In Sermon Illustrations: "Help"

Same, Same

Contributed by Scott Wakefield on May 17, 2010

Found at http://www.christianstandard.com/articledisplay.asp?id=783 In an article for Christian Standard magazine, preacher and college president Matt Proctor reflects on the Incarnation: My 5-year-old, Carl, and my 3-year-old, Conrad, love it when I dress like them. After they put on jeans and a ...read more

Tags: Incarnation, Humanity Of Christ

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

I'm Always Fascinated By The Stories Of People ...

Contributed by Bret Toman on May 20, 2010

I'm always fascinated by the stories of people who win large sums of money in lotteries. A large majority of whom wish they had never won. Willie Hurt of Lansing, Mich., won $3.1 million in 1989. Two years later he was broke and charged with murder. His lawyer says Hurt spent his fortune on a ...read more

Tags: Money, Gambling

Denomination: Baptist

Boat Builder Learns About ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 12, 2010

Boat Builder Learns about Humility Skip looked at the group of suspicious stockholders and wondered what he could do to convince them to follow his leadership. He was 35, looked 13 and was third generation rich. He could tell they thought they were headed for a disaster. He told them a story. His ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 16:18

Tags: Humility

James Von Moltke: For What A Mighty Task

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 22, 2011

JAMES VON MOLTKE: FOR WHAT A MIGHTY TASK James von Moltke came from a long line of German warriors and soldiers. For two centuries the name Moltke resounded proudly in the history of the Prussians and Germans. But James would serve a different fate. He was just as brave and just as devoted but his ...read more

Scripture: John 15:12-13

Tags: Heroism

The Importance Of Public Confession

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 5, 2011

THE IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC CONFESSION There's a parable about an ancient philosopher who came to a city to save its people from its sins. The inhabitants of the city, who at first listened to the philosopher, gradually turned away. One day a child asked the learned man why he went on - did he not ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 10:32-33

Tags: Evangelism Urgency

Unusual People, Unexpected Places

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 8, 2011

UNUSUAL PEOPLE, UNEXPECTED PLACES Akiane Kramarik is only 12 years old, but she has abilities far beyond her years. Her mother chose to give birth to her underwater at the family home on July 9, 1994 in Mount Morris, Illinois. The family now lives in Idaho. Akiane speaks four languages, writes ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:14-16

Tags: Christian Witness

Waiting 20 Years For The End Of The Story

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 28, 2011

WAITING 20 YEARS FOR THE END OF THE STORY In her book The God Who Hung on the Cross, journalist Ellen Vaughn retells a gripping story of how the Gospel came to a small village in Cambodia. In September 1999, Pastor Tuy Seng (not his real name) traveled to Kampong Thom Province in northern ...read more

Scripture: Luke 24:46-48

Tags: Evangelism Urgency

Forgive Means "Let Go"  PRO

Contributed by Mark Stepherson on Jul 14, 2011

Forgive Means "Let Go" In the last few days there was an item on the news about residents in a local neighborhood finding a bobcat in their yard. A story we sometimes hear is about an alligator being found in a drainage ditch. We haven’t heard that this year, with the drought, but sometimes we ...read more

Scripture: Mark 11:25

Tags: Forgiveness, Stand, Grievances, Forgiveness For Others

Denomination: Baptist

Soul Surfer: Fulfill God's Destiny

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Jul 19, 2011

* SOUL SURFER: FULFILL GOD'S DESTINY Soul Surfer is the inspiring true story of teen surfer Bethany Hamilton. Bethany lost her left arm in a shark attack and courageously overcame all odds to become a champion again, through her sheer determination and unwavering faith in Jesus Christ. Bethany ...read more

Tags: Fulfillment

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Holiness And Red Buttons  PRO

Contributed by Mark Stepherson on Aug 6, 2011

HOLINESS AND RED BUTTONS In studying holiness as a prayer key, I got bogged down with trying to understand it. I had an even harder time trying to explain it. I felt like the Red Buttons character in the movie, "Hatari." In that movie, John Wayne led a team of hunters in Africa capturing wild ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 2:8, Matthew 22:15-22

