In Sermon Illustrations: "Forgive Your Enemy"

Holding Confirmed Tickets

Contributed by Rodelio Mallari on Dec 31, 2010

HOLDING CONFIRMED TICKETS Sometime when you're in an airport, observe the difference between passengers who hold confirmed tickets and those who are on standby. The ones with confirmed tickets read newspapers, chat with their friends or sleep. The ones on standby hang around the ticket ...read more

Tags: Salvation

Denomination: *other

In 1990, A Woman Entered A Haagen-Dazs Store In ...

Contributed by Rick Pendleton on Mar 29, 2011

In 1990, a woman entered a Haagen-Dazs store in Kansas City for an ice cream cone. While she was ordering, another customer entered the store. She placed her order, turned and found herself staring face to face with Paul Newman. He was in town filming a movie. His blue eyes made her knees buckle. ...read more

Tags: Commitment To Christ

Denomination: Baptist

Harry Potter: Temptation

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Jul 30, 2011

HARRY POTTER: TEMPTATION Every great story has great characters. And in truly great stories, the characters go through significant change. This change is called a character arc. For example, if you’re familiar with the Harry Potter series, you know that Harry starts off in the story as an ...read more

Tags: Temptation General

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Disposable Guilt Bags

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 12, 2011

DISPOSABLE GUILT BAGS Several years ago a new product called "Disposable Guilt Bags" appeared in the supermarkets. It consisted of a set of ten ordinary brown bags on which were printed the following instructions: "Place the bag securely over your mouth, take a deep breath and blow all your guilt ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 32:1-5

Tags: Guilt

Billy Graham: Can Money Buy Happiness?  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 23, 2012

BILLY GRAHAM: CAN MONEY BUY HAPPINESS? Rev. Billy Graham: "The Bible warns that money cannot buy happiness. Money cannot buy true pleasure. Money cannot buy peace of heart. And money cannot buy entrance into the Kingdom of God. If God has given you more than your neighbors around about you, ...read more

Scripture: Luke 12:13-34

Tags: Money

Get Acquainted With Heaven

Contributed by Francis Balla on Sep 24, 2012

GET ACQUAINTED WITH HEAVEN "The man who is about to sail for Australia or New Zealand as a settler, is naturally anxious to know something about his future home, its climate, its employments, its inhabitants, its ways, its customs. All these are subjects of deep interest to him. You are leaving ...read more

Tags: Heaven

Denomination: Baptist

The Smelly Man

Contributed by Daniel King, D. Min. on Jul 25, 2018

Main Idea: The only thing that can wash away sin is the blood of Jesus. Verse: “But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6 NKJV). Illustration: A smelly man came to visit me. He needed a bath so bad. He wanted to hug me and talk to me. I ...read more

Tags: Blood Of Jesus, Wash Away Sin, Sin

Denomination: Charismatic

Sacred Cows

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Dec 17, 2020

Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:1-2

Tags: Sacred Cows, Traditions

Denomination: Baptist

Prejudice Comes From An Unclean ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 18, 2009

Prejudice Comes from an Unclean Heart I like this thought posted by Mike Atkinson in his daily email humor list some time ago. If you can start the day without caffeine; if you can get going without pep pills; if you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains; if you can resist complaining ...read more

Scripture: Mark 7:14-15

Tags: Racism

Braveheart: "I Don't Want To Lose Heart"  PRO

Contributed by Bret Toman on Jan 2, 2010

BRAVEHEART: "I DON'T WANT TO LOSE HEART" Braveheart (2:12:34 - 2:14:30) is the story of Scotland’s pursuit of freedom from the tyranny of the English under the leadership of William Wallace, played by Mel Gibson. Leading up to this scene was a battle where Wallace and his men were fighting the ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 3:13

Tags: Idolatry

Denomination: Baptist

Can I Get A Witness?

Contributed by Loyd C. Taylor on Feb 23, 2024

Can I Get a Witness? Raised to Testify! Lazarus doesn’t have a recorded sermon in Scripture, but he had something just as powerful: a life that pointed to Jesus. In John 11, his very presence became a testimony that Christ is Lord over death. After Lazarus was raised, people didn’t have to be ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:15, Mark 16:15, Jeremiah 1:7-8, Acts 1:8, Romans 10:9-17, Romans 1:15-17  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Witness, Friendship, Testimony, Witnessing, Lifestyle, Friend Sunday, Evangelism  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

[124]. A Message From A Poem – He’s Leading As My Head

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jul 8, 2025

[124]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – HE’S LEADING AS MY HEAD How many are lost in this world? I don’t mean unsaved, but I mean who don’t know where they are going or what lies ahead, or what life is about; those who feel life is meaningless and has no purpose? I know it is a lot of people. The ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 1:15, John 10:10, John 12:46

Tags: Jesus, Direction, Leader, Guide, Life, Meaningless, Leading, Christian Poetry, Christian Poem  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

What Waiting Actually Feels Like

Contributed by Austin W. Duncan on Apr 17, 2026

When I was home in Texas, my dad was taken into the ER suddenly because his left hand stopped working like it should. The ends of his fingers were numb, and he couldn’t tell if he was grabbing objects even when he was. I met him at the hospital right before he went back, and when we walked into ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:36-38, Psalm 130:5-6

Tags: Suffering, Waiting

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Mastering Fatherhood

Contributed by Eduardo Quintana on Jun 12, 2017

In 2001, I was serving as the youth pastor of Destiny Church and sitting at my office desk when I received a phone call from my mother. She called with sad news! My grandmother’s health had declined significantly and she was near death. She’d been suffering with Alzheimer’s for over seven years up ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:2

Tags: Parenting, Legacy, Fatherhood

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Things You'd Love To Say At Work But Can't  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 26, 2005

Things You’d Love to Say at Work But Can’t • How about never? Is never good for you? • I’ll try being nicer if you’ll try being smarter. • It sounds like English, but I can’t understand a word you’re saying. • Ah … I see the screw-up fairy has visited us again. • I like you. You remind me of ...read more

Tags: Vision

Remember! Here Are Some Things You Can Do To ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 20, 2006

Remember! Here are some things you can do to boost your memory from corporate productivity specialist Abby Marks-Beale: Ask, "Why am I reading this?" and "What do I need it for?" If you know the specific answers, you will read more intently keeping you more focused on what you need. Intend to ...read more

Tags: Bible Study

No Wonder You Feel Tired!

Contributed by Tony Abram on Mar 7, 2007

Your heart beats 103,689 times every 24 hours. 2. Your blood travels 168,000,000 miles every 24 hours. 3. You breathe 23,040 times every 24 hours. 4. You inhale 438 cubic feet of air every 24 hours. 5. You eat about 3 1/2 pounds of food every 24 hours. 6. You drink about 2.9 quarts of liquid every ...read more

Tags: Creation

Service Requires Action  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 15, 2002

SERVICE REQUIRES ACTION A man fell into a pit and couldn’t get himself out. A subjective person came along and said, "I feel for you down there." An objective person walked by and said, "It’s logical that someone would fall down there." A Pharisee said, "Only bad people fall into pits." A ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 19:17, Proverbs 19:17, Proverbs 19:17, James 2:14-17, Matthew 8:14-15  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Compassion, Christian Disciplines

Long Ago, There Ruled In Persia A Wise And Good ...  PRO

Contributed by Jason Cole on Mar 2, 2004

Long ago, there ruled in Persia a wise and good king. He loved his people. He wanted to know how they lived. He wanted to know about their hardships. Often he dressed in the clothes of a working man or a beggar, and went to the homes of the poor. No one whom he visited thought that he was their ...read more

Tags: Christmas Advent

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Sophie And Shirley, Two Elderly Widows In A ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Sophie and Shirley, two elderly widows in a Florida adult community, are curious about the latest arrival in their building -- a quiet, nice looking gentleman who keeps to himself. Shirley says, "Sophie, you know I’m shy. Why don’t you go over to him at the pool and find out a little about him. He ...read more

Tags: Friendship General