In Sermon Illustrations: "Go Away"

Saint Patrick's Day Is Just Around The Corner ...

Contributed by Scott Bayles on Mar 9, 2010

Saint Patrick’s Day is just around the corner and, of course, in our modern-American celebration that basically means lots of drinking and the occasional pinching of those who forgot to wear green. It’s really disappointing that Saint Patrick’s Day has regressed in many parts of the world to a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:19

Tags: Trinity, Saint Patrick, Patrick

Denomination: Christian Church

I'm Always Fascinated By The Stories Of People ...

Contributed by Bret Toman on May 20, 2010

I'm always fascinated by the stories of people who win large sums of money in lotteries. A large majority of whom wish they had never won. Willie Hurt of Lansing, Mich., won $3.1 million in 1989. Two years later he was broke and charged with murder. His lawyer says Hurt spent his fortune on a ...read more

Tags: Money, Gambling

Denomination: Baptist

God Uses Tragedy To Draw Couple To ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 28, 2010

God Uses Tragedy to Draw Couple To Himself Cathy’s story: A few years ago a woman and a man who were living together started coming to the church I pastor. She had gotten pregnant and was expecting. Though they weren’t saved, they were beginning to seek the Lord. I was much in prayer for them. When ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 21:21-22

Tags: Tragedy, God's Sovereign Will

Who Has Your ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 4, 2010

Who Has Your Back? Pastor and author John Ortberg tells the story of an evening when he was walking with some friends in Newport Beach, California. As they walked they passed one of the local bars just as a fight spilled out onto the street, like a scene from the old west. As they watched, three ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:1-8

Tags: Holy Spirit General

Brandon A. Bradley Told His Story In Pray ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Brandon A. Bradley told his story in Pray magazine last year: “I am a surgical assistant—the surgeon’s right-hand man. At one point in my career, I lost my passion. I wanted a job with spiritual significance, and I prayed for that. Imagine my shock when God led me to a position in plastic surgery. ...read more

Tags: Heaven, Care

Fan Or Follower?

Contributed by Tim Smith on Mar 17, 2011

FAN OR FOLLOWER? Kyle Idelman writes: It was a Thursday afternoon, and I was sitting in our sanctuary where 30,000 people would soon be coming to one of our Easter services. I had no idea what I was going to say to them. I could feel the pressure mounting. I sat there hoping that a sermon would ...read more

Tags: Commitment To Christ

Denomination: Methodist

Prayer Transforms A Workplace  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 27, 2011

PRAYER TRANSFORMS A WORKPLACE Brandon A. Bradley told his story in Pray! Magazine some time back about an opportunity in his life: "I am a surgical assistant--the surgeon's right-hand man. At one point in my career, I lost my passion. I wanted a job with spiritual significance, and I prayed for ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 4:2-6

Tags: Prayer General

Do You Want To Be Right, Or Do You Want To Be ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 11, 2011

DO YOU WANT TO BE RIGHT, OR DO YOU WANT TO BE WELL? Dr. David Seamands tells the story about a young woman he counseled in college several years ago. She had suffered every kind of abuse in her own home--psychological, sexual and physical. The very place that was supposed to be nurturing was ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 18:21-35

Tags: Forgiveness For Others

Wesley: A Heart Strangely Warmed  PRO

Contributed by Fr Mund Cargill Thompson on Nov 28, 2011

WESLEY: A HEART STRANGELY WARMED At the first half of the 18th century, England was also in a mess. Gin and gambling were destroying the lives of poor and rich alike. This was the age of Dick Turpin - crime figures were so high, there was so much danger from highway men and footpads that Horace ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 14:34

Tags: Revival

Denomination: Anglican

Jesus: Soft To Us

Contributed by Greg Nance on Dec 20, 2012

Why did Jesus come to us as a baby? To fulfill prophecy? To be one with us, one of us, one we could know and understand, one we could see and believe in, one who takes away our sins through his own body and blood? All this and much more! Let me share an insight from Brisa, my three year old ...read more

Tags: Christmas, Incarnation

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Jesus Is The Answer

Contributed by Tim Smith on Feb 11, 2015

Krister Sairsingh, a former Hindu from Trinidad who is now the Chaplain to international students at Harvard. Let me read you some excerpts from his story. After making great progress in the Hindu spiritual disciplines something happened that unsettled him deeply. During my final year of high ...read more

Scripture: Acts 15:1-32

Tags: Evangelism, Conversion, Jesus Is The Answer

Denomination: Methodist

Fatherhood Tips: Cherish Your Time With Them.

Contributed by Eduardo Quintana on Oct 4, 2015

FATHERHOOD TIPS 1.- Cherish your time with them. When we adopted our first child, we decided that it was outright important for the child to have a mom and a dad that were there for them. My wife quit her job and became a stay at home mother. She is amazing! And I also had to find a job that ...read more

Scripture: Malachi 4:6

Tags: Fatherhood, Cherish

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

What's Most Important To You?

Contributed by Ed Sasnett on Mar 27, 2018

Next to Billy Graham, Rick Warren and Joel Osteen are probably to most recognizable ministers in America. Warren is the author of the top selling hardcover book of all time, The Purpose Driven Life. It sold 30 million copies. Speaking about his "purpose driven" success, in 2005 Warren told U.S. ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:1-27

Tags: Evangelism, Priority

Denomination: Baptist

Corrie Ten Boom On Forgiveness And Love Of Enemy

Contributed by Kerry Haynes on May 6, 2018

When I think of drawing on love’s source, I think of Corrie ten Boom. Her family had all died in the Nazi concentration camps. Their crime? Hiding Jews in their home. Somehow Corrie survived. The war had ended, the camps had been liberated, and Corrie was speaking in various churches, sharing about ...read more

Scripture: John 15:9-17, Matthew 5:43-48

Tags: Agape Love, Love Your Enemy, Source Of True Love, Love, Forgiveness, Forgive, Divine Love  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Do You Have A "chip On The Shoulder"?

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 15, 2020

Hebrew scholar Gensenius, says that the meaning of the Old Testament word for "meekness" involves "a lowly, pious, and modest mind, which prefers to bear injuries rather than return them." Meekness is not only the opposite of pride, but of stubbornness, fierceness, and ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-12

Tags: Meekness, Beatitudes, Anger, Sensitivity, Sermon On The Mount, Chip On The Shoulder, Spirit Controlled Life  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

When It Was Dark

Contributed by Joshua Blackmon on Apr 15, 2022

When It Was Dark I’m not quite sure how to say this. We have always said in the church that our faith was based upon facts. It was a faith built upon evidence that led us to the facts. My friends, something has come to light just this past week that is out now in the professional journals and ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

Tags: Easter, Resurrection

Denomination: Pentecostal

Redemption And Restoration In Real Life

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 31, 2022

Many years ago at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, there was a shooting of several people in the church parking lot and building that left three dead and three wounded. The young man, who had done the shooting, killed himself after being shot by a security guard. Earlier that day, he had ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 103:8-14

Tags: Grace, Forgiveness

In May 1897 The Demise Of Author Mark Twain Was ...  PRO

Contributed by Tim George on Jan 8, 2002

In May 1897 the demise of author Mark Twain was reported a bit too early. When the news reached Mr. Twain he was reported to have said, “The news of my death has been greatly exaggerated.” Had someone thought to go to Mark Twain himself they would have know he was ...read more

Tags: Apologetics Jesus, Testimonies About Jesus, Messianic Prophecies

Denomination: Baptist

Jim Berg Wrote, "There Is Debate In Christian ...

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 10, 2005

Jim Berg wrote, “There is debate in Christian circles about whether we are supposed to concentrate on being a certain kind of person or doing certain kind of things. The truth embraces both. You are always going to be some kind of a person or another, and you are always going to be doing one ...read more

Tags: Faith Vs. Works

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

5-Year-Old Johnny Was In The Kitchen As His ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

5-year-old Johnny was in the kitchen as his mother made supper. She asked him to go into the pantry and get her a can of tomato soup, but he didn’t want to go alone. “It’s dark in there and I’m scared.” She said, “Its OK-Jesus will be in there with you.” Johnny walked ...read more

Scripture: Judges 7:1-4

Tags: Guilt