In Sermon Illustrations: "It Came To Pass"

Climate At Church Compared To Jewelry Store Grand ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 11, 2009

Climate at Church compared to Jewelry Store Grand Opening John Bisagno former Pastor of Houston’s First Baptist Church tells the story of his coming as a candidate for the position of pastor many years ago. He said that as he entered the auditorium it was dimly lit, with just a few people huddled ...read more

Scripture: Luke 4:14-30

Tags: Pastors

Fear Of Flying

Contributed by Jim Kane on Feb 27, 2010

FEAR OF FLYING Some people are sacred to death of flying. To think of getting on airplane and taking off at 150 MPH, climb to an altitude of 30,000 feet and go 400 or so MPH, is a bit much. Reminds me of the story told years ago about a flight of a four-engine jet plane. It was a lengthy flight ...read more

Tags: Fear And Worry

Denomination: Church Of God

Sports And Church

Contributed by Donnie Martin on Mar 13, 2010

SPORTS AND CHURCH Football in the fall. Basketball in the winter. Baseball in the spring and summer. This pastor has been an avid sports fan all his life. But I’ve had it! I quit this sports business once and for all. You can’t get me near one of those places again. Want to know why... Every time ...read more

Tags: Church General

Denomination: Baptist

The Body Reaching Out

Contributed by Jerry Blaxton on Mar 22, 2010

THE BODY REACHING OUT When I was in seminary and I moved into the dormitory, I went to the largest church in Fort Worth at the time. I was looking for a church to join, because I believe it's important for Christians to be a part of a local church. I didn't like the idea of "shopping around" for a ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Denomination: Baptist

A Light In The Darkness  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 4, 2011

A LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS In 1963, my grandfather was serving as the Senior Minister of West End United Methodist Church in Nashville. West End is situated right across the street from Vanderbilt University, and has always been a wealthy, predominately white church. One communion Sunday, a black ...read more

Scripture: Mark 11:17

Tags: Racism

Repentance And Baptism  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on May 11, 2011

REPENTANCE AND BAPTISM Steve Atkerson states: "John the Baptist explicitly stated the purpose of his baptism when he said, 'I baptize you with water for repentance' (Mt 3:11). Did John baptize them so that they could repent or because they already had repented? That is, was John's baptism a means ...read more

Tags: Baptism

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Deliver Us From Evil

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 12, 2011

DELIVER US FROM EVIL Dr. Thomas Dooley gave a chilling example related to this prayer. It came from his experience in Southeast Asia between 1954 and 1960. Dr. Dooley authored three books about conditions there, the most well-known being 'Deliver Us from Evil', published in 1956. The subject was ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:9-13

Tags: Lord's Prayer

Expectations And Reality

Contributed by Tim Hinrichs on Nov 29, 2011

EXPECTATIONS AND REALITY I had arrived only a couple weeks before in the Czech Republic and was living with a retired Czech couple in a small village. Being the only American in the area I was somewhat a celebrity. One day a couple elders from a local church visited me to ask if I would preach in ...read more

Tags: Disappointment

Denomination: Lutheran

Wife Died

Contributed by Davon Huss on Jul 3, 2015

Booth-Tucker preached in Chicago one day, and out from the throng a burdened laborer came and said to him, before all the audience, "You can talk like that about how Christ is dear to you, and helps you; but if your wife was dead, as my wife is, and you had some babies crying for their mother who ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:10

Tags: Grief, God's Comfort, Christ's Sufficiency, The Comforter

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Ugly Woman

Contributed by Daniel King, D. Min. on Jul 25, 2018

Main Idea: God was willing to pay a high price to redeem you because He thinks you are valuable. Verse: “You are of more value than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:31 NKJV). Illustration: In Africa, a groom must pay a bride price to a woman’s father in order to marry a woman. Usually, this dowry ...read more

