In Sermon Illustrations: "Illustration"

All Your Strength

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Illustration: One day a small boy was trying to lift a heavy stone, but he couldn’t budge it. His father, passing by, stopped to watch his efforts. Finally he said to his son: “Are you using all your strength?’ “Yes, I am,” the boy cried, exasperated. “No,” the father said calmly, “You’re not. ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:13

Tags: God Brings Purpose

A Degree And A Half Routing Error

Contributed by Donny Granberry on Jun 22, 2007

*ILLUSTRATION* On October 31, 1983, a Korean airliner departed on a flight from Anchorage, Alaska to Seoul, South Korea. Unknown to the flight crew, the flight navigation system computer contained a degree-and-a-half routing error. At the point of takeoff it was unnoticeable, but as the 747 flew ...read more

Denomination: Assembly Of God

The Bird

Contributed by Donny Granberry on Jun 26, 2007

*ILLUSTRATION* I was out in the front yard working in my flower beds this past Thursday with my grandson when this bird came and rested in the tree right next to where we were. Mason will be 2 years old next week and he got so excited as he pointed at the bird and his gaze was intently on the ...read more

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Today In The Word, March 10, ...

Contributed by Troy Borst on Aug 20, 2007

ILLUSTRATION… Today in the Word, March 10, 1993. Deeply immersed in meditation during a church service, Italian poet Dante Alighieri failed to kneel at the appropriate moment. His enemies hurried to the bishop and demanded that Dante be punished for his sacrilege. Dante defended himself by saying, ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Influence

Contributed by Lonnie Erwin on Oct 5, 2007

Illustration: Influence One of the strange sights on the Dutch Windward Islands in the Caribbean is the Divi-Divi tree. Because the winds blow almost constantly from the east, all of the branches grow on one side of the tree. You can look at a Divi-Divi tree and always know which is east and ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

My Timer Is Set For 30 Minutes ...

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Oct 22, 2007

Illustration: My timer is set for 30 minutes again: You may be thinking, “How many people will die in the world in 30 minutes?” The answer is 3,240 people. But here is a major problem - It is estimated that only 7% of the world’s population is ready to go to Heaven. That means 3,024 go to Hell ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Poverty Perspective  PRO

Contributed by Richard Goble on Nov 16, 2007

Poverty Perspective In Hollywood there is an exclusive school attended by children of movie stars, producers, and directors. Asked to write a composition on the subject of poverty, one little girl started her literary piece: "Once there was a poor little girl. Her father was poor, her mother was ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Selfish  PRO

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Jan 19, 2008

Selfish A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin, 5, and Ryan, 3. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. “If Jesus were sitting here, He would say, ‘Let my brother have the first pancake; I can wait.” Kevin ...read more

Denomination: Other

Fear Moves Us

Contributed by Robert Clark on Jun 19, 2009

FEAR MOVES US Fear is used by those with a platform to move us in the direction they desire. Fear sells (magazines, newspapers, TV ratings/ads...). Fear wins political contests. Fear is used by parents. And all too often fear is used by the church. Illustration: Print articles add up to $543M. ...read more

Tags: Fear And Worry

Denomination: Methodist

History Is Story Of Unforseen  PRO

Contributed by Rodelio Mallari on Dec 12, 2010

HISTORY IS STORY OF UNFORSEEN In the introduction to his A History of Europe, H.A.L. Fisher writes: "Men wiser and more learned than I have discovered in history a plot, a rhythm, a predetermined pattern. But these harmonies are concealed from me. I can see only one emergency following ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 4:1-17

Tags: Power

Denomination: *other

Man Has Yet To Conquer Himself  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 15, 2011

MAN HAS YET TO CONQUER HIMSELF Ravi Zacharias put it well when he said, "In an attempt to be reasonable, man has become irrational. In an attempt to deify himself, he has defaced himself. In an attempt to be free, he has made himself a slave. And like Alexander the Great, he has conquered the ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 29:23

Tags: Pride

The Love Of God Explained

Contributed by Rodelio Mallari on Jan 10, 2012

THE LOVE OF GOD EXPLAINED A certain medieval monk announced he would be preaching next Sunday evening on "The Love of God." As the shadows fell and the light ceased to come in through the cathedral windows, the congregation gathered. In the darkness of the altar, the monk lighted a candle and ...read more

Tags: God's Love

Denomination: *other

Keepers Of The Aquarium

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Mar 14, 2023

The late Sam Shoemaker, an Episcopalian bishop, summed up the situation this way: "In the Great Commission the Lord has called us to be--like Peter--fishers of men. We've turned the commission around so that we have become merely keepers of the aquarium. Occasionally I take some fish out ...read more

Scripture: Romans 3:23

Tags: Churches, Great Commission, Sin, Salvation, Gospel, Witnessing, Lost, Pastors, Evangelism, Grace  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Where Are The Nail Prints In Your Hands?

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Dec 4, 2023

During the Middle Ages there was a popular story which circulated about Martin of Tours, for whom Martin Luther was named. It was said that Satan once appeared to St Martin in the guise of the Savior himself saying that he was Jesus. Martin was ready to fall to his feet and worship this ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:8

Tags: Temptation, Blood Of Jesus, Atonement, Satan, Spiritual Warfare, Cross  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Ephesians 5:15-16, "Be Very Careful, Then, How ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Ephesians 5:15-16, “Be very careful, then, how you live— not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” Jesus calls us to “make the most of every opportunity to fulfill His mission and ours. “D. L. Moody said that his ‘greatest mistake’ occurred ...read more

Tags: Evangelism How To

Philosophical Arguments Can Be Very Confusing And ...

Contributed by Nigel Heath on Aug 12, 2009

Philosophical arguments can be very confusing and also very convincing. ILLUSTR RC Sproul quotes some research that reveals: ‘Over 90% of students entering college in USA are convinced of, and committed to the relativity of truth’ = That there is no objective reality. What is actually being ...read more

Tags: Truth

Denomination: Baptist

Out-Of-Whack Priorities

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 26, 2011

OUT-OF-WHACK PRIORITIES USA Today ran an article on October 25th, 1995 that is a great illustration about priorities. It reads... "Ronald Warwick, captain of the luxury cruise ship Queen Elizabeth II, questioned a passenger who paid full fare for his dog to join them on an around-the-world ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 2:15-17

Tags: Worldliness

I Give Up!

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 31, 2022

Many years ago, executives of the Time-Life publishing organization discovered that the company’s profit margin had shrunk to an alarmingly low level. To cut costs, they decided to eliminate hundreds of works to be replaced with machines. The name of each subscriber was put on a separate little ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:7

Tags: Grace, Forgiveness

I'm Raising Kids!

Contributed by Kevin Earls on Oct 25, 2006

Illustration: I’m Raising Kids! Harmon Killebrew, the great baseball player of yesteryear, tells in his autobiography about growing up in a home with four boys. He says that on one occasion his father was out in the front yard playing baseball with the boys and a neighbor walked by and said, "Mr. ...read more

Denomination: Independent/Bible

In His Book One Crowded Hour, Tim ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 26, 2007

(Illustration) In his book One Crowded Hour, Tim Bowden describes an incident in Borneo in 1964. Nepalese fighters known as Gurkhas were asked if they would be willing to jump from airplanes into combat against the Indonesians. The Gurkhas did not clearly understand what was involved, but they ...read more