In Sermon Illustrations: "Final"

Very Few Things Take Away The Power Of Someone As ...

Contributed by Kevin Barron on Dec 30, 2012

Very few things take away the power of someone as much as being ridiculed. In Von Ryan’s Express by David Westheimer, they do it by burning their clothes. The book is an account of Allied prisoners during World War Two. One of the trials of prison camp is that their Italian guards will not give ...read more

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Denomination: Methodist

Standing Up On The Inside  PRO

Contributed by Perry Greene on Sep 17, 2013

STANDING UP ON THE INSIDE A five year old girl was having one of those trouble-filled days with her mother. It seemed they spent the day arguing back and forth. Finally the mom had enough. "Jenny, go sit in the corner, right now! Don’t get up until I tell you to!" Jenny went to the corner and sat ...read more

Tags: Evil, Rebellion, Defiance, Compliance

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Visiting Preacher  PRO

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 13, 2014

A pastor went out visiting his church members on a Saturday afternoon. At one house, it was obvious that someone was home, but nobody came to the door even though the preacher knocked several times. Finally, the minister took out his church business card and wrote out "Revelation 3:20" on the ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 3:1-10

Tags: Temptation, Adam And Eve, Sin

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

When God Says...what?

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 14, 2014

A young preacher in Ft. Worth, Texas was trying to make an impression on a Pastor Search Team who had come to his church to hear him preach. The young man was preaching on the time in the Old Testament when God had enough with His disobedient people and finally said to them, "Ichabod!", which ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 4:21

Tags: Glory Of God, Sermon Bloopers, Mistakes, Humor

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Where Adam Used To Live

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Apr 18, 2017

Adam and his two sons, Cain and Abel, were out hunting one day when Adam turned and started staring at something beautiful afar off. It was the Garden of Eden. Then Adam broke down and starting weeping. The boys didn’t understand. Finally, Abel asked his father, "Dad, why are you crying over ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:12

Tags: Marriage, Sin, Adam And Eve, Garden Of Eden

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

F.e.a.r

Contributed by Alexier Mayes on Aug 8, 2017

Theres a song written by Ian Brown, known most famously as the Lead Singer from Manchester Band 'The Stone Roses' The song simply entitled FEAR uses the letters of the word to describe a sentence and the most poignant one of all states:- FINAL EXECUTION AND RESURRECTION Four words which mean ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 4:18

Tags: Love, Fear, Resurrection, Trust, Perfect Love, Death  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Anglican

Thank God For Blessed Subtractions!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jul 10, 2023

Three local pastors were discussing their Easter Sunday results with one another on the Monday after Easter. The Methodist minister said, "Easter services worked out great for us! We gained four new additions at First Methodist!" Praise God! The Baptist preacher grinned ...read more

Tags: Arrogance, Bragging, Preachers, Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals, Easter, Revival, Church Growth, Pride, Pastors  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

President George Washinton's Prayer

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Aug 24, 2024

PRESIDENT GEORGE WASHINGTON'S PRAYER FOR THE UNITED STATES: I now make it my earnest prayer, that God would have the United States in his holy protection, that he would incline the hearts of the Citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to Government, to entertain a ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 33:3

Tags: Prayer, Intercession, Revival, Nation, United States, Presidents  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Conditional Promise

Contributed by John Bright on Mar 4, 2025

This is the beginning of that story where God tells them what they needed to do: 1 – Kill the Passover lamb 2 – Collect the blood in a bowl 3 – Put the blood on the two sides and top of the door The result would be what God promised to do – pass over their houses with the final plague of the death ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 12:21-28

Tags: Passover, Conditional Promise

Denomination: Methodist

Push Or Pull

Contributed by David Dunn on Jan 26, 2026

Two people were trying to move a heavy piece of office furniture—a large cabinet—from one room into another. It was solid, awkward, and just wide enough to be a problem. They managed to get it to the doorway, and then everything stopped. They strained. They pushed harder. They adjusted their ...read more

Scripture: Romans 15:1-2

Tags: Fellowship, Unity

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Children’s Prayers

Contributed by David Dunn on Feb 24, 2026

A mother was teaching her three-year-old the Lord’s Prayer. Night after night they practiced, and one evening the little girl said, “Mommy, I can do it myself.” So she folded her tiny hands and prayed, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us some e-mail.” Another Sunday a family’s little boy ...read more

Scripture: Romans 7:15-25, Matthew 6:9-13

Tags: Sanctification, Temptation

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

The Red Neck Wedding

Contributed by Shawn Drake on Feb 22, 2003

The Red Neck Wedding In the Summer of 2000 a couple came to me and explained that they wanted me to perform their Wedding ceremony. The man was a farmer and the woman had grown up on a farm. They explained to me that this was both of their 2nd marriage and neither one of them had a Church ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 126:2

Tags: Wedding, Humorous Weddings

Denomination: Baptist

At The End Of Wwii The Japanese Government Faced ...  PRO

Contributed by D. Greg Ebie on May 7, 2003

At the end of WWII the Japanese government faced a similar problem with thousands of soldiers who were hiding in the jungles and mountains in the South Pacific. Although the treaty with the U.S. had been signed and the war was over, thousands of Japanese soldiers living in the mountains and ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 4:18

Tags: Fear And Worry

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Not For Words Alone!" Ephesians 2: 8-10 Key ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Nov 24, 2004

“Not for Words Alone!” Ephesians 2: 8-10 Key verse(s): 8a: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God . . . ” Did you ever receive a gift, a gift so unexpected and so exciting that you just couldn’t contain the level of your ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-10

Tags: Joy, Giving General

Denomination: Lutheran

In The Late Winter Of 1891, The Whale-Ship 'star ...  PRO

Contributed by Peter Bines on Sep 6, 2005

In the late winter of 1891, the whale-ship ’Star of the East’ was in the area of the Falkland Islands when it sighted a whale. Two boats were sent out with harpoons to catch and kill the creature. But the whale’s lashing tail overturned one of the boats spilling the crew into the sea. All were ...read more

Scripture: Jonah 3:1-10

Tags: Fact Or Fiction, Fiction, Check, Jonah, Never Happened  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

A Prisoner Who Just Couldn’t Take Any More ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 11, 2001

A prisoner who just couldn’t take any more pulled a daring escape from the county jail in Fordyce, Arkansas. He would have been better off staying put: as the man was escaping, a county judge was ordering his immediate release because he had been locked up too long due to a clerical error. The ...read more

The Jesus Store

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Apr 26, 2007

The Jesus Store. There was a woman once who wanted peace in the world and peace in her heart, but she was very frustrated. The world seemed to be falling apart and her personal life wasn’t that great either. One day she decided to go shopping, and she went to the mall and walked in to one of the ...read more

Denomination: Pentecostal

On Nov. 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln Stood ...

Contributed by Fred Sigle on May 22, 2007

On Nov. 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln stood on the battlefield at Gettysburg to dedicate a portion of that land as a national cemetery. The featured speaker of the day was Edward Everett, acclaimed as possibly the greatest classical orator of his time. A former United States senator, Governor ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

I Was No Longer The Dirty American

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

I was no longer the Dirty American I read a story the other day on the Internet by a missionary to India named Doug Nichols. Nichols was serving as a missionary in India when a bout with tuberculosis landed him in a public hospital for a spell. It wasn’t like hospitals here. It was a big ward ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness General

One Time Many Years Ago (Maybe 1993) I Took ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

One time many years ago (maybe 1993) I took Holly and Shane and went to South Bend, IN, to run the Sunburst marathon. She had a friend from college who lived there and we went to visit them as well. The Sunburst marathon was run in June and on a Saturday. Then we had to drive back to southern IL, ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness General