In Sermon Illustrations: "Forgive Them"

The Substance Of Faith

Contributed by Antonio Silveira on Mar 1, 2012

THE SUBSTANCE OF FAITH Example: Give some play-doh to 2 people and ask them to create something out of that "substance" In the millennia-old Aristotelian tradition, as well as early modern traditions that follow it, substances or ousia are treated as having attributes and modes or things. This ...read more

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Baptist

One Tear To Another

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Mar 14, 2012

ONE TEAR TO ANOTHER Two little teardrops were floating down the river of life. One said to the other, "Who are you?" It replied, "I am a teardrop from a girl who loved a man and lost him. Who are you?" The first responded, "Well, I am a teardrop from the girl who got him!" Life is like that. We ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:11

Tags: Disappointment

Denomination: Baptist

Lord Of The Rings: Fellowship Will Protect Him

Contributed by C Jordan on Apr 29, 2012

LORD OF THE RINGS: FELLOWSHIP WILL PROTECT HIM Lord of the Rings is a story written by J.R.R. Tolkien, a devout Christian who led C.S. Lewis to the Lord. Although he made it clear that his stories are not allegories, he still wrote from a Christian worldview and you can learn good biblical ...read more

Tags: Church General

Denomination: *other

On Your Knees

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on May 1, 2012

ON YOUR KNEES A young stranger to the Alps was making his first climb, accompanied by two stalwart guides. It was a steep, hazardous ascent. But he felt secure with one guide ahead and one following. For hours they climbed. And now, breathless, they reached for those rocks protruding through the ...read more

Tags: Worship General

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

A Peek At The Universe  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 11, 2012

A PEEK AT THE UNIVERSE In 2004, scientists pointed the Hubble telescope at a blank-looking patch of sky near the Orion Constellation. The Hubble stayed focused on that spot for 400 orbits over 11 days. The patch of sky they were looking at is no bigger than a grain of sand held out at arm’s ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 40:21-31

Tags: Creation

The Word Of God

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Dec 9, 2012

ILLUS: (I had 6 plastic see through pitchers on stage… one of which was full of water. Holding up an empty pitcher I said…) Imagine this empty pitcher represents that nation of Israel. (I began to pour water from the full pitcher into the empty one). God poured out His will and wisdom into them. ...read more

Tags: Bible, Israel

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Very Few Things Take Away The Power Of Someone As ...

Contributed by Kevin Barron on Dec 30, 2012

Very few things take away the power of someone as much as being ridiculed. In Von Ryan’s Express by David Westheimer, they do it by burning their clothes. The book is an account of Allied prisoners during World War Two. One of the trials of prison camp is that their Italian guards will not give ...read more

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Denomination: Methodist

The Only Sunlight They See

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Feb 4, 2013

THE ONLY SUNLIGHT THEY SEE Two orphaned brothers stay in a slum district of New York City. One of them is crippled and hardly leaves the room. The older brother has to take care of him and buys him food. His younger brother lamented one day that he has not seen the sunlight for a long time. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:14

Tags: Evangelism, Witness, Evangelism How To, Light Bearers

Denomination: Independent/Bible

When God Says...what?

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 14, 2014

A young preacher in Ft. Worth, Texas was trying to make an impression on a Pastor Search Team who had come to his church to hear him preach. The young man was preaching on the time in the Old Testament when God had enough with His disobedient people and finally said to them, "Ichabod!", which ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 4:21

Tags: Mistakes, Humor, Glory Of God, Sermon Bloopers

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Get Up And Do It

Contributed by Roy Fowler on Nov 15, 2020

Mother Teresa – So many leaders have the idea that to lead greatly you have to focus on everyone. Mother Teresa took a different approach. She saw the poor. The hurt. The dying. And she knew something had to be done. When you know that there’s that many hurting people out there, you might think ...read more

Scripture: Judges 4:1-9

Tags: When God Speaks, Get Up And Do It

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Billy Graham's Great Regret

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Dec 2, 2020

Billy Graham was once asked, "If you had to live your life over again, what would you do differently?" He answered: “One of my great regrets is that I have not studied enough, I wish I had studied more and preached less. People have pressured me into speaking to groups when I should ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Timothy 2:15

Tags: Bible, Scripture, Bible Study, Word Of God, Pastors, Sermon Preparation  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Maturity

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Dec 27, 2020

Automatic behaviour is the hallmark of immature people bent on survival, they accept few challenges and experience little growth. Immature people react with a small part of themselves to a small part of the world. They limit themselves by paying attention only to what is close-up, by focusing on ...read more

Scripture: John 12:24

Tags: Maturity, Immaturity

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Empowered To Serve

Contributed by John Bright on Nov 9, 2023

In every war there are stories of courage, bravery, and acts of heroism that go beyond all human limitations. Do you know the name Desmond Doss? He was a soldier in WW2 that came from Lynchburg, Virginia. Because of his faith tradition that prevented him from carrying a weapon, he enlisted as a ...read more

Scripture: Acts 7:59-60

Tags: Courage, Heroism, Bravery, World War 2

Denomination: Methodist

In The Hole You Go!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 22, 2024

As a minister, I conduct many baptismal services. My denomination baptizes in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. One Sunday, my family and I went to a friend’s home in the country. Our four children went outside to play with the others. After a short while, we heard only silence ...read more

Scripture: Acts 16:25-34

Tags: Faith, Baptism, Church, Children, Great Commission, Salvation'  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Six Facts About False Teachers

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Oct 3, 2024

Centuries ago, the prophet Jeremiah gave a brief outline of how the people of God can discern a false prophet in their midst. He gave 6 descriptions for us to remember today: 1. False prophets prophesy lies using the name of God 2. False prophets are not sent or commanded ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 14:14-15

Tags: Jeremiah, Deception, Satan, False Prophets, Discernment, Truth, Prophecy, Last Days, False Teachers, Lies  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Sin Is Sin It Leads To Death No Matter How It Isillustrated.

Contributed by Andrew Moffatt on Oct 25, 2024

We the Church need to be aware of the danger there is from those who prophecy falsely, there is a great push within Christian circles to accept people's immorality in the name of God’s love, and grace. Sin remains sin, those of us who have repented of our sins know the release and joy that ...read more

Scripture: Numbers 22:1-41, 2 Corinthians 5:15

Tags: Grace, Acceptance, Salvation, Joy, Power, Redemption, Denial, Punishment, Repentence, Recrucifying Christ, Immorality, Danger, False Teachers, Release, Sanctification, Regeneration  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Salvation Army

Who Was Salome?

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 11, 2025

By comparing Matt. 27:56 with John 19:25, it seems likely that Salome was sister to Mary (Jesus’ mother). “By inference from the other Gospel accounts, Salome is also identified with the mother of the sons of Zebedee (Mt. 27:56) and with the sister of Mary the mother of Jesus…. (John 19:25)… If ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 27:56, John 19:25, Mark 10:35-40

Tags: Jesus' Family, Mary's Sister, Jesus' Aunt, Salome

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Moving Mountains A Figure Of Speech

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 11, 2025

The imagery of a mountain is HYPERBOLE. Zechariah 4:7a, “Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubabel you shall become a plain.” "The Jews used to set out those teachers among them, that were more eminent for the profoundness of their learning, or the splendour of their virtues, by such ...read more

Scripture: Mark 11:23, Matthew 17:20-21

Tags: Mountains, Hyperbole, Moving Moutains

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Conditional Promise

Contributed by John Bright on Mar 4, 2025

This is the beginning of that story where God tells them what they needed to do: 1 – Kill the Passover lamb 2 – Collect the blood in a bowl 3 – Put the blood on the two sides and top of the door The result would be what God promised to do – pass over their houses with the final plague of the death ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 12:21-28

Tags: Passover, Conditional Promise

Denomination: Methodist

The Cookie-Jar

Contributed by David Dunn on Oct 7, 2025

A pastor was teaching the Ten Commandments to a group of children. When he came to “Thou shalt not steal,” he leaned forward and said, “Now, children, what would the cookie jar say to you if it could talk?” A little girl lifted her hand and said, “It would say, ‘Suffer the little children to come ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 4:7, Romans 7:19, Galatians 5:17, 1 Corinthians 10:13, James 1:14  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Temptation, Desire, Choice, Grace, Obedience  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist