In Sermon Illustrations: "Destroyed Writings"

Joy Is Black

Contributed by Freddy Fritz on Sep 10, 2009

JOY IS BLACK I recently read the following letter that was sent to Dr. Michael Youssef, pastor of The Church of the Apostles in Atlanta. The letter was sent by Mrs. Lane, who has been a primary school teacher for 38 years: Dear Michael, One day I was trying to teach my students the difference ...read more

Tags: Joy

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

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

Joy And Prayer In Suffering  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 26, 2009

JOY AND PRAYER IN SUFFERING The fact that God chooses to love the unworthy should move us to loud praise frequently. Margaret Sangster Phippen wrote that in the mid-1950’s her father, British minister W.E. Sangster, began to notice some uneasiness in his throat and a dragging in his leg. When he ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 19:1-6, Genesis 32:22-31, Psalm 30:1-5, Philippians 3:10

Tags: Joy

Charles Colson Who Was Put Into Jail For His Part ...

Contributed by Guy De Swardt on Apr 1, 2010

Charles Colson who was put into jail for his part in the Watergate scandal in America so many years ago now, subsequently found Jesus in prison and today he heads up an international ministry to people in prisons all around the world. He writes in his book Who Speaks for God? …about a man by the ...read more

Tags: Sermon On The Mount, Depravity Of Man

Denomination: Baptist

Mitch Albom: Testimony

Contributed by Ken Pell on Jul 19, 2010

MITCH ALBOM: TESTIMONY Mitch Albom is the author of the bestselling book titled, "Tuesdays with Morrie." He wrote another book recently called "Have a Little Faith." In describing his motivation for writing it, he will tell you that up until a few years ago he would have been among the many that ...read more

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Nazarene

A Second Chance  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 8, 2011

A SECOND CHANCE Some years ago, two teenagers with a long history of crime and misbehavior robbed a YMCA on the lowest East Side of New York City. On the way out they saw a young man at the telephone switchboard. They were frightened and assumed that the man must be calling the police. They held ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 32:1-2

Tags: Love, Hope, Change, Care, Forgiveness For Others  (view more)  (view less)

Beholden To Money

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 13, 2011

BEHOLDEN TO MONEY In his book How Much Is Enough? Hungering For God In An Affluent Culture author and Founder of Bread for the World: Arthur Simon writes about Bryce and Ellen, "a couple in their mid-thirties. They have two sons and a daughter, and on Sundays the family attends church more often ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:19-34

Tags: Money

Cheap Purchase—high Price  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 4, 2011

CHEAP PURCHASE--HIGH PRICE In Decision magazine some time ago, Karen Morerod wrote about shopping in a store for a sweater. She was looking for one at minimal cost, so she went to the clearance rack. As she flipped through the sweaters, one caught her eye. It was the right color and the right ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:13-21

Tags: Blood Of Christ

It All Goes Back To The Head

Contributed by Tim Smith on Feb 26, 2012

IT ALL GOES BACK TO THE HEAD Mike Slaughter tells the story of his dog Luka, a giant schnauzer. Luka had an infected toe for several months on his back leg and one of the things that he noticed is that Luka will tend to drag that back foot causing him to scrape his toe. Their vet couldn't figure ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Denomination: Methodist

An Honors Student In Fort Worth, Texas, Was Sent ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 17, 2012

An honors student in Fort Worth, Texas, was sent to the principal's office and punished for telling a classmate that he believes homosexuality is wrong. Holly Pope said she was "absolutely stunned" when she received a telephone call from an assistant principal at Western Hills High School ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:10-16

Tags: Persecution

Humorous Definitions  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 2, 2012

HUMOROUS DEFINITIONS Definitions matter. Do you know what these words mean? ABDICATE: To give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach. ADULT: A person who has stopped growing at both ends and is now growing in the middle. ANTIQUE: An item your grandparents bought, your parents got rid of, and ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 17:22

Tags: Words

Communion: In Remembrance

Contributed by Gene Gregory on Aug 11, 2012

COMMUNION: IN REMEMBRANCE A man was working in his backyard one day, when his neighbor began talking to him over the fence. He said, "Yeah, my wife and I went to one of those seminars yesterday, you know, where they teach you ways to improve your memory and such." His neighbor commented, ...read more

Scripture: James 1:19-21, James 1:19

Tags: Lord's Supper

Denomination: Baptist

Lee Dye On New Year's Resolutions

Contributed by Tim Smith on Jan 6, 2013

LEE DYE ON NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS Lee Dye writes, “It’s that time of year again when we resolve to get off our duffs and run around the block more often, maybe even cut back on tall of those things which we know we aren’t supposed to eat, or drink or smoke. Ah yes, New Year’s Resolutions which for ...read more

Tags: God Brings Purpose

Denomination: Methodist

Man Uses Gun For Backscratcher, Shoots Himself

Contributed by Matt Neace on Jun 19, 2018

Jorge Espinal was drinking beer and playing poker around 3 a.m. on a Sunday morning in his house, when he got up from the table and walked into another room. His poker buddies probably thought, "Oh, well. He has to go to the bathroom or to get something to drink." But while he as in the other ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 38:5-8

Tags: Temptation, Mistakes, Alcohol, Choices

Denomination: Baptist

Your Cheatin' Heart

Contributed by Ed Sasnett on Aug 12, 2020

Your Cheatin’ Heart is a song written and recorded in 1952 by country music singer and songwriter Hank Williams. However, the song was released after his death in 1953. Your Cheatin’ Heart is considered one of the greatest songs of country music. The song is a slow ballad, telling an ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 4:20-27

Tags: Obedience, Compromise

Denomination: Baptist

Life-Spans

Contributed by Tony Abram on Jul 2, 2021

LIFE-SPANS A lightening bolt lasts 45 to 55 microseconds. The average running shoe worn by the average runner on an average surface will last 350 to 500 miles. A hard pencil can write up to 30,000 words or draw a line more than 30 miles long. Most ball-point pens ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 4:10, John 3:16

Tags: Long Life, Longevity, Promise

"worst Day - Best Day - Begins And Ends With Me"

Contributed by Terry Miller on Mar 24, 2022

No note was written. There was no obvious clue to why I had reached the depths of a horrible pit of desperation. How could life for a forty-something get any worse than that? My Worst Day had brought me to contemplating suicide! A feeling of reaching life’s dead-end road had overpowered any ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 56:3

Tags: Motivational, Inspirational

The Gift Of Us

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

The Gift of Us Marjorie Tallcott was married and had one child during the Great Depression. The family managed to scrape their way through, but as Christmas approached one year Marjorie and her husband were disappointed that they would not be able to buy any presents. A week before Christmas they ...read more

Tags: Promises Of God

Clara Hale Answered That Clarion Call In A ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

CLARA HALE ANSWERED THAT CLARION CALL IN A SIMILAR “DO OR DIE” KIND OF SPIRIT, CLAIRE SAFRAN WROTE A DEEPLY MOVING STORY ABOUT SEVENTY-NINE YEAR OLD, AND THE DRUG-ADDICTED INFANTS SHE CARED FOR IN HER HOME IN HARLEM. D. IN AUTHOR BOB ITALIA’S 19993 BOOK: "CLARA HALE: MOTHER TO THOSE WHO NEEDED ...read more

Tags: Servanthood

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)  PRO

Contributed by Ken Pell on Jul 3, 2007

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) Johann Sebastian Bach was born into the musical family of Bachs in 1685. By the age of ten, both of his parents were dead. Early in his friction-filled life, young Johann determined he would write music … music for the glory of God … and this he did. Most of ...read more

Scripture: Romans 11:36

Tags: Service, Glory Of God

Denomination: Nazarene