In Sermon Illustrations: "Dual Meaning"

Have You Burned Your Ships Yet?

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 9, 2020

When the Spanish explorer Hernando Cortez landed at Vera Cruz, Mexico in 1519 he was intent on conquest. To assure the devotion of his men, Cortez set fire to his fleet of eleven ships! With no means of retreat, Cortez’s army had only one direction to move, into the Mexican interior. Cortez ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-12, James 1:8

Tags: Commitment, Discipleship, Following Jesus, Counting The Cost

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Saint Or Sinner

Contributed by John Bright on Feb 19, 2021

In the “Freedom in Christ” course, Neil Anderson and Steve Goss, share an illustration that I just love – “You know the fairy tale of the princess who decided to kiss a frog? When she kissed the frog, he changes into a handsome prince. Now imagine they go out to a fancy restaurant to celebrate ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:2

Tags: Princess, Prince, Sinners, Saints, Frog  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Methodist

God Can't Take His Eyes Off Of Me!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 13, 2022

There were 2 boys playing one day when they got bored. Little Johnny turned to his buddy, Billy, and said, "You know something, I'm bored. Let's go to the store and steal some candy!" Billy says: "Oh no! I can't do that! God is watching me!“ Little Johnny replies: ...read more

Tags: God's Love, Dishonesty, Heavenly Father, God's Providence, Children  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Motherhood And Compassion

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Apr 19, 2022

Motherhood and Compassion. A few days ago, I made a marvelous discovery. In the Hebrew language of the Old Testament the word for “compassion” comes from the root word, “womb.” The picture is of a birthing. It is also the picture of a faithful mother giving all she's got to bring a little ...read more

Tags: Children, Compassion, Women, Mothers, Mother's Day, New Birth  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Poor Short-Term Memory

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 31, 2022

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, “Really? What was the name of the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 22:19

Tags: Communion, Lord's Supper

The Goal Of Spiritual Gifts

Contributed by John Bright on Sep 24, 2025

Spiritual Gifts were documented in Class Meetings within the Wesleyan tradition. It was there that members shared their lives – the successes and the struggles. They would search the Scriptures for answers, and they would pray for each other. Those prayers included listening for a Word from the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 4:10-11, 1 Corinthians 12:28

Tags: Spiritual Gifts, Small Groups, Class Meeting, Love

Denomination: Methodist

Let Go Of That Balloon! (07.08.05--Joy Every ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Jul 6, 2005

Let Go of That Balloon! (07.08.05--Joy Every Day--Ecclesiastes 11:1-6) Carpe diem! Engraved in the keystone of the old fellowship hall I passed every day on my way to the office, I had glanced at it countless times. But on this particular day, with my youngest daughter in the car, her question ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 11:1-6

Tags: Joy

Denomination: Lutheran

Douglas Hyde Was A Major Leader In The Communist ...

Contributed by Kenneth Squires on Jul 31, 2006

Douglas Hyde was a major leader in the Communist Party in England during the 1930’s and 1940’s. However, in 1948 he converted to Christianity. Later he wrote a fascinating little book, Dedication and Leadership, in which he pointed out that the means of developing leaders among the communists were ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 4:6-15

Tags: What Is Evangelism?, Godliness

Denomination: Pentecostal

Crucified With Christ

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Crucified With Christ "The Christian's Passion" Jesus said, "If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me" (Luke 9:23). We have just passed Easter--celebrating what Christ did for us on Calvary and the victory He won over sin and death. The Bible ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:23

Tags: Easter Good Friday

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Evidences Of ...

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Evidences of Salvation Faith The second truth relating to man’s acceptance of God’s great salvation is true Biblical faith. Faith is the indispensable channel of salvation. In Hebrews 11:6 we are told that “…without faith it is ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 11:1

Tags: Salvation

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A New Perspective On Ugly Sweaters

Contributed by Todd Catteau on Nov 5, 2019

I am not stylish. I will never be named “best dressed” minister. I do not enjoy clothes shopping. Yet, even though shopping is a task, there are occasions when I do need to pick up an item or two and even though I don’t have an eye for what’s fashionable I can sense when something is absolutely ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:10

Tags: Goodness, Humanity, Dignity, Image Of God, Love Neighbor  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Friends Forever. Wow Those Are Some Very Powerful ...  PRO

Contributed by Timothy Gardner on Jan 4, 2005

Friends Forever. Wow those are some very powerful words when you put them together you know? I mean, think about what this phrase means: being a friend forever; always there no matter what. This popular phrase can be found in letters from one best friend to another, on the split necklaces when put ...read more

Tags: Evangelism How To, Evangelism Urgency

Denomination: Salvation Army

Caterpillar And Butterfly

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Feb 8, 2019

Robert J. Morgan in PREACHER’S SOURCEBOOK OF CREATIVE SERMON ILLUSTRATIONS tells of the story… Seems there was an enemy that had a beautiful princess trapped in his palace tower. The strong, handsome knight loved his princess so much and he wanted to do a surprise attack and free his princess ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 139:23-24

Tags: Better Vs Bitter, Attitudes

Denomination: Assembly Of God

[037] A Message From A Poem – Calvary – Golgotha’s Skull

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Feb 26, 2025

[037] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – CALVARY – GOLGOTHA’S SKULL What does Calvary mean to you? To most people it means nothing except a casual thought at Easter perhaps. May we ask what does Calvary mean to a Christian? Here the answers are many and most of them would be simplistic which is fine. ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:17-18, Luke 23:33

Tags: Calvary, The Cross, Golgotha, Sins, Place Of The Skull, Atonement, Easter, Crucifixion, Salvation, Redemption, Poetry  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I'm Only A Mirror Fragment  PRO

Contributed by Matt Black on Oct 26, 2002

I’M ONLY A MIRROR FRAGMENT I want to share with you a story about a very interesting well-educated Greek philosopher whose name is Dr. Alexander Popaderos. And Dr. Popaderos every summer on the island of Crete taught a class on ethics for two weeks. And this particular summer just as he was ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:16

Tags: Character, Evangelism, Fulfillment, God Brings Purpose, Reflect  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Chasing A Wagging Tail  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Jun 17, 2004

CHASING A WAGGING TAIL Stephen Hawking is an astrophysicist at Cambridge University and perhaps the most intelligent man on earth. He has advanced the general theory of relativity farther than any person since Albert Einstein. Unfortunately, Hawking is afflicted with ALS Syndrome (Lou Gehrig’s ...read more

Tags: Faith, Joy

Denomination: Lutheran

Once, When I Was In The Seventh Grade, My Dad, My ...  PRO

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Apr 26, 2002

Once, when I was in the seventh grade, my dad, my brother, and I were traveling from Oak Ridge, TN to Jellico, TN. My dad was going to preach, and I was going to play the guitar and my older brother the saxophone. We got into a discussion, I will never forget. Dad is a student of the ...read more

Denomination: Assembly Of God

James Dobson, New Man, October, ...  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Aug 9, 2002

[illustration, James Dobson, New Man, October, 1994, p. 36.] This is an exert from an article that James Dobson wrote in 1994 about Stephen Hawking, whom I believe has since died… Stephen Hawking is an astrophysicist at Cambridge University and perhaps the most intelligent man on earth. He has ...read more

Tags: Fulfillment, Contentment

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Mulligan

Contributed by Grant Van Boeschoten on Feb 1, 2008

"Mulligan" There are a lot of golfers out there who have convinced themselves that it is OK to cheat, they even came up with a name for it so that it didn’t sound so bad. It’s called a Mulligan, a do over, a second chance. Here is how it goes. You step up to the tee box to hit the ball and ...read more

I Know Because I See

Contributed by Bruce Montgomery on Apr 21, 2008

I KNOW BECAUSE I SEE The fingerprints of God are everywhere in nature! Faith - at least in part - is the spiritual seeing or perceiving of the fingerprints on the things he has made. We see the order, the beauty, the greatness, the complexity of what he has made - and these are the evidence that ...read more

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational