In Sermon Illustrations: "Gospel Presentation"

You Better Watch Out, You Better Not Cry, You ...  PRO

Contributed by Scott Weber on Mar 23, 2001

"You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout, I’m telling you why, Santa Claus is coming to town. He’s making a list, checking it twice, gonna find out who’s naughty and nice, Santa Claus is coming to town. He sees you when you’re sleeping. He knows when you’re awake. He knows ...read more

Scripture: Titus 2:11-14, Titus 2:3-5, Ephesians 2:8-10

Tags: Cross Agony, Grace, God's Provision

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Paul Harvey Tells The Story About A Family On ...  PRO

Contributed by Dana Chau on Sep 8, 2001

Paul Harvey tells the story about a family on Christmas Eve. This family had a tradition where the Mother and children would go to the Christmas Eve service, and the Father would stay home and read the paper. When the family returns home from church, they would all gather to open up their ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness In Jesus, Christmas, Humanity Of Christ

Denomination: *other

C.s. Lewis' Screwtape Letters, Writing, Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Gregg Strawbridge on Jul 8, 2002

C.S. Lewis’ Screwtape Letters, writing, of course, as an elder devil to a younger devil, "One of our great allies at present is the Church itself. Do not misunderstand me. I do not mean the Church as we see her spread out through all time and space and rooted in eternity, terrible as an army with ...read more

Tags: Church General, Holiness

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

In A Recent Issue Of Preaching Today (Sept/Oct ...

Contributed by Bob Joyce on Oct 10, 2007

In a recent issue of Preaching Today (Sept/Oct 1998), Dr. Brian Harbour related the following story. Dr. Harbour, pastor of FBC Richardson and Dr. Duane Brooks, pastor of Tallowood Baptist Church in Houston, were in Waco attending a Baylor Regents meeting. They were on the elevator and were going ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

In The Bible We Read This: "Let Us Thank God For ...

Contributed by Warner Pidgeon on Dec 19, 2007

In the Bible we read this: “Let us thank God for his priceless gift” (2 Cor 9:15). Imagine for a moment being invited to a really special birthday party. Perhaps it’s your Head teacher’s birthday, but we won’t ask him how many years he will be celebrating for his next birthday, will we! Or perhaps ...read more

Denomination: Anglican

In 1988, Author Robert Fulghum Had A Book ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 31, 2008

In 1988, author Robert Fulghum had a book published entitled, “All I really need to know I learned in Kindergarten”. The idea behind the little book was that since the basics of human social behavior are taught us as young children, such as kindness, fairness, cleaning up after yourself, sharing ...read more

Tags: Worry, Burden

You May Or May Not Be Familiar With Earl, So For ...

Contributed by Jay Winters on Jun 28, 2008

You may or may not be familiar with Earl, so for those of you who have never watched it, you can find Earl on NBC. He’s been on TV for about 2 years now. In each and every episode he goes through and tries to right some wrong that he had committed earlier in his life. This has led him to do such ...read more

Tags: Sin Bondage To

Denomination: Lutheran

A Thanks Offering For His Plans For Us  PRO

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

A Thanks Offering For His Plans for Us Jeremiah 29:11-13 says, "For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 29:11-13, 1 Corinthians 12:12-31

Tags: God's Plan, God's Timing, God's Direction, Wisdom Of God, God's Sovereign Will  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Blow To A Priceless Jewel

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 28, 2011

A BLOW TO A PRICELESS JEWEL Many years ago, there was found in an African mine the most magnificent diamond in the world’s history. It was presented to the king of England to blaze in his crown or state. The king sent it to Amsterdam to be cut. It was put into the hands of an expert lapidary: a ...read more

Scripture: James 1:2-8

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

The Stress Of Uncertainty

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 10, 2012

THE STRESS OF UNCERTAINTY Daniel Gilbert (a psychologist at Harvard), citing a recent Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, said "that Americans are smiling less and worrying more than they were a year ago, that happiness is down and sadness is up, that we are getting less sleep and smoking more ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:19-34

Tags: Fear And Worry

The Box Was Not Empty

Contributed by Perry Greene on Jul 3, 2012

THE BOX WAS NOT EMPTY "We often learn the most from our children. Some time ago a friend of mine punished his 3-year-old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight, and he became infuriated when the child tried to decorate a box to put under the tree. Nevertheless, the ...read more

Tags: Children

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Basic Training

Contributed by John Telgren on Feb 11, 2017

I hated shining shoes in Basic Training. There were other things I would rather be doing instead of sitting on the floor with a brush and mounds of cotton balls stained with black Kiwi shoe polish! If our boots and dress shoes were not perfect we paid for it dearly! During one of our trips to the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 2:15, 2 Timothy 2:15

Tags: Diligence, Diligently, Diligent

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Where's The Bagel?

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on May 6, 2019

On one occasion during my college days in Peterborough I was invited to the Dean of Students residence for a social gathering. Hoping to find food aplenty I was disappointed to see the large dining room table containing a lonely plate of bagels. I quickly grabbed one, but my first bite was more of ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 17:22

Tags: Faith, Mistakes

Denomination: Pentecostal

Answered Prayer Helps Persuade Agnostic While ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 28, 2010

Answered Prayer Helps Persuade Agnostic While F.B. Meyer on Oceanliner While crossing the Atlantic on an oceanliner, F.B. Meyer was asked to address the first class passengers. At the captain’s request he spoke on "Answered Prayer." An agnostic who was present at the service was asked by his ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:1-8

Tags: Prayer Persistence

I Am Suffering At The Moment With A Cold, ...

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Apr 10, 2010

I am suffering at the moment with a cold, coughing and spluttering and my brain feels like it is packed tightly in sponge and being bounced down the slope of a mountain. A good friend said she is praying in Jesus Name for healing and believing for me to be well by Monday. I am believing for this ...read more

Tags: Compassion

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Tozer: God's Tools

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 21, 2011

TOZER: GOD'S TOOLS A.W. Tozer once talked about God's tools: "The HAMMER is a useful tool. But the nail, if it had feeling and intelligence, could present another side of the story. For the nail knows the hammer only as an opponent a brutal, merciless enemy who lives to pound it into submission, ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 51:20-24

Tags: Discipleship

Jingle Bells At A Funeral?

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Dec 22, 2022

Several years ago, a pretty well-known singing group made a monster mistake at a funeral service. This group traveled all around the USA singing and sharing Christ. One of the men in their home church back in Texas told them that he prayed for them, supported them greatly and loved to hear them ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 1:9

Tags: Christmas, Communication, Confession, Confusion, Embarrassment, Funerals  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Joy Of Hearing Your Name

Contributed by Todd Catteau on Apr 26, 2023

This week is the National Football League Draft, a day that thousands of young men have been anticipating for years. I love to watch as the player hears his name called. The smiles. The hugs. Going to the platform and being congratulated by the commissioner. And then donning the jersey and cap of ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:18

Tags: Heaven, Reward

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Beyond Fiction

Contributed by Jung Lee on Jan 20, 2024

In a humorous yet thought-provoking comment, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson critiqued movies like 'Armageddon' and 'Moonfall' for violating more laws of physics per minute than any other movies. This observation serves as an interesting analogy for our spiritual lives. Much like ...read more

Scripture: Romans 6:23

Tags: Fiction, Physics, Gift Of God, Neil Degrasse Tyson, Eternal Consequences, Movie Analogies, Spiritual Life, Reality, Jesus Christ, Eternal Life, Disobedience, God's Law, Forgiveness, Sin, God, Salvation, Gift, Redemption, Faith, Death, Sacrifice, Christ  (view more)  (view less)

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