In Sermon Illustrations: "Forgiveness For Others"

We Once Had A Homeless Man Show Up At Our ...

Contributed by Robert Rose on Oct 18, 2005

We once had a homeless man show up at our mission. He had been walking for days to get someplace so that he might find work. His feet were blistered, his shoes were worn and his socks had holes. The case manager had a big heart, she had the man sit down and she got a pan of water. She proceeded ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness General, Christian Disciplines, Poverty

Denomination: Holiness

Martin Luther King Jr. Once Said, "The First ...  PRO

Contributed by Timothy Smith on Sep 27, 2007

Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “The first question the priest and the Levite asked was: ‘If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?’ But ... the Good Samaritan reversed the ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness General, Parable Good Samaritan

Denomination: Christian Church

Strength Won't Do It

Contributed by Ronnie Miller on Jul 30, 2011

STRENGTH WON'T DO IT My Dad died in Dec 04. He was the strongest man I ever knew...he was the most honest man I ever knew….he was a good farmer...good mechanic ...good Dad...good husband...but he wasn't strong enough to defeat death. If I could write down the good deeds my Dad done in his life on ...read more

Tags: Sin, Work, Judgment, Saved, Forgive  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Covered Under His Wings  PRO

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 7, 2014

COVERED UNDER HIS WINGS It was a hot day in the dry old West. As the railroad came roaring down the tracks, sparks were flying everywhere because of the hot temperatures. When the sparks flew, often they would begin a fire that would destroy ranches, homes and livestock. One particular day, ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

Tags: Atonement, Forgiveness, Cross, Love Of God

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Never Sin!!!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 30, 2020

john Wesley visited General Oglethorpe when he was governor of the colony of Georgia. The general mentioned an incident involving a man who had angered him and remarked, "I shall never forgive ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-12

Tags: Mercy, Forgiveness, Sin, Judgment, Beatitudes  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Thin Skinned And Hard Hearted

Contributed by John Bright on Feb 2, 2025

Somebody smarter than me said the greatest problem in the local church is that we are not who we were designed by God to be. As Believers, we were made to be thick-skinned and tender hearted. That’s how we can “love one another fervently with a pure heart.” (1 Peter 1:22) Instead, we have become ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 18:15-17, 1 Peter 1:22

Tags: Forgiveness, Fervent Love, Tender Hearted

Denomination: Methodist

No Cross, No Poland  PRO

Contributed by Steve Malone on Apr 7, 2001

NO CROSS, NO POLAND Charles Colson in his book Kingdoms In Conflict, tells how before the collapse of communism, the government of Poland issued an order that all crucifixes were to be removed from classroom walls just as they had been banned in factories, hospitals, and other public ...read more

Tags: Jesus Teachings, Forgiveness In Jesus, Cross Agony

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Garbed As A Peasant  PRO

Contributed by Matthew Rogers on Mar 18, 2002

GARBED AS A PEASANT Soren Kierkegaard, the Danish theologian, told a story about a certain kingdom wherein there was a handsome prince, searching for a woman worthy enough to be his wife and become queen of the land. One day while running an errand for his father he passed through a poor village. ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness In Jesus, Humanity Of Christ, Lordship Of Christ

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Religion True To Its Nature Must Also Be ...  PRO

Contributed by Mike Wilkins on Jan 20, 2003

"A religion true to its nature must also be concerned about man’s social conditions. Religion deals with both earth and heaven, both time and eternity. Religion operates not only on the vertical plane but also on the horizontal. It seeks not only to integrate men with God but to integrate men with ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness General, Christian Disciplines, Basics Of Christianity

Denomination: *other

Giving To Missions  PRO

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Jun 26, 2001

GIVING TO MISSIONS Americans give $700 million per year to mission agencies. However, they pay as much for pet food every 52 days. A person must overeat by at least $1.50 worth of food per month to maintain one excess pound of flesh. Yet $1.50 per month is more than what 90 percent of all ...read more

Tags: Christian Disciplines, Forgiveness General, Evangelism Urgency

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

This Is A True Story, About A German Artist Named ...  PRO

Contributed by Chris Appleby on Oct 18, 2000

This is a true story, about a German artist named Albrecht Durer and one of his famous drawings, "The Praying Hands." Durer’s Father was a goldsmith and apprenticed him in his early years to learn the family trade, but Durer loved painting and really wanted to be a painter. So his father ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:5-11

Tags: Christian Love, Christian Disciplines, Forgiveness In Jesus

Denomination: Anglican

What We Can Learn From The "Lesser Knowns"

Contributed by Tom Mccrossan on Jan 21, 2004

What We Can Learn From the "Lesser Knowns" The media makes note of the well-known celebrities who die, and this year there is quite a long, sad list: John Ritter. Fred Rogers. Johnny Cash. June Carter Cash. Bob Hope. David Brinkley. Gregory Peck. Katharine Hepburn. Buddy Hackett. Buddy Ebsen. But ...read more

Tags: Christian Disciplines, Funerals Christian, Forgiveness General

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Concept Of Grace  PRO

Contributed by Rick Labate on Feb 19, 2003

THE CONCEPT OF GRACE There is a great article that illustrates the concept of grace written by Charles Stanley. “One of my more memorable seminary professors had a practical way of illustrating to his students the concept of grace. At the end of his evangelism course he would distribute the exam ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-9, Matthew 13:1-9

Tags: Grace, Forgiveness In Jesus, Two Or Three, Surrender

Denomination: Adventist

Where Is Your Faith?

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Dec 25, 2014

“A weak faith is weakened by predicaments and catastrophes, whereas a strong faith is strengthened by them.” – Victor Frankl Rain poured down and thunder boomed one dark night in September in Western Oklahoma. It had been a quiet, pleasant evening at the nursing center, and nurses and residents ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:7

Tags: Active Faith, Encourage Others, Courageous Women, Faith Lifestyle

Denomination: Charismatic

On Living And Dying

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Jun 22, 2021

Martin Luther King Jr. on living, dying and his funeral. If any of you are around what I have to meet my day, I don’t want along funeral. And if you get somebody to deliver the eulogy, tell them not to talk too long. Every now and then I wonder what I would want them to say. Tell them not to ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:6-8, Philippians 1:21, Galatians 2:20

Tags: Loving Others, Death, Love, Giving, Servanthood, Serving, Funerals  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Who Are We Here For??

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Mar 9, 2023

The story has often been told about the message the founder of the Salvation Army sent to their international convention. General William Booth was unable to attend personally because of ill health, so he cabled the delegates a message containing one word: "OTHERS!" In the popular comic ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:1-10

Tags: Service, Ministry, Selflessness, Others, Bearing Burdens, One Another  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

There Are Some People That We Might Consider To ...  PRO

Contributed by John Williams Iii on Feb 10, 2003

There are some people that we might consider to be a freak because of their disfigured appearance. Consider the story of John Merrick who was known more by his disfigured appearance and labeled as the "Elephant man". "John Merrick was born in Leicester, England in 1862. He suffered from a severe ...read more

Tags: Friendship New Friends, Forgiveness General, Compassion

Denomination: United Methodist

Hero In Black  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 26, 2004

HERO IN BLACK Victor Yap tells this story: A few years ago I saw a truck in front of me roaring fiercely about to turn the corner into the freeway ramp. In the driver’s seat of the humongous truck was a man in his late 20s ramming his engine and blasting his stereo. The guy had dark glasses and ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:25-37

Tags: Compassion, Forgiveness General, Parable Good Samaritan

Refuse Good Advice And Watch Your Plans ...  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Emmert on May 22, 2001

“Refuse good advice and watch your plans fail; take good counsel and watch them succeed” (Proverbs 3:21). We can say it another way: Heed wise counsel, or watch your hopes be cancelled. The hard won truth of this proverb is evident in an experience that riveted my generation. In January of 1985 ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 1:1

Tags: Leadership General, God's Forgiveness, God's Omniscience

Denomination: United Methodist

My First Assignment 35 Years Ago Was To An Inner ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 16, 2004

My first assignment 35 years ago was to an inner city parish in Wshington,D.C. Money was stolen from my room; the garage mechanic said my gas tank may have been sabotaged, destroying my engine; one weekend we had 34 windows broken in the school. When a new pastor was sent,the parish held a party ...read more

Tags: Christian Love, Forgiveness In Jesus, God's Love