In Sermon Illustrations: "Interpreting The Word"

Eugene Peterson, From His Intro To Proverbs In ...

Contributed by C Jordan on May 1, 2011

Eugene Peterson, from his intro to Proverbs in The Message Bible: "Wisdom has to do with becoming skillful in honoring our parents and raising our children, handling our money and conducting our sexual lives, going to work and exercising leadership, using words well and treating friends kindly, ...read more

Tags: Wisdom

Denomination: *other

The First Sentence  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 23, 2011

THE FIRST SENTENCE Paul Harvey once told about a group of scientists who were determined to teach a chimpanzee to write. For fourteen years, the scientists labored diligently and patiently with this chimpanzee, providing things in its cage to enable it to form certain syllables. Finally the day ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:1

Tags: Creation

Elvis Growing Up

Contributed by Johnny A. Palmer Jr. on Jan 13, 2012

ELVIS GROWING UP Elvis once said, "We were an affectionate family. My mother was the most wonderful person in the world. I always felt a little bit lonely--maybe a better word would be 'incomplete'--when I was little. But I could tell my mother about it, how I felt and then the feeling would go ...read more

Tags: Family

Denomination: Baptist

Giving The Spirit His Due

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Aug 17, 2012

GIVING THE SPIRIT HIS DUE "The Holy Spirit is underappreciated and under preached by the twenty-first-century church. There is a prejudice of sorts against the Holy Spirit that impedes many from learning more about him. The body of Christ is often divided into two sides. One side stresses the Word ...read more

Tags: Holy Spirit General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Door

Contributed by Joe Bertone on Aug 27, 2012

THE DOOR There is a small metal door painted white in the side of a tiny mission church in Johannesburg South Africa. This door is changing lives. On it are painted the words “door of hope.” That is exactly what it is for various babies within the city. On average some forty to fifty babies were ...read more

Scripture: John 10:1-10

Tags: Baby, Salvation, Missions, Hope, Door, Jesus Christ, I Am, Saving  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Napoleon On Jesus  PRO

Contributed by Lalachan Abraham on Feb 18, 2013

NAPOLEON ON JESUS The emperor and conqueror of nations, Napoleon Bonaparte, rightly recognized the absolute uniqueness of Jesus, & expressed it in these words: "I know men, and I tell you that Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between Him and every other person in the World there is no possible term of ...read more

Scripture: Daniel 4:34, Acts 1:8

Tags: God's Love

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Harvard University Handbook.....amazing!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on May 19, 2016

THE HARVARD UNIVERSITY HANDBOOK.......AMAZING! These words were printed in the first Harvard University handbook! "Let every student be plainly instructed and earnestly pressed to consider well, the main end of his life and studies is, to know God and Jesus Christ, which is eternal life, John ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:1-17

Tags: Bible, Humanism, Liberalism, American History

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Prayer For Preachers

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Jun 10, 2019

A Prayer for Preachers O God, our Father; you love all your children. Those at home and those away from home. As I proclaim the gospel, may your voice be heard, calling. May Christ our Lord be praised. Good news; hope for the hopeless Good news; love for the broken Good news; forgiveness at the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

Tags: Preaching, Prayer

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Dying Church

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Oct 13, 2019

John MacArthur tells this awesome story: There once was an old church in England. A sign on the front of the building read, ''We preach Christ crucified.'' After a time, ivy grew up and obscured the last word and it read, 'We preach Christ.'' The ivy grew some ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 3:1-10

Tags: Church, Revival, Repentance, Mission

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Christ Emptied Himself

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Nov 25, 2019

Kenosis: “The term kenosis comes from the Greek word for the doctrine of Christ’s self-emptying in His incarnation. The kenosis was a self-renunciation, not an emptying Himself of deity nor an exchange of deity for humanity. Philippians 2:7 tells us that Jesus “emptied Himself, taking the form of a ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:5-11

Tags: Christmas, Incarnation, Kenosis, Christ's Humility, Emptying  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Help Of God

Contributed by Rev. Duraimony Dickson on Nov 20, 2020

Alex Haley, the author of "Roots," had an unusual picture hanging on his office wall. It was a picture of a turtle on top of a fence post. When asked, "Why is that there?" Alex Haley answered, "Every time I write something significant, every time I read my words and think ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 121:1

Tags: God, Help, Assistance

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Jesus And I

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 4, 2021

When missionary Dan Crawford's body was found, a well worn New Testament was found in the coat pocket of that great missionary to Africa. Inside he had penned the words of a man unashamed of the testimony of His Lord: I cannot do it alone! The waves dash fast and high; The fog comes chilling ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:12, Romans 1:16

Tags: Fellowship, Communion, Discipleship, Suffering, Testimony, Ashamed Of Christ  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Book Of Re-Evaluation!!!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 1, 2022

Charles Schulz consistently provided helpful and humorous insights through his Peanuts comic strip. In one run he showed Charlie Brown's sister, Sally, struggling with her memory verse for Sunday. She was lost in her thoughts trying to figure it out when she recalled, "Maybe it was ...read more

Tags: Repentance, Evaluation, Seven Churches, Church, Revival  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Thoreau Was A Fool.

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Apr 18, 2022

When Henry David Thoreau was on his deathbed, he was visited by a minister who urged his dying friend to be ready for death: “Do you know where you’re going in the next world?” Thoreau waved him away with the words, “One world at a time.” His attitude has caused humanists to uphold him as a man ...read more

Tags: Evangelism, Hell, Death, Salvation, Judgment, Repentance, Lost, Humanism, Unbelievers, Atheists, Agnostics  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

How Does The Worm Get Inside An Apple?

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Mar 12, 2023

How does a worm get inside an apple? Perhaps you think the worm burrows in from the outside. No, scientists have discovered that the worm comes from inside. But how does he get in there? Simple! An insect lays an egg in the apple blossom. Sometime later, the worm hatches in the heart of the ...read more

Scripture: Romans 3:23

Tags: Sin, Salvation, Temptation, Adam, Sinful Nature, Sinners, Death  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Seven Facts About False Teachers

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jul 2, 2023

FALSE TEACHERS... * Have always been in the Church since Acts (Acts 20). * More false teachers will show up near the Rapture of the Church, i.e. “the last days” (II Timothy 3). * False teachers contradict the truth of the Word of God (John 17:17). * False teachers have 3 key wrong doctrines: ...read more

Tags: Holy Spirit, Satan, Discernment, False Teachers, False Teaching, Righteous Judgment  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Boy, Have I Got News For You!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Nov 29, 2023

A five year old boy had only one line to remember in a church Christmas pageant. Appearing in angel's garb, he was to say to the audience, "Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy! After practice, the little lad asked his mother, "What in the world does "tidings" ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:1-12, John 1:1-12

Tags: Humor, Birth Of Christ, Christmas Jokes, Christmas, Children, Advent  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Bridge That Wouldn't Break

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 8, 2024

As the Union Pacific Railroad was being constructed, an elaborate trestle bridge was built across a large canyon in the West. Wanting to test the bridge, the builder loaded a train with enough extra cars and equipment to double its normal payload. The train was then driven to the middle of the ...read more

Scripture: James 1:10-15

Tags: Satan, Spiritual Warfare, Temptation, Victory, Defeat, Jesus, Sin  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Little Speherd Boy

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Oct 24, 2025

At the turn of the 19th Century, there was a little Shepherd boy who used to come to Sunday school but was not very good in learning. His Sunday school teacher taught him the first five words of the 23rd Psalm. "The Lord is my Shepherd" (on "Shepherd" make a fist with your ...read more

Tags: Trust, Shepherd Boy

Denomination: Anglican

What Does Living By Faith Mean Today? It Means ...  PRO

Contributed by Owen Bourgaize on Oct 18, 2000

What does living by faith mean today? It means deciding what is the controlling principle in our lives. Is it luck or chance? I had just parked my car at the office and a lady came up to me and said, "That’s a nice car but I wouldn’t want to drive it!" I was rather puzzled and asked "Why not?" ...read more

Tags: Faith General

Denomination: Baptist