In Sermon Illustrations: "Encourage Others"

Christ Brings Unity

Contributed by David Ward on Aug 15, 2012

CHRIST BRINGS UNITY Every three years InterVarsity Christian Fellowship sponsors the Urbana Conference, a gathering that challenges university students to get involved in world evangelization. About 16,000 students from around the world attended the 2009 conference. After the main session each ...read more

Tags: Unity

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

No Runs, No Hits, No Errors  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 17, 2012

NO RUNS, NO HITS, NO ERRORS In one little Midwestern town, Miss Jones had the distinction of being the oldest resident in town. So when she died, the editor of the local paper wanted to print a little article remembering this dear old lady, except he couldn't think of anything to say when he sat ...read more

Scripture: Titus 2:11-14, Revelation 3:14-22

Tags: Race, Run, Lukewarm, Car

God's Banana Stalk

Contributed by Hal Seed on Nov 9, 2012

GOD'S BANANA STALK One of my favorite stories in The Bible Questions is the story of the Motilone (Mow-til-oh-ee) Indians of Columbia, South America. In the 1960s, the Motilones were Stone Age headhunters feared by all their neighboring tribes. They had killed every white man who trespassed into ...read more

Tags: Bible Influence

Denomination: Baptist

The Obedience Of Gladys Aylward

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Jan 23, 2013

THE OBEDIENCE OF GLADYS AYLWARD Gladys Aylward, missionary to China, during the 1930s as a young woman she left her home in England and sailed to China. Here she opened a home for orphaned children who'd been left to starve or wander the streets. When the Japanese invaded China, Gladys was forced ...read more

Tags: Obedience

Denomination: Brethren

Wanting What You Have

Contributed by Spencer Miller on Mar 10, 2013

WANTING WHAT YOU HAVE The story was told of a young preacher who was rejected by the other associate ministers of the Church he attended. They said very little to him and would often talk behind his back. One day he went to the pastor and expressed his intentions of leaving the Church and seeking ...read more

Tags: Jealousy

Denomination: Baptist

We're On The Same Team  PRO

Contributed by Gaylon Clark on Dec 9, 2013

Richie Incognito and Jonathan Martin had every reason as teammates to be friends, but they were not. Incognito harassed and bullied Martin. He called him a racial slur in a voicemail played by every media outlet in the country. He threatened to kill him and his family. Incognito claimed all of this ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-6, John 17:20-23, Colossians 3:12-17, Psalm 133:1-3

Tags: Teamwork, Christian Unity, Church Unity, Christian Friendship

Denomination: Baptist

The Knowledge Of Good And Evil  PRO

Contributed by Lalachan Abraham on Jan 8, 2014

THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL Viktor Frankl in his book, "Man's Search for Meaning," describes the reactions of two brothers with the same heredity, the same environment, in the same concentration camp under the Nazis. One became a saint and the other a swine. Frankl tells us the reason why. He ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 30:19

Tags: Good And Evil, Life And Death, Forbidden Fruit, Knowledge Of Good

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Two-Headed Lamb

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 7, 2014

THE TWO-HEADED LAMB Dr. H.A. Ironside once shared a story that was the clearest illustration of the Gospel I have ever heard. He said that he was visiting in South Texas and had the opportunity to visit a sheep ranch. While he was there, he spotted what he thought to be a two-headed lamb. He ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

Tags: Atonement, Heaven, Gospel, Cross

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Trust God He Knows The Future!

Contributed by Roger Whipp on Dec 29, 2014

Testimony: When I was in the Police one of my note books containing vital evidence went missing. I started to panic as in the UK any verbal evidence written down must be shown, if requested in it’s original form at court. The small voice of God prompted me to look in the confidential waste sack. ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 2:1-10

Tags: Trust God, God Knows The Future

Denomination: *other

Who's Flying The Plane?

Contributed by Roger Whipp on Dec 31, 2014

I guess many here including me have in the past and if honest still do sometimes ask this question “Why God?” or “How can there be a God with all this suffering” Sometimes life hands us some tricky situations. Former President Ronald Reagan likes to tell a story which he says is true about a ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:18-31

Tags: Hope, Suffering

Denomination: *other

No One Is A Lost Cause

Contributed by Tim Smith on Feb 11, 2015

Ron Smith was in law enforcement for 20 years. After he retired, he was asked to join a prison ministry of his church. He scoffed at the idea, knowing he had put a lot of those guys in prison and he, above all, knew what types of peoplethey were. But eventually he broke down and joined and God ...read more

Scripture: Luke 23:32-43

Tags: Forgiveness, Compassion, Hope, Reconciliation

Denomination: Methodist

What Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes And Lilo And Stitch Tell Us

Contributed by Fr Mund Cargill Thompson on Apr 10, 2015

Two films. The 2014 film “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” and the earlier “Lilo and stitch”. In the Dawn of the Planet of the apes, small groups of human beings and intelligent apes have both survived a deadly plague. A group of humans trying to restart a hydro electric generator stumble across ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 4:18

Tags: Fear, Overcoming Anxiety, Non-Anxious Presence, Ohana

Denomination: Anglican

Commitment

Contributed by Tim Smith on May 28, 2015

Dave Hood tells the story of training to run a 5K run. Every time his wife and he would go running on their favorite trail, they’d walk a little faster, and with a little more gusto. One day, a half mile in and a young lady came at them sprinting towards them. They jumped out of the way so she ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:13-14

Tags: Commitment, Spiritual Growth, Running The Race

Denomination: Methodist

Mtv Gave Us Our First Ever "Reality Show", A ...

Contributed by Jay Winters on May 30, 2015

MTV gave us our first ever "reality show", a thing called "The Real World" that came out in 1992. The first "Real World" cast sought to show us what happens when you put seven strangers in a house together, and quote, "people stop being polite, and start being real". And the world sat there, glued ...read more

Tags: Reality, Pop Culture

Denomination: Lutheran

The Gossipping Preacher

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 5, 2021

Three preachers from the same small town in Texas were out fishing together, just getting away from the busy pace of a minister's schedule. All alone in a boat together, they began to open up and confess things in their lives. The first preacher said, "Well, I hate to admit it, but I ...read more

Tags: Gossip, Critical Spirit, Rumors, Preachers, Backbiting, Tale Bearing  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

General Douglas Macarthur I Shall Return

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Sep 1, 2021

Psalm 34:3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. 4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. General Douglas MacArthur had a terrible battle. The struggle was against mighty odds. The ALLIED FORCES were lacking in support. There was ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:7-10, Luke 5:5

Tags: Heavy, I Shall Return, Weary

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Evil Has Arrived

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Sep 7, 2021

I am afraid that if Paul Revere rode through our towns crying, "The evil is coming! The evil is coming" Church folks would go back to sleep instead of rising to arms and in the morning have him arrested for disturbing the peace. The same works for revival. The call may come and God ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 2:5, Romans 13:11, Ezekiel 33:6-7

Tags: Candlestick, Awake, Hell, Soul, Sleep, Watchman  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Prisoner 4664 Nelson Mandela

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Oct 15, 2021

46664… PRISONER 46664… 1 Corinthians 4:12 And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: There are times it seems our hurt and wounds are our testing zones and we are put on display for others to mock. It is like the spectacle at the end ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 4:12

Tags: Forgive, Wounded

Denomination: Assembly Of God

A Funny Thanksgiving Joke To Share!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Nov 18, 2021

A FUNNY THANKSGIVING JOKE TO SHARE! A retiree in Florida phones his daughter in New Jersey and says, “Honey, I have bad news for you. Your mother and I have decided that 52 years of marriage is enough. We’re calling it quits and getting a divorce.” His daughter yells, “Are you crazy? What the ...read more

Tags: Sermon Introduction, Funny Stories, Thanksgiving, Humor, Jokes  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Spirit Of Fear

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 31, 2022

There was a lady who died in 1916 named Hetty Green. She has been called “America’s greatest miser.” When she died in 1916, her estate was valued at $100 million. But she was so miserly that she ate cold oatmeal in order to save the expense of heating the water. When her son had a severe leg ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:1-7

Tags: Fear, Satan, Spiritual Warfare, Spirit Of Fear

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational