In Sermon Illustrations: "First Fruits"

History Of Father's Day - Sonora Smart Dodd

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Nov 25, 2025

Indeed ... It is Father's Day, ... and the very first national celebration ... of this day .... was on June 19, 1924, ... via a proclamation ... of President Calvin Coolidge. But it all came about ... due to the efforts of a woman named ... "Sonora" Smart Dodd. Sonora was sitting ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 4:19, Romans 8:38-39, Joshua 1:9, Hebrews 12:10-11, Ephesians 6:1-3, Colossians 3:21  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Fathers, Remembrence, Love, Father's Day, Celebrate  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Anglican

Fifteen Years Ago, I Was Serving As Pastor In ...  PRO

Contributed by David Dykes on Apr 10, 2003

Fifteen years ago, I was serving as pastor in Alabama and our church was in a capital stewardship campaign to raise money to build a new building. There was one particular lady in our church who was a widow. Her husband had left her a lot of money, and she had a lot more than she really needed. She ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:14-29

Tags: Gifts Giving

Denomination: Baptist

When Mom Gets Sick  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 2, 2005

WHEN MOM GETS SICK Notes from a man TRYING to make Mom’s life easier while she is sick in bed... Monday A.M. Dearest: Sleep late. Everything under control. Lunches packed. Kids off to school. Menu for dinner planned. Your lunch is on a tray in refrigerator: fruit-cup, finger-sandwiches. Thermos ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 31:11-31

Tags: Mother's Day, Parenting

The Condition Of Society

Contributed by Michael Mccosker on Sep 20, 2007

The Condition of Society “The fruit of the secular world view can be seen in around us. As we observe society, it is evident that not all is well. Television has degenerated into a bordello of violence, soft-pornography, anti-family sit-coms, commercials that appeal to immediate ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Christian Code Of Conduct  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Jul 3, 2008

CHRISTIAN CODE OF CONDUCT We should all commit ourselves to a code of conduct that glorifies the Lord no matter where we are at in life. Why? Because it will benefit those around us and make God look good. Here are few dimensions to the Christian Code of Conduct: (This code was adapted from a ...read more

Tags: Character

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Unsung Heroines

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 6, 2011

UNSUNG HEROINES In Tom Brokaw’s book "The Greatest Generation Speaks," Veronica Mackey Hulick tells of her service during World War II. Veronica was 20 when she joined the Navy WAVES [Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service]. She and about 1500 other bright young women worked for hours at ...read more

Scripture: Mark 9:35, Mark 9:33-35

Tags: Servanthood

Forgive Means "Let Go"  PRO

Contributed by Mark Stepherson on Jul 14, 2011

Forgive Means "Let Go" In the last few days there was an item on the news about residents in a local neighborhood finding a bobcat in their yard. A story we sometimes hear is about an alligator being found in a drainage ditch. We haven’t heard that this year, with the drought, but sometimes we ...read more

Scripture: Mark 11:25

Tags: Forgiveness, Stand, Grievances, Forgiveness For Others

Denomination: Baptist

You Are Who He Says You Are

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Aug 18, 2020

Because you are in Christ, EVERY ONE of these statements is true of you. • I am loved. 1 John 3:3 • I am accepted. Ephesians 1:6 • I am a child of God. John 1:12 • I am Jesus' friend. John 15:14 • I am a joint heir with Jesus, sharing His inheritance with Him. Romans 8:17 • I am united with ...read more

Scripture: John 1:12, John 15:14

Tags: Spiritual Warfare, Identity, New Creation, Position In Christ, In Christ  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

We Are Biologically Wired To Trust

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Apr 20, 2023

Henry Cloud in his book, Trust, talks about how we are hard-wired to trust. If you have ever been around a newborn, you may have noticed that newborns do not do much due diligence when they're hungry. They scream with all their might and basically say, "Bring it to me now!" The human ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 13:12

Tags: Trust, Mothers, Infants, Neuroscience

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Note: As The Congregation Turns To The Scripture ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 26, 2002

Note: As the congregation turns to the Scripture Text you may tell them about a "peace-board" that is based on verse 12: In 1250, in England, the Archbishop of York introduced a "peace-board" which was first kissed by ...read more

Six Weeks Before He Died, A Reporter Asked Elvis ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 24, 2004

Six weeks before he died, a reporter asked Elvis Presley, "Elvis, when you first started playing music, you said you wanted to be rich, famous and ...read more

No One Can Read Our Constitution Without ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 11, 2007

No one can read our Constitution without concluding that the people who wrote it wanted their government severely limited; the words no and not' employed in restraint of government power occur 24 times in the first ...read more

Tags: America

Every So Often We Hear People Clamor For A ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 11, 2007

"Every so often we hear people clamor for a change. Lets change the Constitution, change the form of Government, change everything for better or worse except to change the only thing that needs changing ...read more

Tags: Change

Faith And Works Should Travel Side-By-Side, Step ...

Contributed by Tony Abram on Jun 7, 2008

Faith and works should travel side-by-side, step answering to step, like the legs of men walking. First faith, and then works; and then faith again, and then works again--until you can scarcely ...read more

Tags: Promises Of God

Do Not Let Your Vanity And Self-Love Make You ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"Do not let your vanity and self-love make you suppose that people become your friends at first sight, or even upon a short acquaintance. Real friendship is a slow grower, and never ...read more

Tags: Compassion

Henry Ward Beecher Said, "I Think That The Most ...  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Howell on Apr 6, 2004

Henry Ward Beecher said, “I think that the most wonderful book that could be written would be a book in which an angel should write all the thoughts that pass through a faithful ...read more

Tags: Mother's Day

Denomination: Wesleyan

Pastors & Marriage: 88% Of Evangelical Ministers ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 27, 2006

Pastors & Marriage: 88% of evangelical ministers and 69% of mainline Protestant ministers in the U.S. are currently on their first marriage. 8% of evangelical pastors have been divorced compared to 23% of ...read more

Tags: Divorce

The Parents Television Council Says Children ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 10, 2008

The Parents Television Council says children watching TV during the first hour of primetime, once dubbed the family hour, now encounter violence, profanity or sexual content ...read more

Tags: Television And Movies

Sacrifice Of Exchange

Contributed by Akinsanya Adubi on Sep 21, 2009

SACRIFICE OF EXCHANGE When someone is sick and is about to die, there is a type of sacrifice that they will prepare, (sacrifice of exchange), they will put that sacrifice in a bowl and place it by the roads intersection, the first person to see that sacrifice will be the one that ...read more

Tags: Assurance Of Salvation

Denomination: Pentecostal

My Stripes

Contributed by Scott Jensen on Oct 8, 2008

My Stripes Many years ago I was enlisted in the Air Force and competed for promotion to Technical Sergeant. I was a Staff Sergeant that had been recognized as one of the best. I had fire wall 5 performance reports and had been Group NCO of the Year for two consecutive years. I had all the right ...read more

Tags: Disappointment

Denomination: Lutheran