In Sermon Illustrations: "First Day Of The Week"

A Pastor Told Of Being In The Store The Other ...

Contributed by Paul Wallace on Sep 20, 2006

A pastor told of being in the store the other day and the person in front of him wanted to leave, but her receipt was slow coming out of the cash register. She started making motions with her hand trying to speed up the printing of her receipt. As he watched her he was amused until he realized ...read more

Denomination: Wesleyan

Hoping More People Do The Right Thing

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Mar 29, 2010

HOPING MORE PEOPLE DO THE RIGHT THING A recent (March 2010) AFP article hit the presses this week: CHICAGO (AFP) – People fell onto a bag of cash like a pack of hungry piranhas after more than $100,000 tumbled out the back of an armored truck onto an Ohio street, local media reported. The bag ...read more

Tags: Character

Denomination: Independent/Bible

I Ran Several Years Of Track In High School. At ...

Contributed by Sterling Franklin on Jun 21, 2010

I ran several years of track in high school. At the end of each season, there was a conference meet – a big gathering of schools racing against each other to see who the best was in the area. I came prepared to run on a rubber track, wearing my Nike Air Jasaris, light shoes with hard plastic ...read more

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Living Stones

Contributed by Jason Bonnicksen on May 22, 2011

LIVING STONES I have to tell ya, I’m so proud of my baby girl. She's working on a project for the school’s science-fair by growing citrine crystals in the basement. What normally takes thousands of years to do in nature; chemists have somehow been able to reproduce in a matter of weeks. I think ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ

Denomination: Lutheran

One Hour

Contributed by Larry Wilson on Sep 6, 2011

ONE HOUR A child loved his dad but seldom saw him. The man was so busy with so many things to do. The child collected bottles and cans, did odd jobs and seemed to be always trying to make money. One day he asked his father, "How much do you make in an hour?" The dad said, "$20.00, why?" ...read more

Tags: Children

Denomination: Baptist

James S. Hewett Tells This Story. "A Tyrannical ...  PRO

Contributed by R. David Reynolds on Jun 18, 2006

James S. Hewett tells this story. “A tyrannical husband demanded that his wife conform to rigid standards of his choosing. She was to do certain things for him as a wife, mother, and homemaker. In time she came to hate her husband as much as she hated his list of rules and regulations. Then, ...read more

Tags: Parenting

Denomination: Methodist

Fitting In

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Feb 13, 2011

FITTING IN I read the prologue to a story called Girl in the Middle. The girl is Kim Satinsky who is in eighth grade. She says, "You would think that being in a clique is fun, but take my word for it...it's not. They make me wear expensive things when I'm not really rich and tell me if something's ...read more

Tags: Friendship General

Denomination: Salvation Army

There Was A Little Boy With A Bad Temper. His ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 20, 2002

There was a little boy with a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, to hammer a nail in the back fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Then it gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his ...read more

April 29, ...

Contributed by Paul Wallace on Sep 20, 2006

April 29, 2003 Because Trent Dilfer is a public figure, the death Sunday of his 5-year-old son Trevin is news. It’s sad news. Even those critical of Dilfer the football player surely feel for Dilfer the man and his family. Five-year-olds aren’t supposed to die, they’re supposed to go to ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 26:1-10, Matthew 26:6-13

Denomination: Wesleyan

The Elevator  PRO

Contributed by Donnie Martin on Jun 27, 2004

The Elevator A man from the back mountains of Tennessee found himself one day in a large city, for the first time standing outside an elevator. He watched as an old, haggard woman hobbled on, and the doors closed. A few minutes later the doors opened and a young, attractive woman ...read more

Tags: Becoming A Christian

Denomination: Baptist

One Of My Seminary Professors Gave A Great ...

Contributed by Curt Cizek on Sep 18, 2007

One of my seminary professors gave a great lecture one day when I was in my first year at the seminary. I was in awe of his knowledge. I went up to him after class and told him just how much I enjoyed the lecture and his vast Biblical ...read more

Denomination: Lutheran

A Former Archbishop Of Canterbury Arrived In New ...

Contributed by Warner Pidgeon on Jul 13, 2009

A former archbishop of Canterbury arrived in New York. A journalist asked him, “Will you be visiting any of our nightclubs whilst you are here?” The archbishop mischievously replied, “Are there any night clubs here?” Next day a newspaper headline read: “Archbishop’s first question on arriving in ...read more

Tags: Misconceptions

Denomination: Anglican

Beyond The Sunset  PRO

Contributed by Sean Smuts on Jul 17, 2003

Beyond the Sunset Should you go first and I remain, To walk the road alone. I live in memories garden, dear, With happy days we’ve known. In spring I’ll wait for roses, red, When faded, the lilacs blue. In early fall when brown leaves fall, I’ll catch a glimpse of you. Should you go first ...read more

Tags: Death

Denomination: Mennonite

Unwanted Items-The Unwanted Salary

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on May 11, 2025

Unwanted items-the unwanted salary Introduction: Have you ever been so angry with your employer that you threw your pay away? Something like that happened in the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20)! (Full disclosure: Sermon Central has previously accepted a message on this text in ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 20:1-15

Tags: Jesus, Money, Unwanted Things

Denomination: Baptist

Mordecai Ham Was Born April 2, 1877, In ...

Contributed by Jody Vansickle on Oct 26, 2009

Mordecai Ham was born April 2, 1877, in Scottsville, Kentucky. He came from eight generations of Baptist preachers. He came to Christ by the time he was eight years old and remembers: "At nine I had definite convictions that the Lord wanted me to preach." But after high school, he changed his ...read more

Tags: Preaching

Denomination: Methodist

Your Cheatin' Heart

Contributed by Ed Sasnett on Aug 12, 2020

Your Cheatin’ Heart is a song written and recorded in 1952 by country music singer and songwriter Hank Williams. However, the song was released after his death in 1953. Your Cheatin’ Heart is considered one of the greatest songs of country music. The song is a slow ballad, telling an ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 4:20-27

Tags: Obedience, Compromise

Denomination: Baptist

Most Of Our Adult Lives Are Spent Working. If A ...

Contributed by John Shearhart on Jan 30, 2007

Most of our adult lives are spent working. If a person works outside the home for eight hours a day and five days a week, then you work 2,080 hours a year. There are only 8,760 hours in a year, and if you spend the same amount of time sleeping as you do working, you only have 4,600 hours remaining. ...read more

I'm A Fan Of The Television Show "24". It Has ...

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on May 7, 2007

I’m a fan of the television show "24". It has more fast-moving action packed into an hour than any show I have ever seen. The lead character, special agent Jack Bauer, is on the run practically the entire show. He has no sooner solved one crisis than another rises. The title "24" is taken from ...read more

Denomination: Methodist

Crowded Loneliness

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 10, 2008

CROWDED LONELINESS At a recent small groups conference at Saddleback Church Randy Frazee spoke on the "call to community." He reported the average American family manages 35 separate relationships on a day-to-day basis--children, extended family, neighbors, government, school, friends, work, ...read more

Tags: Church Small Groups

Poverty In The World Today

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 3, 2024

According the zippia.com, the median average household income for the world is slightly under $3,000. That means if your family has an income of more than $3,000 per year, you are richer than half the people in the world! The average annual income in Burundi is $220. In Afghanistan, it is $390. ...read more

Scripture: Leviticus 23:22, Deuteronomy 24:14-15, Proverbs 13:23, Proverbs 14:21, Proverbs 17:5, Matthew 26:11, Luke 6:20, Luke 4:18, James 2:1-7  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Unfortunate, Third World, Relative Poverty, Extreme Poverty, Missions, Poverty, Generosity, Poor, Destitute  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible