In Sermon Illustrations: "First Things"

How To Smell Like God" By Steven ...  PRO

Contributed by Troy Borst on Aug 10, 2004

ILLUSTRATION... “How to Smell Like God” by Steven James. Cincinnati: Standard, 2002. Pgs 4-5. In his book for teens, “How to smell like God,” Steven James says, “When I first met Tanya, I knew she was different. Part of it was the way she acted. The way she smiled. The way she looked at you. ...read more

Tags: Faith, Christian Love

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Story Is Told Of A Native From A Remote ...  PRO

Contributed by Charles R. Swindoll on Oct 17, 2004

The story is told of a native from a remote mountain village who had the opportunity to visit a large modern city for the first time. He could not bring much home with him, and he had little money. But he was amazed at the electric lights which he saw everywhere. So he bought a sack full of ...read more

Scripture: John 15:5

Tags: Holy Spirit Attributes

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Six Stages Of A Married Cold  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Howell on Feb 5, 2005

Six Stages of a Married Cold First year: "Sugar Dumplin, I'm really worried about my baby girl. You've got a bad sniffle and there's no telling about these things with all this stuff that's going around. I'm putting you in the hospital this afternoon for a general checkup and a good rest. I ...read more

Tags: Marriage Commitment

Denomination: Wesleyan

Who Is To Blame  PRO

Contributed by Shane Hart on Aug 10, 2006

Who Is To Blame We read in the paper and hear on the air Of killing and stealing and crime everywhere. We sigh and say, as we notice the trend, “This young generation... Where will it end?” But can we be sure it is their fault alone? Are we less guilty, who places in their way Too many things that ...read more

Denomination: Pentecostal

Everyone Is Familiar With Sherlock Holmes, ...

Contributed by R. David Reynolds on Nov 18, 2006

“ Everyone is familiar with Sherlock Holmes, his faithful companion Dr. Watson, and Holmes’s keen power of observation that solved countless crimes. Yet few of us know that Holmes thought deduction and observation were even more necessary to religion. Tucked away in "The Adventure of the Naval ...read more

Tags: Communication General

Denomination: Methodist

Three-Fold Reward

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Aug 23, 2009

THREE-FOLD REWARD Glenys and I were only married five years and in our second church. Money was tight and our needs were overwhelming. For a variety of reasons we were down to making an important decision – give our tithe or use it to buy groceries. Our faith was simple but strong. We decided our ...read more

Tags: God's Provision

Denomination: Salvation Army

The Knack

Contributed by Jerry Blaxton on Aug 27, 2009

THE KNACK As most of you probably know, I like computers. When we were in South Dakota, our Director of Missions was always calling me for help with computer things. He would sometimes get a new program and install it on the office computer, and then, he couldn’t figure out how to use it. So, he’d ...read more

Tags: Gifts General

Denomination: Baptist

A Man Who Practiced The Presence Of ...

Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Sep 2, 2009

A man who practiced the presence of Christ: Frank Laubach, was born in the United States. At the age of 45, while working as a missionary in the Philippines, Frank Laubach dedicated himself to the practice of abiding constantly in the presence of Christ. During the remaining 40 years of his ...read more

Tags: Prayer, Prayer Persistence

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Brain ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 23, 2009

Brain Translplant There’s a story about a wealthy man who was terminally ill. The doctor said, "There’s only “one thing” that will save you. “A brain transplant.” - It’s an experimental operation. And it’s very expensive." The wealthy guy said, - "Money is no object. Can you get me a brain?" The ...read more

Scripture: Mark 16:1-6

Tags: Power, Christ's Power

Converted Motorcycle Gang Member Volunteers To ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 6, 2009

Converted Motorcycle Gang Member Volunteers to Work in Church Nursery Volunteering - Elmer Towns tells about a member of a motorcycle gang who was converted to Jesus Christ dramatically and the first Sunday he did the only thing he knew he should do and so he went to church. Nobody in the church ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:4

Tags: Servanthood

My Parents Had A Grapevine In The Backyard. They ...

Contributed by Sean Harder on Dec 4, 2009

My parents had a grapevine in the backyard. They just let it grow and some of the branches grew up and intertwined around this big evergreen tree about 20 feet in the air, others grew through the cedar hedge that was beside it. Some of these branches must have been forty feet long, but they never ...read more

Tags: Discipleship

A Roman Census And Taxing Forced The Town Of ...

Contributed by Thomas Cash on Dec 10, 2009

A Roman census and taxing forced the town of Bethlehem to burst at its seams. Neither the locals nor the visitors would have been very happy about the decree. Tempers were short, words were spoken in anger, people were taken advantage of, and rooms were at a premium. Mary was obviously in labor ...read more

Tags: Anxiety

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Myths And Truths Of Happiness

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Jan 5, 2010

MYTHS AND TRUTHS OF HAPPINESS In David G. Myers book The Pursuit Of Happiness (1993), he addresses the truth about what genuinely brings happiness and contentment to people’s lives. In his epilogue after going through many studies, he sums up his findings: By scrutinizing the fruits of hundreds ...read more

Tags: Happiness

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I ...

Contributed by Paul Carlson on Jan 25, 2010

ILLUSTRATION How many of us had to be taught how to talk back to your parents? How may of us had to be taught how to cheat on a test or our tax return? How many of us had to be taught how to lie? How many of us had to be taught how to be selfish? Just as all of us don’t need to be taught how to ...read more

Tags: Sin General

Denomination: Baptist

Radio Personality Paul Harvey Tells The Story Of ...

Contributed by Donnie Martin on May 10, 2010

Radio personality Paul Harvey tells the story of how an Eskimo kills a wolf. The account is grisly, yet it offers fresh insight into the consuming, self-destructive nature of sin. “First, the Eskimo coats his knife blade with animal blood and allows it to freeze. Then he adds another layer of ...read more

Tags: Sin Wages Of

Denomination: Baptist

Whose Hands Are You Thankful For?  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 26, 2011

WHOSE HANDS ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR? "A Thanksgiving Day editorial in the newspaper told of a school teacher who asked her first graders to draw a picture of something they were thankful for. She thought of how little these children from pour neighborhoods actually had to be thankful for. But she ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Tags: Thanksgiving Holiday

If He Hadn't Taken My Son

Contributed by Chuck Sligh on Apr 15, 2011

"IF HE HADN'T TAKEN MY SON" Imagine the following scenario: Three little boys walk into a large electrical compound in Okinawa when the workmen momentarily walks to his truck to get some tools. One of those boys touches a live wire and is instantly electrocuted to death. The parents are ...read more

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Denomination: Baptist

When We Have Nowhere Else To Go  PRO

Contributed by Brad Henry on Sep 28, 2011

WHEN WE HAVE NOWHERE ELSE TO GO Over the years we have had many gut wrenching stores of families killed in an accident only to leave a mother or father behind. To wake up in a hospital bed hurting physically then realize that your entire family is gone would be unfathomable. Now none of us are ...read more

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

I Owe My Life Twice

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Dec 17, 2011

I OWE MY LIFE TWICE A wealthy English family once invited friends to spend some time at their beautiful estate. The happy occasion was almost plunged into a terrible tragedy on the first day. Because the children went swimming, and one of them got into deep water and started drowning. ...read more

Tags: Salvation

Denomination: Brethren

The Truth Of The Book  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Oct 23, 2012

THE TRUTH OF THE BOOK John Ortberg states "It’s a strange thing: the book has never been so accessible. According to Guinness Book of Records, L. Ron Hubbard’s writings of scientology have been translated into 65 languages; the Koran is supposed to be read in Arabic so it hasn’t been translated ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16-17, 1 Corinthians 13:1-7

Tags: Bible Truth

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational