In Sermon Illustrations: "Fallenness"

Robert Frost -- Mending Wall -- Something ...

Contributed by Philip Harrelson on Sep 27, 2004

Robert Frost -- Mending Wall -- Something there is that doesn’t love a wall, That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it, And spills the upper boulders in the sun, And makes gaps even two can pass abreast. The work of hunters is another thing: I have come after them and made repair Where ...read more

Tags: Friendship New Friends

Denomination: Pentecostal

America's Faith Changing: George Barna Has ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 27, 2006

America’s Faith Changing: George Barna has discovered discernible faith transitions have occurred across various subgroups. Young Adults—When Baby Busters (born between ‘65 and ‘83) enter a new life stage, a 1st marriage or parenthood, religious faith stabilizes. Since ’96 7% more attend Sunday ...read more

Tags: Faith General

A Candy Maker In Indiana Wanted To Make A Candy ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 17, 2006

A candy maker in Indiana wanted to make a candy that would be a witness, so he made the Christmas Candy Cane. He incorporated several symbols for the birth, ministry, and death of Jesus Christ. He began with a stick of pure white hard candy: white to symbolize the Virgin Birth and the sinless ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Case In Point: One Of The Biggest Fools In Us ...

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Nov 1, 2007

Case in point: One of the biggest fools in US Government History was Thomas Jefferson: He and George Washington did not agree on much because of his twisted and distorted religious beliefs: Thomas Jefferson had bought into the lie of the Enlightenment, French promoted Age of Reason and he ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Star Wars Episode Iii: Revenge Of The Sith

Contributed by Aubrey Vaughan on Apr 27, 2008

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith The film takes place three years after the onset of the Clone Wars; the noble Jedi knights are spread out across the galaxy leading a massive clone army in the war against the separatists. After Chancellor Palpatine is kidnapped, Jedi master Obi-Wan ...read more

Tags: Sin Exposed

Denomination: Baptist

2 Weeks Ago In Boston I Had Dinner In The Hotel ...

Contributed by Paul Searight on Oct 1, 2008

2 weeks ago in Boston I had dinner in the hotel with one of the other speakers at the conference I was at. He was from Los Angeles and I made a fairly instant judgement about him when he ordered a beer and then went outside to smoke while he waited on his food. In the course of the evening I told ...read more

Tags: Opportunity

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Dumpster-Diving God  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2008

DUMPSTER-DIVING GOD Being from the South, David Slaigle loves ribs. He remembered hearing about this particular restaurant that had amazing ribs, and a bunch of his friends and him drove 50 minutes to get there. The place was packed, and the food was great. It was "all you can eat rib night," and ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Steward Of The Light  PRO

Contributed by Michael Elmore on Jan 17, 2002

STEWARD OF THE LIGHT In the nineteenth century, lighthouses on the U.S. coasts were tended by lighthouse keepers and their families. If a man who tended the light took ill or became disabled, often the work was picked up by his wife or children. Such was the case of Hosea Lewis. Having become, ...read more

Scripture: Hosea 2:19

Tags: Faith, Christian Disciplines, What Is Evangelism?

Denomination: Methodist

One-Third Of Americans Reassess Priorities After ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 19, 2002

One-third of Americans Reassess Priorities After Terrorist Attacks (RNS) One-third of Americans say the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks were a "life-altering experience" that caused them to change their priorities, according to a new Gallup poll. Nearly half of conservative Christians -- 46 percent -- ...read more

Tags: Becoming A Christian, Basics Of Christianity, World Religions

I Love My Boys. I Thank God Everyday For Blessing ...

Contributed by Charles Newman on Jul 24, 2004

I love my boys. I thank God everyday for blessing me with such good children. There is one thing that I believe all children go through. It is a sense of bewilderment when given a series of jobs. For instance; my children and I can be cleaning up the yard. I can tell Benjamin to go and pick up ...read more

Tags: Children, Church Purpose Of

Denomination: Methodist

I Am The Flag

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 11, 2008

I AM THE FLAG I am the flag of the United States of America. My name is Old Glory. I fly atop the world’s tallest buildings. I stand watch in America’s halls of justice. I fly majestically over institutions of learning. I stand guard with power in the world. Look up and see me. I stand for peace, ...read more

Tags: America

Genghis Khan's Hawk

Contributed by Ken Mckinley on Sep 20, 2008

Genghis Khan's Hawk Sometimes when The Lord spoils our personal plans, we think He's treating us as an enemy, when in truth, He's acting as our best friend. The legend says that Genghis Khan, the Mongol king of the 13th century, was out hunting one hot summer day with his favorite hawk perched on ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:28

Tags: God's Omniscience

Denomination: Independent/Bible

In The Nineteenth ...

Contributed by Ferdinand Funk on Sep 26, 2008

In the nineteenth century, lighthouses on the U.S. coasts were tended by lighthouse keepers and their families. If a man who tended the light became disabled, often the work was picked up by his wife or children. Such was the case of Hosea Lewis. In 1853 he became the keeper of the light on ...read more

Tags: Salvation

Denomination: Mennonite

A Film Made In 2002, The Magdalene Sisters, Told ...

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Dec 22, 2008

A film made in 2002, The Magdalene Sisters, told the sad story of the "maggies" of Ireland. They got that nickname from Mary Magdalene, from whom Jesus had driven seven demons. Tradition says that Mary Magdalene was the prostitute who washed Jesus’ feet with her hair. Hence when a strict order of ...read more

Tags: Sin General

Denomination: Church Of God

Salvation And Reprobation

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 17, 2009

SALVATION AND REPROBATION Someone may ask, "Of what use then is the doctrine of reprobation?" I am glad you asked! Let me suggest (from Dr. Boice) some useful aspects of the doctrine of reprobation. First, reprobation assures us that God’s purpose has not failed. God has determined the outcome ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 24:24-31

Tags: God's Judgment

Wartime Speech By Churchill,

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 29, 2009

Wartime Speech by Churchill, "We Will Never Surrender" On the fifth of June, 1940, not even a month after he became prime minister, Winston Churchill spoke to the British people to encourage them of their desperate situation. Bear in mind that in September of the previous year the Nazis had ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:9

Tags: War

The "Regard For Others" Ethic

Contributed by Don Berry-Graham on Jan 24, 2012

THE "REGARD FOR OTHERS" ETHIC John Sommerville currently teaches history at the University of Florida. He has been carrying out an exercise with his students for years. He challenges his students with the following thought experiment. Imagine that you see a little old lady coming down the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:25-37

Tags: Neighbor

Denomination: Baptist

Second Chances

Contributed by Tim Smith on Sep 25, 2016

David Emory tells the story of baptizing a young father who had a 7 year old and 5 year old. They were close friends of his family and had never been a part of a church. But one Sunday, they came to worship, he gave his life to Christ and was baptized. At the end of the service, after everyone else ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 6:1-8

Tags: Sin, Repentance, Woe, Second Chances

Denomination: Methodist

Even If Its Dark

Contributed by Richard Tow on Jul 18, 2017

A young man’s wife became very ill and died, leaving him alone with his four-year old daughter. The funeral service was simple and heavy with grief. After the burial, his neighbors gathered around him and invited them to bring his little girl and stay at one of their homes this first night. They ...read more

Scripture: James 5:13, Psalm 23:1-6

Tags: Death, Comfort, Trust, Sorrow, Trial  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Charismatic

Trusting God Through Difficult Circumstances

Contributed by Matthew Redder on May 17, 2018

Some time ago I returned from a missions trip completely full of faith and ready to set the world on fire with the love of Christ. During my first church service back in the states I was asked to close our service in prayer. I joyfully obliged and went whole-heartedly into prayer full of faith and ...read more

Tags: Prayer, Trust In God, Faith, Healing

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational