In Sermon Illustrations: "Following Christs Example"

Loved, To Be Love

Contributed by Jason Bonnicksen on Apr 22, 2011

LOVED, TO BE LOVE One of the neatest gifts I've ever received was this little, hand towel. I was given this during my seminary commencement, and have cherished it ever since. The towel has a little saying on it: "Blessed to be a blessing" Isaiah 61:1. Isaiah 61:1-2 says: "The Spirit of the ...read more

Tags: Easter Maundy Thursday

Denomination: Lutheran

Prevailing Prayer  PRO

Contributed by Scott Spencer on Oct 7, 2011

PREVAILING PRAYER Daniel Nash and Charles Finney were great evangelists in the early 1800s. On one occasion, when meetings had begun in a particular city, a group of young men confronted Charles Finney, openly announcing that they were going to break up the meetings. Finney and Nash decided this ...read more

Tags: Prayer General

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Waking Up In Another Room

Contributed by Jason W. Lawson on Nov 17, 2011

WAKING UP IN ANOTHER ROOM A young child was diagnosed with a terminal disease. The parents knew that he would die soon. The child as well knew that his death would be soon. One night he was sitting in his mother's lap watching television with her. He looked up into her eyes and said, "Mommy does ...read more

Tags: Funerals Christian

Denomination: Baptist

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

Anibal Sat In A Brazilian Jail Cell, Guilty Of ...

Contributed by Bret Toman on Dec 22, 2011

Anibal sat in a Brazilian jail cell, guilty of murder. He was a weightlifter, with bulging biceps, a leathery face and a tattoo of an anchor on his forearm that seemed to symbolize his personality. But he appeared to soften as the preacher talked with him about guilt, forgiveness, a God who knew ...read more

Tags: Discipleship

Denomination: Baptist

Faith Connection  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 18, 2012

FAITH CONNECTION Spurgeon use to tell a story about two men in a boat. They were caught in a very, very severe rapids and they were going to a place where there was a waterfall and even worse rapids and there was really no way, if they ever hit those rapids, that they would ever live. And they ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 1:3-8

Tags: Faith

Labor Day And Our Divine Union

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 4, 2012

LABOR DAY AND OUR DIVINE UNION I’ve heard that Labor Day was first celebrated in Boston on Sept 5, 1882. It wasn’t until 1894 that it became a federal holiday. That was an effort encouraged by President Grover Cleveland to reconcile with the labor movement and prevent further violence. You see, ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Tags: Holidays Civic

God Is For Us

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 11, 2012

GOD IS FOR US Keith Hartsell of Wheaton, Illinois, was driving around with a friend of his in California, when he noticed that his friend's cell phone was locked with an unusual password -- pro nobis. Keith asked him what pro nobis meant and why he chose that for a password. Keith's friend told ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:28-39

Tags: God's Love

Mark Of The Beast

Contributed by Bruce Ball on Oct 9, 2012

In verse 15, it tells us what will happen to those people who do not accept the Evil One’s mark: “15 … and all who refuse to worship the image or take his mark will be killed.” I saw recently where Motorola has developed an all inclusive data chip that is no larger than a grain of rice. It ...read more

Tags: Second Coming

Denomination: *other

Renewal And New Life

Contributed by Perry Greene on Apr 1, 2013

RENEWAL AND NEW LIFE Henry David Thoreau, in his classic book, Walden, told of a powerful custom of the Mucclasse Indians. Once each year, they had a village clean up called a "busk." First they would make new clothes for themselves as well as furniture and cooking utensils. They would keep all ...read more

Tags: God Brings Hope

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Filled  PRO

Contributed by Davon Huss on Apr 16, 2013

FILLED In his best selling book called, "Into Thin Air," Jon Krakauer relates the hazards that plagued some climbers as they attempted to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Andy Harris, one of the expedition leaders stayed at the peak too long and on his descent, he became in dire need of oxygen. ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:18, Matthew 4:4, Zechariah 12:10

Tags: Evangelism The Lost

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

See You On The Other Side Of The River

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Feb 2, 2014

SEE YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RIVER Kansas City, Missouri is separated from Kansas City, Kansas by the Missouri River. Years ago, there was an old farmer who lived on the Kansas side of the river. He had a farm, a wife and a beautiful daughter. The farmer and his family had never been across ...read more

Scripture: John 14:1-6

Tags: Death, Heaven, Funeral

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Last Lap Of The Race

Contributed by Shawn Miller on Jul 4, 2014

May 29, 2011 it looked like it was destiny, the day Dale Earnhardt Jr. was rounding the last lap of the Charlotte Motor Speedway. You could just imagine the script that was being set; it was memorial day, he was being sponsored by the national guard, and He was going to finally win for the first ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:7

Tags: Perseverance, Endurance, Finish The Race, Gas Tank

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Love  PRO

Contributed by Roger Whipp on Dec 31, 2014

Love is one of the most powerful emotions we have. The actress Joan Crawford once said “Love is a fire but whether it warms your heart or burns your house down, you can never tell!” Love can motivate, give pleasure, hurt even destroy. It can make us do bold, even stupid things. During the 17th ...read more

Scripture: John 14:15-31, Romans 5:8

Tags: Love, Holy Spirit, Love And Obedience

Denomination: *other

Jack Hyles- Back In World War Ii, I Was A Pa...

Contributed by Davon Huss on Oct 19, 2015

Jack Hyles- Back in World War II, I was a paratrooper. I used to jump out of airplanes. We jumped out of airplanes called C-47’s. After the war was over, I got on a plane, and they said, "Welcome aboard Delta Airlines DC-3 plane." I felt at home on that plane. We got up in the air, and I asked ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1:9

Tags: Conversion, Turning Point, Turning To God, Turning

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Over Your Head

Contributed by Steve Kinnard on Feb 15, 2019

OVER YOUR HEAD I remember struggling in the water and I remember going under. I also remember the distinct feeling that I was going to die. What I learned as a young child was that one should be careful about getting in over one's head. I would like to ask you a question. How many of you can ...read more

Scripture: Ezekiel 47:1-2

Tags: Fear, Commitment

Denomination: Pentecostal

Get Back In The Game!

Contributed by John Bright on Mar 19, 2021

What if God started telling your church to do something we had never done before? How hard would you work against it - unwilling to change? There is an old saying – do you know what they put on the tombstone in front of a closed church? “WE NEVER DID IT THAT WAY BEFORE” If that’s the case, we ...read more

Scripture: Luke 5:12-26, Ephesians 4:11-12

Tags: Sports, Pastor, Basketball, Laity

Denomination: Methodist

Who Is Praying For Me?

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 31, 2022

Pastor Jim Cymbala's daughter had been running from God for a long time. Chrissy had rebelled against her family, had left home, and was living as far from God as she could. But one night, this teenager awoke with the distinct feeling that someone was praying for her. And someone was. The ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 33:3, James 4:1-2

Tags: Petition, Intercessory Prayer, Interceding For Sinners, Prayer

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Don't End Your Life --- Start It All Over Again!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Apr 7, 2022

A student at Penn State University went out on a ledge of a tall building on campus and threatened to take her life by jumping off. The campus chaplain was called in to bring calmness while awaiting the emergency team from nearby. When the chaplain found the young woman, her threats seemed very ...read more

Scripture: John 3:1-7

Tags: Counseling, Crises, Chaplains, Emergencies, Evangelism, New Life, Born Again, New Birth, Witnessing, Suicide  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Slow And Steady

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 26, 2022

The power of the Holy Spirit is not just for salvation, but for sanctification, a process that is slow and gradual. The difference might look like this: You can take ten gallons of gasoline and release a tremendous amount of power and energy by just dropping a lighted match into it. It makes a ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1:7-8

Tags: Holy Spirit, Energy, Fuel