In Sermon Illustrations: "Front Row"

Before It's Too Late

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 11, 2011

BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE USA Today had an article on the front page about those who escaped the World Trade Center on September 11. After interviewing over 300 survivors and family members of victims, USA Today concluded that in the South tower those who didn’t delay but ran for safety immediately ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:57-62

Tags: Evangelism Urgency

Hiding The Word Of God

Contributed by Perry Greene on Jan 10, 2012

HIDING THE WORD OF GOD During World War II, Jewish inmates of the Yanov labor camp in occupied Poland defied their Nazi guards, secretly conducting religious services inside their darkened barracks. To observe their ritual, the Jews had cut religious scrolls into sections, bound the parchment ...read more

Tags: Bible Influence

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Man And His Porsche

Contributed by J.d. Tutell on Jan 13, 2012

A MAN AND HIS PORSCHE A New York stockbroker had just purchased a brand new Porsche. He parked it in front of his office to show it off to his colleagues. As he's getting out of the car, an SUV comes speeding along too close to the curb and takes off the door before driving off. The man gets ...read more

Tags: Materialism

Denomination: Baptist

I Want To Be Pretty  PRO

Contributed by Tim Hinrichs on Jan 24, 2012

I WANT TO BE PRETTY "I want to be pretty." This is the title of a popular tv program that was airing when we lived in Poland. It was a reality tv show in which in every episode you follow the changes of two women who are the heroes of the program. Each of these women work with a team of ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 31:30

Tags: Faith, Love, Beauty, Faithfulness, Patience  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Lutheran

Mother's Arms

Contributed by Eugene Morell on Feb 24, 2012

MOTHER'S ARMS There was a teenager who didn’t want to be seen in public with her mother, because her mother’s arms were terribly disfigured. One day when her mother took her shopping and reached out her hand, a clerk looked horrified. Later, crying, the girl told her how embarrassed she was. ...read more

Tags: Love Of The Disciples

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Is There Hope For The Next Generation Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 7, 2013

IS THERE HOPE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF EVANGELICALS? Russell Moore recounts a conversation with the evangelical theologian Carl Henry. As Moore and some of his friends were lamenting the miserable shape of the church, they asked Dr. Henry if he saw any hope in the coming generation of ...read more

Scripture: Acts 9:1-15, Acts 2:47, Romans 8:31-36, Proverbs 20:21, Luke 8:22-25, Matthew 16:18  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: God Brings Hope

A Pastor In Disguise

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 9, 2013

A Pastor in Disguise A few years ago at a Methodist Church in North Wales, as worshippers arrived at the church, they were distressed to see a dirty, drunk, smelly homeless man on the front steps. They didn't realize this bum was actually their pastor, Derek Rigby, who had disguised himself as a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:31-46

Tags: Compassion, Homeless

God's Doing Something

Contributed by Steve Kinnard on Feb 14, 2019

GOD IS DOING SOMETHING Gas Station Business Card A few years ago, I was impressed of God to design a business card that had a picture of hell on the front with the words “GET OUT OF HELL FREE” on the back I placed Salvation Scriptures. I was driving to work early one morning and nearing my exit, ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:27

Tags: Obedience, Unexpected

Denomination: Pentecostal

A Healing Fool  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Feb 14, 2002

A HEALING FOOL The Gospels depict Jesus as having spent a surprising amount of time healing people… It is significant also that the Greek verb "sozo" was used in Jesus’ day to mean both to save and to heal, and "soter" could signify either savior or physician. Ever since the time of Jesus, ...read more

Scripture: Mark 1:29-39

Tags: Miracles Of Jesus, Prayer Answered, Gifts Healing

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Vineyard Caretaker

Contributed by Peter Loughman on Jan 29, 2008

THE VINEYARD CARETAKER Mark 11:27-12:12 In high school I was on the track team – I was a sprinter. Our coach would make us sprinters run long distance as well as run sprints for practice. We hated running long distance, it was so boring, it was so tedious, we felt it was against our nature. But ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Feeling Insignificant?

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Feb 9, 2010

Feeling Insignificant? Last night I attended Hillsong's Church's Vision Night for leaders with my daughter and son-in-law. We were in the first 3 rows and the music was awesome. I somehow ended up sitting between them and felt a little conspicuous. Completely inspiring listening to Joel Houston ...read more

Tags: Encouragement

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

British Clergyman Repudiates The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 6, 2010

British Clergyman Repudiates the Church’s Traditional Understanding of the Cross The Very Reverend Dr. Jeffrey Philip Hywel John believes that the church’s traditional understanding of the cross of Christ is both “repulsive” and “insane.” His comments in the spring of 2007 about the cross ignited a ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Tags: Cross, False Doctrine

The Voice Of The Shepherd  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 22, 2011

THE VOICE OF THE SHEPHERD There once was a shepherd that lived in the Scottish highlands. This shepherd had a daughter and he would take her with him when he went out on the moors to take care of the sheep. The thing that the little girl liked best was to hear the call of shepherd. His voice ...read more

Scripture: John 10:1-18, Mark 4:26-34

Tags: Parable Lost Sheep

One Day I Will Be Healed

Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Mar 30, 2011

ONE DAY I WILL BE HEALED A few weeks ago, I saw a special on TV about faith healers. In that show, Lisa Ling went to the meeting of a renowned faith healer where she interviewed a man named Steve. When he was 18, Steve was in a car crash that left him with brain injury and a speech impediment. ...read more

Tags: Miracles Of Jesus

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Christmas Story  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Dec 12, 2003

[A Christmas Story, unknown] I remember my first Christmas adventure with Grandma. I was just a kid. I remember tearing across town on my bike to visit her on the day my big sister dropped the bomb: "There is no Santa Claus," she jeered. "Even dummies know that!" (Rejection!) My Grandma was not ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

In A Sermon Several Weeks Ago I Referred To A Man ...  PRO

Contributed by Russell Brownworth on Mar 8, 2004

In a sermon several weeks ago I referred to a man I couldn’t reach. John was ex-Navy, a heavy drinker and a violent man. He was very personable when you first met him; when he drank enough beer the demons took over. I must confess that, until I met John I always thought people were born with a ...read more

Tags: Sin Wages Of, Sin Bondage To

Denomination: United Methodist

The Water ...

Contributed by Rick Pendleton on Jun 2, 2008

The Water (Anonymous) It was one of the hottest days of the dry season. We had not seen rain in almost a month. The crops were dying. Cows had stopped giving milk. The creeks and streams were long gone back into the earth. It was a dry season that would bankrupt several farmers before it was ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Evangelist Merv Rosell Relates A Story From His ...

Contributed by Bruce Howell on Oct 25, 2006

Evangelist Merv Rosell relates a story from his childhood when he and his brother contracted diphtheria. They were wrapped in white sheets and taken to the contagious ward of the hospital. He could still see his mother’s face, pressed against the glass of the ward, peering lovingly at her two ...read more

Denomination: Wesleyan

My Wife Christina And I Always Get Up Early To ...  PRO

Contributed by Chris Surber on Dec 7, 2007

My wife Christina and I always get up early to shop the day after Thanksgiving. This year we drove to a hotel that evening so that we could get up at 3:00 A.M. to get in line at Toys ‘R’ us to catch the door buster sales that morning. This is something that we started doing years ago when we ...read more

Denomination: Christian Church

What Is ...

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

WHAT IS TRUTH? There was a man nearly two millennia ago who asked this lofty philosophical question. His name was Pontius Pilate. God’s Word records this dramatic interchange in the book of John, Chapters 18 and 19. Jesus, speaking to Pilate, said “For this I have come into the world, to bear ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 29:13

Tags: Truth

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational