In Sermon Illustrations: "Friend Of Sinners"

The Stranger

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 19, 2011

THE STRANGER Some time ago, a small east coast community was struggling financially, so they called an open town meeting to discuss the problem. A couple dozen people were there, including a stranger that no one seemed to know. Most assumed he was a tourist who had just dropped in on the meeting. ...read more

Scripture: Acts 13:26-43

Tags: Ignorance

Is It Worth It?

Contributed by Michael Buckingham on Jul 1, 2011

IS IT WORTH IT? I see a young soldier, he looks barely 18 to me, he has got fear in his eyes, but he has one goal... to get glory and honour... I see him, going through his training, a hard routine, 20 press-ups followed by 30 crunches, then an hour jogging, and then more push-ups, by the end of ...read more

Tags: Glory

Denomination: Baptist

Philippi And Ebay

Contributed by Ronnie Miller on Jul 30, 2011

PHILIPPI AND EBAY How would you rate your self as a Christian on a scale from 1 to 10? Better yet how would your family and friends rate you on the same scale? People see you and I on a different perspective than we do ourselves. For the people who have Internet, I’m sure have encountered eBay at ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 1:27-30

Tags: Witness, Christian, Christian Values

Denomination: Baptist

Aiming At The Right Target  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 4, 2011

AIMING AT THE RIGHT TARGET Some of our deeds are of great value, especially those done in dependence upon God for His glory and honor. Some of our deeds are worthless. They accomplish nothing of eternal value and will be quickly forgotten after we are gone. Matt Emmons had the gold medal in ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:1-16

Tags: Goals

Cheap Purchase—high Price  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 4, 2011

CHEAP PURCHASE--HIGH PRICE In Decision magazine some time ago, Karen Morerod wrote about shopping in a store for a sweater. She was looking for one at minimal cost, so she went to the clearance rack. As she flipped through the sweaters, one caught her eye. It was the right color and the right ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:13-21

Tags: Blood Of Christ

Statistics On Loneliness

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 7, 2011

STATISTICS ON LONELINESS This week I read an article by Medical News Today about the health effects of loneliness. Quoting the article, it states that "there is evidence that the risk of developing and dying from heart disease can depend on the strength of one's social network of friends and ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-16

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Repentance In The White House  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 10, 2011

REPENTANCE IN THE WHITE HOUSE In 2001, Tim Goeglein started running the White House Office of Public Liaison, providing him almost daily access to then President George Bush for seven years. Then it all ended abruptly on February 29, 2008. A well-known blogger revealed the startling fact that 27 ...read more

Scripture: Romans 2:4

Tags: Compassion, Repentance

God's Forgiveness And The Jump Drive

Contributed by James Webster on Jan 14, 2012

GOD'S FORGIVENESS AND THE JUMP DRIVE Most of you know I keep most of my office work in the corner of the family room in the parsonage since we moved back. Most of my study I do early before anyone gets up. However, for the past couple of weeks I have been coming over to the church office early ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness General

Denomination: Nazarene

Miracle Mandy

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Mar 5, 2012

MIRACLE MANDY The doctor told Marsha Mark and her husband they would never have biological children. In their disappointment, Marsha clung to a friend's words: "Somehow, God is going to use your struggle with infertility for his glory." Marsha began to pray for a glimpse of that glory. "I asked ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 1:1-20

Tags: Prayer Answered

Denomination: Baptist

Fulfilling Your Purpose

Contributed by Chuck Sligh on Apr 24, 2012

FULFILLING YOUR PURPOSE When we lived in Wiesbaden, some missionary friends bought a German toaster. When they got home, they plugged it in, placed some bread in it, and then waited for the toast to pop up a few minutes later. Well, the toast never did pop up from it because...well, it didn’t ...read more

Tags: God Brings Purpose

Denomination: Baptist

The Master And The Child  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 17, 2012

THE MASTER AND THE CHILD The folklore surrounding Poland's famous concert pianist and prime minister, Ignace Paderewski, includes a story, which though fictional, provides a true picture of what God can do with us: A mother, wishing to encourage her young son's progress at the piano, bought ...read more

Scripture: James 1:2-4

Tags: God In The Hardships

Just Didn't Work Right  PRO

Contributed by Rick Boyne on Aug 13, 2012

JUST DIDN'T WORK RIGHT My parents bought my 16 year old daughter her first car, a 1970 VW Beetle. While it was cute and a collector car, it wouldn’t run right. Even though it had been a gift from her grandparents, it cost as much in repairs as a new car would have cost in payments. While it had ...read more

Tags: Dealing With Conflicts

Denomination: Baptist

United We Stand

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 16, 2014

Let me read one of Aesop’s Greek fables; In the forest, there lived four oxen. They were very good friends and always went together to graze in the fields. However, every time they went, a hungry lion tried to attack them. The lion longed for their meat. But they withstood his attack by fighting ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-6

Tags: Unity, Divisions

Persecuted For Faithfulness

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Aug 6, 2018

Many of our sisters and brothers are persecuted even in our own time. Voice of the Martyrs reports, for example, the experience of a young man named Philip, who lives in Laos. Philip walked two hours to another village to hear the gospel. Just three weeks after he returned home as a new believer, ...read more

Scripture: John 15:18-20

Tags: Persecution, Faithfulness

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

God Hears Our Singing With Ears Of Love

Contributed by Alan Perkins on Oct 16, 2022

Let me give you an illustration. It’s from the movie “The Music Man”. Have you seen that movie? “Ya got trouble, my friend, I say, trouble right here in River City.” In that movie, the con man Harold Hill has been selling band instruments, promising the townspeople that he will teach their children ...read more

Tags: Love, Singing

Denomination: Baptist

Letting Go

Contributed by Bruce Lee on Jan 27, 2023

Letting Go “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair.” 2 Corinthians 4:8 ESV She was only five years old. It was her first day of school. Her mommy will never forget crying all the way back as she walked to the house after letting her go and ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:8

Tags: Survival, Letting Go, Funeral, Grief

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I Am In A Hurry, But God Isn't!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 5, 2023

The purposes of God often develop slowly because His grand designs are never hurried. The great New England preacher Phillips Brooks was noted for his poise and quiet manner. At times, however, even he suffered moments of frustration and irritability. One day a friend saw him feverishly pacing the ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23

Tags: Fruit Of The Spirit, Waiting On God, Holy Spirit, Endurance, Patience, Forbearance  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Did Jesus Really Die On The Cross?

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Mar 25, 2024

One lady sent in a letter to a religious question and answer forum. "Dear Sirs, Our preacher said on Easter, that Jesus just swooned on the cross and that the disciples nursed Him back to health because he just fainted on Good Friday. He didn't really die and he wasn't really raised ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:8, 1 John 2:1-2

Tags: Easter, Crucifixion, Resurrection, Son Of Man, Cross, Son Of God, Empty Grave  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Traveling To Heaven

Contributed by Joel Pankow on Mar 29, 2024

Throughout my life I had always wanted to go to Germany. It wasn’t until my son moved over there and got married that we finally were able to do so. The trip wasn’t always easy, as we were stranded in New Jersey for a night after a flight was canceled. We were tired from the journey. But once ...read more

Scripture: Job 19:26

Tags: Resurrection, Heaven

Denomination: Lutheran

When Emails Got Mixed Up And A Widow Passed Out!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Nov 12, 2024

A Minneapolis couple decided to go to Florida to thaw out during a particularly icy winter. They planned to stay at the same hotel where they spent their honeymoon 50 years earlier. Because of their hectic schedules, it was difficult for the couple to coordinate their travel plans. So, the husband ...read more

Tags: Hell, Marriage, Pastors, Widows, Surprises, Miscommunication, Emails, Confusion, Shock, Husbands, Sermons, Wives, Funerals  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational