In Sermon Illustrations: "Finished Work"

Timanthes And The Do-Over

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Jan 5, 2013

TIMANTHES AND THE DO-OVER Over 2,000 years ago a young Greek artist named Timanthes (Tim-an-thes) painted this picture - The Sacrifice of Iphigenia. Before he painted this masterpiece when the artist Timanthes (Tim-an-thes) was a young man, he studied under a well-known and highly respected tutor. ...read more

Tags: Learning

Denomination: Brethren

On Shepherds  PRO

Contributed by Tim Smith on May 11, 2014

What do we know about the shepherd's life? It's a full time commitment. Sheep are helpless to defend themselves against attack from their natural enemies: lions, bears, wolves, hyenas and foxes which can come in both the day and night so there is never a moment a shepherd can relax. Sheep must be ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:1-10

Tags: Shepherd, Shepherd's Life

Denomination: Methodist

Trials

Contributed by Tim Smith on May 28, 2015

Sam Dixon was the General Secretary of the United Methodist Committee on Relief. He died under the rubble in the Montana Hotel of Haiti, serving God while meeting with other relief agencies to work together to better help the Haitian people. When one serves God so faithfully and suddenly is killed, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:13-16

Tags: God's Sovereignty, Serving, Choices, The Price To Follow

Denomination: Methodist

When Good Intentions Go Wrong

Contributed by Jeremiah Menyongai on Mar 14, 2016

Illustration 2: In Tanzania, two guys went for an interview. One was smarter than the other but they were good friends and willing to work together so the less smarter could pass. The educated one said if he went first, he would come back with the answers to the interview questions. It happens that ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 26:1-33

Tags: Examine, Dull, Dummy, Ax, Evaluate, Test, Independent, Follower, Repeat, Mess, Ignorant, Stupid, Intention  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Charismatic

A Lesson In Hope

Contributed by Thomas Clawser on Apr 1, 2017

They still tell the story at William and Mary College of daffy, magnificent President Ewell. For a century and a half, this prestigious Virginia school had been a leader among American universities. Then came the Civil War. In the hard days of reconstruction that followed, William and Mary went ...read more

Scripture: John 11:38-44

Tags: Hope, New Life, Lent

Denomination: Other

Cast Your Net On The Right Side

Contributed by Herb Pulse on Jun 28, 2017

I come from a fishing family. When I became old enough to walk, I became old enough to experience the wonderful world of fishing. One of things I particularly love is throwing a shad net. Often times it becomes very draining work, and at the tender age of 12 I became the primary go-to-guy for ...read more

Scripture: John 21:6

Tags: Jesus, Net, Cast

Denomination: Christian Church

Ten Years Of Fact Checking

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Apr 11, 2018

It’s an old stereotype that politicians are likely to “massage the truth” a little bit. That’s probably as generous as that can be said. With that in mind, I was intrigued recently when PolitiFact celebrated their tenth anniversary. PolitiFact is a non-partisan, independent organization that ...read more

Tags: Bible, Truth

Denomination: Baptist

Louis Braille And The Will Of God

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Oct 15, 2019

I do not know if Louis Braille was a believer, but his life is an example of a sovereign God causing all things to work together for good - In the French Academy of Science there is a rather plain, old shoemaker's awl on display. The story behind the awl is quite extraordinary. To look at it, ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:28

Tags: Miracles, Testimony, Will Of God

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

P ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 11, 2008

PROMISES A Wall Street clerk went for a tuna sandwich one snowy noon and returned to work and found $37.1 million in negotiable certificates of deposit in a pouch dropped by a courier. The clerk turned them over to his supervisor, who notified the securities company. The man received a $250 reward ...read more

Tags: Promises Of God

The Labor Of Love Is Not A Duty

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Sep 4, 2008

The Labor of Love is Not a Duty It is not something we have to do. It is not even something we ought to do. Loving God as we worship can never be done because we know we ought to do it. Now sometimes we need to fake it until we make it. Sometimes we need to do it even if we don't feel like it. ...read more

Tags: Christian Love

Denomination: Church Of God

An Australian Mining Town Will Always Remember ...

Contributed by Ed Sasnett on Dec 29, 2008

An Australian mining town will always remember the year of the dramatic rescue. An earthquake killed one miner and trapped two others 3,000 feet under the ground. Days turned into weeks as miners bore through tons of rock; rescuers could only work one at a time on their backs in a cramped rescue ...read more

Tags: Salvation

Denomination: Baptist

Paul Harvey Tells About A Airline Stewardess Who ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 31, 2008

Paul Harvey tells about a airline stewardess who was being harassed by a slightly inebriated man up in the first class section who was making passes at her and trying to get her to agree to meet him in his hotel suite that night. With some difficulty she got away from him, only to encounter another ...read more

Tags: Ot Characters

Rescue From The Biggest Prison

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 7, 2009

RESCUE FROM THE BIGGEST PRISON An Australian mining town will always remember the year of the dramatic rescue. An earthquake killed one miner and trapped two others 3,000 feet under the ground. Days turned into weeks as miners bore through tons of rock; rescuers could only work one at a time on ...read more

Tags: Atonement

Don't Just Count Them, Look Them In The Eye

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 28, 2009

DON’T JUST COUNT THEM, LOOK THEM IN THE EYE An item in Leadership magazine illustrates the importance of giving attention to needs, not just to numbers. "During World War II, economist E.F. Schumacher, then a young statistician, worked on a farm. Each day he would count the 32 head of cattle, then ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Two Stories Of Injustice

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 12, 2009

TWO STORIES OF INJUSTICE In 1984, James Ealy was convicted in the 1982 brutal murders of 33-year-old Christine Parker, her two children and one grandchild. Two years later, the Illinois Appellate Court overturned the conviction - even as justices acknowledged Ealy almost certainly was guilty. They ...read more

Tags: Justice

Never Satisfied, More!

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Feb 23, 2024

REMEMBER THE STORY ABOUT THE DOG AND HIS BONE? There was a real smart dog that had searched and searched for just the right bone. After several hours the dog found a real big wonderful bone. He picked the good bone up and started home with his prized bone. On the way home the dog had to pass over a ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:18

Tags: Comparison, Satisfied

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Spiritual Zombies

Contributed by John Bright on Feb 2, 2025

Ephesians 2:1-3 “2 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-5

Tags: Born Again, Zombies, Spiritually Dead

Denomination: Methodist

Long Process Of Crucifixion

Contributed by John Bright on Apr 6, 2025

Roman crucifixion was a long, drawn-out process that often lasted for several days. This was not the case for Jesus - "Pilate marveled that He was already dead…" Mark 15:44. What happens on that cross? • With weight on the wrists - the chest is stretched when the person is slumped ...read more

Scripture: Mark 15:44, John 19:33-34

Tags: Water, Blood, Crucifixion, Sermon

Denomination: Methodist

Many Years Ago, Executives Of The Time-Life ...  PRO

Contributed by Richard Jones on Nov 1, 2000

Many years ago, executives of the Time-Life publishing organization discovered that the company’s profit margin had shrunk to an alarmingly low level. Consequently, they began an intensive effort to try to cut costs. Efficiency experts suggested that substantial savings could be effected in the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:7

Tags: Love, Mercy, God's Forgiveness, Endurance, Promises Of God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

I Had The Meanest Parents In All The World. When ...  PRO

Contributed by Andrew Chan on May 3, 2002

I had the meanest parents in all the world. When I was seven years old they dared to spank me just because I told them I would not do what they asked me to do to help around the house. My friend next door never got spanked. He didn’t have to help at home. He had nice parents. I had the meanest ...read more

Tags: Parenting

Denomination: Evangelical Free