In Sermon Illustrations: "Fire"

Heartwarming  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 17, 2011

HEARTWARMING Vance Havner put it best when he wrote, "We need a heart warming...The early Christians did not need a shot in the arm every Sunday to keep them going. They knew Jesus and they upset the world and worried the devil and gave wicked rulers insomnia and started something the jails ...read more

Tags: Heart

The Man Shouted And Screamed As He Brought The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

The man shouted and screamed as he brought the bear to a skidding halt, bit the head off the rattlesnake, and flung it into the brush. Then he slid off the bear’s back, turned, and hit him between the eyes, knocking him unconscious. The camper was speechless as this wild-eyed renegade walked over ...read more

Tags: Disappointment

The Decisions We Make Should Reflect The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

The decisions we make should reflect the relationship we have we the forgiver. Imagine that you are a stamp collector, and that over the years you have collected a large number of very valuable stamps. Now imagine your house on fire. You are inside with your dog, your faithful companion for the ...read more

Tags: Easter Resurrection

Bat Infestation  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Howell on Sep 19, 2007

Illus.: “Bat Infestation” Three pastors got together for coffee one day and found all their churches had bat-infestation problems. “I got so mad,” said one, “I took a shotgun and fired at them. I missed and it made holes in the ceiling. The trustees are still upset with me.” Another pastor ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 10:19-25

Tags: Baptism, Church Discipline, Commitment To Christ

Denomination: Wesleyan

Just For Fun Let's Have A Top Ten List Of "How To ...  PRO

Contributed by D. Greg Ebie on Sep 20, 2007

Just for fun let’s have a top ten list of "How to Know when you are growing old." 10. The gleam in your eye is the sun hitting your bifocals. 09. You get winded playing cards. 08. You know all the answers but nobody asks the questions. 07. You need your glasses to find your glasses. 06. You ...read more

Tags: Giving Yourself, Workplace Balance

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Legitimacy Vs. Abnormality

Contributed by Richard Goble on Nov 26, 2007

Legitimacy vs. Abnormality In the mass-media age, journalism is more than the transmission of neutral information. It traffics in the kind of information and spectacle calculated to embarrass western leaders. But the media doesn’t confine itself to embarrassing politicians. It also works to create ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Terry Fisher, Of San Mateo, California, Speaks ...

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Jan 21, 2008

Terry Fisher, of San Mateo, California, speaks about reading Marilyn J. Abraham’s book, First We Quit Our Jobs. She writes: "We signed up for a hike with a ranger, who told us a remarkable thing: when a tree’s life is threatened, stressed by the elements of fire, drought, or other calamity, it ...read more

Denomination: Salvation Army

Another Result Is That We Pervert Our Assignment ...

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Feb 18, 2008

Another result is that we pervert our assignment to care for the earth. Humans have misunderstood the use of having dominion over the earth as a license to do what we want with the earth. After all, since it is all going to be incinerated (rather than purified by a refiner’s fire), then let’s use ...read more

Denomination: Church Of God

If Someone Ran Through The Door Of Our Church ...

Contributed by David Moore on Jul 11, 2008

If someone ran through the door of our church tonight and cried out, “There is an exothermic oxidation of a combustible substance resulting in rapid, persistent chemical change which is releasing heat and light, accompanied by flame.” We might wonder what the problem is. But if they just should ...read more

Tags: Salvation

Denomination: Baptist

A.d. 110. Ignatius, Overseer Of The Church In ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2008

A.D. 110. Ignatius, overseer of the church in Antioch, was arrested and sent to Rome for preaching Christ. Facing martyrdom, he wrote this to the church at Rome. "Now I begin to be a disciple. I care for nothing of visible or invisible things so that I may but win Christ. Let fire and the cross, ...read more

Tags: Discipleship

Bible Characters Who Prayed

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Nov 6, 2022

BIBLE CHARACTERS WHO PRAYED: * Abraham prayed and God gave him a son. • Moses prayed, and the Israelites were delivered from Egypt. • Joshua prayed and the sun stood still in the valley of Aijalon • Gideon prayed, and He defeated the Midites with three hundred men. • Hannah prayed, and God gave ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 33:3

Tags: Prayer, Miracles, Bible Characters, Answers To Prayer

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Crossing No-Man's-Land  PRO

Contributed by David Whitten on May 28, 2002

ILLUSTRATION from “Stories from the Heart” It was a few weeks before Christmas 1917. The beautiful snowy landscapes of Europe were blackened by war. The trenches on one side held the Germans and on the other side the trenches were filled with Americans. It was World War I. The exchange of ...read more

Tags: Endurance, Forgiveness General

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

This Is Good!  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 29, 2002

THIS IS GOOD! The story is told of a king in Africa who had a close friend with whom he grew up. The friend had a habit of looking at every situation that ever occurred in his life (positive or negative) and remarking, "This is good!" One day the king and his friend were out on a hunting ...read more

Scripture: Acts 8:1-3, Romans 8:28

Tags: God In The Hardships, Goodness, All Things Work For Good, Hope, Positive, Struggles, Trial  (view more)  (view less)

Not Long After Paul Was In Prison There Was A ...  PRO

Contributed by Brad Beaman on Jul 21, 2003

Not long after Paul was in prison there was a man, one of the early church fathers, by the name of Pollycarp. He lived his life for the sake and the glory of God. At eighty-six years old the officials called upon him. Even before this he had a vision that he was to by martyred. He could have fled ...read more

Tags: Faith, Endurance, Death Nearness

Denomination: Baptist

The Enemy Is Real  PRO

Contributed by Guy Mcgraw on Apr 6, 2011

THE ENEMY IS REAL I am learning some things about the FIRST WORLD WAR. Things like it was a TRENCH WAR in which both sides just looked at each other from trenches for most of the war. Often they did not see one another as enemies. The French would not fire on the Germans when they saw their ...read more

Tags: War

The Bill Always Comes Due

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 12, 2011

THE BILL ALWAYS COMES DUE Bob Harris, weatherman for NY TV station WPIX-TV and the nationally syndicated independent Network news, had to weather a public storm of his own making in 1979. Though he had studied math, physics and geology at three colleges, he left school without a degree but with a ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 19:5

Tags: Lies

Life ...

Contributed by Samuel Fulkerson on Aug 23, 2012

Life Choices: AT&T FIRED President John Walter after nine months, saying he lacked intellectual leadership. *He received a $26 million dollar severance package. Police in Oakland, California spent two hours attempting to subdue a gunman who had barricaded himself inside his home. After firing ten ...read more

Tags: Humor

Denomination: Pentecostal

So Many Valuable Possessions  PRO

Contributed by Perry Greene on Sep 26, 2012

SO MANY VALUABLE POSSESSIONS Waylon Prendergast, 37, of Tampa, Florida, committed a spur-of-the-moment robbery while on his way home from a late-night drinking session. A very inebriated Mr. Prendergast forced his way into the house through an open upstairs window, filling a suitcase with cash and ...read more

Scripture: Luke 21:25-31, Luke 23:28-34

Tags: Blessing, Forgive, Nightmare

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Fields Of Flanders Were No Place To Be On ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

The fields of Flanders were no place to be on Christmas Eve, 1914. Thousands of British, French, Belgian and German troops were dug-in and planning yet another day’s carnage. None of them would have guessed that the “War to End All Wars” would continue nearly four more years and ultimately cost ...read more

Tags: Guilt

Camel Ride Up Mount Sinai

Contributed by Peter Loughman on Apr 29, 2008

CAMEL RIDE UP MOUNT SINAI It is 3:00 in the morning and we are waiting with other pilgrims on the back side of Saint Catherine’s Monastery at the base of mount Sinai. It is a moonless night, pitch black beyond the small light we huddle around. I wonder if I dressed warm enough, I am surprised it ...read more

Tags: Moses

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational