In Sermon Illustrations: "Feeling Down"

Just As I Am Without One Plea

Contributed by Dennis Davidson on Jun 6, 2011

JUST AS I AM WITHOUT ONE PLEA Charlotte Elliot came to Caesar Milan and asked how she could become a Christian. The old man replied, "My dear, it is very simple. You have only to come to Jesus." And she said to him, "But I am a very great sinner, will He take me just as I am?" "Yes, He will ...read more

Tags: Confession Of Sin

Denomination: Baptist

Spiritual Carcinogens

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Jun 20, 2011

SPIRITUAL CARCINOGENS When the Challenger went down nearly 20 years ago, the whole country went around draped in a dark cloud of mourning. Soon the shock gave way to outrage and scandal when it was discovered that cost-cutting and carelessness components that didn’t quite meet the required ...read more

Tags: Heresy

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Flood In My Soul

Contributed by Brad Henry on Aug 3, 2011

FLOOD IN MY SOUL The night before my shoulder surgery last week I had what looked like the start of a kidney stone. My first thought was to cancel the surgery then Julie came in and settled me down. This happened from a medical procedure that went bad when I was 19. I still suffer some effects ...read more

Tags: Worry

Which Do You Think He Believed?  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 3, 2011

WHICH DO YOU THINK HE BELIEVED? A man sat down to supper with his family and said grace, thanking God for the food, for the hands which prepared it, and for the source of all life. But during the meal he complained about the freshness of the bread, the bitterness of the coffee, and the sharpness ...read more

Scripture: Acts 14:17

Tags: Hypocrisy

The Eeyore Syndrome  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 22, 2011

THE EEYORE SYNDROME In the past I have spoken of what I call, "The Eeyore Syndrome"--these are Christians who walk around acting like Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh. They choose to look at the gloomy side of life. Their eyes are cast down, their countenance is cheerless, and they have no enthusiasm ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:13-26

Tags: Disappointment

Trusting The Scent

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 7, 2011

TRUSTING THE SCENT Years ago I read the story of a man by the name of Wally who owned a farm in Connecticut. He had a remarkable talent he had with birds, chickadees specifically. It seems that every morning these little birds would flutter down and land on his hands. And it wasn’t just for food; ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 17:2-5

Tags: Trust

The Adam And Eve Virus

Contributed by Daniel J. Little on Nov 15, 2011

THE ADAM AND EVE VIRUS The Genesis narrative (chapter 3) tells us how God gave Adam and Eve His wisdom as well as His authority, and then how they pursued a counterfeit authority and an alien wisdom—actually satanic wisdom. The moment they introduced that dark wisdom into their lives a radical ...read more

Tags: Sin Fall Of Man

Denomination: *other

Bound To Christ  PRO

Contributed by Perry Greene on Feb 29, 2012

BOUND TO CHRIST F.B. Meyer wrote about two Germans who wanted to climb the Matterhorn. They hired three guides and began their ascent at the steepest and most slippery part. The men roped themselves together in this order: guide, traveler, guide, traveler, guide. They had gone only a little way ...read more

Tags: Trust

Denomination: Independent/Bible

A Defensive Programming Problem

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 9, 2012

A DEFENSIVE PROGRAMMING PROBLEM In the 1982 war in the Falkland Islands between England and Argentina, the Royal Navy’s 3,500-ton destroyer HMS Sheffield was sunk by a single missile fired from an Argentine fighter jet. This caused some people to wonder if modern surface warships were obsolete. ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 9:27-28

Tags: Judgment

Overcoming Evil With Good

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 9, 2012

OVERCOMING EVIL WITH GOOD Stuart Holden (1874-1934), the author of "Prevailing Intercessory Prayer", was in Egypt and met a sergeant in a Highland regiment. "How were you brought to Christ?" he asked this bright Christian. The sergeant responded: "There was a private in the same company as myself ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23

Tags: Christian Witness

The Right Use Of The Eyes  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 28, 2012

THE RIGHT USE OF THE EYES A bishop of the early church, who was a remarkable example of the virtue of contentment, was asked his secret. The venerable old man replied: "It consists in nothing more than making a right use of my eyes. In whatever state I am, I first of all look up to heaven and ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:10-13

Tags: Gratitude

Now She Understands  PRO

Contributed by Ken Henson on Jul 5, 2012

NOW SHE UNDERSTANDS A lady had two children. The older son was 7 years old and the little girl about 2½ years old. She heard this terrible scream upstairs and as she ran upstairs she found out that the little girl was pulling the hair of her brother. He was crying out in pain. The mother ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 18:21-35

Tags: Forgiveness General

Denomination: *other

Faith In Tragedy: Luther Bridges  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 24, 2012

FAITH IN TRAGEDY: LUTHER BRIDGES A Methodist preacher by the name of Luther Bridges was born in 1884. He married and had 3 sons. Pastor Bridges accepted an invitation to minister at a conference in Kentucky in the year 1910, so he left his family in the care of his father-in-law & made the trip to ...read more

Scripture: Job 1:20-21

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Just Watch!  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 29, 2012

JUST WATCH! A young boy looked up at his grandfather and wondered aloud, "Grandpa, how do you live for Jesus?" The respected grandfather stooped down and quietly told the boy, "Just watch." As the years went by the grandfather was an example to the boy of how to follow Jesus. He stayed ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 4:14-17

Tags: Father's Day

It Takes Two To Reconcile

Contributed by Davon Huss on Mar 26, 2013

IT TAKES TWO TO RECONCILE "Be reconciled to God" 2 Corinthians 5:20 is necessary part of the process. Let's say that we have had a quarrel between us and a friend. We forsake our pride and do whatever needs to be done to break down the barrier, to make it right. But, when we eat this humble ...read more

Tags: Friendship General

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Friend Of Mine

Contributed by Spencer Miller on Jun 3, 2013

A FRIEND OF MINE Branch Rickey, whose name was recently placed back into our memories in the wonderful movie '42' a story about the baseball great Jackie Robinson, was a devout Christian. Once while head of the old Brooklyn Dodgers, he attended negotiations involving a certain ballplayer's ...read more

Tags: Commitment To Christ

Denomination: Baptist

Prayer-Spiritual Defiance

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Apr 19, 2018

Richard Foster in his book "Prayer: Finding the Hearts True Home" describes an aspect of radical prayer as spiritual defiance. He states, "We are subversives in a world of injustice, oppression, and violence. Like Amos of old, we demand that "Justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ...read more

Tags: Prayer, Radical Prayer

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Knowledge Vs Wisdom

Contributed by Pastor Randall Timblin on Aug 20, 2018

There is a big difference between knowledge and wisdom. First, let us understand that there is no such thing as wisdom unless it pertains to wisdom from God. All other earthly wisdom is foolishness, according to God. Now that we have that straight, what exactly is the difference. Well, my ...read more

Tags: Foolishness, Wisdom, Knowledge

Denomination: *other

Guy In The Glass

Contributed by Davon Huss on Feb 15, 2020

“The Guy in the Glass,” source unknown. When you get what you want in your struggle for self and the world makes you king for a day, Then go to the mirror and look at yourself and see what that guy has to say. For it isn’t your father, mother or wife whose judgement upon you must pass. The fellow ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:3

Tags: Clear Conscience, Pure Motives

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Mardi Gras Miracle

Contributed by Richard L. Brown on Apr 17, 2021

“The Mardi Gras Miracle.” On Fat Tuesday of 1994 I was on my way to a meeting at Normal Presbyterian Church. I was listening to a basketball game. Kentucky was playing LSU at LSU and Kentucky was down 16 points at half time. I was concerned but to make things worse LSU started the second half ...read more

Scripture: John 20:19-31

Tags: Doubt, Doubting Thomas

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed