In Sermon Illustrations: "First Things"

What Are You Afraid Of? The Barney Story

Contributed by Michael Deutsch on Sep 11, 2012

WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF? THE BARNEY STORY A few years ago, a church in Seattle, Washington was having a big kick-off Sunday. They wanted to do something for their children's programs. So they brought in Barney the Dinosaur. They learned, Kids like Barney when he’s on TV or in a stuffed animal. ...read more

Tags: Fear And Worry

Denomination: Baptist

This Morning I Want To Focus Upon Some New ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

This morning I want to focus upon some new year’s resolutions that each of should consider for ourselves, but before we delve into our topic, I thought you might enjoy a few stories of failed resolutions: A story is told that At the beginning of a new year, a high school principal decided to post ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 1:4-10, Luke 1:15-16, Lamentations 5:1-22

Tags: Resolution, Mothers Day, Mothers, New Year's Day, New Year, Honor Mothers, Children Obey  (view more)  (view less)

The Colonel Sanders Story  PRO

Contributed by Lonnie Erwin on Oct 26, 2007

Illustration: The Colonel Sanders Story Here’s a man sitting on his porch in Kentucky. He’s only recently retired from the post office, and he’s sitting there when his first Social Security check is delivered. He’s very, very discouraged. He thinks to himself, "Is this what life is going to be ...read more

Tags: Discouragement

Denomination: Baptist

Remember Me ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 11, 2008

REMEMBER ME NOT... Marilyn Anderes tells the story of a devoted Christian named Cheryl Stephens. Cheryl was a young mother who struggled with cancer, but was determined to keep ministering to others. She went home to Jesus on Nov. 19, 2003 at age 44. Cheryl’s friends say she lived out Phil 1:21 ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 1:21

Tags: Suffering Joy In

God's Ultimate Protection - Psalm 91

Contributed by Rick Crandall on Sep 26, 2025

God's Ultimate Protection - Psalm 91 Judy Anderson grew up as a missionary kid in Zaire. As a little girl, she went to a day-long rally celebrating the 100th anniversary of Christian missionaries coming to that part of the country. After a full day of messages and music, an old man came ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 91:1-16

Tags: Eternal Life, Refuge, Cross Of Christ, Messiah Prophecies, Fear, Protection, Resurrection, Trust, Overcome, Fortress  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

[281]. A Message From A Poem – The Lord Is

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 31, 2026

[281]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THE LORD IS This poem is the second shortest one I think I have written. I use lots of metaphors here – a metaphor is when you say something is another thing. A simile is saying something is like another thing. There is no rhyme scheme in the poem but there is ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 27:1, Psalm 18:2

Tags: Metaphor, Christian Poems, The Lord Is

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Father's Day: A Tribute Today Is Father's Day. A ...  PRO

Contributed by John Raulerson on Oct 12, 2005

FATHER’S DAY: A TRIBUTE Today is Father’s Day. A day of cologne. A day of hugs, new neckties, long-distance phone calls, and Hallmark cards. Today is my first Father’s Day without a father. For thirty-one years I had one. I had one of the best. But now he’s gone. He’s buried under an oak tree in a ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 23:1-10, Psalm 91:1-16

Tags: Parenting

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Father's Day: A Tribute By Max Lucado.

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on May 22, 2007

FATHER’S DAY: A TRIBUTE by Max Lucado. Today is Father’s Day. A day of cologne. A day of hugs, new neckties, long-distance phone calls, and Hallmark cards. Today is my first Father’s Day without a father. For thirty-one years I had one. I had one of the best. But now he’s gone. He’s ...read more

Denomination: Pentecostal

On The Day When A Young Writer Corrects His ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 11, 2007

On the day when a young writer corrects his first proofsheet he is as proud as a schoolboy who has ...read more

Tags: Books And Literature

No Good Reason, Just An Excuse  PRO

Contributed by Larry Moyer on Aug 5, 2009

NO GOOD REASON, JUST AN EXCUSE Some time ago I spoke to a man in the Air Force. He admitted to me that he did not know if he was going to heaven. So I pulled a 3x5 card from my pocket and said, "I would like you to list on that card whatever is keeping you from trusting Christ right now." He ...read more

Scripture: John 17:13-18

Tags: Evangelism The Lost

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

42% Of U.s. Adults See Themselves As Christians ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 10, 2008

42% of U.S. adults see themselves as Christians first rather than as Americans first according to ...read more

Tags: Faith

If Anyone Would Like To Acquire Humility, I Can, ...  PRO

Contributed by Mike Quinn on Jan 18, 2006

If anyone would like to acquire humility, I can, I think, tell him the first step. The first step is to ...read more

Tags: Humility

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Stupid Idea

Contributed by Tyler Edwards on Apr 14, 2009

STUPID IDEA As far as stupid ideas go, this was one of my better moments. I stayed after church one Tuesday night with a number of other kids in the youth group. We were just hanging out and talking for a bit. We were a pretty wild youth group to begin with, but if you know anything about young ...read more

Tags: Fool

Denomination: *other

How Basketball Weighed In On Racial ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 30, 2010

How Basketball Weighed in on Racial Integration On Friday we watched the film, Glory Road, the 1966 story of how the integrated Texas Western basketball team defeated Adolph Rupp’s all-white Kentucky Wildcats. At a time when schools in the Southeastern Conference refused scholarships to black ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 3:26-29

Tags: Racism, New Years

In The Recent Summer Games (2012), Kim Rhode Won ...  PRO

Contributed by Kelly Mitchell on Aug 11, 2012

In the recent Summer Games (2012), Kim Rhode won the gold medal in skeet shooting making her the first American to win 5 olympic medals in 5 consecutive olympic games. That’s a span of 20 years and not her only distinction. In the 2012 games, she hit 99 out of 100 skeet setting a new Olympic ...read more

Scripture: 1 Chronicles 9:24-27

Tags: Preparation, Commitment To Christ, Disciplines General, Growth In Christ

Denomination: Baptist

The Lord Jesus Christ Whom We Exalt At Christmas ...  PRO

Contributed by Darren Ethier on May 21, 2002

The Lord Jesus Christ whom we exalt at Christmas is not just a baby in a manger. He is not a character in a children’s story. He is far more. The first time he came, he came veiled in the form of a child. The next time He comes, and we believe it will be soon, He will come unveiled, and it will be ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12

Denomination: Pentecostal

A Pair Of Michigan Robbers Entered A Record ...

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 2, 2009

A pair of Michigan robbers entered a record shop nervously waving revolvers. The first one shouted, ’Nobody move!’ When his ...read more

Tags: Thought

Denomination: Independent/Bible

However, This Is Christmas So I Don't Want To Get ...  PRO

Contributed by Dean Kennedy on Dec 29, 2002

However, this is Christmas so I don’t want to get you too down and out . So let me share a story that some of you may have heard before. It is about the Christmas truce that occurred during World War I, on Christmas Eve of 1914, that first year of the War German and British forces were facing ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Swiss Fusion Man

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 17, 2009

THE SWISS FUSION MAN On May 14, 2008, Swiss aviation enthusiast and inventor Yves Rossy became the first man in the world to fly with wings and four jet engines strapped to his body. The inaugural flight in Bex, Switzerland lasted six minutes. The 48-year-old daredevil made his first public ...read more

Tags: Confidence

Helen Keller Was 1 ½ Years Old When She Became ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Helen Keller was 1 ½ years old when she became seriously ill, modern day drs feel she probably had scarlet fever or meningitis. Due to her illness she lost her sight and hearing. She became a blind, deaf, mute. People say she was out of control as a child. She threw constant temper fits, ate like a ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:1-2

Tags: Discipleship