In Sermon Illustrations: "Forest Fires"

Dumb Crooks

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 23, 2008

DUMB CROOKS A Circle-K convenience store was patronized by man requesting change for a twenty dollar bill. As soon as the register drawer was opened, the man pulled a gun and demanded it contents. He fled with all dollars of it, but left his original twenty lying on the counter. A guy walked into ...read more

Tags: Character

Steinbeck And His Hell-Sermon Experience

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 31, 2008

STEINBECK AND HIS HELL-SERMON EXPERIENCE In a fascinating story of his journey across the United States, John Steinbeck tells of a Church service he attended during his travels in the State of Vermont. Tongue-in-cheek, he says, "The preacher spoke of Hell as an expert. Not the mush-mush Hell of ...read more

Tags: Guilt

People Need To Be Scared

Contributed by Brian Harvison on Nov 12, 2008

PEOPLE NEED TO BE SCARED As Christians today we tend to blend in with the world. We don’t want to be seen as a fanatic. We should want to be considered a fanatic. The shorten form of the word fanatic is fan, Which in sports or entertainment is a compliment. We are not ashamed to be considered a ...read more

Tags: Christian Witness

Denomination: Baptist

The Light Of Hope  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2008

THE LIGHT OF HOPE As Craig T. Kocher in his commentary on our text states, "Christian hope is fundamentally different from optimism. Christian hope locks its steely eyes on the devastation of the world around it, and readily acknowledges that things may not get better. Christian hope does not bury ...read more

Scripture: John 1:9

Tags: John The Baptist

Crime Scene Investigation

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 5, 2009

CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION It was September 18, 1910 on a Saturday at the Hiller home in Chicago. Clarence Hiller had spent the day painting his house. By early evening everyone was in bed asleep. The Hillers woke up in the early morning and noticed. Clarence went to investigate why a gas light ...read more

Tags: Apologetics Jesus

The Greatest Generation

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 9, 2009

THE GREATEST GENERATION Franklin Delano Roosevelt: "This generation of Americans has a rendezvous with destiny." The year was 1940, and it would be called the fulcrum of America in the 20th century. The nation was balanced precariously between the darkness of the Great Depression on one side and ...read more

Tags: America

S Unlimited: The Lonely In The Crowd: ...

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Aug 9, 2009

Illustrations Unlimited: THE LONELY IN THE CROWD: A few years ago, the press carried a heartrending story of a young father who shot himself in a tavern telephone booth. James Lee had called a Chicago newspaper and told a reporter he had sent the paper a manila envelope outlining his story. The ...read more

Tags: Loneliness, Trials And Difficulties

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Defense Lawyer's Final Trick Back ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 19, 2009

Defense Lawyer’s Final Trick Back Fires A defendant was on trial for murder in Oklahoma. There was strong evidence indicating guilt, but there was no body. In the defense’s closing statement the lawyer, knowing that his client would probably be convicted, resorted to a trick. "Ladies and gentlemen ...read more

Tags: Justice

God's Power Vs. Our Power

Contributed by Douglas Stull on Dec 4, 2010

GOD'S POWER VS. OUR POWER "Millions for defense and not a penny for tribute." I learned what that quote meant while in the Army. I was assigned, as were all junior officers In the 82d Aiborne Division, to escort Generals and Colonels from the parking lot to a set of bleachers located in a ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Brethren

Forrest Gump: Sometimes There Aren't Enough ...  PRO

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Dec 9, 2010

FORREST GUMP: SOMETIMES THERE AREN'T ENOUGH ROCKS In the movie Forrest Gump, Forrest has a lifetime friendship with Jenny. In one scene, when both of them are grown and Jenny is just beginning to retreat from her lifestyle of sex and drugs, they are walking down a dirt road. Soon they come to the ...read more

Tags: Bitterness

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Carey: God's Sovereign Will  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 14, 2011

CAREY: GOD'S SOVEREIGN WILL William Carey, who is called the father of modern missions, began his missionary career to India in 1793. He served the Lord in that country for 40 years, never once returning to his home in England. And throughout those years he translated portions of the Bible into ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 46:10

Tags: Gods Will, Still God, God's Sovereign Will, I Can Do All Things

Refining Sap To Maple Syrup  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 3, 2011

REFINING SAP TO MAPLE SYRUP Dr. David Osborn at Denver Seminary says, "Too often we try to use God to change our circumstances, while He is using our circumstances to change us." (Compass, April 2003) You see, God is right now in the process of making us like Christ. Think of the process of ...read more

Scripture: James 1:2-4, Psalm 13:1-6, Psalm 34:15-16

Tags: Sanctification

The Love Of A Sister

Contributed by Rev.james Kelly on Aug 15, 2011

THE LOVE OF A SISTER What is love? This story was found while watching Crime Investigation Channel in our home here in the Philippines: Kip Kinkel was a troubled young men and at the time of this story I am about to tell you happened when Kep was seventeen. Kip lived with his parents, Faith and ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 103:13-17

Tags: Christian Love

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Anger Management

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 28, 2011

ANGER MANAGEMENT Mr. Burton was not angry enough to hire a hit man to knock off the AD at the University of Connecticut...but he was angry enough that he wanted to punish him even if it hurt the students and the program he is said to have loved. In a letter sent to the Athletic Director of the ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 14:29

Tags: Anger

Prison Vs. Full-Time Work

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Oct 28, 2011

PRISON VS. FULL-TIME WORK In prison you spend the majority of your time in an 8' X 10' cell. At work you spend most of your time in a 6' X 8' cubicle. In prison you get three meals a day. At work you only get a break for one meal and you have to pay for that one. In prison you get time off for ...read more

Tags: Workplace

Denomination: Brethren

The First Thanksgiving

Contributed by Paul Barreca on Nov 19, 2011

THE FIRST THANKSGIVING Let's consider the first Thanksgiving in America. It was in the fall of 1621, one year after the Pilgrim’s landed. There was great affliction in their voyage. 102 Pilgrims the left Holland, stopped briefly in England before sailing to America. They were at sea for 66 ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Tags: Thanksgiving Holiday

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Change Of Policy

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 19, 2012

A CHANGE OF POLICY Last June, the city of Alameda, California immediately changed its policies after its first responders stood by and watched a man drown in the San Francisco Bay. The first responders didn’t venture out into the muddy waters of the bay, even as the man started treading water and ...read more

Tags: Law

Light In The Darkness  PRO

Contributed by Steven Angus on May 20, 2013

LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS Some of you may be familiar with the name Catherine Marshall. She was a wonderful Christian author who wrote such classics as Christy, which became a television series. There was an occasion in her life when she felt as if the flame of God’s love had gone out. It started ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 23:4, Psalm 22:1-31

Tags: God In The Hardships

Denomination: United Methodist

Mr. Incredible, Jesus, And The Pharisees

Contributed by Nickolas Kooi on Jun 1, 2018

In the movie The Incredibles, there is a scene where ex-Super Hero Bob Parr, aka Mr. Incredible, has a confrontation with his boss. Mr. Incredible has been forcibly retired from the hero business for years, and is working at an insurance company. He is doing a good job, but too good of a job. He ...read more

Scripture: Mark 3:1-6

Tags: Healing, Sabbath, Sabbath Controversy, Healing By Jesus

Denomination: Lutheran

Spite Fence ...

Contributed by Roberta Karchner on May 2, 2020

I would like to tell the story of one of the most famous spite fences in the world. It is, by the way, one of the reasons why privacy fences are often limited to 6 feet. The story begins with two people. Nicholas Yung, an undertaker, who built a cottage in San Francisco in 1855 with his wife and ...read more

Tags: Grace, Anger, Retaliation, Neighbors, Spite, Fences  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed