In Sermon Illustrations: "First Love"

A Husband Was Told By The Marriage Counselor To ...  PRO

Contributed by Ross Mitchell on Jan 30, 2001

A husband was told by the marriage counselor to try and be nice to his wife. One day he comes home from work. He’s dressed up in a suit, he has cologne on, he has a bouquet of flowers and a box of candy in his hands. He’s trying to make a good impression. The wife says, "Oh, I can’t ...read more

Tags: Romantic Love, Christian Love, Marriage Struggle

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

One Of Life’s Major Mistakes Is Being The ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Hensley on Oct 18, 2000

One of life’s major mistakes is being the last member in the family to come down with the flu -- after all ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness General, Christian Love, Romantic Love

Denomination: Baptist

Nothing Can Choke The Heart And Soul Out Of ...  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Oct 11, 2001

Nothing can choke the heart and soul out of walking with God like legalism. Consider the story of Hans the tailor. Because of his reputation, an influential entrepreneur visiting the city ordered a tailor-made suit. But when he came to pick up his suit, the customer found that one sleeve ...read more

Scripture: Luke 5:33-35, Mark 5:1-12

Tags: Love Of The Disciples, Christian Love, What Is Evangelism?

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I Heard A Definition Of The Contrast ...  PRO

Contributed by Melvin Newland on Nov 14, 2001

ILL. I heard a definition of the contrast between infatuation & love. It says, "Infatuation is when you think your husband is as handsome as Tom Cruse, as amusing as Rodney Daingerfield, as intellectual as Albert Einstein, as devout as Billy Graham, & as athletic as Hulk Hogan." That is ...read more

Tags: Romantic Love, Marriage Commitment, Christian Love

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Measure Of A Life, After All, Is Not Its ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2001

The measure of a life, after all, is not its duration, but its donation. ...read more

Tags: Christian Love, Giving General, Love Of The Disciples

John Wesley's Rule For His Life  PRO

Contributed by Dru Ashwell on Dec 16, 2001

John Wesley had this rule for his life: Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23

Tags: Christian Values, Christian Love, Love Of The Disciples

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Christ Demands That The Driving Force In Your ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 20, 2002

Christ demands that the driving force in your life must be love. All other things, although important, are secondary. Love is the sign ...read more

Tags: Love Of The Disciples, Jesus Teachings, Christian Love

He Made His Worst Enemy His Best Friend!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jun 12, 2023

In the days of the American Revolution there lived at Ephrata, Pennsylvania, a Baptist pastor by the name of Peter Miller who enjoyed the friendship of General Washington. There also dwelt in that town a man named Michael Wittman who was an evil-minded man who did all in his power to oppose this ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 18:24

Tags: Love, Forgiveness, Agape Love, Friends, Enemies  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Free For The Taking: Grace

Contributed by Richard Tow on Jul 18, 2017

Joseph Cooke was a missionary to Thailand a generation ago. He illustrated grace this way. Picture a happily married couple in which both husband and wife are all that either could ever wish the other to be. The husband always respects his wife’s feelings, always treasures her individuality, is ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 1:8-9, Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 5:8

Tags: Grace, Love Of God

Denomination: Charismatic

In September Of 1982, My Mother Passed Away Very ...

Contributed by Stephen Ring on Apr 9, 2004

In September of 1982, my Mother passed away very unexpectedly. Through a series of events, I was actually spending the weekend at my parent’s home sick with a stomach flu, in order that my wife would be able to work and get a good night’s sleep. Early on the Sunday morning, my mother had a stroke ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness In Jesus, God's Love, Love, Repent, Whosoever  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Widow-Makers! (11.11.05--Christian ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Nov 9, 2005

Widow-Makers! (11.11.05--Christian Soldiers!--Ephesians 6:16-17) Beech trees tend to bend and grow at odd angles. When it comes to felling one, you have to do a bit more than simply cutting it down. First you need to determine which way the tree is leaning. Then you need to size-up the other ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:16-17

Tags: Angles, Love Of The Disciples

Denomination: Lutheran

My Daughter Served As A Camp Counselor This ...  PRO

Contributed by Sheila Crowe on Aug 26, 2003

My daughter served as a camp counselor this summer. It is a camp in which there are several camps contained in one location. She was a gap counselor and therefore served in several different ones. One camp is called Camp Sparrowood. It is a camp for the mentally challenged ages 8-99. She was ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 2:20

Tags: Love Of The Disciples, Discipleship

Denomination: United Methodist

Soren Kierkegaard, The Great Danish Theologian ...  PRO

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Dec 2, 2001

Soren Kierkegaard, the great Danish theologian told this story: A prince who wanted to find a maiden suitable to be his queen. One day while running an errand in the local village for his father he passed through a poor section. As he glanced out the windows of the carriage his eyes fell upon a ...read more

Tags: Humanity Of Christ, Christmas Advent

Denomination: Independent/Bible

He Leaks!  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 23, 2011

"HE LEAKS!" A country church was having their annual revival meeting. On the first night the preacher preached a message about repentance and the need to return to the Lord. At the altar call, a man came down the aisle saying "Fill me Lord, fill me". The next night the preacher challenged the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:10, Luke 15:11-32, 1 Peter 1:13-16

Tags: Revival, Selfish

Don't Magnify Yourself Against Those That Are Fallen

Contributed by James Dina on Oct 9, 2020

DON'T MAGNIFY YOURSELF AGAINST THOSE THAT ARE FALLEN "If indeed you will magnify yourselves against me, and plead against me my reproach" (Job 19:5) 1. Many people forget their own frailty, how easy is it for them to fall. We should be taught by the mistakes of others to avoid being ...read more

Scripture: Job 19:5, Psalm 35:26

Tags: Love, Exaltation, Correction

Denomination: Pentecostal

Several Times My Daughter Had Telephoned To ...  PRO

Contributed by Philip Harrelson on Feb 19, 2005

Several times my daughter had telephoned to say... "Mother, you must come see the daffodils before they are over." I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead. "I will come next Tuesday, " I promised, a little reluctantly, on her third call. Next Tuesday dawned ...read more

Tags: Discipleship, Love Of The Disciples

Denomination: Pentecostal

Al Was My Father-In-Law. He Was An Uncomplicated ...

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Feb 7, 2012

Al was my father-in-law. He was an uncomplicated man, easy to like. He was a natural athlete and avid outdoorsman who loved to hunt and fish. When he had a daughter (his first grandchild; my wife has no siblings) we didn’t realize how excited Al was about the prospect of taking her to the Great ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Tags: Evangelism, Love, Parents, Aging, Christian Love, Evangelism Urgency  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

I've Always Stood On God's Promise In Matthew ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 27, 2001

I’ve always stood on God’s promise in Matthew 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." A few years ago God showed me in one situation how he does indeed supply our needs providing we do put him first. I was pastoring a church in ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:20-21

Tags: God's Provision, Love, Righteousness

Two Wise Old Goats  PRO

Contributed by David Parks on Feb 24, 2005

TWO WISE OLD GOATS The story is told of two goats that met each other on a narrow ledge just wide enough for one goat to pass. The two goats faced each other and wondered, What shall we do? They could not back up that would be too dangerous. They could not go around because the ledge was too ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:10, Matthew 28:19-20

Tags: Wisdom, Love, Humility

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

When Robert Ingersoll, The Notorious Skeptic, Was ...

Contributed by Scott Malone on Apr 5, 2005

When Robert Ingersoll, the notorious skeptic, was in his heyday, two college students went to hear him lecture. As they walked down the street after the lecture, one said to the other, “Well, I guess he knocked the props out from under Christianity, didn’t he?” The other said, “No, I don’t think he ...read more

Tags: Christian Love, Faith

Denomination: Baptist