In Sermon Illustrations: "Examples"

Prayer And Revival - Jonathan Edwards

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on May 24, 2018

Here are only a few examples: It is God’s will through his wonderful grace, that the prayers of his saints should be one of the great principal means of carrying on the designs of Christ’s kingdom in the world. When God has something very great to accomplish for his church, it is his will that ...read more

Tags: Prayer, Revival History

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

So What Does This Gentle Restoration Or ...

Contributed by Sean Harder on Dec 4, 2009

So what does this gentle restoration or correction look like? Well here’s what it doesn’t look like, from a real example I observed: “How could you be so stupid, did you grow up with wolves? You are going to pay for this buster, and you’re going to straight to hell where you belong.” I have left ...read more

Tags: Mercy

You Can Learn A Lot About A Person By Listening ...

Contributed by John Shearhart on Dec 2, 2006

You can learn a lot about a person by listening to his or her last words. For example, it is reported that P. T. Barnum’s last words were “How were the receipts today at Madison Square Garden?” Supposedly writer Oscar Wilde said, “Either that wallpaper goes, or I do,” right before his passing. ...read more

Roy Whetstine Was A Rock Collector Who Two Sons ...

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Jun 8, 2009

Roy Whetstine was a rock collector whose two sons each had given him five dollars to buy a rock for them at a rock show. One table had a Tupperware container with a large potato-sized rock surrounded by a lot of agates. The sign read: “Any stone $15.” Roy picked up the big rock and asked, “You want ...read more

Tags: Parable Treasure

Denomination: Church Of God

Are You A Chief Student?

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Dec 27, 2010

ARE YOU A CHIEF STUDENT? David Friedman, in They Loved the Torah p. 61 comments about Peter (Shim'on): I see Shim'on as Yeshua's Torah-observant....talmid hakham...a Hebrew technical term meaning the leading student (of a rabbi). Every famous rabbi who daily taught the same students had a talmid ...read more

Tags: Discipleship

Denomination: Independent/Bible

President Calvin Coolidge Once Invited Friends ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 16, 2001

President Calvin Coolidge once invited friends from his hometown to dine with him at the White House. Unsure of their table manners, the guests decided to imitate the president. They watched closely to see which utensils he used, what foods he ate and when. Their strategy seemed to succeed until ...read more

Tags: Provider, Provision

The Ultimate Violation Of The Fifth Commandment ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 9, 2002

The ultimate violation of the Fifth Commandment is soberly brought to light by nationally known cases of children murdering their parents. One example is the much publicized Eric and Lyle Menendez trials of 1993. The brothers admitted to killing with premeditation both their parents with a ...read more

Do You Remember When Magic Johnson Announced He ...  PRO

Contributed by Carl Kolb on Jan 5, 2008

• Do you remember when Magic Johnson announced he had AIDS? He vowed to use that tragedy to promote AIDS awareness. While we might be able to commend him for using his illness for a creative, positive purpose, don’t you think it would have been better for him to stress to young people the real ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

This Is My Body

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Apr 26, 2008

THIS IS MY BODY "It was natural then, and it is natural today, to point to a representation of something and say that the representation is the thing. For example, I look at a photograph of our house and say, 'This is our house.' It would not enter anyone’s mind to think I mean that the photograph ...read more

Tags: Lord's Supper

Denomination: Other

Evangelism?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 14, 2009

EVANGELISM? A 4-year study funded by the Lily Endowment designed to identify and analyze highly effective examples of evangelism by congregations in 7 mainline denominations reached two primary findings: (1) Of the 30,000 churches that qualified for the Mainline Evangelism Project, only 1/2 of 1% ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:16-20

Tags: Evangelism The Lost

I ...

Contributed by Herman Abrahams on Oct 2, 2009

Illustration ----------------- 2 Tim 1:5 I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. After my late wife, Fiona, died I noticed a penciled message in the Bible of my granddaughter ...read more

Tags: Mothers

Denomination: Charismatic

Actual Time Served

Contributed by Davon Huss on Feb 21, 2011

ACTUAL TIME SERVED One of the great challenges parents face today is the apparent lack of consequences that permeate our society. One aspect of our judicial system provides an example of this sad fact. In spite of the length of sentences for various crimes, the actual time served is often much ...read more

Tags: Parenting

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Baptism Is A Label  PRO

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Jul 7, 2011

BAPTISM IS A LABEL Some believed that because they were circumcised they were saved. But God never intended circumcision/baptism to do anything. Consider, for example, labels. They name the products, but they do not bring them into being. So with circumcision: BAPTISM LABELS YOU A CHRISTIAN, BUT ...read more

Tags: Baptism

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Unrealized Dreams

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 3, 2024

The Soybean Car,” a concept developed by Henry Ford -- is an example of an unrealized dream. The car was intended to run on hemp fuel. According to Wikipedia, “The soybean car was a concept car built with agricultural plastic. The New York Times in 1941 states the car body and fenders were made ...read more

Scripture: James 4:14-15

Tags: Uncertainty, Presumption, Assumption, Unrealized Dreams, Humility, Future, God's Will, Goals, Dreams  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Please Don't Retire  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 25, 2002

PLEASE DON’T RETIRE We’ve got a dangerous practice in America called "retirement." It’s a blessing in some ways, but it’s also dangerous because it implies that your productivity stops when you get to be 62 or 65. It’s dangerous in the church because people look forward to retiring so they can get ...read more

Tags: Giving Yourself, Fulfillment, Family

A Girl's ...

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

A GIRL’S PRAYER When in college Robert J , Morgan came across a poem written by a teenage girl looking for a husband. It was written as a prayer, and this is what she said: Dear God, I pray all unafraid / As girls are wont to be I do not want a handsome man / But make him, Lord, like Thee. I do ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 11:1

Tags: Prayer Answered

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Teen's Plea On ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 5, 2009

A TEEN’S PLEA ON LISTENING I want to close now by reading a letter. Here is a modern example of the tragedy of not listening, a modern example of the measure you measured with being measured back to you. In this particular case, it’s a college girl pleading with parents to listen. But I think I ...read more

Tags: Parenting

Tennis Ball Vs. Play Dough  PRO

Contributed by Todd Nelson on Nov 26, 2005

Example: tennis ball vs. play dough We are all affected by the storms and struggles of life. The question to consider is how are you going to respond? Like a tennis ball or play dough? You see, when you put pressure on play dough, it leaves a lasting imprint. Everybody can tell that is has been ...read more

Tags: Temptation Resisting

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Study Released By Rutgers University's National ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 6, 2006

A study released by Rutgers University’s National Marriage Project found that the national marriage rate has fallen 43%, down 4% from 40 years ago. Only 30% of girls and 40% of boys responded that married people are happier than those who remain single or live with a mate out of wedlock. With so ...read more

Tags: Marriage General

Trekkie Fans – Familiar With Tuvok And His Vulcan ...

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Sep 9, 2006

Trekkie fans – familiar with Tuvok and his Vulcan mind meld. By placing his fingers strategically on another’s face their thoughts become his thoughts and the Vulcan would say, “Our minds are one.” This is the picture language of Fellowship in this text. They were a living, breathing organism that ...read more

Denomination: Salvation Army