In Sermon Illustrations: "Dont Give Up"

Filled Up Anew  PRO

Contributed by Cameron Horsburgh on Mar 10, 2003

FILLED UP ANEW Imagine a sponge that has been used to wash the dishes. It’s all full of dirt and food and old water. It needs to be filled with clean water! But how can you do that? Easy. You wring it out, rinse it off, and wring it out again. Only when you have done this can you fill it with ...read more

Tags: Holy Spirit General, Holy Spirit In Believers

Denomination: Holiness

Size Me Up

Contributed by Dana Chau on Jul 21, 2003

SIZE ME UP When Tom Haggai went off to college, his dad said to him: "Remember, son, God is more interested in you than anything you’ll do, but whatever you do, do it well, for you never know when ...read more

Tags: God's Judgment

Denomination: *other

Hold Up The Light  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Sep 11, 2003

Illustration: Hold Up the Light The famous Eddystone lighthouse off the coast of Cornwall, England, was first built in a fanciful way, by the learned and eccentric Winstanley. On its sides he put various boastful inscriptions. He was very proud of his structure, and from his lofty balcony used ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:24-27

Tags: Christian Love, Faith, Holiness

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Chance To Warm Up?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Dr. Ted Engstrom said, “A man tends to overestimate what he can do in a year, and underestimate what he can do in five.” In a Peanuts cartoon strip, Charlie Brown says to Linus, "Life is just too much for me. I’ve been confused from the day I was born. I think the whole trouble is that we’re ...read more

Tags: New Year's Day

Love That Looks Up Is ...

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Nov 27, 2010

"Love that looks up is adoration. Love that looks across is affection. Love that ...read more

Tags: Grace

Denomination: Brethren

Get Up Stronger

Contributed by Bret Toman on Jan 3, 2011

GET UP STRONGER By the beginning of the nineteenth century, about three million African slaves had been transported to the Americas on British ships. People being stolen from their homes, ripped from their families, robbed of their dignity, transported on ships 3 decks deep, squalid conditions, ...read more

Tags: Endurance

Denomination: Baptist

Is There Anyone Up There?

Contributed by Darrin Fish on May 15, 2013

IS THERE ANYONE UP THERE? There once was a tourist who came too close to the edge of the Grand Canyon, lost his footing and plunged over the side, clawing and scratching to save himself. After he disappeared out of sight; and, just before he fell into open space, he stumbled upon a scrubby bush ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 4:1-13

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Christian Church

Stand Up To Bullies

Contributed by Donny Granberry on Feb 17, 2008

ILLUSTRATION Andy Griffith Show. Episode where a bully was taking Opie’s milk money. Andy told him, there will be a lot of bully’s in the world; you have got to stand up to them. He stood up to the bully, got a black eye, and lit into that bully like a ...read more

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Putting Up A Fight

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 9, 2008

Putting Up a Fight Charles Spurgeon may have been the most evangelistic preacher to ever walk the earth. His heart hurt for lost people like no other preacher that I have read. Listen to what said about hell: "If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. And if they ...read more

Tags: Evangelism The Lost

Wake Up, Leroy!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Nov 20, 2019

Two brothers were being interviewed for a truck-driving team. They were engaged in a hypothetical situation. The interviewer said, "Now, Charlie, imagine you're driving the truck and Leroy, your brother, is up on top asleep. Charlie, your truck is loaded down with hundreds of pounds of ...read more

Tags: Revival, Humor, Wake Up, Jokes, Sleeping  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Keep Looking Up!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 9, 2020

A father and son were driving down a country road and saw a watermelon patch a little way off the highway. The father told his son to keep a lookout while he went to get a melon. He snuck into the patch, took a melon and called to the boy, "Is anyone coming? Look both ways." The boy ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-12, Colossians 3:1-4

Tags: Temptation, Stealing, Looking Up

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Get Up And Do It

Contributed by Roy Fowler on Nov 15, 2020

Mother Teresa – So many leaders have the idea that to lead greatly you have to focus on everyone. Mother Teresa took a different approach. She saw the poor. The hurt. The dying. And she knew something had to be done. When you know that there’s that many hurting people out there, you might think ...read more

Scripture: Judges 4:1-9

Tags: When God Speaks, Get Up And Do It

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Holding Others Up

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 4, 2021

One of the best leaders and models in discipleship was Dawson Trotman, who died after helping to rescue two drowning girls. Says Chuck Swindoll: “When Dawson Trotman passed away, he probably left a legacy of discipleship on this earth that will never be matched except perhaps in the life of Jesus ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:19-20, Luke 9:23, Romans 12:1-2

Tags: Discipleship, Following Jesus, Great Commission, Dawson Trotman, Teaching  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Worship Is Showing Up

Contributed by Rob Roy on May 22, 2024

How does Jesus know we love him, what is the proof? By your witness, your gifts, your tithes, your prayers or presence. Did you know I joined twitter? I think the day I did I read several tweets, but never tweeted, and that was long before the 2020 election, and long before I came to Mt. ...read more

Scripture: John 21:15-19

Tags: Worship, Showing Love

Learn When To Shut Up  PRO

Contributed by W F on Sep 16, 2004

1) Learn when to Shut Up . It is commonly known in the world of advertising that the most successful ad campaigns don’t try to change people: they try to reflect how people are already feeling. Advertisers know that consumers won’t respond to an ad unless the ad is a response to them. This is why ...read more

Denomination: *other

Giving Brings Hope And Purpose

Contributed by Brad Henry on Sep 29, 2011

GIVING BRINGS HOPE AND PURPOSE I have a friend that called me last night. I have known him for many years and he has been struggling with uncertainty like most folks in his business. He was also questioning, "Is this what the Lord wants me to do?" Well, he just came back from a trip where he was ...read more

Tags: God Brings Purpose

A Pastor Went To Give Blood, And Was Asked ...  PRO

Contributed by Robert Leroe on Jul 5, 2002

A Pastor went to give blood, and was asked several questions to determine his eligibility. The last item on the questionnaire was, “Do you engage in any hazardous work?” He smiled and answered “Yes.” He was wearing a clerical collar. The Red Cross worker looked up, marked ...read more

Tags: Leadership General, Discipleship

Denomination: Congregational

When God Shows Up

Contributed by Kerry Haynes on Feb 3, 2019

I just finished reading a book called, “The Shack.” I read it about ten years ago, and something made me read it again, and I’m so glad I did. I commend it to you as a book that captures the very essence of a God who wants nothing more than to have a loving relationship with you. What an incredible ...read more

Scripture: Luke 5:1-11, Isaiah 6:1-8

Tags: Humility, The Shack, God Shows Up, Miracle, Sacred In The Ordinary, Sacred In Secular  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Inspect Versus Expect

Contributed by Jerry Cosper on Feb 13, 2023

There was a young boy who was notorious for cleaning according to what his parents would inspect, but not necessarily what they would expect. In other words, he would do things like fold and put away the dirty laundry, and put away the dirty dishes thinking they were clean. Things looked tidy on ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:25-37

Tags: Expectations, Cover Up

Denomination: Baptist

God Will Give You Words

Contributed by Charles Wallis on Apr 23, 2009

GOD WILL GIVE YOU WORDS Michael was asked to speak at his youth group. He didn’t know what to say, but as soon as he stood up, God gave him powerful words to say. The Holy Spirit will give you the words to say. Luke ...read more

Tags: Holy Spirit In Believers

Denomination: Pentecostal