In Sermon Illustrations: "Esteem Him"

Patchwork World

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2008

PATCHWORK WORLD Studdert Kennedy tells of an explorer who brought back a chameleon which his household affectionately named Billy the Lizard. The explorer left Billy in charge of his butler who showed him to his many friends and associates. When the explorer returned, he asked how Billy was. ...read more

Tags: Becoming A Christian

More Than The Pope

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Sep 6, 2023

There’s a joke about the Pope coming to visit New York. His entourage had ordered a stretch limo for him. As he approached, they held the rear door open for him, but the Pontiff said that it had always been an ambition of his to drive in New York himself. So he got into the front seat, and ...read more

Scripture: Luke 14:7-11

Tags: Pride, Status, Humility

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Leadership Magazine Carried A Story About 4 Young ...  PRO

Contributed by Melvin Newland on Feb 14, 2001

Leadership Magazine carried a story about 4 young men, Bible College students, who were renting a house together. One Saturday morning someone knocked on their door. And when they opened it, there stood this bedraggled-looking old man. His eyes were kind of marbleized, & he had a silvery stub of ...read more

Scripture: Mark 12:28-34, Mark 12:1-17

Tags: Christian Love, Christian Disciplines, Giving, Giving General, Generosity, Good  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

I Recall One Of The Andy Griffith Episodes That ...  PRO

Contributed by Martin Wiles on May 8, 2002

I recall one of the Andy Griffith episodes that I think illustrates very well the matter of giving. It seems Andy had been elected chairman of the needy children charity drive. They were taking up money at the schools for this charity as well as in town. Well, word got back to Andy that Opie had ...read more

Tags: Giving General

Denomination: Baptist

Somewhere I Read The Story Of A Family With A ...  PRO

Contributed by Jelle Horjus on Nov 1, 2005

Somewhere I read the story of a family with a small boy, his parents and his grandfather. It happened that every evening when the family was having dinner at the table, the old grandfather spilled the food on his clothes. He was old, his hands were trembling and he could not move the spoon to his ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:35-45

Tags: Judgment, Mercy, Forgiveness For Others, Forgiveness, Compassion  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

I Read Of A Man Who Had Committed A Crime For ...  PRO

Contributed by Owen Bourgaize on Aug 25, 2003

I read of a man who had committed a crime for which he was deeply ashamed. When he’d served his prison sentence and was about to be released he wondered if his family would reject him because of the scandal he’d caused and the shame brought on the family. He wrote his parents saying that he would ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:11-32

Tags: God The Father, Promises Of God

Denomination: Baptist

Sadly, We Are Sometimes Ashamed Of Jesus. I'm ...  PRO

Contributed by Peter Schmidt on Nov 20, 2003

Sadly, we are sometimes ashamed of Jesus. I’m guilty of it, and so are all of you. Sometimes we might not hide our faith, but we don’t go out of the way either to let people know that how much Jesus means to us. “Oh man, my friend will think I’m nuts if I tell him about the Savior. I don’t want to ...read more

Scripture: John 14:1-14

Tags: Evangelism Fear Of, Evangelism How To

Denomination: Lutheran

The Easiest And Yet Hardest Thing To Do

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Sep 29, 2009

THE EASIEST AND YET HARDEST THING TO DO Many were following Jesus, but they do not really want to trust Him as their Saviour. It seems so easy and yet so hard. D. L. Moody shared this experience. One day he went to his little nephew house, who was then about 3 or 4 years old. He threw a ...read more

Tags: Evangelism The Lost

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Surprise Reward At The End Of Bill Broadhurst's ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 1, 2010

Surprise Reward at the End of Bill Broadhurst’s Marathon In July 1981, Bill Broadhurst entered the Omaha, Nebraska, Pepsi 10k. Broadhurst is slowed by a brain aneurysm he suffered 10 years earlier, which left him partially paralyzed on the left side. He made it his goal to finish the 10k despite ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Tags: Sports

To Be Needed

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 8, 2011

TO BE NEEDED Stu Weber, in his book Tender Warrior, includes an article written by a woman. She writes: One day the doorbell rang and there stood my beloved brother. It was a delightful surprise. His work as an executive of an international petroleum company keeps him out of the country most of ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 17:17

Tags: Friendship General

Sin Causes God Pain

Contributed by Troy Borst on Apr 25, 2013

SIN CAUSES GOD PAIN There is a book I read a few years ago, "Theology of the Pain of God" by Kazoh Kitamori, which added to my view about how I see my relationship with God. It is a deep theological book which looks at our relationship with God from the perspective of pain... and not our pain, ...read more

Tags: Sin, God The Father

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

'twas The Sunday Before Easter  PRO

Contributed by Frank Carl on Mar 8, 2008

“’Twas the Sunday before Easter” ‘Twas The Sunday Before Easter, And all through Israel’s House There was planning and scheming by Herod the louse, While palm leaves were waving o’er Christ’s lovely head Just five days later, he’d be rejected and dead. The children were running and leaping for ...read more

Tags: Key, Access

Leadership Magazine Carried This Story About 4 ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 10, 2008

LEADERSHIP MAGAZINE CARRIED THIS STORY ABOUT 4 YOUNG, BIBLE COLLEGE STUDENTS, WHO WERE RENTING A HOUSE TOGETHER. “ONE SATURDAY MORNING SOMEONE KNOCKED ON THEIR DOOR AND WHEN THEY OPENED IT, THERE STOOD THIS BEDRAGGLED-LOOKING OLD MAN. HIS EYES WERE KIND OF MARBLEIZED, AND HE HAD A SILVERY STUB OF ...read more

The Box Is Empty

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 31, 2008

THE BOX IS EMPTY God offers us more than this world does, but most of us never take the time to see it. There was a 15-year old boy named Joey, whose mother died at birth. She was a severe alcoholic, and that had affected his pre-natal development. The result was that he was slightly retarded. ...read more

Tags: Worldliness

He Led Them Up The Steep Slope Out Of The River ...  PRO

Contributed by Todd Anderson on Dec 8, 2005

“He led them up the steep slope out of the river valley and then slightly to the right apparently by the very same route which they had used that afternoon in coming from the hill of the stone table. On and on he lead them into dark shadows out into pale moonlight. Getting their feet wet with the ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-3

Tags: Narnia

Denomination: Lutheran

When I Was A Freshman At Lincoln Christian ...

Contributed by Matthew Rogers on Feb 25, 2002

When I was a freshman at Lincoln Christian College, I had an experience that made me seriously question my calling into the ministry. My professor for a class on the Life of Christ had approached me about leading the group in a Scripture reading and prayer to begin our class time. I agreed. But ...read more

Tags: Christian Love, Gifts Encouragement

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Comfortable In Hell  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 6, 2002

COMFORTABLE IN HELL Jeff Strite tells this story about his Dad. My Dad was what was known as "a rounder." A man’s man. Hard worker, hard fighter, and a hard player of baseball and basketball. He was attractive to women and he loved to go out and dance. Now, it’s not that dad was a stranger ...read more

Scripture: Luke 16:19-31

Tags: Hell, Jesus Teachings, Parable Lazarus

A Candidate For Church Membership Was Asked, ...  PRO

Contributed by Lynn Malone on May 11, 2006

A candidate for church membership was asked, "What part of the Bible do you like best?" He said: "I like the New Testament best. Then he was asked, "What Book in the New Testament is your favorite?" He answered, the Book of the Parables, Sir." They then asked him to relate one of the parables to ...read more

Tags: Bible Study, Fragment

Denomination: Methodist

Ron Willingham In His Book Life Is What You Make ...

Contributed by Fred Sigle on Dec 18, 2006

Ron Willingham in his book Life Is What You Make It, tells a story that took place about 30 years ago about a member of the Central Church of Christ in Amarillo, TX named Giles Tate who had a SERVANT’S HEART. One day while going home from work, Giles saw two children playing in a VACANT LOT. ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Elizabeth Taylor On ...

Contributed by Tim Harlow on May 13, 2009

ELIZABETH TAYLOR ON MARRIAGE Following her wedding to CONRAD HILTON in 1950, ELIZABETH TAYLOR said, "Your heart knows when you meet the right man. There is no doubt that Nicky is the one I want to spend my life with." Following her wedding to MICHAEL WILDING in 1952, she said, "I just want to be ...read more

Tags: Marriage General, Marriage And Divorce

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational