In Sermon Illustrations: "Gold Silver"

In The Movie Unforgiven, Clint Eastwood Plays ...

Contributed by Bret Toman on May 20, 2010

In the movie Unforgiven, Clint Eastwood plays the part of an aging gunfighter who lost his taste for killing many years before. He and his old partner, played by Morgan Freeman, are lured by the rumor of a bounty of gold being offered for the arrest of some cowboys who had disfigured a young ...read more

Tags: Depravity, Sin General

Denomination: Baptist

The Unexpected King

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 5, 2011

THE UNEXPECTED KING Just a year ago (on September 16, 2009), an article in The Washington Post began with these words: "The king folds her own laundry, chauffeurs herself around Washington in a 1992 Honda, and answers her own phone. Her boss's phone, too." The article was about Peggielene Bartels, ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:3-8

Tags: Election

The Happiness Of Heaven

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 7, 2012

THE HAPPINESS OF HEAVEN In 1871 Fr. J. Boudreau wrote a short story entitled "The Happiness of Heaven." It's a story about a kindhearted king who is hunting in the forest when he discovers a blind, poor orphan boy living there. The king takes the blind orphan to his palace and adopts him as his ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Tags: Heaven

The Old Rugged Cross

Contributed by Brian Harvison on May 29, 2008

THE OLD RUGGED CROSS In 1913 George Bennard was struggling with a problem that caused him much suffering. His mind went back again and again to Christ’s anguish on the cross. This was the heart of the Gospel! The cross he pictured was no gold-covered icon. It was a rough, splintery thing, stained ...read more

Tags: Cross

Denomination: Baptist

Andrée Seu (Pronounced, Ahn'-Dray Soo) Wrote ...

Contributed by Glenn Durham on Sep 17, 2008

Andrée Seu (pronounced, Ahn’-dray Soo) wrote about it in an article in World Magazine a couple of weeks ago: “I was accustomed to thinking of discouragement as something that happens to a person. But on closer examination…I have been taken aback by how volitional or ‘active’ it is. To go around ...read more

Tags: Dead To Sin

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Joy Of Her Silence

Contributed by Bobby Bodenhamer on Dec 27, 2008

THE JOY OF HER SILENCE Listen to this case history that appears in Dr. Paul Tournier's book, "The Strong and the Weak." It is the story of a family in which there were father, mother and several children. The father had a problem with one of his daughters, a little girl who was very quiet, very ...read more

Denomination: *other

Thank You For Your Time  PRO

Contributed by Tony Abram on Apr 18, 2009

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME A young man learns what’s most important in life from the guy next door. It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, girls, career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams. There, in the rush ...read more

Scripture: John 15:14-15, Psalm 126:1-6

Tags: Faith, Proverbs, Parents, Wisdom, Valuable, God's Creation, Letter, Unopened Letter, Friendship General, Jesus' Healing, Happy, God Cares, Integrity, Goals, Dreams, Fight, Belief, Trust, Happiness, Joy, Shepherd, Treasure  (view more)  (view less)

In An Atmosphere Of Calm—communion Mediation  PRO

Contributed by Matthew Rogers on Dec 10, 2001

IN AN ATMOSPHERE OF CALM-- Communion Mediation Lucinda Norman, in an article for Lookout magazine, describes her Christmas shopping experience at a busy mall. People had been pushing, elbowing and cutting in front of her all day. Hardly able to take it anymore, she says, “During a 10-minute ...read more

Tags: Peace, Christmas

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

If I Survive, I'll Be Ok

Contributed by Jim Kane on Feb 27, 2010

IF I SURVIVE, I'LL BE OK John Ortberg tells the story of going to a dude ranch in Arizona at the instance of his wife who felt the vacation was not complete without "the exhilaration of a truly challenging horseback ride." (His exact words.) The first time he went out at the ranch, he did so with ...read more

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Church Of God

A Heart Of Sacrifice

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 3, 2008

A heart of sacrifice i. ((Lk 10:34-35) "He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I ...read more

Fred Douglas Shepard Was Born On September 11, ...

Contributed by Ken Pell on Jul 27, 2008

Fred Douglas Shepard was born on September 11, 1855 in Ellenburg, New York in Clinton County. His father died while he was very young and his mother spent most of her adult life as an invalid. It was probably through this that Fred became associated with illness and caring for the sick. Fred lived ...read more

Tags: Love For God

Denomination: Nazarene

What Better Way To Show How Man Has Done This ...

Contributed by Paul Wallace on Sep 20, 2006

What better way to show how man has done this than to look at the two Voyager spacecraft, launched in 1977 and sent barreling towards the outer reaches of the solar system. On each ship is a gold-coated phonograph record, offering a message to extraterrestrial civilizations. This message includes ...read more

Denomination: Wesleyan

On Books

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

ILL.- TEACHER: Who is your favorite author? PUPIL: George Washington. TEACHER: But George Washington never wrote any books. PUPIL: You got it. TEACHER: How many books have you read in your lifetime? PUPIL: I don’t know. I’m not dead yet. TEACHER: What does your history book tell you about the ...read more

Tags: Cross Agony

In God's Economy, Ownership Is Very Different. ...

Contributed by Darryl Klassen on Jul 27, 2007

“In God’s economy, ownership is very different. The Bible tells us that we are here for but a moment, that our lives are a puff of smoke. I have never seen a hearse pulling a U-Haul. Mother Theresa is merciless on this theme. She said that “if you have two jackets, one belongs to the poor.” This ...read more

Denomination: Mennonite

We Sing When We Face ...

Contributed by Thomas Cash on Jan 11, 2010

We sing when we face death. Lavena (Beanie) Peters was dying of liver cancer. I was at the hospital with her family, essentially on a deathwatch. Beanie’s pain was excruciating, and the pain medicine kept her in a nearly unconscious state. Others left the room for a moment; only Harriet her ...read more

Tags: Singing Praise, Death Nearness

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Unending Wish

Contributed by Tim White on Mar 5, 2012

THE UNENDING WISH When I was a boy, my dad asked me if I could have one wish be granted, what would it be? We played that game as a family, and every time my brother or one of my sisters thought of a better wish than I thought about, I would change my wish. Then my dad unplugged all the fun by ...read more

Tags: Wisdom

Denomination: Baptist

They Sent Me To Finish  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 12, 2009

THEY SENT ME TO FINISH With all the pomp and prestige that the Chinese government went to in order to put their best foot forward, there was one person who they honored who stood out. He is now in his seventies, but China brought him to Bejing as an honored guest. Why? The odd thing is that John ...read more

Scripture: Acts 20:24

Tags: Endurance

A Mother Dies So Her Boy May Live

Contributed by Dwight L. Moody on Jun 11, 2009

A MOTHER DIES SO HER BOY MAY LIVE When the California gold fever broke out, a man went there, leaving his wife in New England with his boy. As soon as he got on and was successful he was to send for them. It was a long time before he succeeded, but at last he got money enough to send for them. The ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:8

Tags: Atonement

Denomination: *other

Run With Endurance  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 19, 2009

RUN WITH ENDURANCE Unlike most competitions however, running the race in spiritual terms is not to try to be first, but to be faithful and finish! The Christian race is not a competitive event to see who comes in first, but an endurance run to see who finishes faithfully. It’s like the ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-2, Hebrews 12:2-3, Matthew 1:16-25

Tags: Endurance

You Are Fighting A Personal Devil!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jul 17, 2023

I had a seminary professor I loved and admired who did not believe in a personal Devil. He often said, “You really need to drop the letter D and just say Evil.” He went on to say, “Larry, sometimes, the way people talk, it almost makes you believe there is a PERSONAL Devil!” I was ...read more

Tags: Hell, Satan, Devil, Angels, Rebellion, Lucifer, Spirits  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational