In Sermon Illustrations: "Hard"

What If...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 11, 2008

WHAT IF... Some storms can't be avoided, no matter what we do. Sometimes we are in trouble because of somebody else's mistake. That's what happened here to Paul. But God's Word teaches us to take action. Strive to survive. Take stock in the storm. It may not be as bad as you think it is. Erma ...read more

Tags: Fear And Worry

Stumbling Block Of Envy

Contributed by Jim Kane on Sep 4, 2008

Stumbling Block of Envy When I was a few months from graduation from seminary, the church I had attended during college had a position open and I was very interested in it. The pastor had become a spiritual mentor to me, and I was hopeful for the opportunity to work with him. When we met to ...read more

Tags: Envy

Denomination: Church Of God

Work Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 9, 2008

Work of Love Aleida Huissen, 78, of Rotterdam, Netherlands, has been smoking for 50 years. And for 50 years she has been trying to give up her harmful habit. But she has not been successful—that is, until recently. She has now given up cigarettes, cigars, and pipes. GOODNESS GRACIOUS! The secret? ...read more

Tags: Sacrifices

Amazing ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 9, 2008

Amazing Grace In every country, on every day, there is man trying to work his way into favor with God. Many years ago the Grand Rapids Press covered this story… "Conversation to Hindu Faith Is Tortuous." "A West German businessman has completed his conversion to the Hindu faith by piercing ...read more

Tags: Salvation

Don't Get Caught  PRO

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Dec 3, 2008

DON'T GET CAUGHT So often people do what is wrong as long as they know they won't get caught. I've seen surveys where people were asked about doing certain things like stealing and having an affair if they were assured they would never get caught. Would they do them? Amazingly, some of the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:1-4, Matthew 6:1, Matthew 6:1-4

Tags: Love, Christian Love, Secrets, Serving

Denomination: Church Of God

8 Lies Addicted Gamblers Tell Themselves

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Oct 15, 2019

8 Lies Addictive Gamblers Tell Themselves 1. "One more trip to gamble won't hurt anything." 2. "I need to go gamble to see my friends." 3. "I'm a loser, so who cares if I gamble." 4. "I deserve to gamble, because I have had a hard week." 5. ...read more

Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 3:12

Tags: Work, Excuses, Gambling

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Man Does Not Always Mean What He Says (Humor)

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Mar 13, 2023

Many of you are aware ... that there are times ...when we men ....do not always say what we mean, ... So, please allow me to translate ......for your future benefit: When a man says, IT WOULD TAKE TOO LONG TO EXPLAIN Well .... He generally means: ... I have no idea ... how it works. When a man ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:1-18

Tags: Father, Father's Day, Say

Denomination: Anglican

Unintended Hero

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 11, 2025

A rich millionaire decides to throw a massive party for his 50th birthday, so during this party he grabs the microphone and he announces to his guests that down in the garden of his mansion he has a swimming pool with two great white sharks in it. 'I will give anything they desire of mine, to ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:16, Judges 4:8, Judges 6:11-39, 1 Samuel 10:22, Exodus 4:13  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Cowards, Hesitancy, Fear, Weakness, Unlikely, Heroes  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

In His Book The Renew Mind (Bethany House, ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

In his book The Renew Mind (Bethany House, 1981), Larry Christiansen tells a story that is a perfect illustration for our sermon text for today. I’d like for you to imagine that you live in a run down apartment. As I describe this, I actually picture in my mind my apartment in St. Paul I shared ...read more

Tags: Jesus Temptation

I Was Introduced To "Different" The Summer I Took ...

Contributed by Todd Stiles on Mar 27, 2007

I was introduced to “different” the summer I took about 30+ Jr. Highers to Mexico. What an experience! Yes, our own Mike Hain was with me (and what a trip he had). The things I saw on that trip changed my life -- forever! I can’t begin to tell you the broadening I experienced during that two week ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Apollo 11 Was A Tribute To Modern Technology: No ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 30, 2001

Apollo 11 was a tribute to modern technology: No foul ups; no glitches. Man had accomplished the impossible without a hitch. In fact Apollo missions 11 and 12 were so error-free they seemed almost routine. The world resumed breathing. The television ratings for moonwalks began to decline. When ...read more

Tags: Fig, Tree

Late Bloomers! (09.22.05--Grace Walks!--Psalm ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Sep 20, 2005

Late Bloomers! (09.22.05--Grace Walks!--Psalm 93:5) Fairness is a doctrine that we have gone hog-wild with. We seem as a people possessed by a sense of “all things being equal.” Unfortunately, we are so captivated by a sense of justice at all costs, we often lose sight of the fact that a doctrine ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 93:5

Tags: Beauty, Holiness, God's Omniscience, Walk, Righteousness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Lutheran

Examples Of Generous People

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 4, 2012

EXAMPLES OF GENEROUS PEOPLE In a country where getting and having more seems so normal, people who choose to live with a lot less so they can help others seem, to put it mildly, less than sane. Zell Kravinsky is one of those people. Kravinsky got rich in the real estate business, and then gave ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:7-10

Tags: Giving General

James Dobson's Faith-Full Parents  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 29, 2012

JAMES DOBSON'S FAITH-FULL PARENTS "Of all the values transmitted to me by my father, none made a more lasting impression than his attitude toward money. As an evangelist, he could never depend on the compensation he would be given. The local church would collect a freewill offering for my father, ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 13:5-6

Tags: Father's Day

Sins Are Habits  PRO

Contributed by John Sattler on Feb 18, 2013

SINS ARE HABITS I’m reading a book right now called "The Power of Habit" (http://charlesduhigg.com/the-power-of-habit/) about how so much of our daily life is lived by habit. We have to. Our brain needs habits in order for us to be able to function. Just about everything we do is habitual. How ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:28, Romans 12:2

Tags: Temptation General

Denomination: Lutheran

Questions That Churches Must Ask Themselves

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Jun 7, 2022

Why is this church here or what really is our mission? Are we truly fulfilling our mission? How did we get here? Were we a split or the first of our faith? If a split, was it because of doctrine or something/someone else? If we are the first, have we fallen from our first love position or is ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 3:1

Tags: Church, Purpose, Division

Denomination: Baptist

Mr. Welch

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Apr 12, 2024

Stories of pivotal prayers: Story from Tim Elmore “Pivotal Praying” (Page 1): His life’s dream was to be a missionary, and it looked as though it was finally coming true. As the nervous young man sat in the mission’s agency’s office, he assured the interviewer that he and his new bride were ...read more

Tags: Story, Welch, Giving

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Failure/ Success

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Sep 13, 2025

DO YOU WANT TO HEAR ABOUT A FAILURE, A BASKET CASE? Let us look at a man experience in failure. 1. At 14 dropped out of school. 2. He got a job working on a farm. The work was hard labor. He hated the farm work. 3. He lied about his age and at 16 he joined the ARMY. He could stand the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 19:26, 2 Chronicles 16:9

Tags: Faith, Effort

Denomination: Assembly Of God

I Once Heard About A Man Who Worked With Children ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Barnes on Jun 2, 2001

I once heard about a man who worked with children who lived in sewers - somewhere in South America I think. He used to go into the sewers himself to try and help the children who were living there. Imagine you had been one of those children - virtually blind through living in the darkness ...read more

Tags: Holiness, God's Provision, God's Holiness

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

From The Book: Stories For The Heart (P. 246, ...  PRO

Contributed by Melinda Richardson on Aug 20, 2001

From the book: Stories for the Heart (p. 246, Catherine Marshall) There once was a king who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace. Many artists tried. The king looked at all the pictures. But there were only two he really liked, and he had to choose between ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:22, Philippians 4:6-7, Luke 24:36

Tags: Peace, God Brings Hope

Denomination: Pentecostal