In Sermon Illustrations: "Following Instructions"

When Muller Prayed

Contributed by Dennis Davidson on Jul 10, 2011

WHEN MULLER PRAYED During GEORGE MULLER'S life, he received more than 1,000,000 pounds from the Lord, without advertising - every penny came as an answered prayer. The following story is told by the captain of a ship on which he was traveling. "We had George Muller of Bristol, England on board," ...read more

Tags: Prayer Of Faith

Denomination: Baptist

Honey All The Way Down  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 8, 2011

HONEY ALL THE WAY DOWN In one of his famous escapades, Winnie the Pooh, this lovable toy bear, tries to trap an elephant--or, as he pronounces it, a heffalump. So Pooh digs a hole to catch the heffalump, and decides to bait the trap with some of his own favorite food: honey. But of course, it is ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 15:1-28

Tags: Hypocrisy, Prejudice

Ken Wales: Christian Integrity

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 2, 2012

KEN WALES: CHRISTIAN INTEGRITY Ken Wales is a TV and film producer, who has produced several, award-winning TV series and films, including Christy, East of Eden and the highly-acclaimed movie Amazing Grace. Wales has enjoyed tremendous success as a producer, but he started his Hollywood career ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:13-16

Tags: Christian Witness

The Cost Of Trying To Fit In

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 19, 2012

THE COST OF TRYING TO FIT IN Kevin Miller of Wheaton, Illinois wrote the following: Right after I finished 6th grade, my family moved to a new town. As I started junior high that fall, I suddenly found myself in a school I didn’t know, in a town I didn’t know, with people I didn’t know. I felt ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 18:24

Tags: Friendship General

Henri Dunant, Founder Of The Red Cross  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 20, 2012

HENRI DUNANT, FOUNDER OF THE RED CROSS Henri Dunant was a wealthy 19th century Swiss banker when the Swiss government sent him to Paris to work on a business deal with Napoleon. When he got to Paris, they told him that Napoleon was off fighting a war against the Austrians in Solferino, Italy. So ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 14:13-14

Tags: Compassion

Attitude Is Everything

Contributed by Lalachan Abraham on Feb 3, 2013

ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING Mahatma Gandhi, popularly known as the ’Father of the Nation, India also known as Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, was born on October 2, 1869, and died on January 30, 1948. Gandhi was a great freedom fighter who played a significant role in achieving independence for India from ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:12

Tags: Attitude General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Remembering God's Faithfulness

Contributed by Tim Smith on Aug 13, 2017

Michelle Johnson writes, “Sometimes we need to take a look at where we’ve been with God to really understand His faithfulness and love for us. She was staying with her son at the hospital following a serious surgery. On that particular morning, she was exhausted by their stay, and her steps were ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 50:15

Tags: God, Faithfulness, Faithfulness Of God

Denomination: Methodist

Honor

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on May 28, 2020

Victor Frankl was a survivor of the holocaust. His famous book is called "Man's Search for Meaning." The reader they ask me why I did not try to escape what was in store for me after Hitler had occupied Austria. Let me answer by recalling the following story. Shortly before ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 20:12, Ephesians 6:1

Tags: Sacrifice, Honor, Family, Purpose, Meaning, Selfishness, 10 Commandments  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Honor Thy Father & Mother

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Jan 15, 2022

The reader may ask me why I did not try to escape what was in store for me after Hitler had occupied Austria. Let me answer the question by recalling the following story. Shortly before the United States entered WWII, I received an invitation to come to the American consulate in Vienna to pick up ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:1-2, Exodus 20:12, Matthew 15:4

Tags: 10 Commandments, Honor, Family, Obedience, Courage  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Giving

Contributed by Brad Beaman on Apr 17, 2022

Henry Parsons Crowell contracted tuberculosis when a boy and could not go to school. His Father and brother died of tuberculosis, and he should have died of it too. He made a contract with God. If he were spared he would use his abilities to amass large sums of money for evangelism. For the next 50 ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:7-8

Tags: Giving, Purpose Of Giving, Cheerful Giver

Denomination: Baptist

Grief

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on May 17, 2022

On Death and Loss… He was 50 years old. The cancer was aggressive and relentless. The pain was unmanageable and agonizing. In two months he was gone. I didn't have the opportunity to say good-bye and if I did, what would I say? Could I get the words out? Our last communication, me in Port ...read more

Scripture: John 11:25, Psalm 90:1-12, 2 Corinthians 1:1-7

Tags: Death, Grief, Sickness

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Stand Strong

Contributed by Jerry Cosper on Feb 13, 2023

I want you all to think back with me as we begin this morning. Many of us looked forward to leaving high school behind with all of its challenges. Then we began to experience a whole new set of challenges in college or in the workplace. We began wondering what direction we were going to take in ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 24:1-14

Tags: Dedication, Loyalty

Denomination: Baptist

Each Child Is Different - I Learned That The Hard Way

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Mar 13, 2023

God the Father Loves His Children ... and He is also quick to .... encourage His children. (Long Pause) I learned that ...as a parent ... the hard way. As a father ... you want the best for your children ... you want them to succeed. To succeed ... at everything they do. Kristin ... our first ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Colossians 4:8, Proverbs 8:31, Proverbs 4:1

Tags: Example, Relationship, Fathers, Parent, Children, Father's Day, Encouragement, Parenting  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Anglican

A Drastic Decline Among Americans Who Live With A Biblical Worldview

Contributed by Timothy Lueking on Mar 30, 2023

The year was 1999 and George Barna just wrapped up his latest study on the status of the Worldview of American adults. He was shocked to discover that only 12% of American adults were living their life with a Biblical worldview. He knew that if this trend did not change then it would mean a rapid ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 2:6, Matthew 9:37-38

Tags: Evangelism, Harvest, Statistics, Biblical Worldview, American Adults  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Down's Syndrome Boy Teaches His Class About Easter

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Mar 25, 2024

Little Philip, born with Down's syndrome, attended a third-grade Sunday School class with several eight-year-old boys and girls. Typical of that age, the children did not readily accept Philip with his differences, according to an article in Leadership Magazine. But because of a creative ...read more

Tags: Children, Easter, Resurrection, Empty Tomb, Special Needs Children, Jesus, Church  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Speed Limit

Contributed by John Bright on Feb 13, 2025

Let’s talk about following the speed limit. Why not? Maybe you don’t like being told what to do? That’s the definition of rebellion. Maybe you know better than everyone else. If so, those closest to you suffer the most! The starting point is safety. I have some family members that refuse to ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:15-16, Exodus 21:5-6

Tags: Submission, Rebellion, Speed Limit, Bond Servant

Denomination: Methodist

Seven Principles Of Finance For The Believer  PRO

Contributed by Dave Mcfadden on Feb 6, 2008

Seven Principles of Finance for the Believer By Jim and Pam Elliff One of the most recognizable differences in the believer and the world he lives in is his unusual relationship to money and possessions. However, even serious believers sometimes balk at the seeming extremities in the teaching and ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Society's Slide Into Sexual Immorality  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Jun 25, 2008

Society's Slide Into Sexual Immorality We are now some 30 years into the sexual revolution that began in the 1960s. What has been the impact on society? What are the implications for the future? Sex is everywhere. It permeates the movies and the television programs we watch, the music we hear, ...read more

Tags: Immorality, Adultery

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[254]. A Message From A Poem – The Ascension Of Christ

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 7, 2026

[254]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST This poem ends with the ascension of Christ in this passage – {{Acts 1:9-11 After He had said these things, HE WAS LIFTED UP while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight, and as they were gazing intently into the ...read more

Scripture: Zechariah 14:3-4, Revelation 4:1, Psalm 68:18, Ephesians 4:8, Acts 1:9-11  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Mount Of Olives, Ascended Into Heaven, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, Led The Captives To Heaven, Paradise, Second Coming, Rapture, Ascension Of Christ  (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