In Sermon Illustrations: "Helping Others"

Dream Center

Contributed by Tim Smith on Feb 26, 2012

DREAM CENTER At age 16, Matthew Barnett dreamed of a church that would be open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year serving the inner-city’s physical and spiritual needs and bringing a message of hope to the hopeless. In 1994 at the age of 20, he moved from Phoenix to Los Angeles to pastor a small ...read more

Tags: God Brings Purpose

Denomination: Methodist

Bob Russell, A Preacher In Kentucky, Tells Of ...

Contributed by Timothy Smith on Sep 23, 2007

Bob Russell, a preacher in Kentucky, tells of calling Baptist East Hospital late one night to check on one of his elderly members. The operator transferred him to a nurse who answered, "Pediatrics." Bob said, "Pediatrics? I’m checking on a lady that’s 87 years old! I’ve got the wrong floor." Bob ...read more

Denomination: Christian Church

I Recently Read About An Exasperated Mom Who Sent ...

Contributed by Ricki Lee Brooks on May 4, 2010

I recently read about an exasperated mom who sent her disobedient little boy to his room. When his time was up, he came out far more confident than when he had gone in. He said, "I’ve been thinking about what I did and I said a prayer." "That’s fine," his mother said, 'if you ask God to make you ...read more

Tags: Prayer General

Let Me Talk To You About Ants. Not The Kind ...  PRO

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Sep 6, 2005

1. Let me talk to you about Ants. Not the kind that marry uncles, but the kind that live outside. According to a CNN article, 2."Like humans, fungus-growing ants are true farmers and the survival of the colony depends on the food they grow. Anywhere from a few hundred to over five million ants ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 1:12-17

Tags: Church Purpose Of

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Last Words Of A Dying Person Are Normally ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 26, 2007

The last words of a dying person are normally never forgotten. A person’s closing comments often reveal their pain and agony. Some enter eternity without saying anything, while others utter sentiments that disclose their values, priorities, and innermost thoughts. The great Baptist preacher, ...read more

Tags: How To Turn Off, Family Dysfunction

Many Of Us In This Congregation Have Parents Who ...

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Apr 25, 2007

Many of us in this congregation have parents who are deceased. Have you reflected and given thanks for the positive impact they had on your life? One year we put flowers on the altar in memory of my wife’s parents. Barbara wrote a tribute to them and shared it with you. For the funerals of each ...read more

Denomination: Pentecostal

Several Years Ago Our International Mission Board ...

Contributed by Rick Crandall on May 9, 2007

Several years ago our International Mission Board reported the story of a former Muslim from South Asia who has suffered for the Lord. They changed his name to Lamak for security reasons. He was born into a wealthy and powerful Muslim family, but Lamak turned his life over to Jesus, while he was ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Just Enough Strength To Make It Go

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 11, 2008

JUST ENOUGH STRENGTH TO MAKE IT GO "One hot day, Herman Trueblood, all clean and cooled off by a nice swim in the ocean, saw a sweating man and his two sons trying on a hot day to push a disabled car up an incline. Two voices started yelling at each other inside him. One said, "There is an ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Enough To Make The Thing Go

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2008

ENOUGH TO MAKE THE THING GO One hot day, Herman Trueblood, all clean and cooled off by a nice swim in the ocean, saw a sweating man and his two sons trying on a hot day to push a disabled car up an incline. Two voices started yelling at each other inside him. One said, "There is an opportunity for ...read more

Tags: Endurance

Addicted To Unkind ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 19, 2009

Addicted to Unkind Words Joseph Telushkin, author of Words That Hurt, Words That Heal, lectures throughout our country on the powerful and often negative impact of words. He often asks those in his audience if they can go 24 hours without saying any unkind words about or to another person. ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:29

Tags: Words

When Things Get Smelly!

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Aug 22, 2021

When I was around eight, we were visiting some cousins out on the farm and as all kids back then we played tag. I went zipping around the barn and stepped in a slick patty. I fell, slid and rolled through a copious amount of bovine excrement. When I was able to stand up I went to the porch and ...read more

Scripture: Ezekiel 16:4-12

Tags: Love, Forgiveness, Stink

Denomination: Baptist

As I Was Getting Ready To Come To Church Today, I ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Thornton on Nov 12, 2001

As I was getting ready to come to church today, I was helping my son to get a bath -- and quite frankly, he didn’t want to have a bath, especially because he couldn’t sit and play in the tub for awhile. And so he resisted and complained and made it difficult -- but we struggled through it and got ...read more

Tags: Faith, Doing God's Will

Denomination: *other

What If I Told You About A Man Who Was Struggling ...  PRO

Contributed by D. Greg Ebie on Jan 7, 2004

What if I told you about a man who was struggling to give his tithe to the Lord; let’s call him BILL. He wanted to please God, but he just couldn’t see how he would be able to pay all his bills if he gave 10% of his income to the church. I told Bill some great news; a multi-millionaire–we’ll call ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:1, Romans 8:14

Tags: Giving General

Denomination: Assembly Of God

While Attending Ministerial School (Seminary) In ...

Contributed by Fred Sigle on May 22, 2007

While attending MINISTERIAL SCHOOL (SEMINARY) in Lubbock, Texas, I had a CLASS MATE, Lloyd, who shared a STORY about an incident that HAPPENED to him while in Vietnam. I can’t remember all the DETAILS, but this is what I recall. Lloyd was a HELICOPTER MACHINE GUNNER. While on a MISSION flying ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Not "Why?" But "What?"

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Jul 22, 2009

NOT "WHY?" BUT "WHAT?" I remember a particular counseling session years ago where three of us were trying to encourage a change of personality and a change of behavior in a spouse. Dr. Jay Adams, in his book on direct, biblical counseling, said the purpose is not to find out why a person sinned, ...read more

Tags: Confession Of Sin

Denomination: Pentecostal

Falling After Dark

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2011

FALLING AFTER DARK There is a story told about a construction worker. This construction worker was employed on a high-rise building project, which required him and others to work after dark. He was busy on the edge of one of the walls which was many stories high, when he suddenly lost his balance ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:6-7

Tags: Fear And Worry

Serving Saves A Soul

Contributed by Rick Crandall on Jul 8, 2011

SERVING SAVES A SOUL One of the best ways to do these good things is to get involved in Vacation Bible School: Praying for VBS, inviting kids to come, serving in VBS, and following up on our guests. Kids will get saved. Sometimes even parents get saved through VBS. Florence Lee can tell you that. ...read more

Tags: Evangelism The Lost

Denomination: Baptist

Being A Bystander

Contributed by Kelly Benton on Mar 23, 2015

Some years ago we had some friends in our apartment complex that needed some help moving. Now, no one enjoys moving and everyone usually tries to avoid this type of labor if possible. But, these people needed some help so I volunteered myself and our oldest son Zane to help them move. We began ...read more

Scripture: Luke 23:33-35

Tags: Responsibility, Laziness, Bystander

Denomination: Other

Pumping Up Balloon - Watch What ...

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Aug 24, 2007

Illustration: Pumping up balloon - watch what happens when pride is in control of ones life. Kapteyn helps us see what happens with pride along with some of my observations: Pride is what hurts us in our relationships - in church, in families, (at work, at school), with friends. Pride makes us ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I Sat Down With Our Senior High Kids Awhile Ago ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

I sat down with our senior high kids awhile ago to discuss our plans for youth activities for this year. I expected to get some ideas of fun things to do, lets go bowling and to laserquest and whitewater rafting yadda yadda yadda… You know what they decided? They asked me to find two Friday night ...read more

Tags: Servanthood