In Sermon Illustrations: "House Built On Sand"

Holy Images

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 6, 2012

HOLY IMAGES There are three true stories about holy images: A few years ago a woman in New Mexico was frying tortillas. One of the tortillas burned and the result was an image that looked like a face; she thought it looked like Jesus. She took the tortilla to her priest and he agreed it looked ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 44:6-23

Tags: Idolatry

Covetousness And The Emperor's New Grove

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 3, 2013

COVETOUSNESS AND THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROVE In Disney's thirty-ninth animated film, "The Emperor's New Groove," self-proclaimed "King of the World" Kuzco (COOS-coh), who had an evil female advisor named Yzma (EEZ-muh), made plans to demolish an entire village to build a new water park. At the highest ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 21:1-29

Tags: Greed

The Power Of Daily Scripture Reading

Contributed by Tim Smith on Aug 13, 2017

ian Hardin tells the story of traveling a lot for work with his friend Bobby. As they travelled, he’d read the Bible aloud to him. But he wasn’t reading the Bible to gain deep insights… or to solve theological quandaries. He was just reading it… yet even then, it often said something that got stuck ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:1-9

Tags: Scripture, Scripture Reading

Denomination: Methodist

Bill Hybels, Pastor Of Willow Creek Community ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Bill Hybels, Pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in the Chicago area, was attending a luncheon in a Southern state. Sitting across from him was an African-American built like a football player. When he introduced himself and the African American told him his name and it was distinctly Muslim. ...read more

Tags: Evangelism How To

When Steve And I Went To Germany To Live, I ...

Contributed by Amanda Wilson on Oct 20, 2007

When Steve and I went to Germany to live, I didn’t know any German, and I knew so little about what it was like to live in Germany that I set out to live there with what I now see as an unbelievably naive optimism that was close to sheer stupidity in its ignorance. Sure I’d seen Germany on TV, and ...read more

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Sing

Contributed by Thomas Cash on Apr 21, 2008

SING Let me tell you about some dear friends of mine: "Punk" and "Beanie" Peters. Punk’s real name was Ralph; Beanie’s was Lavena. They were members of Driftwood Christian Church near Vallonia, Indiana. Beanie was a simple farm wife who had an unshakable faith. Dying of liver cancer, I was at the ...read more

Tags: Peace

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Follow The Trail

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 23, 2008

FOLLOW THE TRAIL In 1949, Mao Tse-Tung ran through China in a marauding storm. His communist army was wiping out anything in their path that would hinder an unrestrained dictatorship of communism. In the path of this malicious army, a CIA operative Douglas Mackiernan had to flee for his life. ...read more

Tags: Endurance

Psychology Today

Contributed by Ryan Peters on Mar 10, 2009

Psychology Today The Dangers of Loneliness (Aug 2003) Friendship is a lot like food. We need it to survive. What is more, we seem to have a basic drive for it. Psychologists find that human beings have fundamental need for inclusion in group life and for close relationships. We are truly social ...read more

Tags: Friendship General

Denomination: Pentecostal

Mad Mike Hughes

Contributed by Roberta Karchner on Feb 26, 2020

Mad Mike Hughes had a mission, to launch himself into outer space. He believed the earth was flat, and the only way to prove it was to go up into space and take a photo of the flat earth. He did not trust others to document the truth, he would only believe it if he saw it with his own eyes. In ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:11-13

Tags: Sin, Foolish, Self Importance, Self Righteousness, Flat Earth  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

When It Was Dark

Contributed by Joshua Blackmon on Apr 15, 2022

When It Was Dark I’m not quite sure how to say this. We have always said in the church that our faith was based upon facts. It was a faith built upon evidence that led us to the facts. My friends, something has come to light just this past week that is out now in the professional journals and ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

Tags: Easter, Resurrection

Denomination: Pentecostal

From Godly To Rebellion?

Contributed by Paul Clemente on Nov 25, 2022

Genesis 10 – 11:9…. Look again at verses 10:5, 20, 31…. and 11:1…. What do you think is the explanation for this? – v32 gives the answer; all came from Noah (with his language, but the 3 sons went to all different areas of the world) The second half of Genesis 11 speaks of Abraham, from the line ...read more

Tags: Evil, God's Love, Rebellion, Godly, Mankind  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

[111]. A Message From A Poem – Harvest Through Death

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jun 20, 2025

[111]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – HARVEST THROUGH DEATH This poem lay for 27 years waiting to be finished and now it is. Its theme is the fruit of Christ’s sacrifice as the Grain of Wheat. Jesus told to Andrew and Philip a truth I am sure the disciples did not understand. {{John 12:24-25 “Truly, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 16:18, John 12:24-25

Tags: Dying To Oneself, Harvest, Upon This Rock, Redeemed, Souls, Grain Of Wheat  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

When The Door Opened

Contributed by Austin W. Duncan on Apr 18, 2026

Before Cassy and I moved to Middle Tennessee, we were in West Texas. I was running a pretty small graphic design business and driving for Uber and Lyft in the evenings, and I was frustrated overall. Not because anything was particularly wrong, but because I kept feeling like I wasn't doing what ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 3:8, 1 Corinthians 16:9

Tags: God's Timing, Calling

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Toilets And Stamps! (07.19.05--Pride--Nehemiah ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Jul 17, 2005

Toilets and Stamps! (07.19.05--Pride--Nehemiah 3:5) The goal was now in sight! What I had worked so hard for, was suddenly staring me in the face and it was so great to have achieved what I had worked so hard for. Potential realized, the prize won, perhaps now, I could let up a bit. I had been ...read more

Scripture: Nehemiah 3:5

Tags: Humility, Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Lutheran

[142]. A Message From A Poem – In Our Weakness He Gives Strength

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jul 25, 2025

[142]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – IN OUR WEAKNESS HE GIVES STRENGTH Creatures of dust we are and weak and frail in human strength. Many are the battles we can have and many are the storms that assail us. I do think Christians have a greater measure of these that people in the world because it is ...read more

Scripture: Daniel 12:2, Genesis 2:7, Genesis 3:19, Psalm 34:4, Psalm 27:3, 2 Corinthians 12:10  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: We Are Frail, A Christian Poem, Strength, Weakness, I Am Weak, Dust Of The Ground, Christian Poetry, Dust Made From Dust  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[351]. A Message From A Poem – Wrath Must Surely Come

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on May 18, 2026

[351]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – WRATH MUST SURELY COME This poem opens with the ride of wickedness in the world where decency is destroyed and delusion has taken over. Then it moves to God’s wrath that will come. Two lines are these – Man considers not his end; Cares not that God has appointed ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:9, Ephesians 5:6, Romans 1:18, Acts 17:31

Tags: Judgment, The Wrath Of God, Christian Poems

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Are Homemade Cookies Addictive?

Contributed by James Snyder on Aug 8, 2020

Some people say we are living in the "new normal." I'm not sure exactly what they mean, and I don't have the time to ask, nor the desire. If the "new normal" is what I have been experiencing in the parsonage for the last several months, I'm all for it. Let it ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 3:18

Tags: Humor, Negioating

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

What’s So Peasy About Easy?

Contributed by James Snyder on Mar 6, 2021

I am nowhere to be found when it comes to crafts, remodeling, and just plain fixer-uppers. My carpentry skills are nowhere to be found even though I've looked for a long time. If I try to fix something, I make it worse than it was. Fixing is not my strong suit. On the other side of the ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 2:18

Tags: Eve, Labor

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

A National Prayer Of Repentance  PRO

Contributed by Troy Borst on May 31, 2001

A NATIONAL PRAYER OF REPENTANCE Joe Wright is the pastor of Central Christian Church in Wichita, KS. On January 23, 1996, He was asked to be the guest chaplain for the Kansas State House in Topeka. He prayed a prayer of repentance that was written by Bob Russell, pastor of Southeast ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:18-21

Tags: Independence Day, National, Prayer, Prayer Confession, Repentance, Walk, Controversial  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

I Had The Meanest Parents In All The World. When ...  PRO

Contributed by Andrew Chan on May 3, 2002

I had the meanest parents in all the world. When I was seven years old they dared to spank me just because I told them I would not do what they asked me to do to help around the house. My friend next door never got spanked. He didn’t have to help at home. He had nice parents. I had the meanest ...read more

Tags: Parenting

Denomination: Evangelical Free