In Sermon Illustrations: "Feeling Down"

Alabama Judge: Church Or Jail

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Sep 26, 2011

ALABAMA JUDGE: CHURCH OR JAIL Is going to church a privilege or a sentence? It depends upon you and the particular church. For some in Alabama, it is a sentence: BAY MINETTE, Ala. (AP) — Authorities say non-violent offenders in southern Alabama will have a new choice: Go to jail, or go to church ...read more

Tags: Church General

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Despair Default

Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Nov 18, 2011

DESPAIR DEFAULT I remember a woman years back who used to come to me about once a month ... to rehearse her troubles. And I use the word "rehearse" on purpose, because that's exactly what she did. Every time, she'd tell me the same set of complaints over and over and over again. She had her ...read more

Tags: Mercy

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Six Kinds Of Toxic People

Contributed by Tim Smith on Feb 19, 2012

SIX KINDS OF TOXIC PEOPLE Life Coach Cheryl Robinson says there are six kinds of toxic people. There are the blamers who are always complaining about what is wrong in their life and blaming others. Then there are the drainers. They’re like vampires who will come and suck everything out of you ...read more

Tags: Friendship General

Denomination: Methodist

A Far, Far Better Thing

Contributed by Perry Greene on Mar 29, 2012

A FAR, FAR BETTER THING In Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities, the young Frenchman Charles Darnay was condemned to die by the guillotine. When Sidney Carton learned of his friend’s situation, he determined to lay down his life in place of his friend. He determined to do this, not because he ...read more

Tags: Salvation

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Good Friday In The Philippines

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Apr 8, 2012

GOOD FRIDAY IN THE PHILIPPINES Ever since the 1950s, the men of the Philippines have had unusual tradition around Easter. It has grown to the point where from 50,000 to 75,000 people attend every year. The ritual that has drawn all these tourists to the Philippines is an odd and gruesome Good ...read more

Tags: Crucifixion

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Loss Of Joy = Incomplete Obedience

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 2, 2012

LOSS OF JOY = INCOMPLETE OBEDIENCE F. B. Meyer: Sometimes a soul comes to its spiritual adviser, speaking thus: "I have no conscious joy, and have had but little for years." "Did you once have it?" "Yes, for some time after my conversion to God." "Are you conscious of having refused obedience to ...read more

Scripture: John 14:15

Tags: Obedience

Grits And Grace

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 10, 2012

GRITS AND GRACE How blessed is the person whose sin God does not take into account. Even if you don’t deserve it; God provides for you. True story. Two pastors were on their way to Atlanta, Georgia for a large Christian men’s gathering. One of them had never been in the south before. After ...read more

Scripture: Acts 15:6-11

Tags: Grace

The Three-Legged Chicken

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Sep 4, 2012

THE THREE-LEGGED CHICKEN One day a traveller was driving down a back country road when he noticed that there was a three-legged chicken running alongside his car. He stepped on the gas but at 50 miles per hour, the chicken was still keeping up. After about a mile of running, the chicken ran up a ...read more

Tags: Divisions

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Worship In The Thrill And The Agony

Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Sep 25, 2012

WORSHIP IN THE THRILL AND THE AGONY The 2012 Olympics gave a great illustration of how Christians can trust God in the thrill of victory AND the agony of defeat. If you watched the Olympics, you probably saw Gabby Douglas's big smile. When she won the Individual Gold in gymnastics. She said, "I ...read more

Tags: Worship General

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Master Your Emotions

Contributed by Perry Greene on Dec 26, 2012

Master Your Emotions John Maxwell relates the story of Bobby Jones, a legendary golfer who won a major tournament at twenty-one. By age twenty-eight, he had already won the grand slam and retired. Jones had an uncle who said that by the time he was fourteen, Bobby was probably already the best ...read more

Tags: Emotions

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Kyle Idleman On Dying To Self

Contributed by Kevin Karhoff on Mar 18, 2013

What’s it look like to die every day? Well, dying to yourself today may mean spending your lunch hour serving food to the homeless at the shelter down the street from your office. It may mean the next time you talk to your neighbor, instead of playing it safe and keeping comfortable you bring ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:23

Tags: Surrender, Jesus Christ, Dying To Self, Commitment To Christ

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Just In Case

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 7, 2013

JUST IN CASE A Louisiana game warden had been tracking Boudreaux, the infamous Cajun poacher, Late one night he stumbled upon the criminal’s cabin. Climbing upon the roof, the game warden waited for the dawn, hoping to jump the poacher as he emerged. The game warden after a fitful night of trying ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 24:36-51

Tags: Second Coming

Someone The Shepherd Brought Home  PRO

Contributed by Davon Huss on Oct 22, 2013

Someone the Shepherd Brought Home Carl Ketcherside served with and was instrumental in a strict branch of the Restoration Movement. However, the Lord made a lot of changes in his life. In his later years he moved to St. Louis and ministered among the down and out. At this time, Ketcherside ...read more

Scripture: Ezekiel 34:1-31

Tags: Good Shepherd, False Shepherds, Great Shepherd

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Forget The Gps!

Contributed by Robert Harmon on Oct 4, 2014

My brother Curtis had come home from Italy to visit us, and attended worship at the congregation where I served. Afterword, he wanted to go to Mammoth Cave and show his wife and son one of the natural wonders of the US. We tagged along, and I told him I knew the way. He said, “Naw, we’ll use the ...read more

Scripture: Acts 17:11-12

Tags: Direction, Apologetics, Bible Study, Bible Truth

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Once There Was A Man

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Feb 25, 2016

ONCE THERE WAS A MAN... Once there was a man who dared God to speak. Burn the bush like you did for Moses, God. And I will follow. Collapse the walls like you did for Joshua, God. And I will fight. Still the waves like you did on Galilee, God. And I will listen. And so the man sat by a bush, near ...read more

Scripture: John 10:1-28

Tags: Waiting On God, Hearing God's Voice

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Your Two Dirty Pennies Are An Insult

Contributed by David Goering on Aug 14, 2018

Suppose somebody befriended you in your town and offered to buy you a big beautiful house, and told you that you could choose the house you wanted. Then when he was handing you the title deed you reached in your pocket and pulled out two pennys, and when you did they accidentally fell out of your ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-9

Tags: Free Gift, It Is Finished, Salvation, Righteousness, Good Works  (view more)  (view less)

Disguised

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Aug 15, 2018

I live in Arkansas. I LOVE when autumn comes and fall leaves drift down on autumn breezes. But in Arkansas, you have to be careful about those leaves on the ground because some of them conceal SERPENTS. There are lots of Copperhead Snakes here. Copperheads are venomous Pit Vipers that strike you ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 11:14, Genesis 4:7, Genesis 3:1, Proverbs 23:27, Proverbs 22:14, Ecclesiastes 7:26  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Discerning, Affairs, Snares, Sin, Deception, Serpent, Adultery, Deceive, Disguise  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Charismatic

Living By Gods Word.

Contributed by Roy Fowler on Jun 19, 2020

My Division Officer in the Navy was also a Naval aviator. On his way home from a mission over Afghanistan he got vertigo (a dizzy confused state of mind caused by the inner ear). His senses were confused. The biggest was his sense of flight. Which can be deadly when landing on an aircraft carrier ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 3:5

Tags: Confused, Following Instructions

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Don't Go Back

Contributed by Shawn Drake on Feb 20, 2021

Several years ago, Karen and I was up in the Ruidoso area; and I decided to try a short cut that I thought I knew about. The problem was, the road turned into a very rough dirt road; and the further we went, the worse the road became. We came upon a farmer’s house and land; and there was a ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 4:8-9

Tags: Freedom, Forward

Denomination: Baptist

What Is Your Struggle

Contributed by Roy Fowler on Aug 25, 2021

As a group of frogs was traveling through the woods, two of them fell into a deep pit. When the other frogs crowded around the pit and saw how deep it was, they told the two frogs that there was no hope left for them. However, the two frogs decided to ignore what the others were saying and they ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-20

Tags: Faith, Believe In Yourself

Denomination: Independent/Bible