In Sermon Illustrations: "First Love"

Some Of You Have Seen My Darling Daughter, ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 28, 2004

Some of you have seen my darling daughter, Elaina. Others of you who are brave enough to venture into the nursery have seen Elaina the Terrible. Her cute features contort, her laughing disposition is clouded and her soft voice becomes a raging roar as she lets out cries at seeminly unnatural ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness In Jesus, God's Love, Promises Of God

Sitting At A Railroad Crossing, Waiting For A ...  PRO

Contributed by Jon Daniels on May 23, 2004

Sitting at a railroad crossing, waiting for a freight train to pass through town, one can see lots of interesting graffiti. Some of it can be quite artistic. Some of it expresses anger or rage; some expresses a person’s love for another; some expresses gang affiliation. Some of it is lewd, while ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:31

Tags: Christian Love, Christian Disciplines, Forgiveness General

Denomination: Baptist

They Knew That They Had A Serious Problem Before ...

Contributed by Tim Zingale on Jul 7, 2004

"They knew that they had a serious problem before they even pulled over to the side of the highway to check it out. The car shrieked and shuttered. Something was dragging on the pavement- and whatever it was, it sounded expensive. They got out of the car to survey the damage and sure enough it ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness General, Christian Disciplines, Love Of The Disciples

Denomination: Lutheran

God's Pledge Of Allegiance: The Apostle's Creed ...  PRO

Contributed by Eric Vertein on Oct 27, 2004

GOD’S PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: The Apostle’s Creed is not a pledge of allegiance, which we speak before God. We are remembering the gospel. We are remembering God’s pledge to us. The Creeds are nothing different from the 23rd Psalm. They simply explain how our Good Shepherd has ‘restored my soul,’ ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 23:1-6, Psalm 23:1-6

Tags: Love, Death, Faith General, Equal, Eternity  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Lutheran

In C.s. Lewis' The Lion, The Witch And The ...  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Howell on Nov 15, 2005

In C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, we have a story of love–love between four siblings and love for and by Aslan, the Lion-Savior. It is this love that gives these youngsters courage to go on. Legend has it that a wealthy merchant traveling through the Mediterranean world looking ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 3:1

Tags: Narnia, Passion, Love, Secret Of Life, Commitment  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Wesleyan

Why Is It That The Vast Majority Of Christian ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 10, 2006

"Why is it that the vast majority of Christian believers remain largely unexposed to Christian learning--to historical-critical studies of the Bible, the content and structure of the great doctines, to two thousand years of classic works on the Christian life, to basic disciplines of theology, ...read more

Tags: Bible Study, Gospel, Grace, Love, Salvation  (view more)  (view less)

John Piper Wrote A Paper--Written Years Ago ...  PRO

Contributed by Philip Harrelson on Dec 28, 2006

-John Piper wrote a paper--written years ago (1995)--on how Christian leaders should avoid sexual sin. Piper lists ten potential pitfalls and proposes ten protections against them: • PITFALL: Falling in love with the present world. PROTECTION: Think long and hard about the deadly poison of ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 1:1

Tags: Love For God, Obedience, Glory Of God, Relationships

Denomination: Pentecostal

What Makes A Good ...

Contributed by Timothy Gardner on Nov 7, 2009

"What makes a good church? If all the… …Lazy folks get up …sleepy folks wake up …Discouraged folks cheer up …Gossiping folks shut up …Dishonest folks fess up …Estranged folks make up …Depressed folks look up …Disgusted folks sweeten up …Lukewarm folks fire up …Sanctified folks show ...read more

Tags: People, Love, Commitment, Humor, Church General  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Salvation Army

Dr. Martin Luther King Penned In His Book The ...  PRO

Contributed by Engleburg Toney on Jan 18, 2010

Dr. Martin Luther King penned in his book The Strength of Love, "The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool. If the church does not recapture ...read more

Tags: Love, Value, Purpose, Conscience, Church General  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

A Second Chance  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 8, 2011

A SECOND CHANCE Some years ago, two teenagers with a long history of crime and misbehavior robbed a YMCA on the lowest East Side of New York City. On the way out they saw a young man at the telephone switchboard. They were frightened and assumed that the man must be calling the police. They held ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 32:1-2

Tags: Love, Hope, Change, Care, Forgiveness For Others  (view more)  (view less)

Marriage: Preparation Is Key  PRO

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Jan 12, 2013

MARRIAGE: PREPARATION IS KEY "Promises are no substitute for preparation in marriage. Just because you say 'I Do' does not make you able. Just because you say 'I Do' does not make you capable. It only makes you accountable. And when you are accountable for something you are not capable of ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 7:1-7, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Tags: Love, Marriage, Wedding, Promise, Marriage Struggle  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Most Of Us Are Selfish. We Come To Marriage ...

Contributed by Davon Huss on Jan 31, 2015

Most of us are selfish. We come to marriage like a tick on a dog. A tick gets on a dog and sucks the blood out of that dog. The tick contributes nothing to the dog. The problem in marriage is sometimes we have two ticks and no dog. We have two people draining the life out of one another, with ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 19:3-6

Tags: Marriage, Selfish, Selfish Love, Marriage Improvement

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

God's Relationship With Us.

Contributed by Rob Roy on Nov 19, 2018

My best memory of my Grandfather who died when I was four or five. I was four or five and we loaded up with my four older brothers and mom and dad in our sixty-four brown Chevy Bel Air and headed to my grandparents home. My mom announced to all of us that Grandfather was weak and we should NOT ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 46:1-11

Tags: God's Love For Us, God's Relationship With Us

My Wife Has Become A Historian

Contributed by Ron Freeman, Evangelist on Dec 5, 2019

I had a brother once tell me: "That my wife, has become a historian." Of course, I inquired a little further, into what appeared to be a wonderful achievement. So I asked: “What do you mean my brother?” He replied: “She can tell me everything I have done wrong since we've been ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 31:31-34, Hebrews 8:10-12, Hebrews 10:15-18

Tags: Love, Forgiveness, Marriage, Wife, Understanding, Patience  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Laws

Contributed by Roy Fowler on Sep 13, 2020

The difference between Laws and Love. One earthly and one heavenly. FACTS: The Jews say there are 611 laws given to them directly from God. By the time you get to the New Testament times of Jesus you will find it depends on how they determine the number. Some believe there are 611 in Hebrew ...read more

Scripture: Mark 12:28-34, 2 Corinthians 3:6, 1 Corinthians 13:1-6

Tags: Love, Laws, To Many Laws, Jesus And Laws

Denomination: Independent/Bible

One Day A Farmer On Leaving For A Long Trip ...

Contributed by Sylvester Fergusson on Jul 17, 2007

One day a farmer on leaving for a long trip called his son and gave to him specific instructions. He told him; while I am gone I want you to reap the harvest and plant fresh seeds for the next harvest. The son being an obedient lad reaped the harvest and planted the seeds. As the farmer was ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 17:24, Proverbs 12:24, Ecclesiastes 10:18

Tags: Love, Obedience, Laziness, Initiative, Expectations, Wistdom  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Adventist

Corny Valentine's Puns

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 4, 2021

Q: What did the cucumber say to the pickle on Valentine's Day?" A: "You mean a great DILL to me." Q: What Valentine card did the light bulb say to the other light bulb? A: I love you a WATT! Q: What is a ram's favorite song on February 14th? A: I only have ...read more

Tags: Love, Humor, Laughter, Valentine's Day, Puns  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Have You Lost The "scent"?

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 1, 2021

DEMAS LOST THE "SCENT" A man bought a new hunting dog. Eager to see how the dog would perform, the man took him out to track a bear. No sooner had they gotten into the woods than the dog picked up the trail. Suddenly he stopped, sniffed the ground, and headed in a new direction. He had ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:10, 1 John 2:15-16

Tags: Compromise, Worldliness, Backsliding, Values, Loving The World  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Valentine's Day, Romantic

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 24, 2021

“Every Valentine’s Day our campus newspaper has a section for student messages. Last year my roommate surprised his girlfriend with roses and dinner at a fancy restaurant. When they returned from their date, she leafed through the paper to see if he had written a note to her. Near the bottom of ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:16

Tags: Love, Marriage, Romance, Dating, Valentine's Day  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

How Do You Make People Feel About Themselves?

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 14, 2022

How do you think the people on your staff, in your family or church, or even close friends would say that you make them feel about themselves?? Consider these great quotes on how we treat others: John Maxwell – "People may hear your words, but above all, they feel your attitude. Your ...read more

Tags: Feelings, Self Worth, Love, Leadership, Importance  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational