In Sermon Illustrations: "Illustration"

Life Examples: Elijah: Responding To Stress (1 ...

Contributed by Nathan Parker on Mar 10, 2007

Life Examples: Elijah: Responding to Stress (1 Kings 19:3) Stressful situations can drive us to inappropriate responses. The prophet Elijah illustrates the importance of viewing circumstances from God’s perspective. God sent the prophet to rescue Israel from its moral and spiritual decline. ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 19:3

Denomination: Baptist

Attitude Is Everything!  PRO

Contributed by Joel Vicente on Sep 21, 2002

Illustrate: Attitude is everything! 1. A chaplain told a young soldier who’s laying on a cot, “Son, you lost your right arm in this war.” The young soldier said, “No, I kept my left arm in this war” 2. A neighbor told her Christian neighbor after a care accident, “Aren’t you mad at God for this ...read more

Tags: Joy

Denomination: Baptist

Th Lord Is A Personal God And There Are Some ...  PRO

Contributed by Spencer Cunnah on Oct 4, 2002

Th Lord is a personal God and there are some ministries for which He has no deputies because He wants to do them Himself. He is the One who cares for His people. Illustration. I remember coming home the first time from university. My mother came up as I was ready to go to bed and asked : Son, are ...read more

Tags: Promises Of God

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Being Still  PRO

Contributed by Dan Cormie on Oct 25, 2002

BEING STILL Before refrigerators, people used icehouses to preserve their food. Icehouses had thick walls, no windows, and a tightly fitted door. In winter, when streams and lakes were frozen, large blocks of ice were cut, hauled to the icehouses, and covered with sawdust. Often the ice would ...read more

Tags: Prayer Adoration, Prayer How To

Denomination: Mennonite

Finding Real Power  PRO

Contributed by John Williams Iii on Jun 3, 2003

FINDING REAL POWER Someone has wisely said what it takes to find freedom in the power of the Holy Spirit. "It costs much to obtain the power of the Spirit. It costs self-surrender and humiliation and the yielding up of the most precious things to God. It costs the perseverance of long waiting ...read more

Tags: Holy Spirit Attributes, Holy Spirit General

Denomination: United Methodist

Two Theological Students Were Walking Along A ...  PRO

Contributed by Davon Huss on Oct 27, 2003

Two theological students were walking along a street in the Whitechapel district of London, a section where old and used clothing is sold. "What a fitting illustration all this makes!" said one of the students as he pointed to a suit of clothes hanging on a rack by a window. A sign on it read: ...read more

Tags: Christian Disciplines, Holiness

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Pastor Had Gathered A Selected Group Of Workers ...  PRO

Contributed by Tim Zingale on Jun 30, 2004

A pastor had gathered a selected group of workers to train them to witness for Jesus. A young worker was complaining to a veteran caller about one of the people he had visited. "I’ tried to tell him about Jesus, I tried to tell him about the love Jesus had for Him. I tried to tell him that Jesus ...read more

Tags: Evangelism Urgency, Evangelism How To

Denomination: Lutheran

The Bay Of Fundy At The Head Of The ...

Contributed by John Ingham on Aug 19, 2004

Illustration: The Bay of Fundy at the head of the St. Lawrence River is 110 miles long and 32 miles wide when it empties into the bay. It is a spectacle to see the currents of the mighty St.Lawrence rushing to meet the tides of the Atlantic Ocean. You would think there could never be anything that ...read more

Tags: Faith General

Denomination: Pentecostal

Several Years Ago, An Experiment On Endurance Was ...  PRO

Contributed by David Yarbrough on Oct 15, 2001

Several years ago, an experiment on endurance was conducted at the University of California at Berkeley. The experiment involved placing Norwegian field rats in a tub of water, where they were forced to swim until they grew exhausted and finally drowned. During the first experiment, the researchers ...read more

Tags: God Brings Hope, Hardship Of Life, Faith

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Land Of Persia Was Once Ruled By A Wise And ...  PRO

Contributed by David Dewitt on Dec 9, 2001

The land of Persia was once ruled by a wise and beloved Shah who cared greatly for his people and desired only what was best for them. One day he disguised himself as a poor man and went to visit the public baths. The water for the baths was heated by a furnace in the cellar, so the Shah made his ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness In Jesus, Humanity Of Christ

Denomination: Church Of God

Some Years Ago Before The Death Of Mother ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2001

Some years ago before the death of Mother Theresa, a television special depicted the grim human conditions that were a part of her daily life. It showed all the horror of the slums of Calcutta and her love for these destitute people. The producer interviewed her as she made her rounds in that ...read more

Tags: Compassion, Forgiveness General, Poverty

The Meek Person Has A Powerful Relationship With ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

THE MEEK PERSON HAS A POWERFUL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD THAT RELAXES THE SPIRIT, CALMS THE SOUL, OVERCOMES FEAR, AND ENABLES GREAT THINGS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED IN THE NAME OF JESUS. V. IN CONTRAST, THE UN-MEEK TRY TO BUILD A FORMIDABLE EXTERIOR BUT ARE CRIPPLED INSIDE WITH FEAR AND STRESS. THERE IS A ...read more

Tags: Men And Women

On September 3, 1939, Dr. Donald Grey Barnhouse ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

On September 3, 1939, Dr. Donald Grey Barnhouse was traveling by train through Europe on the way to preach in Belfast, Ireland. Hitler was unleashing his fury. There were wars and rumors of more wars. Britain’s prime minister was ready to declare war. Everything was tense. What was next? Troops ...read more

Tags: Gifts Encouragement

Servant's Heart

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Illustration- Servant’s Heart A minister shared how in his church they were in desperate need of a person to teach a junior high boys class. • Those willing to do it came down to a list with one name on it. • When the minister heard the name he said, ‘You have got to be kidding’. He says now ...read more

Tags: God In The Hardships

The Steam Ship, Central America, On Its Maiden ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

The steam ship, Central America, on its maiden voyage from New York City to San Francisco harbor, sprang a leak in mid-ocean and began to go down. A distress signal was sent out over the air waves. A rescue vessel rushed to the scene. Upon reaching the scene, the captain of the rescuer vessel sent ...read more

Tags: Easter Resurrection

Have You Ever Been In Front Of A Camera When The ...  PRO

Contributed by Don Hawks on Jun 22, 2007

Have you ever been in front of a camera when the flash went off and you were blinded for a moment? This is the way some problems hit us. We are blinded by the problems that seem overwhelming to such a degree that we don’t know what to do. We can’t see anything. We can’t see past the problem or the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 17:46-47

Denomination: Methodist

Needs Are Different

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Jul 8, 2007

Illustration: Needs Are Different Perhaps our understanding for marriage is to give our spouse what we feel is best. Dr. Willard Harley, a Massachusetts psychologist, surveyed the perceived basic needs of men and women in marriage and found that the perceived needs are completely different. ...read more

Denomination: Other

The Story Is Told Of A Man Who Requested In His ...

Contributed by Timothy Smith on Jul 27, 2007

The story is told of a man who requested in his will to be buried in a very unusual way. When he died, he wanted everyone to look upon him as successful, so he asked that after his death his body be placed propped behind the wheel of a brand new pink Cadillac, and to have a smile on his face and an ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:10-17

Denomination: Christian Church

John Wesley, An Autobiographical Sketch  PRO

Contributed by Lonnie Erwin on Oct 12, 2007

Illustration:: John Wesley describes his pilgrimage in terms of his preaching rather vividly. It parallels closely his inward growth. (1) From the year 1725 to 1729 I preached much, but saw no fruit of my labor. (2) From the year 1729 to 1734, laying a deeper foundation of repentance, I saw ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

The Test Of A Truly Great Man

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Dec 8, 2007

Quotes: The Test of a Truly Great Man It was John Riskin who said, “I believe the first test of a truly great man is his humility. I do not mean by humility, doubt of his own power, or hesitation in speaking his opinion. But really great men have a ... feeling that the greatness is not in them but ...read more

Denomination: Other