In Sermon Illustrations: "Good Works"

The Value Of A Pearl  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 4, 2004

THE VALUE OF A PEARL Pearls were perceived in the first century in much the same way we view diamonds today. They were the most valuable gem in the world at that time. If you owned a pearl, you owned a fortune. And there was a good reason for it. Pearl hunting involved immense danger. The fine ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:45-46, Matthew 13:44-46

Tags: Parable General, Kingdom Of God

The Story Is Told Of A Sunday Class That Had Been ...  PRO

Contributed by Charles R. Swindoll on Nov 18, 2004

The story is told of a Sunday class that had been asked the question, ¡§in your time of discouragement, what is your favorite Scripture.¡¨ A young man said, ¡§the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want Psalm 23:1.¡¨ A middle age woman said, ¡§God is my refuge and strength, a very present help in ...read more

Tags: Hardship Of Life, Death, Workplace Unemployment

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

In 1975, A Child Named Raymond Dunn, Jr., Was ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

In 1975, a child named Raymond Dunn, Jr., was born in the state of New York. The Associated Press (AP) reported that at his birth, a skull fracture and oxygen deprivation caused severe retardation. As the child grew up, the family discovered that he had other impairments. His twisted body suffered ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness General

I'm Not Much Of A Cook, And Even When I Do, It's ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

I’m not much of a cook, and even when I do, it’s just by means of the 4 basic food groups—frozen, canned, instant, and micro waved. So when my wife, who is a good cook, asked me to go to the store for ‘cream of tartar’, I proudly marched off stating I needed no help from her in locating it. Off I ...read more

Tags: Parable General

Some Time Ago I Ran Across A Wedding Prayer That ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Some time ago I ran across a wedding prayer that illustrates how subtly this can be done. This is a girl praying on her wedding day: "Dear God, I can hardly believe that this is my wedding day. I know I haven’t been able to spend much time with You lately, with all the rush of getting ready for ...read more

Tags: Prayer How To

Adults Often Don't Grasp Mature, Christian Love. ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Adults often don’t grasp mature, Christian love. Chuck Swindoll told about the guy who fell in love with an opera singer. He hardly knew her, since his only view of the singer was through binoculars--from the third balcony. But he was convinced he could live happily ever after married to a voice ...read more

Tags: Grace

Lynn Anderson, In "They Smell Like Sheep Relates ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Lynn Anderson, in "They Smell Like Sheep relates this story: “Several years ago in Palestine, Carolyn and I rode a tour bus through Israel’s countryside nearly mesmerized as the tour guide explained the scenery, the history, and the lifestyle. In his description, he included a heart-warming ...read more

Scripture: John 10:1-5

Tags: People In Acts

Revival Came To North China In 1932 In Answer To ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Revival came to north China in 1932 in answer to several years of prayer. At one point, Norwegian missionary Maria Monsen wondered what good her praying could do. She longed to see God’s river of life flood spiritually dry China. Then she realized that the mighty Yangtze River began when the tiny ...read more

Tags: Revival

Walker Percy, In His Book Lost In The Cosmos, ...

Contributed by Austin Mansfield on Sep 18, 2007

Walker Percy, in his book Lost in the Cosmos, describes a scenario that can help us be a little more introspective. Imagine you’re bringing your garbage can out one evening. You roll it down your driveway, out to the street and you see your neighbor, John. You say hi, and he says hi. Then he ...read more

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Jesus Is Stronger

Contributed by Peter Loughman on Dec 19, 2007

JESUS IS STRONGER Remember the Road Runner cartoons where Wile E. Coyote chases the Road Runner cartoons and inevitably end up in a tight situation? The Coyote will chase the bird failing every time. He will explode, have a rock fall on him, have a ACME device malfunction or fall off the edge of a ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I Remember When I Was Growing Up; Many Times We ...

Contributed by Robert Coats on Dec 21, 2007

I remember when I was growing up; many times we made our own toys and gifts: but we always exchanged gifts. There are many traditions in the way gifts are exchanged. I remember a time we were at a friend’s home at Christmas and the way they exchanged gifts was that one person would open a gift and ...read more

Denomination: Church Of God

You Can Tell What We're Going Through When You ...  PRO

Contributed by Matthew Sullivan on Feb 19, 2008

You can tell what we’re going through when you come over to our house and check out the bookshelf. We’ve got James Dobson’s entire library: “Dare to Discipline”, “The Strong Willed Child”; “Parenting isn’t for Cowards.” I can’t tell you that I’ve actually read them all! We’ve got others, “How to ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Her Husband Had Skillfully Amassed A ...

Contributed by Darren Mccormick on Feb 26, 2008

Her husband had skillfully amassed a multi-million dollar fortune. When her husband learned that he was dying he asked only one thing of her---he told her the entire fortune is yours but please do this one thing, have a will drawn up. He said something to the effect----Since we have no children ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Just Prior To The 2002 Olympics, A Trainer Was ...

Contributed by Terry Blankenship on Feb 27, 2008

Just prior to the 2002 Olympics, a trainer was asked by Arturo Kinch of Costa Rica to coach him in Cross Country skiing. This wasn’t Arturo’s first Olympics or ski experience. In fact, the trainer realized that this former missionary kid, who hadn’t even seen snow until he was 19, was somewhat of a ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Everyday Reminder

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 24, 2009

EVERYDAY REMINDER Those of you who know me know that I love fishing. I do not however like hunting. For some reason the thought of shooting an animal is just not appealing to me. That does not mean I do not know how to shoot. When I was a kid I was in a gun club. I competed in target shooting and ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 31:19

Tags: Guilt

Live What You Believe  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 8, 2009

LIVE WHAT YOU BELIEVE After the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989, no person in all of East Germany was more despised than the former Communist dictator Erich Honniker. He had been stripped of all his offices. Even the Communist Party rejected him. Kicked out of his villa, the new government ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:13-14

Tags: Christian Love

He Died For Me  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 27, 2009

HE DIED FOR ME During the U.S. Civil War, conscription was not absolute. The drafted man could always hire a substitute if he could afford it. Starting in 1862, the U.S. government allowed this escape from military service on the theory that, so long as each name drawn from the wheel produced a ...read more

Scripture: Romans 3:21-30

Tags: Cross

A Couple Of Weeks Of Ago I Was Playing With A ...

Contributed by Chris Surber on May 29, 2009

A couple of weeks of ago I was playing with a friend’s dog who loves to chase a tennis ball; well Jake will chase most any ball if you throw it for him in fact! After I had thrown the ball for him a couple of times I took the ball, gave it a good wind up, and threw it hard, though I never let go ...read more

Tags: Salvation, Religion

Denomination: Christian Church

What Do You Hold ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 14, 2009

WHAT DO YOU HOLD SACRED? One of the most profound things I learned in graduate school was taught to me by one of my professors. He is now my Counselor Intern Supervisor, my mentor, and my good friend, Tom Moore. It was really more of a question than a profound fact to puzzle over. On an essay ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:17-31

Tags: Christian Values

Decision Without Determination

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Jul 28, 2009

DECISION WITHOUT DETERMINATION Some choose and pray a prayer. This is the great heresy of the last hundred years. I made a choice when I was ten. But there is no determination. I have been convinced by the Lord that a decision without determination and effort is absolutely meaningless. In ...read more

Tags: Discipleship

Denomination: Church Of God