In Sermon Illustrations: "Herod The Great"

Sin: Acts, Words, Thoughts, ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 24, 2009

SIN: ACTS, WORDS, THOUGHTS, HEART A man once dreamed of passing into the world beyond. An angel met him and showed him a great golden book. "What is that?" he inquired. "It is the book of your life," was the reply. Looking closer he saw that there were some writing on the first page. "What is ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 40:12

Tags: Sin Exposed

You Can Trust ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 7, 2009

YOU CAN TRUST GOD A Canadian pastor, in a period of great turmoil, received the faithful help of God he needed from reading about the following true incident. In his town the local parks commission had been ordered to remove the trees from a street they were going to widen. As they were about to ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 26:4

Tags: Trust

Hilarious Christmas Story!!!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Dec 19, 2022

• A Sunday School was putting on a Christmas pageant which included the story of Mary and Joseph coming to the inn. One boy wanted so very much to be Joseph, but when the parts were handed out, a boy he didn’t like was given that part, and he was assigned to be the inn-keeper instead. He was ...read more

Tags: Mary, Nativity, Christmas, Bethlehem, Children, Joseph, Pageants  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Deceitfulness Of Sin

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Mar 12, 2023

Radio personality Paul Harvey tells the story of how an Eskimo kills a wolf. The account is grisly, yet it offers fresh insight into the consuming, self-destructive nature of sin. "First, the Eskimo coats his knife blade with animal blood and allows it to freeze. Then he adds another layer of ...read more

Scripture: Romans 3:23

Tags: Deliverance, Sinners, Sin Nature, Death, Sin, Satan, Salvation, Temptation, Justification  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Pride Illustration

Contributed by Bruce Blythe on Dec 27, 2023

The Background My observation, after reading my Bible, Observing fellow Christians, And considering my own Christian life is: Pride is the biggest problem, For 99.9% plus of Christians! You could not tell it though. Christians don’t talk about it (much). Preachers don’t preach on it (much). But the ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 16:18

Tags: Lesson, Pride

Denomination: Baptist

Little Things Can Be Big Problems

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Feb 6, 2024

Richard Conniff writes in National Geographic that on January 12, 1997, two Swiss men, Bertrand Piccard and Wim Verstraeten, set out to be the first to CIRCLE THE EARTH in a balloon. Their aircraft was called the Breitling Orbiter, and it was high-tech masterpiece, complete with solar power panels ...read more

Tags: Words, Tongue, Small Things, Mouth

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Eclipses Mentioned In The Bible

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Apr 6, 2024

The Bible contains several references to eclipses, both solar and lunar. Let’s explore some of these passages: Isaiah 13:10: “For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not flash forth their light; the sun will be dark when it rises, and the moon will not shed its light.” This ...read more

Tags: Last Days, Rapture, Tribulation, Signs, Return Of Christ, Solar Eclipse, End Times, Prophecy, Second Coming  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

You Are Here To Live, Not To Just Make A Living.

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Apr 10, 2024

In 1923 a very important meeting was held at the Edgewater Beach Hotel in Chicago. Attending this meeting were nine of the world's most successful financiers: Charles Schwab, steel magnate: Samuel Insull, president of the largest utility company: Howard Hopson , president of the largest gas ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:10

Tags: Greed, Life, Riches, Suicide, Fame, Death, Money, Wealth  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Five Finger Prayer Formula

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Apr 10, 2024

Prayer is a conversation with God, not a formula. Yet sometimes we might need to use a “method” to freshen up our prayer time. We can pray the Psalms or other Scriptures (such as The Lord’s Prayer), or use the ACTS method (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication). I recently came ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 33:3

Tags: Asking, Needs, Faith, Worship, Praise, Prayer, Hearing God, Receiving  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Only Jesus Can Give This Kind Of Forgiveness!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Aug 12, 2024

Bruce Goodrich was being initiated into the cadet corps at Texas A & M University. One night, Bruce was forced to run until he dropped -- but he never got up. Bruce Goodrich died before he even entered college. A short time after the tragedy, Bruce's father wrote this letter to the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:9-15

Tags: Eternity, Parents, Cross, Prayer, Lord's Prayer, Forgiving Others, Enemies, Fathers, Forgivness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Sagrada Familia Basilica.

Contributed by Andrew Moffatt on Dec 22, 2024

Well today just because I can I want to share with you a couple of pictures, one that I took and one that is much better than the one that I took of the same thing. The first is this whooping great big church the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain and the other is a small part of the building, ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 9:6

Tags: Mary, Nativity, Christmas, Donkey, Joseph, Baby Jesus  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Salvation Army

The Golden Calf

Contributed by John Bright on Apr 6, 2025

In Exodus 32, the people are complaining that Moses has been gone for too long. They go to Aaron and say, “Make us a god.” To this, Aaron replies, “NO WAY!” Not really, that’s what he should have told them. What really happened: Exodus 32:2 “ And Aaron said to them, “Break off the golden ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 32:2-6

Tags: Idol, Golden Calf, Fertility Idol

Denomination: Methodist

Refuse To Change

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Sep 5, 2025

I RATHER CHOSE INSANITY THAN CHANGE? I REFUSE TO CHANGE. I EXPECT THE WHOLE WORLD TO CHANGE! WHY SHOULD I CHANGE? CHANGE? THERE IS A WARNING OF TERRIBLE COST TO THOSE THAT REFUSE TO CHANGE. There was a huge oil tanker that carried over a million barrels of oil across the ocean. One dark, ...read more

Scripture: Daniel 4:22-31, Isaiah 43:19, Deuteronomy 31:8

Tags: Change, Adapt

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Amazing Grace

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Oct 24, 2025

Amazing Grace Paul wrote of a higher righteousness that comes from God himself and never depends on our doings. Whenever we know that righteousness of God firsthand, it always changes our lives. One man tells that one day he blundered into an affair with someone else’s wife. He was weak and ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:1-16

Tags: Higher Righteousness, Amazing Grace

Denomination: Anglican

Why Would God Go To All The Trouble To Endure Our ...  PRO

Contributed by David Simmons on Jan 18, 2001

Why would God go to all the trouble to endure our bad choices and our flagrant sinning in order to have relationship with us? Hear the story of the lost son from the modern setting as told by Philip Yancey in his book What’s so Amazing about Grace. Yancey tells the story of a prodigal daughter ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 3:18, Luke 5:17-26, 1 Samuel 23:1-25

Tags: Nobody, Parable Prodigal Son, God's Provision, Forgiveness In Jesus, Everybody, Anybody, Somebody  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

The Unbaptized Arm  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 19, 2002

The Unbaptized Arm Ivan the Great was the tsar of all of Russia during the Fifteenth Century. He brought together the warring tribes into one vast empire--the Soviet Union. As a fighting man he was courageous. As a general he was brilliant. He drove out the Tartars and established peace across the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 9:1-17

Tags: Worship, Baptism, Commitment To Christ, Evangelism, Discipleship  (view more)  (view less)

Bill Hybels Recalls A Time When Dr. Gilbert ...  PRO

Contributed by Matthew Rogers on Feb 21, 2002

Bill Hybels recalls a time when Dr. Gilbert Bilezikian was speaking for a leadership conference at Willow Creek Community Church. He writes about it like this… “Dr. Bilezikian said there’s life-changing fellowship in biblically functioning community. That was a far cry from the childhood ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 17:17

Tags: Church Body Of Christ, Church Small Groups, Community, Friendship General, Money  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Many Years Ago C.s. Lewis Wrote The Screwtape ...  PRO

Contributed by Tim Zingale on Dec 4, 2003

Many years ago C.S. Lewis wrote the Screwtape Letters. Screwtape was an assistant devil writing to his nephew Wormwood. Screwtape was telling his nephew how to make the "patient" leave the camp of the arch enemy, the Prince of Peace, and dwell in the camp of the real boss, the prince of darkness. ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:4, Matthew 3:1-12

Tags: Temptation Pride

Denomination: Lutheran

As A Kid, I Loved This Gilligan's Island! I ...  PRO

Contributed by Bill Huffhine on May 27, 2004

As a kid, I loved this Gilligan’s Island! I would jump off of the school bus, race across the yard, bolt through the door and down the hall to dump my books off on my bed, get back to the living room just in time to plop on the floor 12 inches away from the screen (yes mom, I know I’ll hurt my ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Denomination: Free Methodist

One Winter Morning In San Diego, After Paul Had ...  PRO

Contributed by John Young on Nov 23, 2004

One winter morning in San Diego, after Paul had wandered many miles along the waterfront, in a daze, he turned wearily toward his hotel room. He had been drinking heavily for weeks. His mind was tortured by the thoughts of the wife and four children whom he had deserted. Only the day before, it ...read more

Tags: Bible Influence

Denomination: Baptist