In Sermon Illustrations: "Gift"

Wilhelm Busch Once Said, "To Become A Mother Is ...  PRO

Contributed by Donnie Martin on Sep 6, 2004

Wilhelm Busch once said, “To become a mother is not so difficult; on the other hand, being a mother is very much so!” (Taken from Proclaim, “A Mother’s Day Sermon,” May 14, 1989). Concerning that statement, a preacher asked, “So, with all those qualifications, why bother with Mother’s Day at all? ...read more

Tags: Parenting, Unconditional Love

Denomination: Baptist

Power In Agreement  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

How much power can people in agreement have? The answer: the power of life and death. During the brutal reign of Joseph Stalin, who murdered 30 million Russians and bought godless communism to Russia, Stalin, let it be known that he planned to murder the Jews of Russia. When the believers in ...read more

Tags: Lord's Prayer

To "Love Your Neighbor As Yourself" Is Best ...

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Jul 1, 2007

To “love your neighbor as yourself” is best described in Matthew 7:12 - "Do for others what you would like them to do for you.” In other words to love God supremely and to love other people purely is the Bible in a nutshell. It is the beginning and end of life the way God intended it to be lived. ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:25-29

Denomination: Salvation Army

Today In Yellow Springs, Ohio, People Are Still ...  PRO

Contributed by Keith Broyles on Oct 4, 2007

Today in Yellow Springs, Ohio, people are still receiving Christmas presents from ex-slave Wheeling Gaunt, who was born in 1812 and who died in 1894. Just before he died, he deeded nine acres of land at the south edge of the village to the town of Yellow Springs, the proceeds of which were to buy ...read more

Denomination: Methodist

How Far Do We Take This? Jesus Doesn't Say. I ...

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Jul 13, 2009

How far do we take this? Jesus doesn’t say. I can’t tell you but I can make suggestions that push you to a greater dependence on God and a greater obedience. Albert Schweitzer left his status as a professor, gave up his organ playing and went to Africa as a missionary doctor. He believed this ...read more

Tags: Poverty

Denomination: Church Of God

How Spiritual Are You

Contributed by Hugh Laing on Jan 19, 2010

HOW SPIRITUAL ARE YOU Tell me how much time you spend alone with God...I will tell you how spiritual you are..and I mean really alone. Not how many meetings you go to...not how many gifts or talents you have...not how many sermons you preach...not how many records you’ve recorded or produced...not ...read more

Tags: Disciplines General

Denomination: Baptist

Wages, Prizes, Awards, And Grace  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 28, 2010

WAGES, PRIZES, AWARDS, AND GRACE Listen to the following from GW Knight, Clip-Art Features for Church Newsletters, page 53: - When a person works an eight hour day and received a fair day’s pay—that is a wage - When a person competes and receives a trophy for his performance—that is a prize. - ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-9

Tags: Grace

Mysterious Life Principle

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 28, 2011

MYSTERIOUS LIFE PRINCIPLE A wise old professor of biology stood before his class of eager students. The Professor held a little brown seed in his hand. Quietly he spoke to his class. "I know just the composition of this seed. It has nitrogen, hydrogen, and carbon. I know the exact proportions. I ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:22-25

Tags: Creation

Chuck Colson Writes: "After More Than Twenty ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 10, 2008

CHUCK COLSON WRITES: “AFTER MORE THAN TWENTY YEARS OF HOLDING DEEP ANGER AGAINST MY [BY THEN DECEASED] FATHER, I MADE A CONSCIOUS DECISION TO GO ON A JOURNEY OF THE HEART TO FORGIVE HIM. AFTER MORE THAN TWO YEARS OF JOURNEYING, MY FORGIVENESS FINALLY CAME. I BELIEVE IT CAME AS A GIFT OF INNER PEACE ...read more

Traditional Family Is Alive Of The Nation's 73 ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 10, 2008

TRADITIONAL FAMILY IS ALIVE Of the nation's 73 million children, nearly 45 million (62%) live with their biological parents, according to the Census Bureau. Another 19 million live with their unmarried, biological mothers. Based on '04 surveys, the report also shows cohabiting families are on the ...read more

Tags: Family

Some People Only Thing About ...

Contributed by Terry Cavanaugh on May 9, 2008

Some people only thing about themselves. Peter Loughman tells about a man he worked with. He said, I once worked with a guy who would, every year, place a call to a local florist on Christmas Eve and order two gift baskets, one for his teenage daughter and one for his wife. It was a quick call, ...read more

Tags: Self

Denomination: Methodist

Traditional Family Is Alive

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 30, 2008

TRADITIONAL FAMILY IS ALIVE Of the nation’s 73 million children, nearly 45 million (62%) live with their biological parents, according to the Census Bureau. Another 19 million live with their unmarried, biological mothers. Based on 2004 surveys, the report also shows cohabiting families are on the ...read more

Tags: Family

You Plan To Have A Photograph Of All Of The ...

Contributed by Rick Pendleton on Dec 8, 2008

You plan to have a photograph of all of the grand kids, in their most precious Christmas clothes... it will be the perfect gift for Grandma. But when you go to have the photograph made little Johnny will not sit still... Andy has pulled the bow out of his sister’s hair... the one you paid $16 to ...read more

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Denomination: Baptist

Hummingbird War  PRO

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Jul 5, 2005

Hummingbird War Jay E. Adams writes that under the roof in his backyard hangs a hummingbird feeder that he keeps filled with sugar water. There are four openings in it from which birds may suck the nectar. Yet, day after day, from early morning until after dusk, the feeder is the source of the ...read more

Tags: Giving General

Denomination: Independent/Bible

I Heard A Story About 2 Boys That Were Members Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Timothy Smith on Sep 27, 2002

I heard a story about 2 boys that were members of the same diving team at school, Bill Duncan and Joey Miller. They practiced diving together and Bill knew that he was just a mediocre diver but he was so proud of his friend Joey who was an excellent diver. The problem was that in practice Joey was ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness General, Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Christian Church

There Is A Movie That Was Recently Produced That ...  PRO

Contributed by James May on Oct 20, 2002

There is a movie that was recently produced that was titled “Shallow Hal”. In that movie, Hal was given a gift of seeing a woman, not as she physically looked but as their heart would appear. There were some who were over weight, some who were not so physically appealing to the normal observer, ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 16:1-7

Tags: Christian Values, Evangelism The Lost, Romantic Love

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Battle And A Garden—communion Meditation  PRO

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Jan 28, 2003

THE BATTLE AND A GARDEN-- COMMUNION MEDITATION It is interesting that Jesus went to the “Garden of Gethsemane” on the Mount of Olives. The garden still exists today, including a number of olive trees which may date back to the time of Jesus. “Gethsemane” comes to us from the Hebrew into the ...read more

Tags: Crucifixion, Divinity Of Christ, Jesus' Ministry

Denomination: Independent/Bible

What Submission Isn't, Citation: Jill Briscoe, ...  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on May 9, 2003

[What Submission Isn’t, Citation: Jill Briscoe, "Hilarious Hupotasso," Preaching Today, Tape No. 117.] Stuart and I brought our families and religious heritages to our marriage. My father, a quiet, gentle man, considered himself head of his home: protector, defender, and provider. My mom was a ...read more

Tags: Women, Marriage Obligations

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Thanks To Dennis O'gorman For This ...

Contributed by Warner Pidgeon on Dec 19, 2007

(Thanks to Dennis O’Gorman for this illustration). Ernie Smith was a bit odd, but he was a good man. For Ernie every day was Christmas. Each day he switched on his Christmas tree lights. His house was full of cards. As he passed people in the street he would wish them a Happy Christmas! On ...read more

Denomination: Anglican

Thank You, Daddy!  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 13, 2009

"THANK YOU, DADDY!" To illustrate how we often fail to give God the thanks he deserves, Chuck Swindoll told the following story of a man he visited in a dismal veterans hospital: The day I arrived to visit, I saw a touching scene. This man had a young son, and during his confinement in the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 17:11-19

Tags: Gratitude