Tags: Holy, Prayer, Holiness

Denomination: Baptist

Why Worry?  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 12, 2011

WHY WORRY? In a 2006 article in Time magazine called "Why We Worry About the Things We Shouldn’t" Jeffrey Kluger, writes: As human beings, we pride ourselves on being the only species that understands the concept of risk. Yet we have a confounding habit of worrying about mere possibilities while ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:6-8

Tags: Worry

The Wrestler Who Never Gave Up

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 19, 2011

THE WRESTLER WHO NEVER GAVE UP Caleb teaches us to never give up on God or His promises. One of my favorite stories is about a scrawny kid from West Texas who attended a small high school. They didn't have a wrestling program, but he read a book on wrestling and asked one of the assistant ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 14:6-15

Tags: Endurance

Daughter Of A Jew-Catcher

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 21, 2011

DAUGHTER OF A JEW-CATCHER I recently read an article by a minister who had been invited to preach to a church Congregation in Holland. His visit coincided with the Dutch Day of Remembrance, held each year on the anniversary of Holland’s liberation from the Nazis. His talk was preceded by several ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 10:28-33

Tags: Father's Day

Appreciation: Better Than A Paycheck

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 8, 2011

APPRECIATION: BETTER THAN A PAYCHECK You don't have to teach people to complain, criticize, or be selfish. We're naturals at it. But we do have to learn to express appreciation. People need to be appreciated. A businessman went downtown to his office one morning, a couple of hours earlier than ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5

Tags: Praise, Encouragement, Gratitude, Compliment

Inoculations From The Great Physician

Contributed by Sam Higgs on Sep 27, 2011

INOCULATIONS FROM THE GREAT PHYSICIAN The summer of 1980 was a very different summer for many of us. Most had just graduated High School and were away from home for the first time. Up till this time we had chosen our own clothing and color schemes, but that was a distant memory to us now. ...read more

Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 3:6-18

Tags: War

Denomination: Baptist

At The University Of Southern California The List ...

Contributed by Ricki Lee Brooks on Feb 18, 2012

At the University of Southern California the list of great running backs for the Trojan football team is legendary: John Arnett, Frank Gifford, Mike Garret, OJ Simpson, Anthony Davis, Ricky Bell, Charles White, Marcus Allen, Sam Cunningham, LenDale White, Reggie Bush. No other college comes close ...read more

Tags: Attitude General

How To Give Thanks In The Midst Of Loss  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 7, 2012

HOW TO GIVE THANKS IN THE MIDST OF LOSS When you've lost something or someone precious, it is easy to forget that "the Lord gives and the Lord takes away." He doesn't owe us a reason. John Claypool was a pastor in Louisville, Kentucky many years ago. He and his wife lost their daughter, Laura ...read more

Scripture: Job 1:13-22, Job 1:6, Job 1:1-9, Matthew 1:17-22, Isaiah 9:6-7  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Fatherhood, Funerals Christian

Ministry In The Hard Places

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 21, 2012

During his first year of seminary, Alan Hirsch led a small group of newly converted Christians that included “gays, lesbians, Goths, drug addicts, prostitutes, and some relatively ordinary people.” After graduating, he and his wife were called to go to South Melbourne Church of Christ in 1989 where ...read more

Tags: Grace

Denomination: Methodist

Humility: The Balloon Game  PRO

Contributed by Davon Huss on Nov 26, 2012

HUMILITY: THE BALLOON GAME Robert Roberts writes about a fourth grade class in which the teacher introduced a game called "balloon stomp." A balloon was tied to every child's leg, and the object of the game was to pop everyone else's balloon while protecting one's own. The last person with an ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:5

Tags: Humility

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Being A Blessing

Contributed by Rick Pendleton on Jan 25, 2013

BEING A BLESSING Once when I was a teenager, my father and I were standing in line to buy tickets for the circus. Finally, there was only one family between us and the ticket counter. This family made a big impression on me. There were 8 children, all probably under the age of 12. You could tell ...read more

Tags: Blessing

Denomination: Baptist