In Sermon Illustrations: "Finish The Race"

Sea Sponge Collection And The Spirit

Contributed by Chris Surber on Apr 23, 2009

SEA SPONGE COLLECTION AND THE SPIRIT When my wife Christina and I lived in Tarpon Springs, Florida, one of our favorite places to visit was the Greek Sponge Docks. We lived on a few blocks away, in fact, and we would often take evening walks past the boats, restaurants, and little shops that are ...read more

Tags: Holy Spirit General

Denomination: Christian Church

Marlene's Top 20 Life Lessons: (As Well As I Can ...  PRO

Contributed by Jim Blevins on May 14, 2009

Marlene's Top 20 Life Lessons: (as well as I can piece them together) Life's Lesson Number 20 Is About: The Value A Job Well Done "If you’re going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning." Life's Lesson Number 19 Is About: Time Travel "If you don’t straighten up, I’m going to ...read more

Tags: Mothers

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Song – God Bless ...

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Jun 16, 2009

SONG – GOD BLESS AMERICA. An eerie quiet fell over the battlefield near the French city of Verdun. It was Nov. 11, 1918, and the guns were abruptly silent. Some of the soldiers sank to the ground; others stared into space. Some began to shake. The Great War was finished, but the men could not ...read more

Tags: Patriotism

Denomination: Pentecostal

Grant Vs. Custer  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 2, 2011

GRANT VS. CUSTER There is a story of two Civil War Generals: George A. Custer and Ulysses S. Grant. Both graduated from West Point--Gen. Grant, being the oldest, graduated in the 1840's and Gen. Custer in 1861. Grant fought in several wars and was a field General in every sense of the word. In ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 23:1-11, Matthew 23:23-24

Tags: Humility, Pride, Show Off, Comparison

St. Patrick: Stones Squashed In The Mud

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 12, 2011

ST. PATRICK: STONES SQUASHED IN THE MUD As a young boy Patrick lived a comfortable life near an English coastal city where his father was a deacon in their church. But at the age of 16, all that came to an end. Irish pirates attacked his village, abducting Patrick and many of the household ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:9-10

Tags: Evangelism The Lost

He Wants To Be With His Master

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 29, 2011

HE WANTS TO BE WITH HIS MASTER Today’s story is about an old country doctor that dates back to the late 1930s when doctors made house calls. Isaac Pender was his name. Everyone in the area for two reasons respected him. First, he was an excellent doctor who provided compassion care for his ...read more

Scripture: John 14:1-4

Tags: Heaven

Puzzles And The Christian Life

Contributed by Greg Nance on Dec 28, 2011

PUZZLES AND THE CHRISTIAN LIFE At our traditional family Christmas gathering with Jenny's side of the family, somebody always brings a puzzle (usually 1000 piece) to put together as part of the festivities. Later, Jenny's mom will frame it and put it on the wall in their family room where there ...read more

Tags: Discipleship

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Closer To The Other Side—joni Eareckson Tada

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 3, 2012

"CLOSER TO THE OTHER SIDE"--Joni Eareckson Tada Joni Eareckson Tada is a woman who has experienced a lot of suffering. Paralyzed from the shoulders down after a tragic diving accident as a teenager, Joni often wanted to die instead of working to live and overcome her disabilities. She still lives ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 1:19-26

Tags: Heaven

The Agony Of Defeat

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 28, 2012

"THE AGONY OF DEFEAT" Some of you might remember the TV program "The Wide World of Sports". For many years, the opening of the program opened like this: "Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport; the thrill of victory... and the agony of defeat." The opening illustrated "the ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 27:12

Tags: Change

What I Learned At The Recycling Center

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Jan 21, 2020

Recycling centers have always been something that fascinated me. Usually these companies are in buildings that were themselves built for another purpose, but were, well, “recycled” as places where we can take aluminum cans, newspapers, and so forth. Besides, we managed to save enough aluminum cans ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 36:20-25

Tags: Scripture, Bibles Destroyed

Denomination: Baptist

Isang Lahi

Contributed by Dr John Singarayar Svd on Dec 26, 2021

Isang Lahi Mateo 2:16-18 Isang karera ang inorganisa sa pagitan nina Goliath at David. Ngayon, nang magsimula ang karera, parehong nagsimulang tumakbo sina Goliath at David sa pantay na bilis ngunit pagkatapos ng ilang segundo, naunahan ni David si Goliath. Nang makitang nauuna si David, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 2:16-18

Tags: David, Goliath

Denomination: Other

Spiritual Manna

Contributed by Paul Dietz on Sep 20, 2008

Spiritual Manna How many can remember the story of the children of Israel gathering Manna every morning accept on the Sabbath to find the sustenance needed to make their spiritual journey from Egypt to the Land of Promise? We are told that they first of all began to murmur among themselves about ...read more

Tags: God's Provision

Denomination: *other

On ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 13, 2009

ON PRAYER Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer told a story on the subject of prayer. A certain minister was in the habit of profound prayers, oftentimes resorting to words beyond the understanding of his simple flock. This went on week after week, to the dismay and frustration of the congregation. At last, a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:5-15

Tags: Prayer How To

Unsung Heroines-The Widow Who Gave Her Last Two Coins

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on May 22, 2022

Introduction: Some of us have heard the phrase, “the widow’s mite”. That phrase came from this passage! Jesus took notice what a certain widow did and her story is still being told to this day. Text: Mark 12:41-44, KJV: 41 And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast ...read more

Scripture: Mark 12:41-44

Tags: Offerings, Mites, Unsung Heroines

Denomination: Baptist

When I Passed Out Preaching On Death!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Mar 25, 2024

I met Christ as my personal Lord and Savior when I was 15 years old. I had grown up in church and had faithfully gone to church 3 or 4 times per week my whole life......but I did not have a personal relationship with Jesus. After trusting Him as my Savior, I felt that God spoke to my heart ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 9:27

Tags: Death, Heaven, Preaching, Humor, Pastors, Churches, Fainting  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

From Roast Turkey To Reindeer

Contributed by James Snyder on Dec 9, 2023

Nothing is more confusing than being in the middle of two holidays. I have just finished Thanksgiving, and now Christmas is before me. Each year, it gets more difficult to adjust to the next holiday. It’s hard for me to keep up. For months, the focus was on that roast turkey for Thanksgiving. And ...read more

Scripture: Amos 3:3

Tags: Turkey, Reindeer, Christmas, Thanksgiving

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

One More Candle On Another Cake

Contributed by James Snyder on Jul 19, 2025

The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage and I were finishing our supper. If anyone can put together a marvelous supper, it is she. If anybody can eat a marvelous supper, it is me. As we were finishing, she looked over at me and said, "My dear, do you know what we will be celebrating next ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 118:24

Tags: Celebration, Aging, Birthday

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Bamboo  PRO

Contributed by Danny Thomas on May 21, 2001

Bamboo Once upon a time, in the heart of the Western Kingdom, lay a beautiful garden. And there, in the cool of the day, the Master of the garden was wont to walk. Of all the denizens of the garden, the most beautiful and most beloved was gracious and noble bamboo. Year after year, bamboo grew yet ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:25-33, Psalm 34:18, Psalm 51:17, Luke 9:1-6, Daniel 1:1  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Doing God's Will, Destiny, Discipleship, Evangelism, Christian Disciplines, Harvest, Humility, Persistence, Welcome, Witness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Pentecostal

Dr. Frederic Loomis Faced The Most Difficult ...  PRO

Contributed by Tom Mccrossan on Jan 21, 2004

Dr. Frederic Loomis faced the most difficult decision a physician could ever make--whether to allow a deformed baby to live or die. He had only seconds to decide. Dr. Loomis had delivered hundreds of babies, but this one was different. The infant lay in a breech position, promising at best a ...read more

Tags: Abortion

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Seven Year Old Tommy Had Been Asking His Parents ...

Contributed by Kenneth Trent on Oct 30, 2007

Seven year old Tommy had been asking his parents for a dog but they were not convinced that the family needed one. After Tommy’s repeated pleas, his dad told him if he would help his mother with chores around the house he could earn enough money to buy a dog. Tommy was more than eager to accept ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 46:1-34

Tags: Redemption, Redeemed

Denomination: Baptist