In Sermon Illustrations: "I Cant"

What Occupies Your Heart?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 12, 2011

WHAT OCCUPIES YOUR HEART? I squirmed a bit as I forced myself to listen to my friend cataloging her problems. After three hours, I interrupted her gently to ask, "If you were to draw a circle to represent your life, what would be in the center?" She thought a moment, then said, "My problems." My ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 26:3

Tags: Death Nearness

Tonsillitis: Growing With God

Contributed by Ronnie Miller on Sep 8, 2011

TONSILLITIS: GROWING WITH GOD I remember when I was growing up as a small boy I had problems with my tonsils. During the winter months I would get tonsillitis and that would turn into strep throat. Mom and Dad would take me to Dr. Newsom in Pilot Mountain. He would always give me a shot of ...read more

Scripture: Romans 11:33-36

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Denomination: Baptist

Coping With Complaining

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 21, 2012

COPING WITH COMPLAINING How do you cope with complaining, nagging, whine-baby people? Internet discussion board posted this: Why do people complain so much? I know it's a natural thing but it has to be unhealthy. At my job people never stop complaining. Every day it's either too hot or too cold. ...read more

Tags: Complaining

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Watch Where You're Going!

Contributed by Tim Smith on May 28, 2015

I had just flown back home from attending a class for my Doctorate in Pasadena, CA. The week was filled with long days and short nights. I had an early morning flight and then flew most of the day. By the time I got home, I was exhausted. Yet I didn’t want to miss my workout so I headed to the gym. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:13-14

Tags: Consequences, Watchful Servants, Direction Of Life

Denomination: Methodist

Follow The Light

Contributed by Tim Baker on Jan 5, 2018

When I flew airplanes regularly landing at night was very different than daylight. I would use the instruments to guide me to the airport over most of the trip, but since I was a VFR pilot I would use my eyes outside of the cockpit to land the plane. In the daylight using your eyes to land was ...read more

Tags: Light, Light And Darkness, Light For Our Path

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Who Needs Twitter!

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Aug 20, 2019

We all want our lives to matter, and we believe they only matter if they are noticed by someone. I wonder if this desire for a witness isn't what fuels a lot of blogs, Facebook, and especially Twitter. We want someone, anyone, to take notice … to care about us … to watch us and by their ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 139:1-12

Tags: Communication, Self Esteem, Relationship

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

One Day, After A Near Eternity In The Garden Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Philip Cunningham Iii on Dec 17, 2007

One day, after a near eternity in the Garden of Eden, Adam calls out, "Lord, I have a problem." "What’s the problem, Adam?", The Lord replies. "Lord, I know you created me and have provided for me and surrounded me with this beautiful garden and all of these wonderful animals, but I’m just not ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

No Hope

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 8, 2008

Apart from God, there is no _HOPE_ Those of you who know me well, may know that before I was married, my closest and dearest friends were my parents and my brothers. As a result, some of the most painful times I have endured were when I went away to seminary. Living alone in a trailer in Arkansas, ...read more

Scripture: Luke 16:16-31

Tags: Homecoming

Good Intentions

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Nov 29, 2021

In our younger days, my husband and I sign up for a “boot camp” fitness class. This class costs $300 per person for ten classes. At the start of the first class, our instructor. Tara, does a quick roll-call. She frowns and comments: “Hmm, Susie isn’t here. That’s a shame; attending the first ...read more

Scripture: Romans 15:14-33

Tags: Unrealized Intentions, Excuses, Discipline, Follow Through, Explanations  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

An Admission Of Guilt

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on May 14, 2023

There once was a governor of the state of Texas who received an invitation to speak at one of the penitentiaries in that state. He spoke to the assembled prisoners and afterwards said that he would be around for a while to listen to anything any of the convicts might wish to tell him. He could take ...read more

Scripture: John 3:1-26

Tags: Confession, Testimony, Guilt, Pardon

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Hope Ain't Hoping

Contributed by John Bright on May 27, 2023

I want to give you a shorthand way of remembering the difference between the hope in our Bibles and the hope out in the world. Hope ain’t hoping. Today, folks plan outside events and say, “I sure hope it doesn’t rain.” Every Sunday, some folks may show up here and say, “I sure hope PJ doesn’t ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:3-5

Tags: Faith, Hope, Hoping

Denomination: Methodist

The New Guideposts Christmas Treasury (3) Tells ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

The New Guideposts Christmas Treasury (3) tells a story of a little girl was wasn’t easy to love. Her name was Phyllis, and her Sunday School Teacher tells this story about her: "Phyllis wasn’t an easy child to love...sometimes I did wish she wasn’t in the particular Sunday School class that I ...read more

Scripture: Luke 1:46-55

Tags: Christmas, Children

Spellcheck Fail

Contributed by Todd Catteau on Jun 1, 2021

I’m a terrible typist. I’m old enough to have taken typing class in high school when that kind of thing was taught, but I never thought that I would need to be proficient on a keyboard; so I bowed out. Typing was not in my future. But here I am on a keyboard just about every workday hunting and ...read more

Scripture: Judges 21:25, Deuteronomy 12:8, Judges 17:6

Tags: Judges, Sin, Evil, Deception, Wrong, Right, Morals, Ethics, Morality  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Nancy Spiegelberg, In The November Issue Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Howell on Jul 7, 2003

Nancy Spiegelberg, in the November issue of Decision magazine, wrote these words: Lord, I crawled across the barrenness to You with my empty cup, uncertain but asking any small drop of refreshment. If ...read more

Tags: Doubt, Faith General

Denomination: Wesleyan

There Is No Country In The World Where ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"There is no country in the world where machinery is so lovely as in America. It was not until I had seen the water-works at Chicago that I realised the wonders of machinery; the rise and fall of the steel rods, the symmetrical ...read more

Tags: Possession

Flip Wilson's Religion

Contributed by Perry Greene on Jan 19, 2012

FLIP WILSON'S RELIGION A person asked Flip Wilson about his religion and he replied, "I am a Jehovah's By-Stander." "I never heard of that, what is it?" Flip answered, "They ...read more

Tags: Commitment To Christ

Denomination: Independent/Bible

They Took Away…  PRO

Contributed by Curtis Kittrell on Apr 17, 2002

They took away what should have been my eyes, (But I remembered Milton’s Paradise). They took away what should have been my ears, (Beethoven came and wiped away my tears). They took away what should have been my tongue, (But I had walked with God when I was young). He ...read more

Tags: Evangelism The Lost, God's Provision, Human Body

Denomination: Pentecostal

Look To The Stars  PRO

Contributed by Paul Fritz on May 20, 2002

Title: Look to the Stars One night Abraham Lincoln suggested to a young man that they take a walk along a country road. Lincoln lifted his eyes to the heavens full of stars and said, "I never behold them that I don’t feel I am looking into the face of God. A man might look down upon the ...read more

Tags: Apologetics, Joy, Humility

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Calvin And Hobbes: House Flooded

Contributed by Don Hawks on Jun 19, 2002

From a Calvin and Hobbes comic strip); CALVIN (Calling father at work): Hi Dad, it’s me Calvin. How’s Work Going? Uh-huh. Pretty out isn’t it? Yup. Are you bringing me any presents home tonight?..No? Well I just thought I’d ask. Listen, I suppose you’re wondering why I ...read more

Tags: God The Father, Children, Parenting

Denomination: Methodist

In The Comic Strip, Calvin And Hobbes, Calvin Is ...

Contributed by Brad Bailey on Aug 9, 2004

In the comic strip, Calvin and Hobbes, Calvin is at school, and his teacher is attempting to teach the class. She begins, “ If there are no questions, we will move on to the next chapter. I have a question. Certainly Calvin, what is it? What’s the point of human existence? I meant any questions ...read more

Tags: Finding Fulfillment

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational