In Sermon Illustrations: "Good Seed"

Spiritual "Glory Hole"

Contributed by Dennis Davidson on Dec 8, 2011

SPIRITUAL "GLORY HOLE" On a wall in our home hangs a picture of the GHOST-TOWN of Bodie, Nevada. While out west visiting family my wife stopped by and became intrigued with the place. It became an abandoned town after the gold rush gave out. In its hey-day, it was all anyone could have ...read more

Tags: Fulfillment

Denomination: Baptist

For The Life Of An Enemy  PRO

Contributed by Derrick Tuper on Feb 14, 2012

FOR THE LIFE OF AN ENEMY A Baptist pastor named Peter Miller was from a small town in Pennsylvania who lived during the American Revolution. And there was another man who lived there named Michael Wittmann, an evil-minded sort who did all that he could to oppose and humiliate the pastor. He made ...read more

Tags: Obedience

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Importance Of Friends  PRO

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Feb 29, 2012

THE IMPORTANCE OF FRIENDS One of the most thorough research projects on relationships is called the Alameda County Study. Headed by a Harvard social scientist, it tracked the lives of 7,000 people over nine years. Researchers found that the most isolated people were three times more likely to die ...read more

Scripture: John 15:12-15

Tags: Friendship General

Denomination: Baptist

Two Women Praying

Contributed by Robert Sickler on Mar 6, 2012

TWO WOMEN PRAYING There were two widow women, each with only a single son. The two young men both got involved in drugs and they both ended up in prison. The women were devout Christians and both had been in constant prayer for many years. When their two boys were sent to prison the one woman ...read more

Tags: Prayer Answered

Denomination: Christian Church

On Habits

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Mar 7, 2012

ON HABITS Someone Once Said... * Thoughts produce acts, acts produce habits, and habits produce character.--Anonymous * If we realize the extent to which we are mere walking bundles of habits, we would give more heed to their own formation.--William James* * First we ...read more

Scripture: Acts 17:2

Tags: Disciplines General

Denomination: Baptist

Kyle Idleman: I Cheapened The Gospel  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Apr 15, 2012

KYLE IDLEMAN: I CHEAPENED THE GOSPEL "Many of the fans turn to go home. I was struck by the fact that Jesus doesn't chase after them. He doesn't soften his message to make it more appealing. He doesn't send the disciples chasing after them with a creative handout inviting them to come back for a ...read more

Scripture: John 6:60-69

Tags: Easter Palm Sunday

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Fulfilling Your Purpose

Contributed by Chuck Sligh on Apr 24, 2012

FULFILLING YOUR PURPOSE When we lived in Wiesbaden, some missionary friends bought a German toaster. When they got home, they plugged it in, placed some bread in it, and then waited for the toast to pop up a few minutes later. Well, the toast never did pop up from it because...well, it didn’t ...read more

Tags: God Brings Purpose

Denomination: Baptist

A Parable On Tithing  PRO

Contributed by Scott Bradford on Apr 25, 2012

A PARABLE ON TITHING Over the last two years I was scanning in old files so that I didn’t have three file drawers full of sermons and documents. I had some old files of my dad and in them I discovered some great old stories. One was a parable on tithing. I found it humorous, I can only hope that ...read more

Scripture: Acts 10:44-48

Tags: Tithes

Denomination: United Methodist

Athanasius Contends For The Deity Of Christ  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 1, 2012

ATHANASIUS CONTENDS FOR THE DEITY OF CHRIST If Jesus is something less than God, he has no right and no power to forgive our sins. If Jesus can’t forgive our sins, we have no hope. Yes, the doctrine of the deity of Christ is worth contending for. And there is nobody God used more to contend for ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 1:6-9

Tags: Doctrine

What Happens At Home

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 2, 2012

WHAT HAPPENS AT HOME Howard Hendricks used to say to us men in seminary preparing to lead churches, "If your Christianity isn't working at home, don't export it." It was his way of saying, "If you can't make your faith work in your own family, then please don't try to make it work in the family of ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:4-5

Tags: Parenting

Commitment Vs. Surrender  PRO

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Jun 30, 2012

COMMITMENT VS. SURRENDER In The Incredible Power of Kingdom Authority there is an account of a conversation between the late Adrian Rogers and Rev Josef Tson, the Romanian pastor, author, and president of the Romanian Missionary Society who survived years of persecution and exile under cruel ...read more

Tags: Lordship Of Christ

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Focus Of The Prayer Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 9, 2012

THE FOCUS OF THE PRAYER OF JABEZ In the year 2000, Bruce Wilkinson of Walk Through the Bible Ministries turned the obscure character in 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 into an international phenomenon with his little book, The Prayer of Jabez. Not only did it become a runaway hit and a longtime New York Times ...read more

Scripture: 1 Chronicles 4:9-10

Tags: Prayer General

Communion: In Remembrance

Contributed by Gene Gregory on Aug 11, 2012

COMMUNION: IN REMEMBRANCE A man was working in his backyard one day, when his neighbor began talking to him over the fence. He said, "Yeah, my wife and I went to one of those seminars yesterday, you know, where they teach you ways to improve your memory and such." His neighbor commented, ...read more

Scripture: James 1:19-21, James 1:19

Tags: Lord's Supper

Denomination: Baptist

A Christ-Less Christmas.

Contributed by Danny Janes on Dec 7, 2012

One of the most enjoyable jobs I ever had before entering the ministry was when I worked for Sears as a salesman in the Men’s Department. I worked there while I was in high school, and part of the time while I was in college. And always the most memorable night of the year to be scheduled to work ...read more

Tags: Christmas Eve

Denomination: Wesleyan

Lee Dye On New Year's Resolutions

Contributed by Tim Smith on Jan 6, 2013

LEE DYE ON NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS Lee Dye writes, “It’s that time of year again when we resolve to get off our duffs and run around the block more often, maybe even cut back on tall of those things which we know we aren’t supposed to eat, or drink or smoke. Ah yes, New Year’s Resolutions which for ...read more

Tags: God Brings Purpose

Denomination: Methodist

H: The Aspirate Word

Contributed by Suresh Manoharan on Jan 22, 2013

H: THE ASPIRATE WORD When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him.....No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be AbraHam, for I have made you a father of many Nations.- Genesis 17:5 God also said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her ...read more

Tags: Restoration

Denomination: *other

Do Not Trust Your Eyes

Contributed by Tim Smith on May 12, 2013

DO NOT TRUST YOUR EYES The enemy's strategy is to be invisible, so we have to always be on guard. Mike Slaughter tells the story of his mission trip back to Darfur and traveling from their compound in Ed Daein to Adilla Town, which is a six-hour round trip over rough desert terrain. On this ...read more

Tags: Satan

Denomination: Methodist

United We Stand

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 16, 2014

Let me read one of Aesop’s Greek fables; In the forest, there lived four oxen. They were very good friends and always went together to graze in the fields. However, every time they went, a hungry lion tried to attack them. The lion longed for their meat. But they withstood his attack by fighting ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-6

Tags: Unity, Divisions

Joni Eareckson Tada's Wedding

Contributed by Davon Huss on Nov 16, 2014

Joni Eareckson Tada, who since a diving accident as a teenager has lived from a wheelchair, wrote about the day of her wedding: “I felt awkward as my girlfriends strained to shift my paralyzed body into a cumbersome wedding gown. No amount of corseting and binding my body gave me a good shape. ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 19:7-9

Tags: Wedding Supper, Wedding Ceremony, Jesus As Bridegroom

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Story On Complacency And Laziness Bought About By Submitting To Temptatio

Contributed by John Gullick on Feb 12, 2016

Complacency and self indulgence were having a chat the other day. Complacancy was saying. “ my those other Christians are far too serious. “ Eat drink and be merry I say and then explode into heaven Painless death though thank you very much.”.” Laziness said. “ Yes but get someone else to prepare ...read more

Scripture: Luke 4:1-13

Tags: Temptation, Laziness

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed