In Sermon Illustrations: "Easter Youth"

Preparing For Death

Contributed by Warren Lamb on Jan 7, 2008

Preparing For Death Several years ago, I was on staff with a fellow pastor who had been suffering with diabetes and its ill effects for most of his life. He was a single dad with two sons who were the same ages as two of my boys. His name was Mike, and we were close in age. Mike had lost an eye ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Stupid Idea

Contributed by Tyler Edwards on Apr 15, 2009

STUPID IDEA As far as stupid ideas go, this was one of my better moments. I stayed after church one Tuesday night with a number of other kids in the youth group. We were just hanging out and talking for a bit. We were a pretty wild youth group to begin with, but if you know anything about young ...read more

Tags: Fool

Denomination: *other

The Impact Of Fatherlessness  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 11, 2011

THE IMPACT OF FATHERLESSNESS Several years ago the TV show 60 Minutes ran a segment that tells us something important about fatherlessness. The park rangers at a South African wildlife preserve were concerned about the slaughter of 39 rare white rhinos in their park. It turned out that the rhinos ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 4:14-21

Tags: Father's Day

War

Contributed by Steve Kinnard on Feb 15, 2019

WAR My life fell apart in the summer of ‘68. One minute I was the happiest man in the world then wham! It was all over. My countenance changed from a look of total contentment into one filled with agony and anguish. Here I was living in total rapture, married to the woman of my dreams. It’s hard ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-18

Tags: Battle, War

Denomination: Pentecostal

In December 1974, Ten-Year-Old Christopher ...  PRO

Contributed by Richard Burkey on Jun 23, 2005

In December 1974, ten-year-old Christopher Carrier was abducted by one of his father’s ex-employees, David McAllister. McAllister stabbed young Christopher with an ice pick, shot him in the head, and left him in swampland in Florida. Incredibly, Christopher survived, but was blinded in one eye. ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness For Others

Denomination: Lutheran

The Movie "The Hanging Tree" Was Set In A ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

The movie “The Hanging Tree” was set in a western gold-mining camp in the late 1800s. Gary Cooper played the role of doctor for the camp. One day a young boy was seen robbing gold from the camp. He was shot from a distance but managed to hobble into hiding. All hands in the camp spread out to see ...read more

Tags: Cults

Satisfied Mind

Contributed by Charles Salmon on Jul 9, 2007

Satisfied Mind (By Rhodes & Hayes)(Starrite Music) How many times have you heard someone say "If I had his money, I could do things my way?" Little they know that it’s so hard to find One rich man in ten with a satisfied mind. Once I was winning in fortune and fame Everything that I ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Unexpected Christmas

Contributed by Tim Smith on Feb 19, 2012

THE UNEXPECTED CHRISTMAS When I was in seventh grade, like so many youth at that age, music became a huge part of my life. I was awakened to the sounds of music of Elton John’s Greatest Hits, SuperTramp's Breakfast in America and Led Zeppelin 2. So my hope and dream was to build a stereo system ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Methodist

Two Elderly Women Were Out Driving In A Large ...  PRO

Contributed by Brian Harvison on Aug 16, 2008

Two elderly women were out driving in a large car. Both could barely see over the dashboard. As they were cruising along they came to an intersection. The light was red, but they went on through. The woman on the passenger seat thought to herself, "I must be losing it; I could have sworn we just ...read more

Tags: Aging

Denomination: Baptist

Church Attendance Surge Over: For The Last Three ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 18, 2006

Church Attendance Surge Over: For the last three decades, Gallup Poll has found the percentage of Americans who attend church or synagogue weekly to hover between 39% and 43%. In May ‘01, the figure was 41%, in the 10 days after 9/11, it climbed to 47%—a noticeable rise, but no more than what is ...read more

Tags: Church General

Scotty Jordan And I Were Talking Yesterday About ...

