In Sermon Illustrations: "Forgive Your Enemy"

Getting Your Hands Dirty: Grandma's Apron

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 12, 2011

GETTING YOUR HANDS DIRTY: GRANDMA'S APRON There are all sorts of "questionably clean" things that spread love and give meaning to our lives. Does anyone this morning remember a grandma or great-grandma swathed in a big all-enveloping apron? Not some perky little decorative thing worn on Christmas. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 20:25-28

Tags: Love, Servanthood

Someone Once Said: "Give According To Your ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 18, 2011

Someone once said: "Give according to your income, lest God makes your income according to your giving." (Source: Michael P. Green. (2000). 1500 illustrations for biblical preaching (163). Grand Rapids, MI: ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:6-15

Tags: Giving General

Go Back! You're Too Young

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 21, 2011

GO BACK! YOU'RE TOO YOUNG Wilbur E. Nelson told the story of his father who was the senior elder in his church for many years. He said: "When I was a boy, eleven years of age, an evangelist held a series of meetings in our church. One night he asked every Christian to come forward and also asked ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Tags: Children

The Hunger Games: Laying Down Your Life

Contributed by Jeff Morrison on Mar 30, 2012

THE HUNGER GAMES: LAYING DOWN YOUR LIFE In the movie, "The Hunger Games," 16 year old Katness is faced with a dramatic choice when her 12 year old sister is chosen by lottery to fight for their district. She knows her sister is small and frail, and that she would not last in the life or death ...read more

Tags: Giving Yourself

Denomination: Baptist

Is Your Name In The Bible?--The Case Of A New ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 5, 2012

IS YOUR NAME IN THE BIBLE?--THE CASE OF A NEW YORK CITY BAG LADY Years ago, there was a bag lady in New York City who attended a preaching service at a Manhattan Rescue Mission. Afterwards in the line to receive soup, she mentioned to the preacher she was now ready to give her life to Jesus. She ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:1-7

Tags: Sunday, Parable Lost Sheep

Talk About Rising To The Top Of Your Field, ...  PRO

Contributed by Kelly Mitchell on Sep 25, 2012

Talk about rising to the top of your field, Martha Graham (May 11, 1894 – April 1, 1991) was an American modern dancer and choreographer. Her influence on modern dance has been compared to Picasso’s on modern visual arts, Stravinsky’s on music, or Frank Lloyd Wright’s on architecture. We should ...read more

Scripture: John 12:25-26

Tags: Fulfillment, Worldliness, Workplace Balance, Workplace Success

Denomination: Baptist

You Follow What You're Tied To  PRO

Contributed by Rick Pendleton on Oct 31, 2012

YOU FOLLOW WHAT YOU'RE TIED TO Two hunters were out hunting and come upon what appeared at first as an abandoned farm. The barn was sagging, the house was in disrepair, and there were junk cars and car parts lying around. The only thing that made it a working farm were a few chickens pecking away ...read more

Scripture: John 5:1-5, Luke 21:5-35, Ecclesiastes 3:1-15

Tags: Fear, Marriage, Sin Bondage To, Sidetracked

Denomination: Baptist

You're Going To Play Baseball This Summer  PRO

Contributed by Paul Steen on May 19, 2013

YOU’RE GOING TO PLAY BASEBALL THIS SUMMER Joshua 14:12, James 2:26 A little boy named Jimmy was about 13 years old. He grew up with his brother in a very poor family not too far from downtown. Their dad was very sick and could not work. They had food to eat every morning and evening, but he and ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 14:12, James 2:26

Tags: Faith, Believe, Trust, Work, Bible Truth, Allegory, Commandments General, Faith Vs. Works, Action, Encouragement, Desire, Zeal, Fulfillment, Promises Of God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

When Your Sin Finds You Out.  PRO

Contributed by Larry Turner on Sep 16, 2013

I was 18 years old when I stole my first and only item. I was a bagger at a local grocery store. The store had some small battery operated record players that played 45s. (For those too young to remember what 45s were, they looked like bid CDs with a hole in the middle.) A lot of the record players ...read more

Scripture: Numbers 32:23

Tags: Truth, Unconfessed Sin

Denomination: Foursquare

Fatherhood Tips: Cherish Your Time With Them.

Contributed by Eduardo Quintana on Oct 4, 2015

FATHERHOOD TIPS 1.- Cherish your time with them. When we adopted our first child, we decided that it was outright important for the child to have a mom and a dad that were there for them. My wife quit her job and became a stay at home mother. She is amazing! And I also had to find a job that ...read more

Scripture: Malachi 4:6

Tags: Fatherhood, Cherish

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Does Your Church Worship Its Worship?

Contributed by Garris Hudson on May 19, 2016

DOES YOUR CHURCH WORSHIP ITS WORSHIP STYLE? If the answer is yes, think about this quote: "Whenever the method of worship becomes more important than the Person of worship, we have already prostituted our worship. There are entire congregations who worship praise and praise ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 100:1-4

Tags: Worship, Praise

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Giving Tithes And Offering To Your Local Church

Contributed by Rev. Vinod Rasaily on Oct 19, 2016

Believers must understand that Church is the backbone of mission and therefore must be faithful in bringing their tithes and offering to their local Church. Some Church goers who live outside of their home town would not commit themselves to support the Church which they are attending, instead they ...read more

Scripture: Malachi 3:10-11

Tags: Tithes And Offering, Christian Giving, Giving To God

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Have You Burned Your Ships Yet?

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Feb 9, 2020

When the Spanish explorer Hernando Cortez landed at Vera Cruz, Mexico in 1519 he was intent on conquest. To assure the devotion of his men, Cortez set fire to his fleet of eleven ships! With no means of retreat, Cortez’s army had only one direction to move, into the Mexican interior. Cortez ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-12, James 1:8

Tags: Commitment, Discipleship, Following Jesus, Counting The Cost

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Can't Earn Your Salvation

Contributed by John Bright on Apr 3, 2021

I read this little poem recently that did not have an author listed: “I cannot work my soul to save, For that my Lord hath done; But I will work like a slave, For the love of ...read more

Scripture: John 14:6

Tags: Service, Salvation

Denomination: Methodist

You Better Get Your Bags Packed!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Apr 2, 2022

One day a very wealthy, powerful king died. His servants spread the unbelievable news all over the palace. He had died in his bed of natural causes. "Where has he gone?", asked one of the king's wisest counselors "Why, to Heaven of course!", answered all the ...read more

Tags: Evangelism, Heaven, Salvation, Gospel, Excuses, Prepare, Procrastination, Fools  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Stop Pushing Your Car And Step On The Gas!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Nov 6, 2022

The Argentine evangelist, Santiago Garaballe, once gave an illustration of a man who bought a new car. He had never owned a car in his life. The car came with a powerful engine under the hood. What if the man then spent the rest of his life pushing it around! Come on family let's go for a ride! ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 2:20

Tags: Holy Spirit, Resurrection, Victory, Flesh, Defeat, Spirit Filled Life  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

God Knows What Is Happening In Your Nation

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Aug 21, 2023

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that God is asleep when it comes to nations, or that He is out of touch when it comes to carnal banquets, or that He sits in Heaven wringing His hands when it comes to godless rulers (and foolish presidents!) who make unfair, rash, or stupid decisions. Mark it ...read more

Tags: Nations, Kings, Governments, Presidents, Wicked Rulers  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Here's Your Thanksgiving Joke!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Nov 15, 2023

In Budapest, a man goes to the rabbi and complains, "Life is unbearable. There are nine of us living in one small apartment. What can I do?" The rabbi answers, "Take your goat into the apartment with you." The man is totally upset when he hears this, but the rabbi insists. ...read more

Tags: Griping, Thanksgiving, Gratitude, Perspective, Complaining, Attitude  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Speaking Death Or Life Over Your Marriage?

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Feb 6, 2025

Far too many people spend a lot of time speaking death over their marriages. "Psychologists Cliff Notarous of Catholic University and Howard Markman of the University of Denver studied married couples during the first decade of marriage. Among couples who ultimately stayed together, only 5 ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 18:20-22

Tags: Marriage, Words, Putdowns

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Peter Principle - I Will Change Your Name

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Jan 19, 2026

Back in the 60's ... a man named Laurence J. Peter ... visited several corporations ... and studied some of their management styles ... and characteristics. As a result, ... he came up with a maxim ... which was later named after him ... called ... "The Peter Principle." (Pause) I ...read more

Scripture: John 1:42, Acts 5:29, 1 Samuel 16:7, Philippians 4:13

Tags: Name, Heart, Peter, Change, New Creation, Principle  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Anglican