In Sermon Illustrations: "James On Doing"

Irritation  PRO

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Jan 3, 2004

IRRITATION Imagine all of the obstacles a person might have to overcome if he were to walk from New York City to San Francisco. One man who accomplished this rare achievement mentioned a rather surprising difficulty when asked to tell of his biggest hurdle. He said that the toughest part of the ...read more

Scripture: James 1:2, James 1:2-4

Tags: Endurance

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Trying To Win Their Case Some Lawyers Have Been ...  PRO

Contributed by D. Greg Ebie on Jan 27, 2004

Trying to win their case some lawyers have been known to ask some incredibly unbelievable questions. The Massachusetts Bar Association Lawyer’s Journal gave the following example: Question: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse? Answer: No. Question: Did you check for ...read more

Scripture: James 2:14-26, James 2:14-17

Tags: Faith General

Denomination: Assembly Of God

The Seven Steps Of Temptation  PRO

Contributed by Melvin Maughmer, Jr. on Mar 11, 2004

THE SEVEN STEPS OF TEMPTATION: · Tempted – The thought of evil NOT A SIN YET!!! · Drawn away – strong imagination · Lust – self gratification and desire · Entice – weakening of the will · Lust conceived – yielding to that desire / carrying out the thought. · Sin – committing the act missing ...read more

Scripture: James 1:14-15, James 1:13-15

Tags: Temptation General

Denomination: Apostolic

Power Of A Praying Mother  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 28, 2004

POWER OF A PRAYING MOTHER The year was 1820 and Peter Richley was a grateful man. He had survived one of the strangest and most harrowing events known to mankind. The ship which he had been traveling on sank. He was rescued. By some strange twist of circumstance, however, this ship sank. He was ...read more

Scripture: James 5:1-10, James 5:1-10

Tags: Prayer Answered, Prayer General, Mother's Day

The Shock Of Sin  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 6, 2004

THE SHOCK OF SIN In a book called All Thumbs Guide to VCR’s which is a repair guide for amateurs, author Gene Williams begins with a warning. He writes: “Getting a jolt form the incoming 120 volts ac (120 Vac) is more that just unpleasant; it can be fatal. Studies have shown that it takes very ...read more

Scripture: James 1:13-16, James 1:14-15

Tags: Sin Deceptive

Are You Seaworthy?  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 3, 2011

ARE YOU SEAWORTHY? In his book, Life before Death, Ian Leitch, a Scottish preacher, talks about three luxury ocean liners, the Queen Mary, the Queen Elizabeth, and the QE2. He says, "When they built [these ocean liners], they did not test them in dry dock. They didn’t leave them in dry dock and ...read more

Scripture: James 1:1-15, James 1:2-4

Tags: Faith

Pulling On Both Oars  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 26, 2009

PULLING ON BOTH OARS An old Scotsman operated a little rowboat for transporting passengers. One day a passenger noticed that the good old man had carved on one oar the word "Faith" and on the other oar the word "Works." Curiosity led him to ask the meaning of these oars. The old man, being a ...read more

Scripture: James 2:14-26, James 5:1-7

Tags: Faith Vs. Works

I’m The Son Of A King!

Contributed by Austin W. Duncan on Apr 17, 2026

There was a guy named Billy Bray who lived in Cornwall, England, back in the 1800s. He was a tin miner. And if you’re not familiar with that particular career path, it did not come with stock options or a dental plan. Billy was poor. Not “I’m watching my budget this month” poor. He was genuinely, ...read more

Scripture: James 1:9, James 2:5

Tags: Joy, Identity

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Stinging Blow For Good  PRO

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Mar 2, 2010

A STINGING BLOW FOR GOOD Always remember that God knows what he is doing with us, even if we don’t know. Many years ago there was found in an African mine the most magnificent diamond in the world’s history. It was presented to the King of England to wear in his crown. The king sent it to ...read more

Scripture: James 1:1-12

Tags: Affliction

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

There, But For The Grace Of God, Goes...(Insert ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 14, 2009

THERE, BUT FOR THE GRACE OF GOD, GOES...(INSERT YOUR NAME) Someone has said that the only person God sends away empty is the person full of himself. Charles Spurgeon once said, "Our imaginary goodness is more hard to conquer than our actual sin." I fall into the thinking that I can do things on my ...read more

Scripture: James 4:10

Tags: Pride

How The Zulus Catch A Monkey

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 8, 2024

Men who trap animals in Africa for zoos in America say that one of the hardest animals to catch is the ringtailed monkey. For the Zulus of that continent, however, it's simple. They've been catching this agile little animal with ease for years. The method the Zulus use is based on ...read more

Scripture: James 1:10-15

Tags: Deceit, Traps, Battles, Satan, Spiritual Warfare, Greed, Temptation, Lies, Defeat, Sin, Lust  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Cookie Monster Has Returned

Contributed by James Snyder on Nov 11, 2023

Sitting in my office working on some projects, I was suddenly surrounded by a familiar aroma. This surprised me because I had no idea what was happening. That aroma was familiar, but I couldn't identify it. I’m like that most of the time. My nose doesn't work quite like The Gracious ...read more

Scripture: James 4:17

Tags: Stealing, Cookies, Sneaking

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Being Sick Is Not My Cup Of Tea

Contributed by James Snyder on Apr 27, 2024

I do not have a history of being sick. I rarely even have a headache, but I must confess, I give headaches. The last two weeks have been different for me. I have never experienced such a long stretch of sickness before. One day in the hospital and then two weeks in bed. What kind of experience is ...read more

Scripture: James 5:16

Tags: Sickness, Doctors, Nurses

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

I Saw A Peanuts Cartoon. Charlie Brown And Linus ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 1, 2001

I saw a Peanuts cartoon. Charlie Brown and Linus are inside all bundled up and Snoopy’s out in the cold shivering in front of his empty dog dish. Charlie and Linus are having a discussion on how sad it is that Snoopy is hungry and cold. "He’s cold and hungry. We ought to do something about it." ...read more

Scripture: James 2:14-17

Tags: Faith Vs. Works, Poverty, Giving General

Boyfriend Trouble

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 15, 2024

A teenager brings her new boyfriend home to meet her parents. They’re appalled by his haircut, his tattoos, his piercings. Later, the girl’s mom says, “Dear, he doesn’t seem to be a very nice boy.” “Oh, please, Mom!” says the daughter. “If he wasn’t ...read more

Scripture: James 1:9-15

Tags: Daughters, Sermon Intros, Boyfriends, Parents, Moms, Teenagers  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Grandma Is Cramming For Her Finals!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 15, 2024

Every time a little boy went to a playmate’s house, he found the friend’s grandmother deeply engrossed in her Bible. Finally, his curiosity got the better of him. “Why do you suppose your grandmother reads the Bible so much?” he asked. “I’m not ...read more

Scripture: James 1:9-16

Tags: Bible Reading, Grandmothers, Death, Children, Heaven, Judgment  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Thinking Has A Way Of Getting Me Into Trouble

Contributed by James Snyder on Oct 26, 2019

Just when I think I have all my bases covered, a new one shows up, and it’s not a homerun. I know all my tocks don’t tick, but I do the best I can. I may not be the best all the time, but I try, and I try, and I try. I do not want to be a nuisance to anybody, so I try not to, especially with the ...read more

Scripture: James 3:2

Tags: Family, Food

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

In "Share Jesus Without Fear", Bill Fay Speaks ...

Contributed by Robbie Peay on Apr 19, 2004

In “Share Jesus Without Fear”, Bill Fay speaks very bluntly about the sin of silence. He states that believers sin when they remain silent and do not share Jesus with others. He says that the sin of silence is a deadly sin and he’s right. We erroneously think that by remaining silent about our ...read more

Scripture: James 2:14-20

Denomination: Baptist

One Day A Farmer's Donkey Fell Down Into A Well. ...  PRO

Contributed by Jeff Kolk on Aug 4, 2001

One day a farmer’s donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally he decided the animal was old and the well needed to be covered up anyway, it just wasn’t worth it to retrieve the donkey So he invited all his neighbors to ...read more

Scripture: James 1:1-18

Tags: Endurance

Denomination: Baptist

The Church That Voted God Out!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 28, 2024

The story is told about a poor woman who lived across the tracks and wanted to join a very fashionable church. She talked to the pastor about it, but he sought to discourage her. He suggested she go home and think about it carefully for a week. At the end of the week she came back. He said, “Go ...read more

Scripture: James 2:1-12

Tags: Church, Revival, Favoritism, Pastors, Membership, Partiality  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational