In Sermon Illustrations: "Followers Of Jesus"

The Narrow Definition Of Neighbor

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Mar 20, 2022

With their passion for definition, Jewish Rabbis sought to define who a man's "neighbor" was. They confined the word "neighbor" to include only their fellow Jews. For instance, some of them said that it was illegal to help a Gentile woman in her time of childbirth for ...read more

Tags: Levites, Priests, Rabbis, Parable, Neighbor, Kindness, Good Samaritan  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Contamination Is Another Word For Sin

Contributed by Dave Hensman on Sep 29, 2022

I once lived in Vancouver Canada. Above the city in the mountains there is a lake which serves as the city water supply. That lake is fenced, you can't swim in it, boat on it, or even hike around it. It's pure and will kept pure at all costs. To defile it would defile all. What flows out ...read more

Scripture: Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23

Tags: Sin, Redemption

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Ted Turner Turned Away From God

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Nov 20, 2022

Cable television mogul Ted Turner criticized conservative Christianity and said, "Jesus probably would be sick at his stomach" over the way his ideas have been "twisted" by today's preachers, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Turner made his remarks at a ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 4:1, 2 Timothy 4:1-3

Tags: False Professors, Deception, Bitterness, Last Days, Unbelief, Apostasy, Denying The Truth  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I Am More Alive Than Ever - D. James Kennedy

Contributed by Timothy Lueking on Apr 3, 2023

D. James Kennedy wrote a book called "Skeptics Answered" and in this book, he made this observation that has always stuck with me. It reminds me of a quote from D.L. Moody many years before. Kennedy wrote, "There will, in fact, come a time when some of you will probably be standing ...read more

Scripture: John 11:25-26

Tags: Death, Easter, Resurrection, Life, Eternal Life  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Genesis In The New Testament

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jun 26, 2023

There are at least 165 passages in Genesis that are either directly quoted or clearly referred to in the New Testament. Many of these are alluded to more than once, so that there are at least two hundred quotations or allusions to Genesis in the New Testament There exist over one hundred ...read more

Tags: Abel, New Testament, Eve, Genesis, Moses, Adam, Cain, Old Testament  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

What Can Wash Away My Sin?

Contributed by John Bright on Mar 4, 2025

Your hands are wonderful creations of God! Look at your hands. But if left to do whatever we want – those hands get us into trouble. Try telling a child, “Don’t touch that!” Eve used her hand to pick a forbidden fruit. Adam received the forbidden fruit from Eve. Cain used his hand to murder ...read more

Scripture: Acts 22:16, Genesis 4:11

Tags: Eve, Adam, Cain, Hand

Denomination: Methodist

Gossip-Free Church

Contributed by John Bright on Sep 23, 2025

I like to illustrate this kind of thing by talking about gossip. I believe it is the most tolerated sin in every congregation. As always, I like to share my definition of gossip. Something is not gossip if it can pass three tests: ? 100% Truth - You heard/saw it directly – can’t be repeated from ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:29

Tags: Truth, Gossip, Holier Than Thou

Denomination: Methodist

Broken Hearts Not Broken Glass!" Proverbs 19:1 ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Apr 18, 2005

“Broken Hearts Not Broken Glass!” Proverbs 19:1 Key verse(s) 1:“Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a fool whose lips are perverse.” It’s time to rise up and take a christian stand! Christians are being persecuted worldwide. There is no doubt of this even in the minds of the ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 19:1

Tags: Christian Disciplines, Peace

Denomination: Lutheran

Mud-Gazing?" Luke 12:13-15 Key Verse(S) ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on May 3, 2005

“Mud-Gazing?” Luke 12:13-15 Key verse(s) 13:“Someone in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” Do you sing because you are happy; or are you happy because you sing? You’ve met the person. They always seem to have a positive attitude about nearly ...read more

Scripture: Luke 12:13-15

Tags: Joy, Peace, Christian Love

Denomination: Lutheran

Cymbala's Easter Story  PRO

Contributed by Davon Huss on Jan 31, 2005

CYMBALA'S EASTER STORY Jim Cymbala preaches at a church in the slums of New York. He tells the following story: It was Easter Sunday and I was so tired at the end of the day that I just went to the edge of the platform, pulled down my tie and sat down and draped my feet over the edge. It was a ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 18:15-18, Luke 23:32-34, 1 Corinthians 13:1-8, John 13:34-35, Matthew 25:34-45, Psalm 40:1-3, Ephesians 2:1-10, Colossians 1:1-11, Matthew 18:22-35, Matthew 22:1-14  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Second Coming, New Year, Dignity, Body Of Christ, Supper, Work  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Just This Past Thursday We Learned The Results Of ...

Contributed by Mike Rexroat on Dec 16, 2007

Just this past Thursday we learned the results of what is being called the "Mitchell" report. For those of us who are baseball fans it was a pretty dark day. Former Senator George Mitchell concluded his almost two year investigation into the game and released his conclusions and one of those ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Man From Slums Of N.y. Converted And Ordained By ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 28, 2009

Man from Slums of N.Y. Converted and Ordained by Jim Cymbala Jim Cymbala preaches at a church in the slums of New York. He tells the following story: It was Easter Sunday and I was so tired at the end of the day that I just went to the edge of the platform, pulled down my tie and sat down and ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 9:10-13

Tags: Compassion

Who Are Those Masked Men?

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Jul 6, 2010

WHO ARE THOSE MASKED MEN? Some of you would have no idea of who I am talking about when I speak of the LONE RANGER. He is way before your time and he doesn't fit into our culture anymore. Pity. He had a strict moral code and even the actor, Clayton Moore, was a great ROLE MODEL for ...read more

Tags: Angels

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Joe Bloggs Dream - A New Zealand Poem About Salvation

Contributed by John Gullick on Jul 28, 2016

This amazing poem about an imaginary conversion is powerful - it uses New Zealand rural terminology. You need to understand that if you are using it in New York It is called Joe Bloggs dream. It goes like this. Joe Bloggs was just an average bloke, He never went to church. He wasn’t the religious ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16-17

Tags: Conversion

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Racism And The Gospel

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Jan 1, 2023

Benjamin Watson, who plays for the NFL New Orleans Saints posted the following on his Facebook page: "At some point while I was playing or preparing to play Monday Night Football, the news broke about the Ferguson Decision. After trying to figure out how I felt, I decided to write it down. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 11:28, John 3:16, James 5:16, Romans 3:23, Romans 10:9  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Sin, Gospel, Hope, Racism

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Choice Tjbts

Contributed by Blake Henson on Jun 6, 2023

The choice shows two coaches recruiting a player to join their team. One seems like a good coach and is the obvious choice to play for. While the other seems not so great and the obvious choice not to play for. However they are really God and Satan recruiting you for their teams. So, whose team do ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 24:15

Tags: Hell, Heaven

Unintentionally Humorous Texts: Laban, "Why Did You Steal My Gods?”

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Feb 23, 2024

Introduction: Let me say first of all that the Bible is a very sacred Book, not to be trifled with. It’s precious and untold numbers of believers have given their lives to simply have and read it, let alone defend it against any number of attacks. Having said that, there are a number of places ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 31:26-30

Tags: Laban, Idols, Teraphim, Jacob, Rachel  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

[102]. A Message From A Poem – God Sends No One To Hell

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on May 9, 2025

[102]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – GOD SENDS NO ONE TO HELL The Introduction for this poem is longer than average. So as not to be misunderstood, the title of the poem does not mean God has no control over hell. He certainly does but just so that you don’t miss the message of the poem, I need to ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 2:4, Revelation 19:20, Matthew 25:41, Isaiah 30:33, John 3:16, Mark 9:47-48, Revelation 20:14, Matthew 25:31  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Poetry, Sheep And Goats, The Second Coming, The Lake Of Fire, Christian Poems, Wheat And The Tares, Hell, Gehenna, Lazarus  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[183]. A Poem Message – Millennial Reign Of Christ Described - Isaiah 11

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Sep 4, 2025

[183]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – MILLENNIAL REIGN OF CHRIST DESCRIBED - ISAIAH 11 I know there are some who don’t believe in the literalness of scripture and therefore reject the biblical concept of a Millennium. This poem is not an exegesis on any of that, but the content of a biblical passage I ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 11:14, Isaiah 11:1-16, Revelation 20:4, Isaiah 11:9

Tags: Knowledge, 1000 Years, The Millennium, The Millennial Reign Of Christ, Messiah Reigns, Peace  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Bet — Anton Chekhov

Contributed by Philip Harrelson on Sep 7, 2006

The Bet -- Anton Chekhov We live in a world that knows little about what’s truly valuable. People all around us are pursuing things that have no lasting value. That pursuit is ably treated by Anton Chekhov in his classic short story The Bet. This story gives us great insight into the value system ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 8:28-38, Matthew 8:5-13

Denomination: Pentecostal