In Sermon Illustrations: "Fear"

Simpson's Most Valuable ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 21, 2010

Simpson’s Most Valuable Discovery In the year 1847, a doctor from Edinburgh, Sir James Simpson, discovered that chloroform could be used as an anaesthetic to render people insensible to the pain of surgery. From his early experiments, Dr. Simpson made it possible for people to go through the most ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 1:15-16

Tags: Salvation

Fasting Together: The Minnesota Grasshopper ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 4, 2010

FASTING TOGETHER: THE MINNESOTA GRASSHOPPER SWARM In Minnesota, during the summer of 1876, there was a swarm of grasshoppers destroying the crops. There was a fear that the grasshoppers would return, so Governor John S. Pillsbury proclaimed a day of prayer and fasting on April 26, 1877, urging ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 58:1-14

Tags: Fast

Way Back In January Of 2002 We Taught William ...

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on May 3, 2010

Way back in January of 2002 we taught William Fay’s approach to sharing the gospel. It was called “Share Jesus Without Fear.” A part of those sessions dealt with handling objections. "There are many religions in the world. How can you know the right one?" Response: "All religions can be divided ...read more

Tags: Salvation

Denomination: Pentecostal

A Church Made William ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 3, 2010

A Church Made William Wickham King Edward of England appointed William Wickham to build a church. William Wickham performed his duty and finished by writing in one of the windows, "This work made William Wickham." When the king saw this he confronted William for assuming the honor of building the ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:12-13

Tags: Gratitude

Church As A Spectator Sport

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 5, 2011

CHURCH AS A SPECTATOR SPORT A British pastor and author made this observation a few years ago. I think it’s still accurate. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones said, "Men and women no longer...exercise in sport as they used to. Instead, people tend to sit in crowds and just watch other people play. ...And I ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-16, 1 Corinthians 12:27

Tags: Church Practices

No Atheists In The Water  PRO

Contributed by Paul Barreca on Mar 31, 2013

NO ATHEISTS IN THE WATER David Harrell wrote a book telling the story of his father, Edgar Harrell. Edgar was one of the 300 survivors of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis, the last US ship sunk by enemy contact in WW2. 600 of the 900 men who survived the ship's sinking were stranded in the ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 2:15

Tags: Shipwreck, Death, Dying, Loneliness, Atheism  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Romans 1:22

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Sep 23, 2019

Romans 1:22 Life is so much vanity. We live on the brink of insanity. This is so very, very odd For creation is in the image of God. We plod along in our sin Knowing that we cannot win. Our souls so easily we sell To that pawnbroker of Hell. Instead of singing, "How Great Thou ...read more

Scripture: Romans 1:22

Tags: Sin, Vanity, Hypocrisy, Religion, Traditions  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Be Like The Llama And Face Your Enemy!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 8, 2024

Reports the DENVER POST: "Like many sheep ranchers in the West, Lexy Fowler has tried just about everything to stop crafty coyotes from killing her sheep. She has used odor sprays, electric fences, and 'scare-coyotes.' She has slept with her lambs during the summer and has placed ...read more

Scripture: James 1:10-15

Tags: Word, Battles, Temptation, Victory, Defeat, Stand, Running, Spiritual Armor, Fear, Lust, Satan, Spiritual Warfare  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

John Todd Was A Preacher Back In The Late ...  PRO

Contributed by Melvin Newland on Aug 14, 2001

ILL. John Todd was a preacher back in the late 1800’s. When he was 6 years old, both of his parents died. So a kind-hearted aunt raised him until he left home to study for the ministry. Years later, this aunt became seriously ill, & even though she was a Christian, she wrote him a letter ...read more

Tags: Government

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

And We Were Afraid  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2002

AND WE WERE AFRAID Writer and naturalist Anne Dillard tells of a cold Christmas Eve when she, then a young girl, and her family had come home from a late dinner out. Ginger ale and a plate of cookies sat on a special table. Dillard had taken off her winter coat and was warming herself on the ...read more

Sometimes Sharing Christ Takes Interesting ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 3, 2003

Sometimes sharing Christ takes interesting forms. For months I left the church well into the late night hours. Periodically I would see a man huddled on the corner of our property. At first I feared the man. You see our neighborhood is rough and we have many homeless individuals that roam the ...read more

Scripture: John 4:36

Tags: Evangelism How To

The Philosophy For Dog Obedience Training Has ...  PRO

Contributed by Peter Schmidt on Nov 20, 2003

The philosophy for dog obedience training has changed quite a bit in the last few decades. It used to be that many dog obedience schools operated by teaching the dog, “you better obey me, because I’m your master. And if you don’t obey me, bad things will happen.” And plenty of dogs were trained ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 5:7-9

Tags: Love Of The Disciples

Denomination: Lutheran

A One Way Street With No Turns!" Luke 9: 49-50 ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Nov 8, 2004

“A One Way Street With No Turns!” Luke 9: 49-50 Key verse(s): 49: “‘Master,’ said John, ‘we say a man driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because his is not one of us.’” “For many years Sir Walter Scott was the leading literary figure in the British Empire. No one ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:49-50, Acts 16:12-19

Tags: Envy, Emotions

Denomination: Lutheran

One Nation Under God Also Has Her Foundation ...

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Jul 8, 2006

One Nation Under God also has her foundation under-girded in Prayer. 1Timothy 2:1-2 says, “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and ...read more

Tags: Apologetics General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Here Is A Story By A Guy Named Cliff Davis, ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Here is a story by a guy named Cliff Davis, which portrays in a beautiful way what childlike faith is all about. One afternoon in early autumn, Ric (the husband/father in the other family) and I were setting out on our tractor to pick up a wagon, which we had a few days earlier lent to a neighbor. ...read more

Tags: God's Omnipotence

Public Opinion

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 23, 2008

PUBLIC OPINION Some of you may have seen the joke that circulated this week on e-mail that tries to explain why Moses and the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for forty years. The punch line of the e-mail read, "Even then, men would not stop for directions." While this may not really explain ...read more

Tags: God Brings Purpose

Let The Lower Lights Be Burning  PRO

Contributed by Dwight L. Moody on Jun 11, 2009

LET THE LOWER LIGHTS BE BURNING A few years ago, at the mouth of Cleveland harbor, there were two lights, one at each side of the bay, called the upper and lower lights; and to enter the harbor safely by night, vessels must sight both of the lights. These western lakes are more dangerous ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:14-16

Tags: Evangelism How To

Denomination: *other

God Just Needs A Voice  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 13, 2009

GOD JUST NEEDS A VOICE John Stott, a well-known British pastor and theologian, was invited to preach at the University of Sydney in Australia; but after he got there, he lost his voice. He describes his experience as follows: "What can you do with a missionary who has no voice? We had come to ...read more

Scripture: Luke 21:14-15, Matthew 1:18-24

Tags: God Brings Purpose

Who Has Your ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 4, 2010

Who Has Your Back? Pastor and author John Ortberg tells the story of an evening when he was walking with some friends in Newport Beach, California. As they walked they passed one of the local bars just as a fight spilled out onto the street, like a scene from the old west. As they watched, three ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:1-8

Tags: Holy Spirit General

God Wants To Pull The Stickers Out  PRO

Contributed by Tim White on Jun 6, 2011

GOD WANTS TO PULL THE STICKERS OUT The little girl hopped away screaming. Obviously, the fear of living forever with a sticker in her foot was not as terrifying as the thought of me pulling it out. But a five-year-old could not out-run the preacher. Not hopping on one foot, anyway. After I ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 1:6

Tags: Sanctification

Denomination: Baptist