In Sermon Illustrations: "Eleven Disciple"

Shall We Strive For Numbers?

Contributed by Dave Mcfadden on Nov 16, 2004

"Shall We Strive For Numbers?" Someone recently said, "I am not interested in numbers. I would rather have a spiritual Sunday School class than a big one." I found myself agreeing and determined to pray and prepare my lesson unusually well for next Sunday. At least MY class would be a spiritual ...read more

Tags: Evangelism Urgency, Evangelism How To

Denomination: Baptist

Abundant Life  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 7, 2009

ABUNDANT LIFE In December 1990, the threat of war with Iraq was looming. Many reserves and National Guard troops were mobilized. There were some homes where father and mother were both deployed. Recognizing this situation (that both father and mother would be gone overseas), a civic organization ...read more

Scripture: John 10:10

Tags: Joy

Harland Sanders: Story Of Hope

Contributed by Gerald Steffy on Aug 28, 2009

HARLAND SANDERS: STORY OF HOPE Here’s a man sitting on his porch in Kentucky. He’s only recently retired from the post office, and he’s sitting there when his first Social Security check is delivered. He’s very, very discouraged. He thinks to himself, Is this what life is going to be from now ...read more

Tags: Disappointment

Denomination: Baptist

Wash Your Hands

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 5, 2011

WASH YOUR HANDS In 1818, Ignaz Phillip Semmelweis was born into a world of dying women. The finest hospitals lost one out of six young mothers to the scourge of "childbed fever." A doctor's daily routine began in the dissecting room where he performed autopsies. From there he made his way to the ...read more

Scripture: Mark 5:25-34, Mark 5:21-43

Tags: Unbelief

If You Want To Walk On Water…  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on May 2, 2012

John Ortberg states: "The decision to grow always involves a choice between risk and comfort. This means that to be a follower of Jesus, you must renounce comfort as the ultimate value of your life. And that’s sobering news to most of us, because we’re into comfort...but water walkers master ...read more

Scripture: Romans 4:18-22, Romans 4:3

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I Was A Young Youth Pastor In Augusta, Ga, Doing ...

Contributed by Todd Stiles on Feb 1, 2007

I was a young youth pastor in Augusta, GA, doing my best to train a group of kids to reach out to others. Granted – some of my ideas met resistance (imagine that!), and the culture there turned out to be very different than what was actually communicated to me at the beginning. However, I figured ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

[041] A Message From A Poem – Christ - Our Support In Hurt

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 1, 2025

[041] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – CHRIST - OUR SUPPORT IN HURT We can pass through stormy seas and feel like those disciples in the boat when calm gave way to anxiety, but Jesus was in the boat resting in peace. The disciples focussed on the conditions and not on the Lord. Is that like us as ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 56:3-4, Psalm 56:11, Matthew 28:20, John 14:16, Mark 4:37-40  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Always With You, Hurt, Afraid, Support, Alone, Anxious  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Personal Truth To The Resurrection  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 20, 2002

PERSONAL TRUTH TO THE RESURRECTION Christian author and activist Chuck Colson draws evidence for the resurrection for personal experience. Colson was a part of the Nixon Whitehouse during the Watergate scandal of seventies. He writes: Watergate involved a conspiracy to cover up, ...read more

Orchard Experts Wound Fruit Trees To Bear More ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 2, 2009

Orchard Experts Wound Fruit Trees To Bear More Fruit In verse 8 Jesus teaches us that the proof of discipleship is spiritual fruitfulness (Mt. 7:20). “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. The branch produces what the life coursing through its ...read more

Scripture: John 15:1-8

Tags: Productivity

Designed Dilemmas

Contributed by Steven Ferber on Jun 21, 2012

DESIGNED DILEMMAS In Dr. Tim Kimmel’s book Raising Kids Who Turn Out Right, he has a section called Designed Dilemmas. Kimmel is convinced that most modern parents pamper their kids to the point where they don’t ever have to face situations that force them to grow up, mature, learn responsibility. ...read more

Tags: Trust

Denomination: Lutheran

Just A Touch

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Dec 17, 2020

Mar 5:27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. 28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. 29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. 30 And Jesus, ...read more

Scripture: Mark 5:27-34

Tags: Faith, Desire, Touch, Crowds

Denomination: Baptist

Some Of The Saddest Words In The New Testament ...

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Feb 25, 2007

Some of the saddest words in the New Testament are concerning the disciples at the Last Supper. Jesus had repeatedly told them of his betrayal and coming suffering and death. He announced that one of them was about to betray him, and the next verse says, “A dispute arose among them as to which ...read more

Denomination: Methodist

We Need To Continually Surge Forward Spiritually, ...

Contributed by Austin Mansfield on Mar 4, 2007

We need to continually surge forward spiritually, to prevent sliding backward. I discovered recently that the Australian coat of arms has a picture of an emu and a kangaroo. They chose those particular animals because they both share a common trait that appealed to the Australian forefathers. Emus ...read more

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

There Was A "One-Hour Dry Cleaners," On The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

There was a "One-Hour Dry Cleaners," on the other side of town, so a man drove out of his way to drop off a suit. After filling out the tag, he told the clerk, "I need this in an hour." She said, "I can’t get this back to you until Thursday." "I thought you did dry cleaning in an hour?" "No," she ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

God Can Use You  PRO

Contributed by Fran Van Hoven on Jun 29, 2007

ILLUS: God can use you The next time you feel like GOD can’t use you, just remember... Noah got drunk, Abraham was too old, Isaac was a daydreamer, Jacob was a liar, Joseph was abused, Moses had a stuttering problem, Gideon was afraid, Rahab was a prostitute, Jeremiah and Timothy were too ...read more

Denomination: Assembly Of God

You Attract The People Your System ...

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Jan 28, 2008

"You Attract the People Your System Invites It’s no secret that healthy environments attract healthy people. Healthy people leave environments that are not or more often than not, get pulled down by them. Yet, it is something we tend to forget. When we find a system or environment that is wrong, ...read more

Denomination: Independent/Bible

A.d. 110. Ignatius, Overseer Of The Church In ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2008

A.D. 110. Ignatius, overseer of the church in Antioch, was arrested and sent to Rome for preaching Christ. Facing martyrdom, he wrote this to the church at Rome. "Now I begin to be a disciple. I care for nothing of visible or invisible things so that I may but win Christ. Let fire and the cross, ...read more

Tags: Discipleship

Bruce Thielemann, Pastor Of First Presbyterian ...

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Feb 8, 2009

Bruce Thielemann, pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, told of a conversation with an active layman, who mentioned, “You preachers talk a lot about giving, but when you get right down to it, it all comes down to basin theology.” Thielemann asked, “Basin theology? What’s that?” The ...read more

Tags: Servanthood

Denomination: Other

I Met A Man Who Told Me He Was Celebrating His ...

Contributed by Stephen Smarowsky on Apr 10, 2009

I met a man who told me he was celebrating his birthday this month. I asked him what day. He replied, "I don’t know what day my actual birthday is on." He said that he was so old that when he was born there was no such thing as a birth certificate and that he had so many siblings his parents just ...read more

Tags: Salvation

Denomination: Baptist

It Is The Story Of A Blind Boy With His Father ...

Contributed by Colin Bain on May 1, 2009

. It is the story of a blind boy with his father on a hill flying a kite. The young lad had the kite string in his hand and a smile on his face which was pointing to the skies. Eventually someone came and asked the unspoken question “What can you possibly get out of flying the kite?” The boy ...read more

Tags: Prayer General

Denomination: Salvation Army