In Sermon Illustrations: "Gandhi Makes A Difference"

What I Don't Want To Be

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 1, 2011

WHAT I DON'T WANT TO BE I recall a conversation I once had with a precocious little boy we once had in the church I pastored for 10 years in Wiesbaden. I asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. "Well," he replied, "I don't want to be a fireman." I'd never had a kid tell me what he was ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 37:4-5

Tags: Christian Values

Refining Sap To Maple Syrup  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 3, 2011

REFINING SAP TO MAPLE SYRUP Dr. David Osborn at Denver Seminary says, "Too often we try to use God to change our circumstances, while He is using our circumstances to change us." (Compass, April 2003) You see, God is right now in the process of making us like Christ. Think of the process of ...read more

Scripture: James 1:2-4, Psalm 13:1-6, Psalm 34:15-16

Tags: Sanctification

The First Thanksgiving

Contributed by Paul Barreca on Nov 19, 2011

THE FIRST THANKSGIVING Let's consider the first Thanksgiving in America. It was in the fall of 1621, one year after the Pilgrim’s landed. There was great affliction in their voyage. 102 Pilgrims the left Holland, stopped briefly in England before sailing to America. They were at sea for 66 ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Tags: Thanksgiving Holiday

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Heritage Tree  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 11, 2012

THE HERITAGE TREE The Heritage Tree, Cape Perpetua, Central Oregon coast. This giant spruce is called The Heritage Tree because it stands almost 200 feet tall and because it started to grow as a seedling about the same time Martin Luther was pounding his theses on the church door at Wittenberg. ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:1-2

Tags: Discipleship

The Recycled ...

Contributed by Ken Pell on Mar 23, 2013

THE RECYCLED ORCHESTRA In December of last year (2012) NPR told the story of a poor community in Paraguay has formed an amazing orchestra that plays instruments created from recycled trash. The young musicians in a slum that's built on a landfill. More than 1500 tons of trash gets dumped into the ...read more

Tags: Grace

Denomination: Nazarene

Remember The Duck

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 31, 2022

A little boy visiting his grandparents was given his first slingshot. As he practiced in his Grandma’s backyard, he spied her pet duck. On an impulse, he took aim and let fly. The stone hit, and the duck fell dead. The boy panicked. Desperately he hid the dead duck in the woodpile only to look up ...read more

Scripture: Mark 11:25

Tags: Grace, Forgiveness

Proverbs Is Not A Book Of Promises

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jun 26, 2023

A broken parent came to me and said, "Pastor Larry, I raised my kids in church. I raised my kids to follow Christ, know His Word and put Him first in their lives. They all made decisions for Christ in our church and were baptized. But, now that they have all graduated from high school, not ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 3:1-10

Tags: Proverbs, Children, Parenting, Failure, Prodigal Son, Promises  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Giving

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Nov 22, 2023

I was raised in the church. My dad pastored 65 years. I graduated college and was married. We returned home for Christmas. We all gathered around the tree. I remembered my speedometer and God’s goodness. My wife and mom handed out the presents. Each family member had several gifts. In the ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16

Tags: Jesus, Giiving

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Our Star-Breathing God

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Jan 12, 2009

OUR STAR-BREATHING GOD Here is one for our Browns fans. The biggest star that we have seen--Canis Major or The Big Dog. If you take our golf ball earth, then this star would be in comparison the size of Mt. Everest. Seven quadrillion earths would fit into it...that is enough golf balls to cover ...read more

Tags: Creation

Denomination: Church Of God

Following Jesus Is Not Easy. Being Faithful Is ...

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Feb 23, 2009

Following Jesus is not easy. Being faithful is not easy. Giving and sacrificing. Generosity. Showing kindness and love. Being faithful and consistent. Offering praises and worship even when you don’t feel like it can be a huge sacrifice. You will most likely be rejected at some point. You might ...read more

Tags: Sacrifices

Denomination: Church Of God

Saint Arnold Janssen

Contributed by Dr John Singarayar Svd on Jan 10, 2025

Saint Arnold Janssen: A Prophetic Vision of Divine Encounter in a Transformative Century Intro: In a world often fragmented by ideological, cultural, and religious divisions, Janssen's vision offers a hopeful alternative—a spirituality of connection, respect, and mutual ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1-18

Tags: Leader, Mission, Founder, Saint Arnold Janssen, Father  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Other

The True Story Of Denise And Diane

Contributed by Loyd C. Taylor on Dec 31, 2023

The Story of Denise and Diane One Sunday morning many years ago, as I pastored in Massachusetts, a lady attended our church for the first time. At the end of the service, at the time of the invitation, she came to the altar. I noticed that one of our ladies prayed with her. After the service, as I ...read more

Scripture: 2 Kings 18:1-2, 2 Kings 20:1-6, Luke 16:1-2, James 4:14, Proverbs 27:1  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Ready To God, Mysterious Ways Of God, Life, Preparation, The Gospel, Cancer, New Years, Preparing For Death, Holy Spirit, Heaven, Obedience  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

The Ring Vs. The Shire  PRO

Contributed by Mike Wilkins on Feb 21, 2005

The Ring vs. The Shire Frodo is a Hobbit of the Shire, where the rule of life could be taken directly from 1 Thessalonians 4:11 – "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you," But he carries the ring of power and all it’s ...read more

Tags: Kingdom Of God

Denomination: *other

Really Giving  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 22, 2005

REALLY GIVING The great Alliance preacher and renowned Christian author, A. W. Tozer, makes this observation: “Before the judgment seat of Christ my service will be judged not by how much I have done but by how much I could have done!... In God’s sight, my giving is measured not by how much I ...read more

Scripture: Mark 12:41-43, Matthew 9:1, Mark 9:14-35

Tags: Jesus Teachings

A Fifth Grade Boy Who Had Heard A Sermon On ...  PRO

Contributed by Robert Garrett on Apr 11, 2005

A fifth grade boy who had heard a sermon on persistence in prayer was praying by himself in his room one night. As his dad passed his door, he heard the boy praying over and over again, "Tokyo, Tokyo, Tokyo." The next day, the dad asked his son what we was doing. The boy replied that he had ...read more

Tags: Prayer How To, Prayer In The Spirit

Denomination: Baptist

For Decades, We Have Heard Of Couples That Run ...

Contributed by Jason Cole on May 20, 2005

For decades, we have heard of couples that run off to Las Vegas to obtain the equivalent of fast-food marriages. You just walk in, put your money down and they pronounce you man and wife. The results of a rash decision are not usually good results. I was saddened to hear of a recent article in ...read more

Tags: Divorce

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

When England Closed It's Libyan Embassy Muammar ...

Contributed by Tim Richards on Sep 3, 2005

When England closed it’s Libyan Embassy Muammar Qaddafi became so angry that he ordered England to be removed from all maps in Libya. If you buy a map in that country today, that area will be represented by a new arm of the North Sea bordered by Scotland and Wales. Simply removing England from all ...read more

Tags: Hell

Denomination: Baptist

First Is The Love Of Power. Ronald Levy, A ...  PRO

Contributed by Richard Underdahl-Peirce on Dec 13, 2005

First is the love of power. Ronald Levy, a first grader in Philadelphia, was told to come directly home from school, but he arrived late almost every day. He often took almost 20 minutes longer to come home than to walk to school. His mother asked him, “You get out of school the same time every ...read more

Tags: Finding Fulfillment

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Christian Nation: After Years Of Complaining ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 27, 2006

Christian Nation: After years of complaining about Hollywood, conservative Catholics and Evangelical Christians are gaining traction. But the battle is a long way from over, and the culture is still up for grabs. Many of these developments stem more from a long-overdue recognition of the importance ...read more

Tags: Television And Movies

What Is An Altar? A Place Where You "Arrange ...

Contributed by Kenneth Squires on Jan 27, 2006

What is an altar? A place where you “arrange hard things before the Lord.” Build one today. Turn over those hard things to God. As you do, you’ll realize that God is interested in your personal comfort as you surrender to him. How do you know that? What from the text gives that kind of impression? ...read more

Tags: Bible Influence

Denomination: Pentecostal