In Sermon Illustrations: "Forgiveness"

That Song Your Grace Is Enough, ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Illustration: that song Your Grace is Enough, the three Hebrew children, Philip Crosby, in his book March Till They Die, tells of a forced march of American and European soldiers in Korea. In November of 1950, Philip Crosby and his friends, as they passed close to those GI’s who were having a hard ...read more

Tags: Repentance

There Is A Man Who Keeps On His Desk A Fairly ...

Contributed by Keith Broyles on Oct 4, 2007

There is a man who keeps on his desk a fairly large stone on which is lettered one word: FIRST. Acting as a constant reminder of Jesus’ words, “He that is without sin… let him cast the first stone,” it helps check within him the automatic desire to be hasty in condemning others. As he daily ...read more

Denomination: Methodist

There Was Once A School For Poor And ...  PRO

Contributed by John Cuddeford on Nov 1, 2007

There was once a school for poor and underprivileged boys. In it there was a rule that, if certain things took place, the offender was to receive so many blows from a cane. One day a very poor boy broke this rule. He was called and stripped to receive his punishment. He had had little to eat, and ...read more

Denomination: *other

An Ad On Tv Shows All The Junk In The Sea Being ...

Contributed by David Moore on Apr 16, 2008

An ad on TV shows all the junk in the sea being taken out, until the water is pure, (Old spitfires, warships and wrecks etc.) Unfortunately it is an alcohol ad that portrays the product as "pure water"? Isn't that just like man, to make what is good evil and what is evil good? Alcohol is anything ...read more

Tags: Sin General

Denomination: Baptist

As I Mentioned, Ancients Held The Belief That ...

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Nov 18, 2008

As I mentioned, ancients held the belief that blood was significant. It was powerful. The Hebrews would hold animal sacrifices. The blood would be used to symbolically cover up the sin of the people. Hebrews 9:22 says that forgiveness does not come without the shedding of blood. The Hebrews had to ...read more

Tags: Sacrifices

Denomination: Church Of God

Often People Want To Be Mighty Oaks. They Want To ...

Contributed by Mark Eberly on May 4, 2009

Often people want to be mighty oaks. They want to be seen as strong and tall and be looked up to. We want the attention. We want to be admired. Except we don’t want to take the time to grow strong, deep roots. Jesus says that he want to make it as clear as possible. God is doing a great and new ...read more

Tags: Obedience

Denomination: Church Of God

Alex Haley, In His Book Roots, Shared The Story ...

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Sep 28, 2010

Alex Haley, in his book, Roots, shared the story of an old slave who one day drove his master to a great ball at an adjoining plantation. As the slave sat quietly in the buggy waiting for his master to return, he became aware not only of the sounds coming from the big house, but of strange music ...read more

Tags: Baptism

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Jewish Blessings

Contributed by Perry Greene on Dec 19, 2011

JEWISH BLESSINGS David Stern relates in hid Jewish NT Commentary, pp.115-116 that there are many blessings given by the Hebrew people. There are blessings for wine (Matthew 26.27-29); for bread (14.19); The Talmud (circa 5th century CE) had specific formulas for dozens of blessings that the people ...read more

Tags: Blessing

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Woman Returns Stolen Money

Contributed by Matt Neace on Aug 7, 2018

An Arkansas woman's stolen cash was turned over to police with a letter of apology from the thief who took it from her wallet. Susan McNabb said she left her wallet, and the $160 cash it contained, behind at the Walmart store in Clinton, and when she returned a short time later, the wallet was ...read more

Tags: Remorse, Integrity, Guilt, Conscience

Denomination: Baptist

Pastor Charles Stanley—who Is An Author And Bible ...  PRO

Contributed by Doug Lyon on Feb 14, 2007

Pastor Charles Stanley—who is an author and Bible teacher—tells this story from his seminary days. He writes: “One of my most memorable seminary professors had a practical way of illustrating the concept of grace for his students. At the end of his evangelism course he would hand out the exam ...read more

Denomination: Independent/Bible

How To Be A Saint

Contributed by Jeff Strite on May 16, 2011

HOW TO BE A SAINT One of the most basic requirements for a candidate to Catholic sainthood is to be dead. You can't be a Catholic Saint if you're not dead (usually 5 years). In the same way, you can't be a saint for God without dying. Romans 6:3-7 tells us as much: "...don't you know that all of ...read more

Tags: Sanctification

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

True Peace With God Comes To Us When God Says To ...  PRO

Contributed by Joel Pankow on Jun 3, 2004

True peace with God comes to us when God says to us, “you are one ugly person. I can’t stand to look at you. Your breath stinks, you’re out of shape, and you aren’t worthy of me. Here, take this outfit of righteousness - put it on. Keep it on. Take these works of my Son. Take this holiness ...read more

Tags: God's Provision

Denomination: Lutheran

Don Richardson Spent Several Frustrating Years ...  PRO

Contributed by John Weeks on Dec 9, 2006

Don Richardson spent several frustrating years among the Sawi tribe in New Guinea. He had come from America as an anthropologist/missionary, hoping to bring the Christian message to a nearly stone-age tribe. But his message kept colliding with the tribe’s unusual beliefs. Christian values of love ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16, John 3:16

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

This Morning, As You Sit Where You Are, Imagine ...

Contributed by Jim Kane on Feb 4, 2007

This morning, as you sit where you are, imagine with me that this platform is the front of the courtroom. Imagine with me that you sit in the seat of the defendant. To your right in this courtroom, sits Satan, the Devil. His job is to get a guilty verdict and keep you from experiencing ...read more

Denomination: Church Of God

This Morning, As You Sit Where You Are, Imagine ...

Contributed by Jim Kane on Feb 4, 2007

This morning, as you sit where you are, imagine with me that this platform is the front of the courtroom. Imagine with me that you sit in the seat of the defendant. To your right in this courtroom, sits Satan, the Devil. His job is to get a guilty verdict and keep you from experiencing ...read more

Denomination: Church Of God

Mark Early Tells This Remarkable Story Of How ...

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Jul 9, 2007

Mark Early tells this remarkable story of how truly following Jesus transforms the lives of those who follow him and the lives with whom they come into contact. “For thirteen weeks, former child soldier Ishmael Beah has seen his memoir, A Long Way Gone, hover in the top ranks of the New York Times ...read more

Denomination: Methodist

A Marriage Confession  PRO

Contributed by Johnny Creasong on Oct 3, 2008

A Marriage Confession I have a confession to make this morning. I am really not sure how to say this to you. I am embarrassed, ashamed, and really fearful of what you might think of me once you know the truth. I must confess to you this morning that my wife, Ronda, and I have irreconcilable ...read more

Tags: Understanding, Unity

Denomination: Church Of God

The Prison Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 18, 2010

The Prison of Bitterness Because we live in a world full of people that don’t know grace. It’s foreign to them. They don’t know it. And if they don’t hear about it and experience it from the body of Christ, they will never know it. I first learned of this story from Max Lucado. Each week Kevin ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:31-32

Tags: Bitterness

Cheap Grace

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Mar 15, 2010

CHEAP GRACE (defined and adapted from Dietrich Bonhoeffer) a). Cheap grace is the deadly enemy of our Church. We are fighting today for costly grace. b). Cheap grace means grace as a doctrine, a principle, a system. It means forgiveness of sins proclaimed as a general truth, the love of God ...read more

Tags: Grace

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Hate The Politics, Not The Person

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Oct 29, 2011

HATE THE POLITICS, NOT THE PERSON In his book, The Life God Blesses, Gordon MacDonald describes his encounter with a black South African, a high-ranking member of the African National Congress. He was profoundly impressed by the man's understanding of African history and politics and his insight ...read more

Tags: Discipleship

Denomination: Anglican