In Sermon Illustrations: "Follow Me"

Missionaries' Lives Spared From Marytrdom As They ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 22, 2009

Missionaries’ Lives Spared from Marytrdom As They Sang the Hymn, "Face to Face" Many years ago, a band of Chinese terrorists had captured Rev. and Mrs. Porteous, who were serving as missionaries in China with the old China Inland Mission. The terrorists led them to a lonely spot on a hill and ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 10:17-39

Tags: Missions

Painter Andrew Wyeth's Understanding Of What ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 3, 2009

Painter Andrew Wyeth’s Understanding of What Doesn’t Show on the Canvas Helps Him Better Draw What Does Andrew Wyeth painted picture of General Lafayette’s quarters near Chadds Ford, Pa., with a sycamore tree behind the building. When his brother first saw the painting, Andrew wasn’t finished with ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 23:1-6

Tags: God's Sovereign Will

The First Step In Developing Specific Prayers ...

Contributed by Greg Bond on Dec 28, 2009

The first step in developing specific prayers for your community, oddly enough, is to pray. Start with a specific prayer, asking God to open your eyes to those areas in your community that have the most influence. Ask Him to open your eyes to those things which are beneficial, and those which are ...read more

Tags: Outreach, Opportunity

Denomination: Pentecostal

How Much Time Do We Have ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 18, 2010

How Much Time Do We Have Left? A few years ago People Magazine published an article entitled, “Dead Ahead,” telling about a new clock that keeps track of how much time you have left to live. It calculates an average life span of 75 years for men and 80 years for women. So you program your sex and ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:15-17

Tags: Death, Death Nearness

John W. Gardner, Founding Chairman Of Common ...

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Feb 22, 2010

John W. Gardner, founding chairman of Common Cause, said it's a rare and high privilege to help people understand the difference they can make -- not only in their own lives, but also in the lives of others, simply by giving of themselves. Gardner tells of a cheerful old man who asked the same ...read more

Tags: Pride

Denomination: Pentecostal

Truth In Customs

Contributed by Jim Kane on Feb 28, 2010

TRUTH IN CUSTOMS I have a friend who lives in France and she lives on a farm with her husband and animals. (On Christmas Day, she and her husband were helping the sheep they own as they gave birth to lambs!) I decided to ask her about table customs in France that were different in America and she ...read more

Tags: America

Denomination: Church Of God

A Man Came Back From A Weekend Retreat Experience ...

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Apr 28, 2010

A man came back from a weekend retreat experience and, when a friend asked him how it was, he said, "I died!" The friend asked him what he meant. "You see," the man answered, "I went to this thing not knowing what to expect. But in the process of that long weekend, I discovered that I had spent ...read more

Tags: Change

Denomination: Pentecostal

Crashed And Burned

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Jul 13, 2010

CRASHED AND BURNED CRASHED AND BURNED! All my computer files from the last 10 years gone! No full back-ups so no way of retrieving it all. It seems I have lived the last 10 years on the ASSUMPTION that computers last forever, just keep adding data to them. Not so! Happened to me once before and I ...read more

Tags: Judgment

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

More Beyond  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 15, 2010

MORE BEYOND The Strait of Gibraltar is the strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. On either side of the Strait of Gibraltar there are two mountains, which were known in ancient times as the Pillars of Hercules. According to Greek mythology, Hercules built these pillars ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:13-18

Tags: Heaven

Humorous ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 5, 2010

Humorous Quotes Here are some final words of wisdom: Anybody who sleeps like a baby doesn’t have one. At my age, I’ve seen it all, heard it all, and done it all, but now, I just can’t seem to remember it all. He who laughs last ... thinks the slowest. The early bird gets the worm, but the ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 17:22

Tags: Wisdom

Leave The Bones  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 23, 2010

LEAVE THE BONES A clergyman took a seat in a dining car on a train traveling along the Hudson River. Opposite him was an atheist who, seeing his clerical collar, started a discussion. "I see you are a clergyman." "Yes," came the reply. "I am a minister of the gospel." "I suppose you believe the ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:15

Tags: Bible Study

Outlived His Children

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Dec 15, 2010

OUTLIVED HIS CHILDREN His weather worn face looked like ancient parchment stretched over a wire mesh skeleton and his eyes, haunted with memories, looked straight through me into my soul. As I gave my devotion that day I could tell that he understood the anguish Abraham must have felt as God said, ...read more

Tags: Hardship Of Life

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Limited Understanding

Contributed by Bret Toman on Jan 4, 2011

LIMITED UNDERSTANDING Suppose I take my 2 year old to the doctor and he gets a shot in the arm and it really hurts. He doesn’t understand that the shot is to help him get better. All he knows is that shot hurt. And daddy just stood there. Doesn’t dad know how bad a shot hurts? Was he unable to ...read more

Tags: Humility

Denomination: Baptist

The Birth Of The Poor People's Campaign

Contributed by Amiri Hooker on Mar 22, 2011

THE BIRTH OF THE POOR PEOPLE'S CAMPAIGN A visit to a fledgling Head Start program in Marks brought home the reality of rural poverty to Dr. King and Ralph Abernathy. "We looked around the primitive schoolhouse and saw them watching us, wide-eyed and silent, having been told who we were," Abernathy ...read more

Tags: Poverty

Denomination: United Methodist

Covering Your Own Sin

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 30, 2011

COVERING YOUR OWN SIN "Adam, where are you?" God cried as a now sin-tainted Adam and Eve vainly attempted to hide from Him. Adam had a plan: The fig leaves-an easy quick fix, a cover-up. They represent man fixing his sin on his own terms, the quick and easy way. Grab some leaves, cover it quickly. ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 3:6-13

Tags: Sin Exposed

What Will Your Grandchildren Say?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2011

WHAT WILL YOUR GRANDCHILDREN SAY? Max Lucado shared this in Outlive Your Life: A few years back, three questions rocked my world. They came from different people in the span of a month. Question 1: Had you been a German Christian during World War II, would you have taken a stand against ...read more

Scripture: Ezekiel 16:49-50

Tags: Poverty

What A 95-Year-Old Woman Worries About  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 20, 2011

WHAT A 95-YEAR-OLD WOMAN WORRIES ABOUT A ninety-five year old woman at the nursing home received a visit from one of her fellow church members. "How are you feeling?" the visitor asked. "Oh," said the lady, "I'm just worried sick!" "What are you worried about, dear?" her friend asked. "You look ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:6-8, Philippians 4:5-7

Tags: Worry

Why Should I Let You Into Heaven?

Contributed by Brad Henry on Aug 5, 2011

WHY SHOULD I LET YOU INTO HEAVEN? If you were to die today and God were to ask you, 'Why should I let you into my heaven?' what would you say?" Over the years I would have to say that 85% of the answers I get are "I have tried to be a good person, I have tried to be a good parent, I have tried to ...read more

Tags: Evangelism The Lost

Before It's Too Late

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 11, 2011

BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE USA Today had an article on the front page about those who escaped the World Trade Center on September 11. After interviewing over 300 survivors and family members of victims, USA Today concluded that in the South tower those who didn’t delay but ran for safety immediately ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:57-62

Tags: Evangelism Urgency

Forgiven

Contributed by Larry Wilson on Aug 30, 2011

FORGIVEN My pastor for most of my life, Dr. Harold Sightler, used to tell of a woman bad to shout. (He would stop there and say, I mean "good" to shout.) When they mentioned Jesus in sermon or song, she would say, "Hallelujah, praise the Lord." The dead, dry church she attended didn’t like this. ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 43:25, Genesis 39:17-30

Tags: Dependence, Forgiveness In Jesus

Denomination: Baptist