In Sermon Illustrations: "Do Good"

The Mission: Tethered To Sin

Contributed by William Hooper on May 3, 2011

THE MISSION: TETHERED TO SIN In the award winning film called "The Mission," Robert DeNiro plays a mercenary who has taken asylum in the local church after killing his brother in a fit of jealous rage. He eventually leaves the church and heads to a mission post located above the waterfalls in a ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness In Jesus

Denomination: Baptist

Power And "King Of The Hill"

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Jun 17, 2011

POWER AND "KING OF THE HILL" When I was a kid, we used to play a game called "King of the Hill." Everyone would get together and choose some place to be the "hill." Sometimes we were lucky enough to have a dirt mound to play on, but not very often. It might be a bed or a sofa, unless, of course, ...read more

Tags: Power

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Prayed Into The Kingdom

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 14, 2011

PRAYED INTO THE KINGDOM Chuck Sackett did not grow up in a Christian home. But he joined the Boy Scouts and wanted to complete the "God and Country" merit badge. So he walked a few blocks to a small church for several weeks. He filled out his papers and did what he had to do get that badge. ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:18-20

Tags: Prayer Persistence

Reactions Can Be Worse Than Actions  PRO

Contributed by Larry Wilson on Sep 12, 2011

REACTIONS CAN BE WORSE THAN ACTIONS While in seminary, I worked at a local Christian radio station. Part of my duties was to take hourly meter readings from the transmitter and place them on a log sheet that was subject to FCC review. The building featured indoor/outdoor green carpet, and the day ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 20:1-16

Tags: Action

Denomination: Baptist

I Am A Horrible Public Speaker. I Stutter When I ...

Contributed by Kelly Benton on Nov 1, 2011

I am a horrible public speaker. I stutter when I am nervous, I am self-conscious over a lisp I have. In elementary school I had to take speech classes. I freeze when I am in front of several people. But most would not know this of me. I stand here before you today as I do each week, facing my ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 19:26

Tags: Encouragement, All Things Possible

Denomination: Other

God's Greatness

Contributed by Ed Lu on Nov 26, 2011

GOD'S GREATNESS Today it doesn’t take wars or persecutions to challenge our Christian faith or religious practices. No spears, no swords, no fiery torches or saddled horses to combat our religiosity. Sadly, these so called wars and battles among Christians are domesticated within the surrounding ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:15-23

Tags: Greatness

Denomination: Baptist

The Imaginary Ball

Contributed by Guy Mcgraw on Feb 6, 2012

THE IMAGINARY BALL A golfer who had been playing badly went to a psychiatrist who told him to relax by playing a round of golf without a ball. "Do everything you would normally do, but use an imaginary ball." The golfer tried it the next day. He stepped up on the first tee, imagined he got a ...read more

Tags: Confidence

God, You're In My Way.  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 28, 2012

"GOD, YOU'RE IN MY WAY." A California pastor, Kyle Idleman, talks about his last move in his book, Not a Fan. In that move, he saved the heaviest piece of furniture for last -- the desk from his office. And as he was pushing and pulling the desk with all his might, his four-year-old son came over ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:6-8, Philippians 4:4-7

Tags: Anxiety

The Dead Donkey

Contributed by Perry Greene on Jul 12, 2012

THE DEAD DONKEY A city boy, Kenny, moved to the country and bought a donkey from an old farmer for $100. The farmer agreed to deliver the donkey the next day. The next day the farmer drove up and said, "Sorry son, but I have some bad news, the donkey died." Kenny replied, "Well then, just give ...read more

Tags: Wisdom

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Fly To The Light  PRO

Contributed by Joe Bertone on Aug 20, 2012

FLY TO THE LIGHT Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky has this huge sanctuary that seats thousands upon thousands. Sometimes birds get in there. The facilities department has the job of trying to figure out how to get these birds out. The last thing you want Sunday morning is a bird ...read more

Scripture: John 8:12

Tags: Light, Darkness, Escape, Jesus Teachings

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

All Moms Know This Stuff  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 7, 2012

ALL MOMS KNOW THIS STUFF One mom was out walking with her 4-year-old daughter when her girl picked up something from the ground and started to put it in her mouth. The mother tells what happens in her own words: "I took the item away from her and I asked her not to do that." My daughter quickly ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 31:10-31

Tags: Mother's Day

Light In The Darkness

Contributed by David Simpson on Jan 15, 2013

LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS Have you ever been in on one of those guided tours of any of a number of caves around our country ... like Ruby Falls, or Carlsbad Caverns or another one. Our family went to the Carlsbad Caves in New Mexico years ago. And as they do in so many places, they’ll turn out the ...read more

Tags: Light, Outreach, Darkness

Denomination: Christian Church

Clean Pigeon

Contributed by Davon Huss on Oct 9, 2015

Lester Roloff told about visiting a friend in Massillon, Ohio who had a number of pigeons. During the visit his friend showed him one of the birds and said, “See this bird. She just flew 500 miles from St. Louis to Massillon non stop.” Roloff interrupted his host: Come on, non stop! How do you ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:23

Tags: Clean, Holiness, Sanctify

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

How Jesus Trained The Disciples

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Dec 2, 2020

Robert E. Coleman wrote the book, The Master's Plan of Evangelism, and gave us the principles that Jesus used to spread the Gospel around the world until He returns. Here is the list: 1. SELECTION:   “He chose from the twelve.” (Luke 6:13)  2. ASSOCIATION: The principle of ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 1:8

Tags: Evangelism, Outreach, Discipleship, Missions, Witnessing  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Covenant?

Contributed by Paul Clemente on Nov 20, 2022

Devotional - Genesis 9:7-28 (also glance at Chapters 10-11) What was the command to Noah and his family? – populate the earth (we exist today because of Noah and family) Covenant – “berith” – a brand new word! What can we learn about this word in context? – a promise and commitment to do ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 9:7-28

Tags: Agreement, Covenant, Promise, Population

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Love At Last!!!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Nov 20, 2022

George, age 92 and Edith, age 89 are all excited about their decision to get married. They go for a stroll to discuss the wedding and on the way, they pass a drugstore. George suggests they go in and he addresses the man behind the counter. "Are you the owner? "The pharmacist answers, ...read more

Tags: Love, Marriage, Humor, Old Age, Weddings, Senior Adults  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Staring At The Great Stone Face

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 2, 2023

Perhaps you remember Nathaniel Hawthorne’s story about the great stone face. A little lad lived in a village where there was a mountain with a rock formation which they called the great stone face. The people had a legend that someday someone would come to the village who would look like the ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:1-4, Hebrews 12:1-3

Tags: Glory, Jesus, Worship, Vision, Focus, Looking To Jesus  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Our House Was Directly Across The Street From The ...  PRO

Contributed by Brian Mavis on Oct 30, 2000

Our house was directly across the street from the clinic entrance of John Hopkins in Baltimore. We lived downstairs and rented the upstairs rooms to outpatients at the clinic. One summer evening as I was fixing supper, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to see a truly awful looking man. ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 139:23-24, Ephesians 2:10, Ephesians 6:10-20, Matthew 7:1-24, John 4:13-25, Genesis 1:1-12, Matthew 3:1-12, Psalm 105:1-3, 2 Corinthians 4:16  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Christian Love, Christlikeness, Compassion, Forgiveness General, Truth  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Sweeping Closer To Home!" 2 Samuel 12:1-8 Key ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Jan 16, 2005

“Sweeping Closer to Home!” 2 Samuel 12:1-8 Key verse(s): 5-6:“David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.’” The old fix-it ...read more

Scripture: 2 Samuel 12:1-8

Tags: Leadership General

Denomination: Lutheran

Oh Please Don't Hit The Ball To Me!" Psalm ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Feb 7, 2005

“Oh Please Don’t Hit the Ball to Me!” Psalm 116:1-6 Key verse(s): 3:“The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow.” There is no greater temptation than separation from God. There are many things in this life that appear tempting and ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 116:1-6

Tags: Innocent, Honest, Temptation Pride, Temptation Resisting, Truthful  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Lutheran