Tags: Valuable, Value To God, You Are Valuable

Denomination: Charismatic

He'll Find Me

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 20, 2022

Two men have ended up marooned on an island in the South Pacific. On the deserted island is one palm tree and nothing to see but the ocean. One guy is in a complete panic, pacing back and forth, ranting about how they are going to die, hungry and alone, that nobody will stumble on them until they ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:2-4

Tags: Giving, Tithes, Offerings

They Will Know What Jesus Looks Like Now

Contributed by Timothy Lueking on Apr 3, 2023

Maybe you have heard the story of a young boy who was given an assignment in his elementary art class. He was asked to draw a picture of something that was priceless to him. He thought about all things he valued and then the idea came to him as to what was most important and valuable. Throughout ...read more

Scripture: John 1:18, 1 John 4:12, 1 Timothy 6:15-16, Mark 16:15

Tags: Image Of God, Share Your Faith

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

In God's Time

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Sep 20, 2023

The little boy walked home from Sunday School and the family were sitting around the old pot-bellied stove talking. The boy told his dad and Pa about the lesson. The boy was so excited. He told them he had gone to the altar and accepted Jesus as his personal Savior. The boy said he was going to ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Tags: Time, Serve

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Refuse To Change

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Sep 5, 2025

I RATHER CHOSE INSANITY THAN CHANGE? I REFUSE TO CHANGE. I EXPECT THE WHOLE WORLD TO CHANGE! WHY SHOULD I CHANGE? CHANGE? THERE IS A WARNING OF TERRIBLE COST TO THOSE THAT REFUSE TO CHANGE. There was a huge oil tanker that carried over a million barrels of oil across the ocean. One dark, ...read more

Scripture: Daniel 4:22-31, Isaiah 43:19, Deuteronomy 31:8

Tags: Change, Adapt

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Amazing Grace

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Oct 24, 2025

Amazing Grace Paul wrote of a higher righteousness that comes from God himself and never depends on our doings. Whenever we know that righteousness of God firsthand, it always changes our lives. One man tells that one day he blundered into an affair with someone else’s wife. He was weak and ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:1-16

Tags: Higher Righteousness, Amazing Grace

Denomination: Anglican

The Pit

Contributed by John Bright on Jan 18, 2026

The Pit man fell into a pit and couldn't get himself out. A subjective person came along and said: "I feel for you down there." An objective person came along and said: "It's logical that someone would fall down there." A Pharisee said: "Only bad people fall into ...read more

Scripture: James 1:22-27

Tags: Jesus, Helping Others

Denomination: Methodist

During The Second World War A Company Of American ...  PRO

Contributed by Michael Uebergang on Apr 12, 2006

During the Second World War a company of American soldiers was marching through France when a little old lady approached them with a broom over her shoulder. She joined the soldiers and began to march with them. The soldiers smiled at the lady and told her to please step aside because she could ...read more

Tags: Call Of The Disciples

Denomination: Lutheran

A Man Was Once Driving Along A Narrow, Winding ...

Contributed by Bryan Dill on Nov 26, 2006

A man was once driving along a narrow, winding road, in his sedan, when all of a sudden, a woman driving a large Rolls Royce came hurtling around the corner, nearly driving him off the road. As she drove by the man, he heard her shout, “Pig!” Immediately, the man retaliated by yelling back, “Fat ...read more

Tags: Anger

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A "Do It Yourself" Catalog Firm Received The ...

Contributed by Steven Kelso on Dec 4, 2006

A "Do it yourself" catalog firm received the following letter from one of its customers: "I built a birdhouse according to your stupid plans, and not only is it much too big, it keeps blowing out of the tree. Signed, Angry The firm replied: "Dear Angry, We’re sorry about the mix-up. We accidentally ...read more

Tags: What Is Evangelism?

Denomination: Holiness

The Message Of Jubilee Was That When You Live ...

Contributed by Randall Bergsma on Dec 19, 2006

The message of Jubilee was that when you live with God your failures couldn’t ruin you for good. A fresh start was always coming. God is a god who flips things around to remake them. Isaiah even points at it with a word play. Verse 3: a crown (phe-er) instead of ashes (epher, ). Ashes were the ...read more

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed