In Sermon Illustrations: "Followers"

The Salvation Of Karla Faye Tucker

Contributed by Tim Hinrichs on Mar 29, 2012

THE SALVATION OF KARLA FAYE TUCKER Many of you probably remember Karla Faye Tucker. She was the first woman to be executed in the US since 1984. She was an accomplice to a brutal ax murder of two people in the early eighties. Soon after being imprisoned, Tucker took a Bible from the prison ...read more

Tags: Salvation

Denomination: Lutheran

Love Your Neighbor

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Apr 16, 2012

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR I stepped outside my hotel room yesterday and saw a thin elderly woman taking small steps in a circle. She seemed to be mumbling. Our eyes connected. She said, "They left me here and I don't know where they have gone. I don't know what room I am in." I held out my hand. She ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 23:4-5

Tags: Neighbor

Denomination: Baptist

My Friend Will Find Me

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 16, 2012

MY FRIEND WILL FIND ME Sam was a great bird dog. If he pointed to a clump of bushes, there surely was a bird in there. He was much more than just a bird dog. Often we’d share together lazy lunches in an abandoned apple orchard, and the snooze that followed. Late one afternoon, Sam and I became ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 4:7-9

Tags: Trust

How Leprosy ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 9, 2012

HOW LEPROSY WORKS According to the Jewish Encylopedia: Priests were in charge of the diagnosis of all diseases. They were not allowed to live in a community that didn’t have a doctor. Those who were diagnosed with the curable strain of leprosy had to appear before a priest every 7 days. Once ...read more

Scripture: Numbers 12:4-15

Tags: Affliction

A Father's Legacy

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 30, 2012

A FATHER’S LEGACY Ken Hemphill tells the story of what took place at his church when he was pastor of FBC of Norfolk. He was out on the sidewalk welcoming people as they got out of their cars. About 3rd in line was a father & his teenage son. The father had a golf shirt on, and he evidently was ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 22:6

Tags: Father's Day

The Bible Can Make You Better

Contributed by Hal Seed on Nov 9, 2012

THE BIBLE CAN MAKE YOU BETTER Two hundred years ago, Norway was one of the poorest countries in Europe. She was ruled by her Danish neighbors and most people were poor fishermen or subsistence farmers. Every time there was a famine, people starved to death. Today it is one of the wealthiest. It ...read more

Tags: Bible Influence

Denomination: Baptist

Remove The Hate — Be Pure  PRO

Contributed by Ken Pell on Mar 30, 2013

REMOVE THE HATE -- BE PURE "And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood (Hebrews 13:2)." Three years ago, Chris Simpson led a white pride march. Two years ago, he abandoned the white supremacist movement. This past April (2012), he was ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 13:2

Tags: Holiness

Denomination: Nazarene

Who Will You Reach? Blind Auditions

Contributed by Ken Pell on Apr 6, 2013

WHO WILL YOU REACH? BLIND AUDITIONS In 1997 Princeton University conducted an experiment using orchestra auditions as their guinea pig. It was discovered that different people were selected when the auditions were performed from behind a sheet or curtain rather than when the orchestra auditions ...read more

Tags: Evangelism How To

Denomination: Nazarene

Position Versus Discipleship

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 7, 2013

POSITION VERSUS DISCIPLESHIP C. Gene Wilkes, in his book Jesus on Leadership, says, "Confusion arises when you equate higher 'positions' with leadership . . . As long as 'position' is honored above discipleship -- being a follower -- church leaders will honor the ambitious over the obedient." We ...read more

Scripture: James 2:14-26

Tags: Faith Vs. Works

Don't Blame The Judge

Contributed by Tim Smith on May 11, 2014

God has done everything He possibly can to keep you out of Hell and still leave you as a person with free will. Now some Christians argue otherwise that it is in fact God who sends people to hell. Peculiar Pilgrim blog writes, "No one would choose to go into hell ... Not one person would decide to ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 3:8-13

Tags: Hell, Judgement

Denomination: Methodist

Consecrated To Do God's Will

Contributed by Richard Tow on Jul 25, 2017

Years ago a young girl entered a little Presbyterian Church out of curiosity. There she heard the gospel for the first time and was converted. She later heard God’s call on her life to go to China as a missionary. She was the only daughter of a multi-millionaire. She was socially prominent and ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 16:24

Tags: Sacrifice, Consecrated Life

Denomination: Charismatic

A Silent Kindness

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Feb 27, 2019

Sir Nicholas George Winton – “A Silent Kindness” Nicholas Winton’s parents were German Jews who had moved to London two years before his birth. The family name was Wertheim, but was changed to Winton, they also converted to Christianity, and had Nicholas baptised. Nicholas Winton became a banker ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:15-17

Tags: Love, Children, Compassion, Kindness

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Stealing God

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Aug 20, 2019

A couple had two little boys, ages 8 and 10, who were mischievous. They were always getting into trouble, and their parents knew that if any mischief occurred in their town, their sons were probably involved. The boys' mother heard that a Pastor in town had been successful in disciplining ...read more

Tags: Presence, God

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Not Enough Scriptures

Contributed by Ron Freeman, Evangelist on Sep 23, 2019

I and several other preaching students were permitted to visit Brother G. E. Steward, a masterful preacher of the gospel, who was holding a gospel meeting in Houston, TX, in the summer of 1972. We were permitted to bring lessons at that meeting. He was following Brother Keeble’s manner of ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 4:10-11, Hebrews 4:12

Tags: Faith, Disciples, Word Of God, Sound Doctrine, Masterful Preacher, Gospel Meeting, Training Preachers, Scriptures, Power In The Word, Sermon Delivery, Marshall Keeble, Power In Preaching, G E Steward  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Conscience Or The Holy Spirit?

Contributed by Roy Fowler on Sep 13, 2020

pilot vertigo: My Division Officer in the Navy was also a Naval aviator. On his way home from a mission over Afghanistan he got vertigo (a dizzy confused state of mind caused by the inner ear). His senses were confused. The biggest was his sense of flight. Which can be deadly when landing on an ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 8:1-13

Tags: Feelings, Facts, What Is Conscience, What Is Holy Spirit

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Importance Of Children's Ministry

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Dec 21, 2020

Children can surely come to know the Lord Jesus Christ as amply testified by the following well known believers... Polycarp, the great church father, was nine when he was saved. Matthew Henry was eleven. Jonathan Edwards, America’s greatest theologian, was seven. Hymn writer, Isaac Watts, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 19:14, 2 Timothy 3:14-16

Tags: Call Of God, Ministers, Evangelism, Children, Salvation, Missions  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Unsung Heroes At The 'battle Of The Ditches'!

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Aug 30, 2024

Introduction: Ask any veteran or anyone who served in the military for the strangest duty they ever performed and you may get some interesting replies! The soldiers in this story were asked (!) to put down their swords and take up some shovels in order to dig a lot of ditches! This story also has ...read more

Tags: Jehoshaphat, Elisha, Unsung Heroes, Ditches

Denomination: Baptist

[182]. A Message From A Poem – Marys At The Cross (An Easter Poem)

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Sep 2, 2025

[182]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – MARYS AT THE CROSS (An Easter Poem) This is an Easter poem about 4 women, precious ones in the life of the Lord during His time on earth. Some people find it confusing to work the Marys out, especially at Easter time. What the Marys speak of is total devotion and ...read more

Scripture: Luke 23:55-56, John 19:25, Mark 15:40-41

Tags: The Virgin Mary, Christian Poems, Easter Poem, Mary Wife Of Clopas, Easter, Cross, Devotion, Mary Magdalene, Salome, Jesus Crucified  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[292]. A Message From A Poem – Arise, You Sleepy Unproductive Servant

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Feb 18, 2026

[292]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – ARISE, YOU SLEEPY UNPRODUCTIVE SERVANT It is time to be serious about the faith we profess. The western world is awash with wishy-washy Christian profession. Too many are asleep instead of being active for Jesus, the Lord of our faith. This poem is a challenge ...read more

Scripture: Romans 13:11-14, 2 Peter 1:5

Tags: Ashamed, Unprofitable, Serve The Lord, Servants, Christian Poems, Faithful, Devotion, Arise, Priorities, Laziness, Asleep, Service, Servant  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Movement To Jesus Within Islam

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 26, 2009

A MOVEMENT TO JESUS WITHIN ISLAM In an article entitled, "A Movement to Jesus Within Islam" this story is told: There was a Muslim holy man, a Sufi master, named Isaac. He lived in a remote region of a Muslim country, where he had a large following. Several thousand people looked to him for ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:18-20

Tags: Islam