In Sermon Illustrations: "Getting Up Early"

The "Far Country" Leaves No Room For Error Or ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

The “far country” leaves no room for error or adjustment. Lou Gehrig, the famous baseball player with the New York Yankees, once found himself in a pressure-filled moment during a game. Unwittingly, a New York sportswriter gave a lesson more about life than baseball when he wrote what ...read more

Tags: Parable Prodigal Son

God's Hand Upon Our President, Pt. ...

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

“God’s Hand Upon Our President, Pt. 2” Proverbs 21:1 says; “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD; He directs it like a watercourse wherever He pleases.” Proverbs 21 is a powerful truth that must be grasped so Christians may pray in faith that God is fully able to put into effect His ...read more

Tags: Patriotism

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Without One Plea  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2008

WITHOUT ONE PLEA Charlotte Elliott was a sickly English woman who had developed a long history of refusing to do things she was asked to do because of her illness. Her brother, who was a pastor, had been particularly persistent in trying to get her out of herself, trying to get her involved in ...read more

Scripture: John 8:3-11, John 4:1-26

Tags: Healing, Brokenness, Trials And Difficulties, Used

Taken With The Giver

Contributed by Donnie Martin on Jan 19, 2009

Taken with the Giver When I used to call home after being gone for seven weeks, my two youngest children would say, "Daddy, what are you going to bring me?" My two older children would say, "Daddy, when are you coming home?" Then when I would get home, these two young ones would give me a peck on ...read more

Tags: Giving General, Dog

Denomination: Baptist

Knowledge And Discipline Win The Game

Contributed by Paul Carlson on Feb 17, 2009

KNOWLEDGE AND DISCIPLINE WIN THE GAME Did you watch the Illinois vs. Arizona basketball game of the 2005 NCAA tournament in March 2005? Illinois was losing by fifteen points with only 2:50 seconds left. The coach had a meeting with the players to pump them up to continue to contend for the ...read more

Tags: Disciplines General

Denomination: Baptist

At The Time Appointed, The End Will ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 24, 2009

AT THE TIME APPOINTED, THE END WILL BE Baptist preacher William Miller, founder of the Millerites, announced that Christ would come on March 21, 1843, and when that failed, he proposed a new date of October 22, 1844. In a Philadelphia store window the following sign was displayed: "This shop is ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 24:43-44

Tags: Second Coming

Great Expectations And A Valentine's Day Airplane ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 19, 2009

Great Expectations and a Valentine’s Day Airplane Flight There is a story about a new couple in love. They were in a long distance relationship and the girl at the last minute demanded that the man jump on the next plane to get to her in time for Valentines day. The man was terrified of flying and ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Tags: Romantic Love, Valentine's Day

Blind But Now I See  PRO

Contributed by Michael Buckingham on Jul 8, 2011

BLIND BUT NOW I SEE Peter spent a few years trying to cope with his blindness, learning ways of looking after himself so that he wasn’t so much a burden upon his family, although they still continued to visit on the odd occasion. He also learned how to read Braille. Then one day he was informed ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:13

Tags: Beauty

Denomination: Baptist

What Really Matters

Contributed by Ronnie Miller on Jul 28, 2011

WHAT REALLY MATTERS It was two weeks before Christmas and it began to start. Everyone was scrambling and rushing to get to Wal-Mart. Their credit cards were in the orange and checking account in the red in hopes that their rich uncle would soon be dead. Old Saint Nick sitting high on a mountain ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 9:6

Tags: Christmas, Season, Gift, Santa, Xmas, Clause  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

And It Came To Pass...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 15, 2011

AND IT CAME TO PASS... "The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold of me." -- Martin Luther During a Sunday class the question was asked, "In your time of discouragement, what is your favourite Scripture?" A young man said, "The Lord is my ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 4:12

Tags: Bible Influence, It Came To Pass

Humility — Who Would Dare Write About It?

Contributed by Mark Stepherson on Feb 16, 2012

HUMILITY - WHO WOULD DARE WRITE ABOUT IT? Charlene Ann Baumbich wrote a book about raising her sons. One chapter was about humbling experiences she had. She then felt the Holy Spirit nudging her to study humility. She thought she might write a book about what she would learn. After hours studying ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 7:14

Tags: Humility

Denomination: Baptist

You Could All Have One If You Wanted  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 26, 2012

YOU COULD ALL HAVE ONE IF YOU WANTED In Gipsy Smith's book The Beauty of Jesus, Gipsy Smith told about Peter Apples, a man (during the Civil War) who went into the enemy's territory. Peter Apples did not know much about being a good soldier. He just knew that when his superior officer said, ...read more

Scripture: John 4:34-38

Tags: Evangelism How To

Sometimes We Need A Steward

Contributed by Francis Balla on Nov 15, 2012

SOMETIMES WE NEED A STEWARD If you ever get to Venice, one of the places to see is Saint Mark's Square, the spot Napoleon called "the drawing room of Europe." But if you go there, make sure your belly is covered up. It’s not that there's exactly a dress code, but there is an expectation of ...read more

Tags: Holy Spirit In Believers

Denomination: Baptist

Sunday's Coming

Contributed by Steve Kinnard on Apr 15, 2019

HELLO, MY NAME IS PETER It’s Thursday evening and we were enjoying a private dinner with the JESUS. It should have been a great celebration, But Jesus kept talking about betrayal and death. WE couldn’t understand what he was getting at, then he broke the bread and told us it was his body. Then He ...read more

Scripture: John 20:1-10

Tags: Crucifixion, Resurrection

Denomination: Pentecostal

Bee The Body Of Christ

Contributed by Dr. Bradford Reaves on Jan 14, 2022

My dad has bees. Today I went to his house and he showed me all of the honey he had gotten from the hives. He took the lid off of a 5 gallon bucket full of honey and on top of the honey there were 3 little bees, struggling. They were covered in sticky honey and drowning. I asked him if we could ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:27, Galatians 6:2

Tags: Caring, Bees, Love, Church, Family, Body Of Christ, Helping  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Brethren

Grief

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on May 17, 2022

On Death and Loss… He was 50 years old. The cancer was aggressive and relentless. The pain was unmanageable and agonizing. In two months he was gone. I didn't have the opportunity to say good-bye and if I did, what would I say? Could I get the words out? Our last communication, me in Port ...read more

Scripture: John 11:25, Psalm 90:1-12, 2 Corinthians 1:1-7

Tags: Death, Grief, Sickness

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Dr. W. A. Criswell, The Beloved Pastor Of First ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2001

Dr. W. A. Criswell, the beloved pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas, was once asked, "Will we know each other when we get to heaven?" His answer, "We won’t really know each other UNTIL we get to ...read more

Tags: Friendship General, Compassion, Church Small Groups

And Let Me Be Very Frank With You For A Moment. ...  PRO

Contributed by Brian La Croix on Nov 1, 2003

And let me be very frank with you for a moment. I have trouble getting in the Word every day. It’s hard for me, and it doesn’t always get done. I offer no excuses, although I could think of some. The problem with excuses, though, ...read more

Tags: Bible Study, Bible Influence

Denomination: Wesleyan

We Earn It!

Contributed by Davon Huss on Sep 12, 2011

WE EARN IT! But Americans regard approval, success, and status as rewards for performing well. When this value system gets translated into the Christian life, salvation becomes a matter of our efforts. A cartoon picturing modern day Pharisees was captioned, "We ...read more

Tags: Grace

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Recent Front-Page Story In The Wall Street ...  PRO

Contributed by Karl Eckhoff on Feb 12, 2004

A recent front-page story in the Wall Street Journal (January 6, 2004) reported U.S. Marines being trained for duty in Iraq are getting drilled in people skills as well as heavy weaponry. They are receiving instruction about staying respectful as well as about staying alive. Marines are still ...read more

Scripture: Philemon 1:8-14

Tags: Gifts Wisdom, Gifts General

Denomination: Lutheran