Contributed by Charles Newman on Apr 15, 2006

Scotty Jordan and I were talking yesterday about the little chicks that Mrs. Patricia brought to the Easter egg hunt. They were so cute and cuddly, not a child could resist holding one. I made the comment to Scotty that those baby rabbits need their mother for nourishment and I wondered why the ...read more

Tags: Death

Denomination: Methodist

It Reminds Me Of The Story Of The Great African ...

Contributed by Tim Richards on Dec 1, 2004

It reminds me of the story of the great African American singer Marian Anderson. You may not remember her because she retired from singing in 1965, but she was one of the great singers of her day. Once in an interview a reporter asked her to "name the greatest moment in her life." She could have ...read more

Tags: Christian Love

Denomination: Baptist

There Could Have Been Peace Instead Of War In ...

Contributed by Gregg Bitter on Aug 16, 2009

There could have been peace instead of war in 1939. Great Britain and France could have just let Hitler have Poland. That had worked the year before when they let Hitler have part of Czechoslovakia, and British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain returned from Munich declaring "peace for our ...read more

Tags: Peace, War

Denomination: Lutheran

The Pink Bunny Suit

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Feb 11, 2012

THE PINK BUNNY SUIT "Before I was afflicted I went astray; but now I keep thy word." There's a memorable scene in A Christmas Story, in which Ralphie, who longs for a BB gun for Christmas, opens a parcel from his dotty maiden aunt. The aunt makes clothing for Christmas presents, and is under ...read more

Tags: Obedience

Denomination: Catholic

Death And Resurrection

Contributed by David Simpson on Jan 15, 2013

Our son, John learned a valuable lesson about death when he was a child. One day he took aim with his new BB gun at a little bird sitting on a limb near our back deck. He aimed and fired and hit his target and the bird collapsed to the ground. Dead. At first there was the excitement of being a ...read more

Scripture: John 14:19

Tags: Death, Resurrection

Denomination: Christian Church

James S. Hewett, Former Pastor Of Saratoga ...  PRO

Contributed by R. David Reynolds on Mar 23, 2008

James S. Hewett, former pastor of Saratoga (California) Presbyterian Church shares this story: “A little boy and his father were driving down a country road on a beautiful spring afternoon. Suddenly out of nowhere a bumblebee flew in the car window. Since the little boy was deathly allergic to ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:22, Luke 24:4-6

Tags: Atonement, Sacrifice, Salvation, New Life, Apostles General  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Methodist

Ravi Zacharias: Changed Lives Show The Truth Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 9, 2011

RAVI ZACHARIAS: CHANGED LIVES SHOW THE TRUTH OF CHRIST In his book Has Christianity Failed You? Ravi Zacharias points to one of the greatest proofs for the truth of Christ and the reality of his resurrection: the changed lives of Christians. He writes: "During the course of nearly 40 years, I ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:13-16

Tags: Christian Witness

The Christmas Flower

Contributed by Loyd C. Taylor on Dec 14, 2022

THE CHRISTMAS FLOWER “The Legend of Pepita’s Poinsettia” Thank you much, my pretty friend, For the beauty you display; Those colors of green and red Enhances our Christmas day. Great is your reputation- You’re like the Christmas Star, For you are highly regarded, No matter where you are. You ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 1:21, Luke 2:1-20, Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 9:6-7, Micah 5:2  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Poinsettia, Christmas Poems, Christmas Poetry, Poems About Christmas, Christmas Decorations, Nativity, Christ's Birth  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Fear Of Aging

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Dec 27, 2014

“Inside every older person is a younger person wondering what happened.” - Jennifer Yane As you grow older, what’s inside you doesn’t change but your body changes, and it’s confusing to look in the mirror. If you live your life as though you are a perpetual image contestant, your age is ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:3-4

Tags: Aging, Serving, Inner Beauty

Denomination: Charismatic

Australian Women Are 7 Times More Likely Than Men ...

Contributed by W F on Jun 12, 2005

Australian women are 7 times more likely than men to be murdered by a partner or husband (Australian Institute of Criminology). 80% of sexual assaults in Australia are against women and 1 in five of these is perpetrated by a family member (i.e. either a father, male partner or husband - ...read more

Tags: Parenting

Denomination: *other