In Sermon Illustrations: "I Am The True Vine"

I Don't Want To Be One!

Contributed by Christopher Gregas on Sep 8, 2012

I DON'T WANT TO BE ONE! There was a pastor that was giving a "children’s sermon" to all the young children. And as they sate before him, a bright-eyed three-year-old girl listened intently as he explained that God wanted them all to get along and love each other. "God wants us all to be one," he ...read more

Tags: Unity

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

She Thinks I'm Real!

Contributed by Davon Huss on Dec 24, 2012

A story is told of a family that went into a restaurant. The waitress walked up and, looking at the young boy, said: “What will it be?” The boy eagerly shouted back: “I’ll take a hamburger, French fries, and a chocolate shake.” The mother immediately interrupted: “Oh, that’s not what he ...read more

Tags: Truth Of Christ

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

What I Saw At The Abortion Clinic

Contributed by Davon Huss on Jan 20, 2014

"What I Saw at the Abortion Clinic" by Richard Selzer. In this article he talks about witnessing a 19 week old fetus being aborted by an injection procedure no longer in use. He described the abortionist sliding the needle of the syringe into the woman's belly, and then, he writes, "I see ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 11:5

Tags: Abortion, Womb

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

I Will Give You Two Apples  PRO

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 29, 2014

I WILL GIVE YOU TWO APPLES An atheist and a little boy in his neighborhood were talking one day about God, church and faith. Finally, the old neighbor said to the little boy, "Son, I don’t see how there could be a God in this world with all of the problems we have. I will give you an apple if you ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 19:1-5

Tags: Faith, Apologetics, Atheism, Unbelief

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

"I Love You, Daddy. Amen."

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 14, 2014

James Dobson tells of the time he was away on a business trip. While he was away, and his wife and 2 children were sitting down to eat, his wife turned to their two year old son Ryan and asked if he would like to pray before he and sister ate. The invitation startled the little boy, but he folded ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 4:4-5

Tags: Thanksgiving, Children, Fathers Day, Prayer Before Meals

I'm Going For Help

Contributed by David Dunn on Sep 28, 2025

An airliner was making its way from New York to San Francisco. Midway across the country, one of the engines caught fire. The captain came on the intercom and calmly reassured the passengers, > “Don’t worry. The fire will be out soon. This aircraft can fly just fine with three engines.” Not ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 46:1-2, Isaiah 41:10, Matthew 28:20, John 14:27, Hebrews 13:5  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Faith, Trust, Sovereignty, Assurance, Providence  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

I Was At Calvary 2000 Years Ago

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Nov 6, 2022

Once during a trip to Israel, Dr. R.G. Lee visited the site where many believe Jesus Christ was crucified. He told his Arab guide that he wanted to walk to the top of the hill, but the guide tried to discourage him. The preacher was determined to climb the hill, so the guide accompanied him. When ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 2:20, Romans 5:8

Tags: Cross, Calvary, Golgotha, Identification With Christ

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I Aint The One Who Is Lost!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jul 12, 2023

A businessman was traveling through the country and stopped to ask a young boy for directions. "Son, I seem to be lost. Do you know how to get to next town?" The boy was eating an ice cream cone and slowly replied, "Nope." "Do you know far it is to the next ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16, 1 John 5:1-13

Tags: Children, Salvation, Humor, Lost, Eternal Life, Saved, Plan Of Salvation  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I Thought She Said, "Doughnut”

Contributed by James Snyder on Nov 2, 2024

As hard as I try, and believe me I try, I don’t always hear correctly, especially regarding The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage. I don’t always hear every word she says. I know God gave me two ears and only one mouth, but I must confess I use my mouth a lot more than I use my ears, which has ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 6:10

Tags: Humor, Hearing

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

What I Learned At The Recycling Center

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Jan 21, 2020

Recycling centers have always been something that fascinated me. Usually these companies are in buildings that were themselves built for another purpose, but were, well, “recycled” as places where we can take aluminum cans, newspapers, and so forth. Besides, we managed to save enough aluminum cans ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 36:20-25

Tags: Scripture, Bibles Destroyed

Denomination: Baptist

Tell Santa I Tried To Be Nice

Contributed by James Snyder on Dec 19, 2020

It’s that time of the year when the conversation around the dinner table in the Parsonage has to do with naughty or nice. I must admit it's not my favorite conversation because what is naughty, and what is nice? That all depends on who you're talking to. The Gracious Mistress of the ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 1:7

Tags: Christmas, Nice, Naughty

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

If I Had But One Sermon To Hear

Contributed by David Parks on Jun 16, 2021

IF I HAD BUT ONE SERMON TO HEAR In 1906 Charles Reynolds Brown was preaching in the San Francisco Bay area of California. That spring, on the Sunday generally designated as Easter, he and the other preachers of the region spoke to full houses. Years later, he mentioned that particular Sunday in his ...read more

Scripture: James 4:13-14

Tags: Death, Decision, Judgment, Natural Disasters

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

I Don’t Believe In Karma

Contributed by James Snyder on Oct 2, 2021

Some people believe in karma, but I don’t. Some people believe what you do will come back on you some way or the other. I do believe that everything you do does have consequences. Sometimes those consequences are small and insignificant and sometimes rather large and unbearing. Recently, my truck ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:7

Tags: Reaping, Karma, Sowing

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

I Just Kissed Yesterday Goodbye

Contributed by James Snyder on Jan 15, 2022

Focus is an essential part of getting something done. Sometimes my focus is more on yesterday than it is today. I waste a lot of time looking backward. The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage often rebukes me because I look in the past. I talk more about yesterday than I do today. On the other ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 118:24

Tags: Blessing, Focus

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Where I Used To Go To Church!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on May 4, 2022

A man was stranded on a deserted Pacific island for years. Finally, one day a boat comes sailing into view, and the man frantically waves and draws the skipper’s attention. The boat comes near the island and the sailor gets out and greets the stranded man. After a while the sailor asks, ...read more

Tags: Division, Church Splits, Church, Worship, Humor, Strife  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I've Been Reading The Book By Don Richardson, ...  PRO

Contributed by Dana Chau on Jun 23, 2003

I’ve been reading the book by Don Richardson, "Eternity In Their Hearts." In the book, Richardson tells of how God implants His plan for mankind’s eternity into their culture. In one section, he wrote about the difficulty missionaries had in communicating the good news of Jesus Christ to the ...read more

Tags: God The Father

Denomination: *other

I Received The Following Story As One Of Those ...  PRO

Contributed by David Brockhouse on Apr 3, 2008

I received the following story as one of those “dreaded” forwarded emails. I think it’s a fitting way to end a Wednesday Lenten message on Obedience ----from the eyes of a child. Story of God lives under the Bed. I envy Kevin. He thinks God lives under his bed. One night he was praying out loud ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 85:7-8

Tags: Fear, Doubt, Outreach, Man, Support, Obedience, Wish, Bottle, Genie, Love Others, Shepherd, Help, Trusting God, Goodness, Restoration, Finish  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Lutheran

I Close A Letter Emailed To Me. It Is From A ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

. I CLOSE A LETTER EMAILED TO ME. IT IS FROM A SOLDIER IN IRAQ, WHO WROTE HIS MOTHER ABOUT HIS SEARCH FOR SALVATION: “DEAR MOM, I AM FINE, BUT I LOST MY BEST FRIEND TODAY IN AN AMBUSH AND THE ONLY WAY I CAN EXPLAIN TO YOU WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME, IS TO TELL YOU THIS STORY: IMAGINE YOU ARE CRAWLING, ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

I Was Talking To A Man On Friday About Our ...

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on May 17, 2010

I was talking to a man on Friday about our Church. He said he didn’t like our way of doing Church. I asked him what he meant and he said that he could not see how a Church could have a band out the front and what appeared to him to be a concert going on and so many people. He said "That’s not my ...read more

Tags: Finances, Sharing Your Faith

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

When I Was In High School, My Thoughts Were; To ...

Contributed by Bruce Ball on Aug 30, 2010

When I was in high school, my thoughts were; to graduate, get a really good job and make lots of money and then live happily ever after. So, you can imagine what ran through my mind when I saw my ideal job being advertised in the paper. The ad read something like this: I need one young man who is ...read more

Tags: Evangelism, Zeal

Denomination: *other