheran

So,... You Say You ...

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

SO,... YOU SAY YOU BELIEVE? A. W. Tozer wrote, “Fortunately only a few things are matters of life and death, such as a compass for a sea voyage or a guide for a journey across the desert. To ignore these things is not to gamble or take a chance; it is to commit suicide. Here it is either be ...read more

Scripture: Acts 11:21

Tags: Trust

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Above The Circumstances

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 11, 2008

ABOVE THE CIRCUMSTANCES David and Becky Guinn have been on my mind this past week. In 1997, the Lord blessed me to go with David on a mission trip to Ukraine. It was a life-changing experience for me. David and Becky deeply love the Lord. They have faithfully served the Lord for years in college ...read more

Tags: Endurance

Great Endurance Produces Great Reward

Contributed by Charlie Roberts on Jun 23, 2019

I’m reminded of the story of a man born in the late 1800s. One of several children being the oldest, took care of the younger children and began to cook for them at a young age of seven yrs old. His father died when he was young leaving him even more responsibility. He worked many jobs in his ...read more

Scripture: James 1:2

Tags: Endurance, Faithfulness, Reward

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Trouble In The Church  PRO

Contributed by Douglas Duvall on Dec 3, 2006

Trouble in the Church ACTS 15:1-12 I. Decision 15:1-4 A. Men 15:1 B. Method 15:2 C. Messages 15:3-4 II. Demand 15:5-6 A. Demands 15:5 B. Deliberations 15:6 III. Declaration 15:7-12 A. Choice 15:7 B. Comparison 15:8-9 C. Conversion 15:10-12 Introduction Peter had ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 12:24-27

Denomination: Baptist

You Break It, You Fix It

Contributed by James Snyder on Oct 19, 2024

Every once in a while, I hear or see something that reminds me of my father. He’s been gone for over 15 years, but his memory is still fresh in my mind. His most famous saying, that I remember, was, “It’s better to ask for forgiveness than for permission.” He lived that to the very end of his ...read more

Scripture: James 1:5-6

Tags: Wisdom, Fixing

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

How Many Of You Know About Billy Sianis' Goat? ...

Contributed by Christopher Roberts on Oct 18, 2003

How many of you know about Billy Sianis’ goat? Sianis, a local tavern owner, tried to bring his goat into Game 4 of the 1945 World Series at Wrigley Field, only to be turned away. And so it was that Sianis, whose tavern remains a must-stop for Chicago Cubs’ fans, put a curse on the Cubs, vowing ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 18:7

Tags: Doubt, Faith General

Denomination: Methodist

The Gettysburg Address  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 19, 2002

THE GETTYSBURG ADDRESS: Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived ...read more

Tags: Holidays Civic

Affluence And Gratitude  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 12, 2002

AFFLUENCE AND GRATITUDE In his new book 'Jesus, Lord of Your Personality,' pastor Bob Russell points out that having a lot doesn’t tend to produce a grateful spirit. "Have you had a taste of the best this world has to offer? You went to Hawaii once on vacation, so now it’s harder for you to enjoy ...read more

Tags: Joy, Mountain, Peace, Season, Finding Fulfillment  (view more)  (view less)

65279;pride Is Dangerously Deceptive. A While ...  PRO

Contributed by Chad Prather on Sep 28, 2002

Pride is dangerously deceptive. A while back I had been doing some work on the computer when it crashed and I lost all my work. I came upstairs and Vanessa was amazed at how good my attitude was. She said, “Are you okay after losing your work?” I said, “Well, the computer certainly ...read more

Tags: Character

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Enormously Gorgeous  PRO

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on May 22, 2007

ENORMOUSLY GORGEOUS My dad says I am ENORMOUSLY GORGEOUS. I wonder if I really am. To be ENORMOUSLY GORGEOUS... Sarah says you need to have beautiful, long, curly hair like she has. I don’t. To be ENORMOUSLY GORGEOUS... Justin says you must have perfectly straight white teeth like he has. I ...read more

Denomination: Pentecostal

Now Picture This. You Are Travelling In The ...

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Mar 10, 2010

NOW PICTURE THIS. You are travelling in the removal van with your wife and the driver. Your wife can't be a "back seat driver" because you don't even know where you are going. The driver thinks your crazy, when all of a sudden, God appears in the truck right beside you and says, "THIS IS IT! YOU ...read more

Tags: Knowing God's Will

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Lottery  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 20, 2011

THE LOTTERY Did you know that the first modern-day lottery was started in 1963 in the state of New Hampshire? Did you know that the state of Massachusetts, started their lottery in 1972 with 50 cent tickets and a drawing once a week. It now has 33 different games to choose from their sales have ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:6-10, Psalm 37:35

Tags: Money, Contentment

Church Is Open!

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on May 24, 2020

As I write this, it’s late May 2020 and this has been one of the strangest years I can ever remember. Much of the year has been taken up with the Wuhan Virus (also called COVID-19, the Corona Virus, and perhaps other names) and the effect on the world’s economy. For those of you reading this in the ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 122:1, Jeremiah 36:5

Tags: David, Church Attendance, House Of The Lord

Denomination: Baptist