In Sermon Illustrations: "Help The Poor"

Mature Audiences: One Person Will Turn 50 In The ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 5, 2006

Mature Audiences: One person will turn 50 in the United States every 7.5 seconds for the next 18 years! The U.S. Census Bureau projects there are 25.3 million Americans between ages of 50-59, and expect that figure will jump to 37.7 million by 2006. "This aging population is growing and it is one ...read more

Tags: What Is Evangelism?

In Pakistan Eighteen-Year-Old Mohan Shazad Grew ...

Contributed by Darryl Bell on Apr 17, 2006

In Pakistan eighteen-year-old Mohan Shazad grew up making bricks for less than a dollar a day. To free himself from that near-slavery, he began selling Christian literature to the brick kiln workers. “Late last September as Mohan was riding his bike home from a day of selling literature, two men ...read more

Tags: Discipleship

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

From Dennis Rainey): Set Out A ...

Contributed by Robert Fox on Dec 4, 2006

Illustration (from Dennis Rainey): Set out a “minefield of traps. I happen to have some animal traps – huge deadly-looking metal devices I inherited from my grandfather. Set them out all over the floor. Label them with things like “greed”, “lust”, “power”, “popularity”, and “Alcohol”. ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

The Bible Tells Us To Be Prepared To Give A ...  PRO

Contributed by Brian Matherlee on Dec 5, 2006

The Bible tells us to be prepared to give a defense in all things so I searched for some Scriptures that could help in some touch situations you might encounter over the next several weeks: When your wife asks you to help with the decorations —John 2:4, “Dear woman, why do you involve me?” When ...read more

Tags: Apologetics General

Denomination: Wesleyan

The Trouble Tree  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 5, 2002

THE TROUBLE TREE The carpenter I hired to help me restore an old farmhouse had just finished a rough first day on the job. A flat tire made him lose an hour of work, his electric saw quit, and now his ancient pickup truck refused to start. While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence. On ...read more

Tags: Guilt, Disappointment, Parenting

Faithful To The Finish  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 24, 2003

FAITHFUL TO THE FINISH In the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Derek Redmond of Great Britain was considered a favorite contender for a medal. It was the evening of August 3, 1992 as Redmond was pitted against seven others in a semi-final in the 400 meters. Redmond knelt poised, waiting for the race to ...read more

Scripture: Jude 1:1-4

Tags: God's Provision, Faith, Promises Of God

65279;a Young Man Grew Up In A Rough Boston ...

Contributed by Craige Lebreton on Dec 5, 2003

A young man grew up in a rough Boston housing project called Columbia Point in a family of nine children. Although he’d been a hardworking student, paying for college seemed impossible. But his mother’s favorite expression was. "Pray, and the Lord will make a way somehow." He viewed that as ...read more

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Baptist

Recently A "Husband Shopping Center" Opened In ...  PRO

Contributed by Charles R. Swindoll on Sep 28, 2004

Recently a "Husband Shopping Center" opened in Dallas, where women could go to choose a husband from among many men. It was laid out with five floors, with the men increasing in positive attributes as you ascended up the floors. The only rule was once you opened the door to any floor, you must ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Daniel The Actor In The Lion's Den  PRO

Contributed by George Rennau on Nov 5, 2004

There once was an out of work actor named Daniel He was so down and out that he’s ready to accept any acting part that came along. One day he saw an advertisement in the PAPER, ACTOR NEEDED TO PLAY A GORILLA. I could do that," Daniel arranged an interview. The employer turned out to be the local ...read more

Scripture: Daniel 6:1-28, 2 Samuel 6:1-23, 2 Samuel 6:1-23

Tags: Daniel

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Geese  PRO

Contributed by Herman Abrahams on Dec 2, 2004

Geese It’s those stately geese I find especially impressive. Winging their way to a warmer climate, they often cover thousands of miles before reaching their destination. Have you ever studied why they fly as they do? It is fascinating to read what has been discovered about their flight pattern as ...read more

Tags: Church Purpose Of

Denomination: Charismatic

Often In Reflection, What We Have Feared Most ...  PRO

Contributed by Charles Trout on Mar 9, 2001

Often in reflection, what we have feared most wasn’t all that bad. Illustration: One of my all time favorite TV shows, for having good moral lessons as plot lines, was the "Andy Griffith Show." There was an episode where young Opie was having his "Milk nickel" bullied away from him and could not ...read more

Tags: Endurance, Fear And Worry

Denomination: Baptist

The Tiger, The Man And God  PRO

Contributed by Danny Thomas on May 21, 2001

The Tiger, the Man and God A man was being chased by a tiger. He ran as hard as he could until he was at the edge of a cliff with the tiger in hot pursuit. The man looked over the edge of the cliff and saw a branch growing out of the side of the cliff a few feet down. He jumped down and grabbed ...read more

Tags: Doing God's Will, Faith, Faith General

Denomination: Pentecostal

Jacob Koshy Grew Up In Singapore With One Driving ...  PRO

Contributed by Tony Britt on Feb 6, 2002

Jacob Koshy grew up in Singapore with one driving ambition: to be a success in life, to gain all the money and possessions he could. That led him into the world of drugs and gambling, and eventually he became the lord of an international smuggling network. In 1980, he was arrested and placed in a ...read more

Tags: Repentance, Bible Influence

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Dr. Anthony T. Evans, Guiding Your Family In A ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Dr. Anthony T. Evans, Guiding Your Family in a Misguided World. One day, two monks were walking through the countryside. They were on their way to another village to help bring in the crops. As they walked, they spied an old woman sitting at the edge of a river. She was upset because there was no ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness General

In His Alpha Talk "What About The Church," Nicky ...  PRO

Contributed by R. David Reynolds on Mar 30, 2008

In his Alpha Talk “What About the Church,” Nicky Gumbel tells this story about John Wimber, the founding pastor of the Anaheim Vineyard Christian Fellowship and the Worldwide Vineyard Movement: “John Wimber was once approached by a member of his congregation who had met somebody in great need. ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness For Others

Denomination: Methodist

Jimmy's Ranch

Contributed by Eric Ferguson on Jun 10, 2008

JIMMY'S RANCH When Jimmy was a little boy, he wanted to be a cowboy. He spent countless hours in front of the television, watching reruns of "Gunsmoke" and "Bonanza." He just knew that someday he would live on a ranch, wear a big cowboy hat, and ride the range just like all his cowboy ...read more

Tags: Goals

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Are You A Weed?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 31, 2008

ARE YOU A WEED? I would like to tell you a story about how a little girl helped the neighbor bully change his ways. The bully's name was Todd; his parents were divorced, and he was left to fend for himself. He's rude, and for an eight-year-old he can swear pretty good. When he comes over to ...read more

Tags: Discipleship

When I Was In High School Go-Cart Tracks Were A ...

Contributed by Bruce Emmert on Oct 27, 2008

When I was in high school Go-cart tracks were a fad. A friend of mine named Steve went to the local go-cart track a couple of times a week. One crucial fact about high school boys and go-carts: teen age boys will go as fast as that go-cart can possibly go every time. Combine that with the fact that ...read more

Tags: Money

Denomination: United Methodist

One Day A Farmer's Donkey Fell Down Into A Well. ...

Contributed by Paul Carlson on Feb 21, 2009

One day a farmer’s donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally he decided the animal was old and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn’t worth it to try and retrieve the donkey. So, he invited all his ...read more

Tags: Wisdom

Denomination: Baptist

The Adultery Market

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 27, 2009

THE ADULTERY MARKET Many of us have seen the wild and funny TV ads that go along with the Super Bowl. But fans in Texas got quite a shock during the game this year. An ad by AshleyMadison.com was seen as inappropriate by the NFL and NBC. But local affiliates in Texas decided that the $250,000 for ...read more

Tags: Adultery