In Sermon Illustrations: "James"

Buckle Up

Contributed by David Dunn on Oct 25, 2025

During the days when Mohammed Ali was a great boxer, he would go around in his arrogance and say that, "He was the greatest." Humility was never his strong suit. One day, back in his prime, he was on an airplane and the plane was ready to take off and the flight attendant had repeatedly ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:3, Micah 6:8, Proverbs 16:18, James 4:6, Luke 14:11  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Strength, Pride, Humility, Submission, Character  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

The Trademark - Is Jesus Mark On You? - Humor

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Dec 9, 2025

If we are Honest ... Often ... When we are shopping, ...... we will look for name brands that we know. For brands ... that we ... trust. We often recognize those products ... by their trademarks ...... or by ... their ... logos. Companies spend millions of dollars on research ... in order that ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:1-2, Philippians 2:6-11, Ephesians 4:4, James 3:8-10, Matthew 20:26-28  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Logos, Trademark, Mark

Denomination: Anglican

Being Humble - Young Seminarian Story

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Feb 24, 2026

A young seminarian ... was excited about preaching his very first sermon ... in the small church ... he grew up in. After three years in seminary, ... he felt adequately prepared, ... and when he was introduced to the congregation, ... he walked boldly ... to the pulpit, ...his head high, ... ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:1-6, Matthew 6:16-21, James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:5

Tags: Pride, Boldness, Confidence, Embarrassed, Humble  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Anglican

Ronald Regan Story - Embaressed And Humbled

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Feb 24, 2026

Ronald Reagan, ... recalling an occasion when he was governor of California ... made a speech in Mexico City: He shared these words: "After I had finished speaking, ... I sat down ...to a rather unenthusiastic applause, ... and I was a little embarrassed. The speaker who followed me ... ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:5, James 4:6, Matthew 6:1-6, Matthew 6:16-21

Tags: Humble, Embarrassed

Denomination: Anglican

The False Foundations In The Kinsey Report  PRO

Contributed by Jeff Strite on May 7, 2002

THE FALSE FOUNDATIONS IN THE KINSEY REPORT Almost 50 years ago, Alfred Kinsey, a quiet Midwestern Zoology professor, published the 1st of 2 volumes that would shake American culture to its foundations. His 1948 book, Sexual Behavior in the Human Male - like its 1953 sequel, Sexual Behavior in ...read more

Tags: Fornication, Addiction, Sexuality, Population, Temptation Sex  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Tiger Breath!" Matthew 6:9-13 Key Verse(S): ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Feb 6, 2005

“Tiger Breath!” Matthew 6:9-13 Key verse(s): 13:“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” It has been foreordained that life is a temptation! Now that is a depressing thought if I ever heard one. Foreordained? That means that no matter what I do or how I do it, ultimately I ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:9-13, Matthew 4:1-11

Tags: Risk Of Sin, Release, Sin Separates From God, Sin Exposed

Denomination: Lutheran

Ellen Porter Tells The Story Mitsuyo A Japanese ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2008

Ellen Porter tells the story Mitsuyo a Japanese exchange student coming to live with her family. Her father had written and warned Ellen that Mitsuyo was a willful child but she saw no signs of that at all. She dressed the same each day, was silent while eating at the dinner table and seemed ...read more

Tags: Christian Values

Unsung Heroes—barzillai The Gileadite, Part 2

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Nov 3, 2020

Introduction: the revolt was over, Absalom was dead, and David was ready to go back to Jerusalem. It seems David had come to regard Barzillai the Gileadite with much respect, maybe even admiration. David wanted him to go to Jerusalem but in a classic speech, Barzillai graciously said, “thanks but ...read more

Scripture: 2 Samuel 19:31-40

Tags: David, Barzillai The Gileadite

Denomination: Baptist

Unsung Heroes: He Brought Meal To Save The Meal

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Nov 19, 2020

Introduction: This event took place in the days of Elisha, who followed Elijah as one of God’s prophets, during the days of Israel’s divided kingdom. Many of the people in both nations, Israel in the north and Judah in the south, gave up on the God of Israel and began to worship various false gods ...read more

Scripture: 2 Kings 4:38-41

Tags: Famine, Elisha, Unsung Heroes

Denomination: Baptist

Unsung Heroes: The Shepherds Of Bethlehem

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Dec 14, 2020

Introduction: the Christmas story, the birth of Jesus Christ into this world, is one of the most beautiful ever told. Many believers and others are more or less familiar with Mary and Joseph traveling from Nazareth to Bethlehem, and how Jesus was born in an inn and laid in a manger because there ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:8-20

Tags: Mary, Birth Of Jesus, Shepherds, Unsung Heroes

Denomination: Baptist

Unsung Heroines-Another Woman At A Well

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on May 7, 2022

Introduction: Many of us are familiar with the story of “the woman at the well” in Samaria who spoke with Jesus (John 4). Many years before, another woman, at another well, helped save David’s life and maybe even the kingdom! Text, 2 Samuel 17:15-20, KJV: 15 Then said Hushai unto Zadok and to ...read more

Scripture: 2 Samuel 17:15-20

Tags: Unsung Heroines, Wells, Hushai

Denomination: Baptist

Unsung Heroines-The Women Who Prepared Materials For The Tabernacle

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Jun 1, 2022

Introduction: The Tabernacle. For the first time in history, the God of Heaven agreed to dwell in one location with His special people, Israel. Sometimes it’s easy to get lost in the details of the construction, the listed steps and instructions, and other things but it’s important to remember: ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 35:20-29

Tags: Tabernacle, Offerings, Unsung Heroines

Denomination: Baptist

Leon Lett: A Legacy Of Failure

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 28, 2010

LEON LETT: A LEGACY OF FAILURE Leon Lett. Nice name. It has a bit of a ring to it. However, unless you are a true NFL football fan, it’s probably not a name that rings a bell for you. So let me fill you in on Leon. Leon played in the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys from 1991 to 2000 and the Denver ...read more

Scripture: Acts 15:36-41

Tags: Mistakes

So You Think Sins Don’t Matter?

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Sep 12, 2022

Introduction: Have you ever heard someone say, “Oh, sin doesn’t matter” or anything like that? There are plenty of times when, in the Bible, when it certainly did. Would you believe that only two major sins cost Israel thousands of their population? Let’s take a look. Text: Numbers 1:44-46, KJV: ...read more

Scripture: Numbers 1:44-46, Numbers 26:51

Tags: Moses, Sin, Balaam, Phinehas

Denomination: Baptist

Unintentionally Humorous Texts: Micah’s Misfortunes, Part 1

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Mar 7, 2024

Introduction: The days of Israel’s judges, before Samuel and the kingdom, were known as ‘seesaw days”: Israel alternated between being true to the God of Israel, then abandoning Him to worship the idols of other nations. Israel would be oppressed, and then cry out to their God for help, but then ...read more

Scripture: Judges 17:1-6

Tags: Micah, Ephraim, Idols, Teraphim

Denomination: Baptist

Unintentionally Humorous Texts: Micah’s Misfortunes, Part 2

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Mar 11, 2024

Introduction: The first verses of Judges 17 tell the story of Micah. In a word, he stole a lot of money from his mother, but returned it to her after she pronounced a curse on the stuff—and, probably, the thief whoever it may have been. The section concludes with Micah establishing his own ...read more

Scripture: Judges 17:7-13

Tags: Micah, Idolatry, Levites, Mount Ephraim

Denomination: Baptist

Unintentionally Humorous Texts: Look What I Just Made!

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Mar 27, 2024

Introduction: Idols, man-made objects of worship, have been around and have been used for thousands of years. These items were made out of stone, clay, various metals, as well as wood. Now imagine the carpenters or other craftsmen who made these objects, knowing what they had made, and what they ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 44:12-17

Tags: Isaiah, Idols, Types Of Trees

Denomination: Baptist

Unsung Heroes: An Egyptian Slave Who Helped David

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Jun 20, 2024

Introduction: He had been taken as a slave and now was far from his homeland. He was so sick he almost died but David and his men found him. When this slave had recovered, he gave David some very vital information which helped David a great deal! Text: 1 Samuel 30:13-19, KJV: 11 And they found an ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 30:13-19

Tags: David, Amalekites, Ziklag

Denomination: Baptist

Unsung Heroes: Hur, A Man Who Helped Moses

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Aug 6, 2024

Introduction: Aaron and Joshua are mentioned often as men who helped Moses as Israel journeyed from Egypt to Canaan. There was one other man who assisted Moses, when Moses really needed some help. His name is Hur and he is another unsung hero. Text: Exodus 17:8-16, KJV: 8 Then came Amalek, and ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 17:8-16

Tags: Moses, Amalekites, Hur

Denomination: Baptist

Unsung Heroes At The 'battle Of The Ditches'!

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Aug 30, 2024

Introduction: Ask any veteran or anyone who served in the military for the strangest duty they ever performed and you may get some interesting replies! The soldiers in this story were asked (!) to put down their swords and take up some shovels in order to dig a lot of ditches! This story also has ...read more

Tags: Jehoshaphat, Elisha, Unsung Heroes, Ditches

Denomination: Baptist