In Sermon Illustrations: "Excuses"

There Was Once A Monk Who Joined A Very Strict ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 26, 2007

There was once a monk who joined a very strict monastic order. In fact, they were so strict that the monks had to take a vow of silence which could only be broken every five years, and then only with two words. After his first five years, the monk went to see the abbot for his two-word interview. ...read more

Is Evangelism Too Hard?

Contributed by Tim Smith on May 11, 2014

Jenn Hopkins writes of attending a funeral several years ago. "There he lay, dead. He was gone and unsaved. Lived a life and then, in the flash of an eye, he was in Hell. Someone I loved and respected was gone and so was my opportunity to share the Gospel with him. His funeral was in a church, one ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 3:8-13

Tags: Evangelism, Hell

Denomination: Methodist

The Bible. God's Manual For Life

Contributed by Jesse Crooks on Mar 10, 2020

The Bible God’s manual for living Joshua 1:8 Psalm 119: 11 Last year we finally traded vans. We drive one until it falls apart in the road. Our van would no longer go in reverse, and it would have been too expensive to replace the transmission. The new one didn’t have the owner’s manual, ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 1:8, Psalm 119:11

Tags: Bible, Manuel

Honesty And Bending The Truth

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 11, 2025

An Engineer, a physicist, an economist and a Planner were being interviewed for a position as chief executive officer of a large Local Authority. The Engineer was interviewed first, and was asked a long list of questions, ending with: "How much is two plus two?" The Engineer excused ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:7, 1 Timothy 3:8, Ephesians 4:15, Zechariah 8:16, John 8:44  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Truth, Corruption, Honesty, Situation Ethics, Absolute Truth  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

John Vianney, 18th Century Pastor, Is Quoted As ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2008

John Vianney, 18th Century Pastor, is quoted as saying, “Love for our neighbor consists of three things: to desire the greater good of everyone; to do what good we can when we can; to bear, excuse, and hide other’s faults. The kind of love that Jesus is talking about here is the sacrificial ...read more

Tags: Love For God

According To A Upi News Item; The Metropolitan ...

Contributed by Vera Hughes on Feb 20, 2008

According to a UPI news item; the Metropolitan Insurance Company received some unusual explanations/excuses for accidents from its automobile policyholders. The following are just few: • An invisible car came out of nowhere, struck my car, and vanished. • I had been driving my car for 40 years ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Sin Of Omission

Contributed by Larry Wilson on Aug 25, 2011

SIN OF OMISSION We see sad events transpiring today: Mothers smothering children and fathers shaking babies. But if one did not do this and if they said, "I didn’t strike the baby, I just never fed the baby, I never changed a diaper. I never placed a warm blanket over the baby. I didn’t DO ...read more

Tags: Sin Hurtful To God

Denomination: Baptist

One Of My Favorite Stories Is The One About West ...  PRO

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Mar 21, 2007

One of my favorite stories is the one about West Side Baptist Church in Beatrice, Nebraska. Normally all of the good choir people came to church on Wednesday night to practice, and they tended to be early, well before the 7:30 starting time. But one night, March 1, 1950, one by one, two by two, ...read more

Denomination: Pentecostal

Trying To Help  PRO

Contributed by Brent Long on Mar 20, 2011

TRYING TO HELP An older man approached a young stranger in the post office and asked, "Sir, would you address this postcard and write a short note for me? I have such a difficult time writing these days." The younger man gladly did so, and when he was finished, he asked the older gentleman, ...read more

Tags: Complaining

Denomination: Apostolic

Weak Prayer, Weak Faith  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Feb 7, 2013

WEAK PRAYER, WEAK FAITH Bill Hybels, "I used to make excuses for my faint-hearted prayer life. I don’t have any good models of persevering prayer, I told myself. I have too many responsibilities to fulfill, so I don’t have the time to pray properly. But God convinced me that I was not being honest ...read more

Scripture: James 4:2

Tags: Prayer Persistence

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Dr. Garl Restored My Sight!  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Howell on Oct 17, 2001

“Dr. Garl Restored My Sight!” There was this soft-spoken man who was a commuter on the Long Island Railroad—on the five o’clock local. Every evening, after the train had left the subway, he would begin a journey through the car from front to back. At each seat he would stop and say, “Excuse me. ...read more

Tags: Great Commission, Sharing My Testimony

Denomination: Wesleyan

From The Reader's Digest) One Woman Wrote: ...

Contributed by Fred Sigle on Nov 9, 2006

(From the Reader’s Digest) ONE WOMAN WROTE: Determined to lose weight, I decided to join a FITNESS CLASS that met three times a week. But no matter how much I pleaded, my husband, Keith, refused to join me. As the weeks went by, my EXCUSES for MISSING most of the classes became more and more ...read more

Tags: Finding Fulfillment

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The College Professor Was Furious When Nine ...  PRO

Contributed by Traci Loewe on Jul 30, 2007

“The college professor was furious when nine students failed to show up for the evening class. Not until 7 p.m. did the first student straggle in. "I’m sorry, sir," the student explained, "but I had a date and lost track of time, and I missed the bus back. Being determined to get in on time, I ...read more

Denomination: Methodist

Unopened Gifts  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on May 16, 2003

[illustration] Imagine how a parent would feel if on Christmas day when the gifts for their children were handed out, the children just took them, said “Thank you,” and laid them aside with no attempt to open the gifts not even to find out what they were! Imagine how the Lord must feel when he has ...read more

Tags: God's Provision

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Little Boy Ran Into The Living Room Where His ...  PRO

Contributed by W F on Jun 25, 2006

A little boy ran into the living room where his father was reading. “Dad, where did I come from?” The boy’s mother cleared her throat and excused herself to let the father answer this long-feared question. Father cleared his throat and went through a long, careful explanation of how children are ...read more

Tags: Sexuality

Denomination: *other

Thoughts On The Submission Of The Christian Wife

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Aug 21, 2023

Means to follow your husband as he follows Christ. Intended to bless and protect the wife, not to enslave her. Does not mean that she is without voice in decision – making (Gethsemane). Never to be used by the man by force. Never to be used as an excuse for evil. Should always reflect the way ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:18-31

Tags: Wives, Marriage, Leadership, Submission, Husbands  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Recently I Read A Fable About A Dog Who Loved To ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Recently I read a fable about a dog who loved to chase other animals. He bragged about his great running skill and said he could catch anything. Well, it wasn’t long until his boastful claims were put to the test by a certain rabbit. With ease the little creature outran his barking pursuer. The ...read more

Tags: Endurance

At The Turn Of The 18th Century, Christmas Could ...

Contributed by Keith Broyles on Oct 4, 2007

At the turn of the 18th century, Christmas could be a very dangerous time for ordinary common folk like us. Back in those days, it was customary for bands of young men to go door-to-door, demanding food and drink and in exchange provide a song for the household’s entertainment. If nothing was ...read more

Denomination: Methodist

I'm Going To Be Forty This Month, But I ...

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Nov 27, 2007

“I’m going to be forty this month, but I approached thirty with more apprehension, I think, and the sense of time gone by. I’ve had more time to learn about myself, ten more years. “I no longer fool myself, not easily anyway. I know when I’m making excuses and when I’m making choices, and the ...read more

Denomination: Pentecostal

Well I Want To Talk To People About Christ, But ...

Contributed by Damon Rambo on Apr 4, 2008

Well I want to talk to people about Christ, but I’m scared. What kind of excuse is that? Imagine for a moment that you were the parent of a child that just got ran over. And you went to one of the people who were standing on the side of the street, watching, and you ask them “why didn’t you warn ...read more

Denomination: Baptist