In Sermon Illustrations: "Honest"

Why Be Buried With A Fork In Your ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 4, 2010

Why Be Buried With a Fork in Your Hand There was a woman who had been told she only had 3 months to live. Her doctor recommended that she start making preparations to die. And so, she contacted her Pastor to talk about her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at her funeral, what ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Tags: Heaven

Balloons

Contributed by Jason Bonnicksen on May 15, 2011

BALLOONS One Sunday afternoon in late February, my family and I went out to brunch after the morning’s worship services. Upon leaving, my girls asked the hosts if they could have a balloon. Certainly they said – what color? So, my two youngest were each given a balloon, a huge ...read more

Tags: Fulfillment

Denomination: Lutheran

Doubting (Enter Your Name)

Contributed by Mark Stepherson on Jul 30, 2011

DOUBTING (ENTER YOUR NAME) The most famous doubter of all time is Thomas. Through history Judas has been the only disciple criticized more than Thomas. Tradition has given him a new name: "Doubting Thomas." He wanted proof that Jesus was resurrected from the dead. But can you blame him? When the ...read more

Scripture: James 1:6-8, Matthew 21:21, Mark 11:23

Tags: Faith, Doubt, Prayer

Denomination: Baptist

Don't Do Change Alone

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Jan 5, 2012

DON'T DO CHANGE ALONE With a new year just around the corner, most of us are busy scribbling down resolutions. We desire radical change in the way we look, the way we behave, the way we make our living. But if research regarding New Year's resolutions is at all true, most of us will fall short of ...read more

Tags: New Year's Day

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Tough Love  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 15, 2012

TOUGH LOVE "Living in this house is like living in hell," screamed the young girl as she stamped her feet on the way upstairs to her room. The mother stood looking at her daughter, a hint of tears forming in her eyes. She wanted to run up the stairs and hug her daughter but she knew the timing ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 13:24

Tags: Parenting

Never Quit Growing

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Feb 9, 2022

GROWTH IS ESSENTIAL OR ONE WILL GET STAGNATE AND BEGIN A DECREASE. Growth is essential to long term survival. We must learn to take advantage of opportunities and take risk. GROWTH: improve, increase, develop, mature, progressive development, MATURITY, AGE, SIZE, WEIGHT, HEIGHT. 2 Peter 3:18 ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 3:18, Philippians 1:9

Tags: Plan, Growth

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Oh, Memory, How I Miss Thee

Contributed by James Snyder on Sep 16, 2023

Dr. James L. Snyder Driving home from a luncheon with friends, The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage asked me a stunning question. She is a specialist regarding questions I can’t answer. I am trying to evade her questions and have been very good up until now. “Did that story you told really ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 10:6-7, 1 Peter 3:10-11

Tags: Memory, Lying

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

A Healing Fool  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Feb 14, 2002

A HEALING FOOL The Gospels depict Jesus as having spent a surprising amount of time healing people… It is significant also that the Greek verb "sozo" was used in Jesus’ day to mean both to save and to heal, and "soter" could signify either savior or physician. Ever since the time of Jesus, ...read more

Scripture: Mark 1:29-39

Tags: Gifts Healing, Miracles Of Jesus, Prayer Answered

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

No Mundane Stuff Allowed! ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Jun 8, 2005

No Mundane Stuff Allowed! (06.10.05--Family--Song. 4:1-7) It has been said that one of the major problems with families is that they start out wrong from the start. From the moment the marriage license is signed spouses are inclined to view the privilege as more of a hunting license than a ...read more

Scripture: Song of Songs 4:1-4

Tags: Children, Parenting

Denomination: Lutheran

Watching The News Can Be Dangerous To Your ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 21, 2007

WATCHING THE NEWS CAN BE DANGEROUS TO YOUR HEALTH, that is, your psychological health. Since most of the news is of a negative nature, if one is not careful, he/she can develop a very pessimistic view of human nature. Consider the following: The year is 2065. An astronaut has been stranded alone ...read more

Did You Hear About The Police Chief Who Gave ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Did you hear about the police chief who gave himself a ticket for a traffic violation? Police chief Richard Knoebel issued himself a $235 ticket complete with a four-point penalty against his license after he realized he had failed to stop for a school bus with its lights flashing. Knoebel said ...read more

Tags: Faith

A Blessed Moment

Contributed by Ferdinand Funk on Sep 26, 2008

A Blessed Moment I want to share a personal story with you that meant the world to me. I have seldom felt so loved and appreciated by my father as on our last trip visit our parents in Paraguay just a few months ago. I share this story because I want families. And, you might say that it is even a ...read more

Tags: Father's Day

Denomination: Mennonite

What Is A Witness?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 11, 2009

WHAT IS A WITNESS? I once heard a story about a prosecuting attorney from a small Texas town who called his first witness to the stand in a trial. She was a grandmotherly type, and he asked her, "Mrs. Jones, do you know me?" She said, "I do know you, Mr. Williams. I’ve known you since you were a ...read more

Tags: Evangelism How To

Famous Businessman Practices ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 30, 2009

Famous Businessman Practices Tithing One Famous Business man: About a 100 plus years ago a young man had to leave home because his family could not afford to feed and house him. On his way to his future he met an old friend who was captain of a canal boat. The Captain asked where he was off to. He ...read more

Scripture: Malachi 3:6-18

Tags: Tithes

A Good Name I Never Met

Contributed by Davon Huss on Feb 14, 2011

A GOOD NAME I NEVER MET In his book, I Almost Missed The Sunset, Bill Gaither writes: Gloria and I had been married a couple of years. We were teaching school in Alexandria, Indiana, where I had grown up, and we wanted a piece of land where we could build a house. I noticed the parcel south of ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 22:1

Tags: Character, Armor Of God

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Hybels' Evangelism Formula For Maximum Impact  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 21, 2012

HYBELS' EVANGELISM FORMULA FOR MAXIMUM IMPACT We call this relational evangelism, and I have spoken of this many times before. It is showing people that we care, it is about building relationships with people who may not know Jesus and in that relationship, bringing them to a place where they can ...read more

Scripture: Luke 5:27-32

Tags: Evangelism How To

Like Snow—like Scarlet?

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Dec 24, 2024

Introduction: Even a small yet honest mistake can have long-lasting effects! Text: Isaiah 1:18, KJV: 18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. I used to wash my ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 1:18

Tags: Forgiveness, Sin, Clothes

Denomination: Baptist

Great Quotes On Forgiveness

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Apr 10, 2022

When everything in you wants to hold a grudge, point a finger and remember the pain. God wants you to lay it aside. Why? Because, when you release it, you will be set free. - R.T. Kendall Forgiveness is unlocking the door to set someone free and realizing that you were the prisoner. - Max ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness, Forgiving Others

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Various Studies Conducted By Yale, John Hopkins ...  PRO

Contributed by Steve Malone on May 15, 2001

Various studies conducted by Yale, John Hopkins and other groups have documented the following; The absence of a father is a stronger factor than poverty in contributing to juvenile delinquency. In 48 cultures around the world crime rates were highest among adults who as children had been raised ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Tags: Parenting, Father's Day, Family

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

For Years I Have Seen And Heard About The ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 12, 2002

For years I have seen and heard about the division in churches over "correct" and "incorrect" forms of worship. I have seen it all from "you shouldn’t smile in church because you should fear the Lord" to the Ringling Brothers Circus service. Each group seems to think the other has missed the mark ...read more

Tags: Church Practices, Worship Definition