In Sermon Illustrations: "Feeling Down"

Fruit Of The Spirit  PRO

Contributed by Brian La Croix on Jul 6, 2008

FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT The fruit is singular, not plural. The most common teaching is that there are nine fruits of the Spirit. But that’s not the case. It’s one “fruit,” and that fruit has those characteristics. For instance, take an apple. It’s one apple, but it has many characteristics: red, ...read more

Tags: Fruit Of The Spirit

Denomination: Wesleyan

Can You Be ...

Contributed by Eric Ferguson on Jul 18, 2008

Can You Be Trusted? Before the breakup of the Soviet Union, Christians were routinely persecuted for their faith by the Communist regime. We have many inspiring stories of courageous Christians behind the Iron Curtain who were willing to die for their faith during this difficult period in world ...read more

Tags: Trust

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Can You Be ...

Contributed by Eric Ferguson on Aug 5, 2008

Can You Be Trusted? Before the breakup of the Soviet Union, Christians were routinely persecuted for their faith by the Communist regime. There are many inspiring stories of courageous Christians behind the Iron Curtain who were willing to die for their faith during this difficult period in world ...read more

Tags: Trust

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

If Only I Could Sleep Again

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 9, 2008

"If Only I Could Sleep Again" Bob Pierce, founder of World Vision had advanced leukemia, but he went to visit a colleague in Indonesia before he died. As they were walking through a small village, they came upon a young girl lying on a bamboo mat next to a river. She was dying of cancer and had ...read more

Tags: Giving General

A Young Boy Had To Feed His Father Every Day ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

A young boy had to feed his father every day when he came home from school. His father had been so injured and couldn’t do many things for himself and to help with things the mother gave him one job to do and that was to feed his father every day, once a day. But on this particular day, the boy, ...read more

Tags: Cross Agony

Interesting Story . . . 1936, His First Book And ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

INTERESTING STORY . . . 1936, HIS FIRST BOOK AND TO THINK I SAW IT ON MULBERRY STREET WAS REJECTED 43 TIMES . . . FAIL MISERABLY. SEVERAL SUBSEQUENT BOOKS MET THE SAME FATE AS THEY BARELY MADE A SCRATCH ON THE LITERATURE RADAR SCREEN. IN FACT IT WAS NOT UNTIL 1954 WHEN LIFE MAGAZINE PUBLISHED A ...read more

Tags: God In The Hardships

Forgiveness On A Kid's First Job

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 9, 2009

FORGIVENESS ON A KID’S FIRST JOB Forgiveness was the most important lesson best-selling author Tony Hillerman learned as a kid on his first job. His story goes... "I was 14 when Mr. Ingram knocked on our farmhouse door in Sacred Heart, Oklahoma (pop. 38). The old sharecropper lived about a mile ...read more

Scripture: Luke 6:27-36

Tags: Forgiveness For Others

The Blessing Of The Overcomers

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Jan 28, 2010

The Blessing of the Overcomers What do the overcomers (the ones who defy gravity) of this world get according to Scripture? a. Revelation 2:7: i. 7He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which ...read more

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Devil Made Me Do It

Contributed by Russell Brownworth on Feb 19, 2010

THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT When I served a church in Greenville, Florida, one of our men was Joe Ball Reams; about 6'4" and a man's man! He farmed tobacco, corn and cotton to pay the bills. One of his entrepreneurial ventures is a 600 acre hunting club on family land. He has entertained Southern ...read more

Tags: Temptation General

Denomination: United Methodist

Learning To Get Up Quickly  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 4, 2010

LEARNING TO GET UP QUICKLY In the book A View From the Zoo, Gary Richmond tells about the birth of a giraffe: The first thing top emerge are the baby giraffe's front hooves and head. A few minutes later, the little newborn is hurled forth, falls ten feet, and lands on its back. Within seconds, ...read more

Scripture: James 1:2-4

Tags: Hardship Of Life

Motley, Cross-Breed, Half-Baked Sheep  PRO

Contributed by Andrew Moffatt on Nov 12, 2010

MOTLEY, CROSS-BREED, HALF-BAKED SHEEP Before I went off to train for ministry, I used to live in an old house in Oamaru with an acre and a half of land. I had the usual garden and lawn, but I also had about an acre and a quarter of pretty rough hillside that was planted in a variety of trees and ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 1:3, Numbers 6:22-27

Tags: Parable Lost Sheep

Denomination: Salvation Army

Helping The Fallen

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 25, 2011

HELPING THE FALLEN One of the most touching moments in NBA history took place in a 2003 playoff game between the Portland Trailblazers and the Dallas Mavericks. Actually, it happened before the game began. Natalie Gilbert was a 13-year-old 8th grader who had won the chance to sing the national ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 2:5-11

Tags: Encouragement

It Won't Happen To Us

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 21, 2011

IT WON'T HAPPEN TO US We began the week with the story of the Chicago nightclub fire in which 21 people were killed as they rushed to the exit. The club had already been cited for overcrowding and other safety violations--like not enough doors and windows. What happened was that a bouncer used ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 90:1-12

Tags: Death, Life, Priorities, Choice, Death Nearness  (view more)  (view less)

Sacrifice

Contributed by David Simpson on Jan 15, 2013

I will never forget being at church one Sunday playing "king of the hill" with my buddies, before church started. But our play stopped when a car pulled up to the sidewalk and, with help, out came a soldier, who had returned from Vietnam a few weeks earlier. But he came on crutches and he ...read more

Scripture: John 15:13-18

Tags: Sacrifices, Wounded, Soldier Of The Cross

Denomination: Christian Church

Help I Cant Swim!  PRO

Contributed by Ronnie Miller on Nov 27, 2013

Help, I Can't Swim! Several years ago some friends and I would go fishing in the Yadkin River. There were 4 of us and we took 2 flat bottom aluminum boats. One friend of mine had a motor on his, but mine didn't have an engine. We would go after the sun went down and anchor upstream from the rough ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 43:2-3

Tags: God's Help, Divine Help, Enduring Trials, Deep Water

Denomination: Baptist

The World Is Mine.

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 23, 2016

THE WORLD IS MINE. God allowed the Children of Israel to wander in the wilderness because of a COMPLAINING SPIRIT that was never satisfied with anything from God. God demands that we cast off the complaining spirit in Philippians 2:14 -- "Do all things without murmuring or complaining. Nothing ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:14

Tags: Complaining, Whining, Unthankful, Griping

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

When God Shows Up

Contributed by Kerry Haynes on Feb 3, 2019

I just finished reading a book called, “The Shack.” I read it about ten years ago, and something made me read it again, and I’m so glad I did. I commend it to you as a book that captures the very essence of a God who wants nothing more than to have a loving relationship with you. What an incredible ...read more

Scripture: Luke 5:1-11, Isaiah 6:1-8

Tags: Humility, The Shack, God Shows Up, Miracle, Sacred In The Ordinary, Sacred In Secular  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Faith In Action

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Oct 13, 2019

Here is one of othe greatest illustrations of how faith in action brings the favor of God. George Muller of Bristol exemplified the nitty-gritty of a life of faith. After being a wild youth, he was converted in his early twenties. He obeyed God’s call by living a life of faith and obedience. He ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 11:1-6

Tags: Faith, Trusting God, Hebrews 11

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Rough Road Revival

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Dec 17, 2020

Psalms 138:7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me. Things going badly or the road is rough? Need revived? David had that relationship with God that in the midst of ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 138:7

Tags: Revival, Trouble

Denomination: Baptist

Please Don't Go Back

Contributed by Shawn Drake on Feb 20, 2021

Many years ago, I was a Manager for McDonald’s and one of my Shift Manager’s who had 6 children lived in a very abusive situation. Her boyfriend who lived with her and the 6 children did not work; and he would do drugs all day while she worked. One day she came to me at work and asked for ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 4:8-9

Tags: Freedom, Forward

Denomination: Baptist