In Sermon Illustrations: "Greasy Grace"

Martin Sheen's Faith

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Mar 2, 2012

MARTIN SHEEN'S FAITH Former Hollywood bad boy Martin Sheen says watching his son, Charlie Sheen, lead a similarly decadent life fills him with remorse. He worries that he learned to be a father too late. He particularly regrets his failure to share his faith. "I never lost my faith," Sheen says. ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:7

Tags: Family

Denomination: Baptist

Your Legacy

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Oct 2, 2014

What is the soil of your heart like? Is it growing and producing fruit for the Kingdom of Heaven – are you using your life for eternity? 1. Quote: “I will not waste my life! I will finish my course and finish it well. I will display the Gospel of the grace of God in all I do. I will run my race to ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:23-24

Tags: Afterlife, Godly Legacy, Blessed Life

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Is There A Limit To My Power?

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Apr 19, 2018

Mark Batterson in his book "The Circle Maker" asks a very provocative question based upon a question that God asks Moses; "Is there a limit to my power?" (Numbers 11:23) GNT. "Are your problems bigger than God, or is God bigger than your problems? Our biggest problem is our small view of God. ...read more

Tags: Prayer, Omnipotent God

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Edwin Arlington Robinson (1869–1935) Wrote A ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Edwin Arlington Robinson (1869–1935) wrote a poem about a rich man during the early 1900s, called “Richard Cory”: Whenever Richard Cory went down town, We people on the pavement looked at him: He was a gentleman from head to crown, Clean favored, and imperially slim. And he was always quietly ...read more

Tags: Humility

One Day A Young Minister Was Being Escorted ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

One day a young minister was being escorted through a coalmine. At the entrance of one of the dim passageways, he spied a beautiful white flower growing out of the black earth. "How can it blossom in such purity and radiance in this dirty mine? The preacher asked. "Throw some coal dust on it and ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

George Wilson Was Sentenced To Hang After He Was ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

George Wilson was sentenced to hang after he was convicted of killing a guard while robbing a federal payroll from a train. Public sentiment against capital punishment led to an eventual pardon by President Andrew Jackson. Unbelievably, Wilson refused to accept the pardon. Can you do that? The case ...read more

Tags: Jesus Christ, Kill Sin

Allow Me To Further Illustrate This Point With ...  PRO

Contributed by Chris Surber on Aug 17, 2007

Allow me to further illustrate this point with flypaper. Flypaper is an amazingly simple and at the same time profoundly genius product. I did a bunch of research about flypaper. It turns out that you can even make your flypaper at home using some syrup, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and strips ...read more

Tags: Community, Evangelism How To

Denomination: Christian Church

New Every Morning

Contributed by Donnie Martin on Sep 13, 2007

New Every Morning Yea, “new every morning,” though we may awake, Our hearts with old sorrow beginning to ache; With old work unfinished when night stayed our hand With new duties waiting, unknown and unplanned; With old care still pressing, to fret and to vex, With new problems rising, our minds ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Nice Is About What The Other Person Is Thinking ...

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Oct 9, 2007

"Nice is about what the other person is thinking and feeling–it’s their perception of the situation. Kind is about what you choose to do and why. When you want to be nice it’s because you want to please the other person; you want everyone to be happy. When you want to be kind it’s because you want ...read more

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Story Is Told That Jonathan Edwards, The ...  PRO

Contributed by Jim Kane on Jan 7, 2008

The story is told that Jonathan Edwards, the third president of Princeton University and a great preacher of another generation, had a daughter who had a nasty temper, which was not well known to many people outside the family. Well it happened that a young man met and fell in love with this young ...read more

Denomination: Church Of God

And Jesus Loved Them All

Contributed by Stephen Funderburk on Mar 4, 2008

And Jesus Loved Them All------ I saw a sea of faces in a dream I had one day and millions stood before a throne whose sins were washed away from every tribe and every land they all had heard the call the rich, the poor, the black, the white and Jesus loved them all. He loved them with their many ...read more

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Both Fridays And The Number 13 Have Both Been ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 2, 2008

Both Fridays and the number 13 have both been considered “unlucky” down thru the ages. The number 13, for example: The Turks so disliked that number that they practically removed it from their vocabulary (Brewer, 1894). Many cities do not have a 13th Street or a 13th Avenue. Many buildings don’t ...read more

Watching A Trapeze Show Is Breathtaking. We ...

Contributed by Aubrey Vaughan on Jun 1, 2008

WATCHING A TRAPEZE SHOW IS BREATHTAKING. WE WONDER AT THE DEXTERITY AND TIMING. WE GASP AT NEAR-MISSES. IN MOST CASES, THERE IS A NET UNDERNEATH. WHEN THEY FALL, THEY JUMP UP AND BOUNCE BACK TO THE TRAPEZE. IN CHRIST, WE LIVE ON THE TRAPEZE. THE WHOLE WORLD SHOULD BE ABLE TO WATCH AND SAY, "LOOK ...read more

Tags: Holiness

Denomination: Baptist

Base Camps  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 2, 2008

BASE CAMPS When people are climbing Mount Everest, there are at least four camps that people stop at on the way up. They have to stop because of the physical limitations of their bodies. They need time to rest. They need time to acclimatized to the atmosphere. They need time to be prepared to ...read more

Scripture: Acts 9:1-31

Tags: Growth In Christ

6588 I Thank ...

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Oct 14, 2008

6588 I Thank Thee O Thou whose bounty fills my cup, With every blessing meet! I give Thee thanks for every drop— The bitter and the sweet. I praise Thee for the desert road, And for the riverside; For all Thy goodness hath bestowed, And all Thy grace denied. I thank Thee for both smile and ...read more

Tags: Thanksgiving Holiday

Denomination: Other

Sunday Trains

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 31, 2008

SUNDAY TRAINS William Barclay tells this story: The first Sunday train from Glasgow to Edinburgh ran on the 13th of March, 1842. Our contemporary journalist, wrote that it was filled with peaceful and respectable persons, gliding quietly away on its mission. The Presbytery of Glasgow, however, ...read more

Tags: Commandments Sabbath

Abraham Lincoln's Call To A National Day Of Prayer

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jul 17, 2023

I love how President Abraham Lincoln pointed out to Americans that our pride can cause our nation to suffer: “We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth, and power as no other ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 33:3, 2 Chronicles 7:14

Tags: Repentance, Revival, Nation, Prayer, Fasting  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Formula For Peace

Contributed by John Bright on Feb 16, 2025

Most of the time, we have no control over the circumstances of our lives, so we react by way of rebellion and complaining. Let me share a little formula with you: E + R = O Event + Response = Outcome We have no control over the events – things just happen. We often try hard to control ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:18

Tags: Peace, Response, Outcome, Event

Denomination: Methodist

Keeping Promises  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 31, 2002

KEEPING PROMISES It’s the story of a friendship forged during one of the worst battles of World War II, and a promise made almost 60 years ago, a promise that was finally kept Thursday, Aug. 2, 2001. HAROLD HUGGINS, a veteran of 10 major campaigns in World War II and the last survivor of his ...read more

Tags: Holidays Civic, Life, Faith, God's Provision

Nfl Quarterback's Pre-Game Generosity Impacts ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 18, 2010

NFL Quarterback’s Pre-Game Generosity Impacts Family There was a time when the bread-winner of the family worked a night shift in a low paying job and relied on food stamps to feed their large family. But that all changed after the Saint Louis Rams won the Super Bowl in 2000. And because of those ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 3:1

Tags: Generosity, Giving General