In Sermon Illustrations: "Direction Of Life"

One Of My Favorite Books Is Called This I ...

Contributed by Anne Benefield on Feb 19, 2008

One of my favorite books is called This I Believe: The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women. It is a compilation of eighty essays based on the National Public Radio series of the same name. The essays are from the famous and the unknown. One of the essays that I found most moving is ...read more

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

37 Things To Say To Your Spouse

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on May 20, 2008

37 THINGS TO SAY TO YOUR SPOUSE A healthy marriage is a safe haven where we can relax and recuperate from the tensions of everyday life. We need to hear positive things from our mate. Just as I gathered together some friends to tell me what not to say to a spouse, so they also suggested what they ...read more

Tags: Family

Denomination: Pentecostal

The Significance Of Nazareth  PRO

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

The Significance of Nazareth "God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee." (Luke 1:26) Many Christian historians tell us that by the time of the birth of Christ, Nazareth had become an unimportant town. It was the home of Joseph and Mary (Luke 2:39) and Nazareth was where the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 1:26

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Christian Fathers: Succeed With Humility  PRO

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

"Christian Fathers: Succeed With Humility" The Bible gives four Christian character traits that can build a lasting legacy for the Lord. The fourth is to succeed with humility. Colossians 3:21 says, "...as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:21

Tags: Father's Day

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Spiritual Health Checks (Breaking Of Bread)  PRO

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Spiritual Health Checks (Breaking of Bread) There are four signs that show that the child of God is a healthy Christian. One is a heart hungry for God's Word, second is his desire to be involved in Christian fellowship. When the Holy Spirit was poured into the spiritual hearts of believers in ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:42

Tags: Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Do You Remember Bubba Smith? He Was One Of The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2008

Do you remember Bubba Smith? He was one of the greatest football players ever to play in the NFL. He once commented that his tactic as a defensive lineman was to tackle the whole offensive backfield and then toss out players one by one until he found the one with the football. After he retired from ...read more

Tags: Sports

On January 8, 1956 Jim Elliot, Along With Four ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2008

On January 8, 1956 Jim Elliot, along with four other missionaries was killed while trying to bring this Good News of Christ to the Waodoni people of the Auca Indians in Ecuador. In his journal published in a book titled SHADOW OF THE ALMIGHTY, Jim wrote these words: “One doesn’t learn to speak ...read more

Tags: Missions

Just In The Nick Of Time

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 8, 2009

JUST IN THE NICK OF TIME A favorite literary device of authors, playwrights, and screen writers is that of the hero who shows up just in the nick of time. You’ve read books or seen movies like this. Just when everything seems lost and all hope is gone and disaster is imminent, the hero arrives to ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:28-39

Tags: God In The Hardships

Deformed Foot Straightened By Long-Term Painful ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 26, 2010

Deformed Foot Straightened by Long-term Painful Pressure In Paul’s life he did face suffering for Christ - Colossians 1:24: "Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for His body’s sake, which is the Church." None of us ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:3-5

Tags: God In The Hardships, Discipline

Only The Original Builder Can Restore It

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 30, 2010

ONLY THE ORIGINAL BUILDER CAN RESTORE IT In a remote Swiss village stands a beautiful church - Mountain Valley Cathedral. It has high pillars and magnificent stained glass windows, but what makes it special is the most beautiful pipe organ in the whole region. People would come from far off lands ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1-5

Tags: Atonement

A Harvest Of Service

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Feb 4, 2011

A HARVEST OF SERVICE Vehicles being thrown around like toys in the rushing waters and heartbreaking stories of lives lost have filled the news reports. The damage to bumper harvests was also devastating, probably in the billions of dollars, as the states of Queensland, NSW and Victoria in ...read more

Tags: Servanthood

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Giving The Poor A Reason To Live

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 9, 2011

GIVING THE POOR A REASON TO LIVE So let's humble ourselves before each other and experience His grace. It's the way to true glory and dignity even if we find ourselves down and out. That's what Abbe Pierre discovered when he founded the Emmaus Communities in 1949. The Emmaus Communities today ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 1:11-17, Galatians 5:13-15

Tags: Servanthood

Can You Hear The Cries Of Loneliness?

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Apr 3, 2013

CAN YOU HEAR THE CRIES OF LONELINESS? A Story from Max Lucado: In the summer of 1980 a story about an attractive girl who was young and successful stirred the US. The story broke the evening news with the headline; Judith Bucknell was dead -- it was number one hundred and six that year in the ...read more

Tags: Suffering Loneliness

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

An Atheist's Perspective On Evangelism

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 13, 2014

Perhaps you've heard of Penn and Teller the comedy team who has worked Las Vegas for years. Penn Jillette is an atheist, but he recorded a video journal a few years ago telling the story about a man who waited to speak to him after one of their shows. Penn said the man was a successful businessman ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:18-20

Tags: Atheist, Evangelism Urgency

The Conversion Account Of St. Augustine

Contributed by Matthew Redder on Sep 21, 2018

The story of Augustine's conversion is an inspiring and amazing one. In my opinion it is a miraculous account of God grabbing the attention of Augustine and speaking directly into his heart through the power of a perfectly timed scripture. This could be a great illustration about the power of the ...read more

Scripture: Romans 13:13-14, Revelation 12:11, Acts 8:26-40, Psalm 119:9, Romans 3:23, Galatians 5:24, Ephesians 4:22-24  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Put On Christ, Miraculous, Power Of The Word, Conversion Of Augustine, Bible, Romans, Conversion, Testimony, Indulgence  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Faith In Action

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Oct 13, 2019

Here is one of othe greatest illustrations of how faith in action brings the favor of God. George Muller of Bristol exemplified the nitty-gritty of a life of faith. After being a wild youth, he was converted in his early twenties. He obeyed God’s call by living a life of faith and obedience. He ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 11:1-6

Tags: Faith, Trusting God, Hebrews 11

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Crickets And Crosses

Contributed by Loyd C. Taylor on Mar 30, 2023

Early one Easter morning I stood before an old church graveyard. The crickets were chirping their morning melody for me. I saw three crosses that had been placed there by the congregation, erected as a reminder of the crosses on the hill called Calvary. Calvary, where Jesus was crucified between ...read more

Tags: Easter, Resurrection, Morning, Sunrise, Nature, Sunrise Service, Resurrection Day  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

In A Seminary Missions Class, Herbert Jackson ...  PRO

Contributed by William Jewett on Nov 2, 2000

In a seminary missions class, Herbert Jackson told how, as a new missionary, he was assigned a car that would not start without a push. After pondering his problem, he devised a plan. He went to the school near his home, got permission to take some children out of class, and had them push his car ...read more

Tags: God's Omnipotence, Prayer How To

Denomination: *other

Even When We Come Across Test Questions That Seem ...  PRO

Contributed by Timothy Peck on Feb 1, 2001

Even when we come across test questions that seem simple on the surface, we find that they’re often not as simple as we first thought. For instance, the answer to the question, "How long did the Hundred Years War last?’ seems obvious, but the answer is 116 years. When a test asks, "Which country ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 13:5

Tags: Patience, Integrity, Christian Values, Call Of The Disciples

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Kay Arthur Has Become A Well-Known ...  PRO

Contributed by Melvin Newland on Aug 14, 2001

ILL. Kay Arthur has become a well-known Christian author & speaker who has influenced tens of thousands for Jesus. Her testimony is written in her book, "Lord, I Need Your Grace Because I Can’t Make It On My Own." In it she talks about her life & her struggles in coming to Christ. As a young ...read more

Scripture: John 15:1-8

Tags: Government

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