In Sermon Illustrations: "Jesus First"

50-Somethings For Jesus

Contributed by Tim Smith on Feb 19, 2012

50-SOMETHINGS FOR JESUS At the age of 58, Tom and Elaine Samply cashed out their retirements and moved to the Czech Republic and opened a coffee shop called Common Grounds where he taught business principles to atheists. After they were there for six years, they had enough business that they ...read more

Tags: Aging

Denomination: Methodist

It Is Safe To Die In Jesus

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Apr 12, 2010

IT IS SAFE TO DIE IN JESUS Max Lucado in his book Fearless, says, "There are many rooms in my Father's home, and I am going to prepare a place for you." We Westerners might miss the wedding images, but you can bet your sweet chuppah that Jesus' listener's didn't. This was a groom-to-bride ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:5-6

Tags: Death

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The First Big Church Fight

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 28, 2011

THE FIRST BIG CHURCH FIGHT The first big dispute in the church was not over the deity of Christ, the atoning work of the cross, or the reality of the resurrection. It was over what was and was not necessary for salvation. All the players believed in Jesus as God and Savior; they all ...read more

Tags: Action

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Anthropology And Jesus' Appearance

Contributed by Jim Kane on Feb 27, 2010

ANTHROPOLOGY AND JESUS' APPEARANCE This past week I attended a series of lectures at Anderson University in which the presenter, Dr Rodney Sadler, Jr from Union Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina showed this picture. (Slide 2) Source: ...read more

Tags: Jesus Christ

Denomination: Church Of God

Not If Jesus Is Like Dad  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 21, 2011

NOT IF JESUS IS LIKE DAD Some months ago I heard a touching story about a humble, consecrated pastor whose young son had become very ill. After the boy had undergone an exhaustive series of tests, the father was told the shocking news that his son had a terminal illness. The youngster had accepted ...read more

Scripture: John 14:1-3

Tags: Father's Day

What's Up With Jesus?  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 17, 2009

WHAT’S UP WITH JESUS? Renowned theologian Karl Barth was lecturing to a group of students at Princeton when a student asked him, "Sir, don’t you think that God has revealed himself in other religions and not only in Christianity?" With a modest thunder he stunned the crowd, replying, "No, God has ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 16:13-20

Tags: Jesus Christ

The First Christmas Is A Miraculous Story Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"The first Christmas is a miraculous story of the eternal God becoming of no reputation and then humbling Himself to accept a cruel death on a cross. Sure there were angel choirs. Kings came from far away to worship Him. But the true Christmas story is about smallness, humility and servanthoodLet ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Jesus's Presence In The Ordinary

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Jul 22, 2008

JESUS'S PRESENCE IN THE ORDINARY Dr. Dale E. Turner writing for Health Action News in July 1993 tells an interesting story of John W. Gardner, founding Chairman of Common Cause. Turner quotes Gardner as saying that it is “a rare and high privilege to help people understand the difference they can ...read more

Tags: Doing God's Will

Denomination: Salvation Army

The First Thing Bartimaeus Saw

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 30, 2020

Think of what Bartimaeus saw when he received his sight! Think of the wonders of seeing for the first time a crowd of human beings just like himself, the walls and palm-tree groves of Jericho, the sky, so blue above him, and the hills of Moab in the distance. But that was not the first thing that ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 21:1-7

Tags: Death, Heaven, Miracles

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

If Jesus Was Born Today

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Oct 24, 2025

If Jesus was born today, it would be in a bed and breakfast A traffic warden, working late, would be the first on the scene. Later a TV network would arrive with their good wishes. The whole Occasion would be filmed as part of *Is this the Son of God” one hour special If Jesus was 30 today, ...read more

Scripture: John 11:25

Tags: Jesus, Born, Modern Day

Denomination: Anglican

If Jesus Was Born Today...

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Jan 12, 2026

If Jesus was born today based on Steve Turner’s poem If Jesus was born today, it would be in a bed and breakfast A traffic warden, working late, would be the first on the scene. Later a TV network would arrive with their good wishes. The whole Occasion would be filmed as part of *Is this the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:1-20

Tags: 21st Century, Jesus, Birth

Denomination: Anglican

Jesus Knew He Was Going To Die. Jesus Always ...

Contributed by Doug Lyon on Feb 10, 2007

Jesus knew He was going to die. Jesus always lived in the shadow of the cross. William Holman Hunt was a 19th-century British painter. One of his paintings shows the interior of a carpenter’s shop. Joseph and the young man Jesus are working inside. The painting shows Jesus pausing from His ...read more

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Jesus Loves Me—and I Love Jesus!

Contributed by John Bright on Apr 8, 2025

Sociology professor Anthony Campolo recalls a deeply moving incident that happened in a Christian junior high camp where he served. One of the campers, a boy with spastic paralysis, was the object of heartless ridicule. When he would ask a question, the boys would deliberately answer in a halting, ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:15

Tags: Evangelism, Testimony

Denomination: Methodist

Jesus: Soft To Us

Contributed by Greg Nance on Dec 20, 2012

Why did Jesus come to us as a baby? To fulfill prophecy? To be one with us, one of us, one we could know and understand, one we could see and believe in, one who takes away our sins through his own body and blood? All this and much more! Let me share an insight from Brisa, my three year old ...read more

Tags: Christmas, Incarnation

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The First And Second Great Revival

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on May 24, 2018

The first recorded revival in Christian history happened from a prayer meeting that took place with a handful of disciples in the upper room (Acts 1:14). The result of that prayer meeting was that they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:2-4, Acts 4:23-24

Tags: Prayer, Revival

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Jesus Changes Life

Contributed by Rev. Dr. Andrew B Natarajan on May 16, 2017

The word of God is Alive Half a century ago, in one of the Indian villages, there was a family. the family size was five( Husband, wife and three children). The Husband was a drunkard and notorious man. His wife was a home maker and simple lady. The man had all kinds of bad habits such as ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 55:11

Tags: Changed Life, Jesus Is The Life, Useful Earthern Pot

Denomination: Methodist

Give The Keys To Jesus

Contributed by Brian La Croix on Feb 14, 2007

1. Give the keys to Jesus. Letting anyone drive our vehicle is tough. I admit that at times I’m not the best passenger, especially when it’s my vehicle. Just ask my wife. And just for the record, I think my wife’s a great driver. If I didn’t think so, I wouldn’t let her take my kids ...read more

Tags: Christian Values

Denomination: Wesleyan

Take It First To The Lord In Prayer  PRO

Contributed by Palitha Jayasooriya on Apr 3, 2017

Take it to the Lord in prayer My mobile phone crashed a few months ago and I had to switch to my wife's old one as a temporary measure. On the first day of using the phone, there was one particularly important feature that neither I nor my wife could grasp, though we tried to figure it out for a ...read more

Scripture: John 16:24

Tags: Prayer, Trusting God, Trusting Christ

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Jesus Was Not A Victim Of Fate

Contributed by N A on Apr 2, 2010

JESUS WAS NOT A VICTIM OF FATE "Before the scourging began, Jesus was stripped of His garments and bent low over a low post, with wrists and ankles shackled into that position. The instrument used for scourging was a piece of wood fourteen to eighteen inches long, circular in shape, to which were ...read more

Tags: Cross

Denomination: *other

Jesus Comes As Light

Contributed by N A on Dec 12, 2010

JESUS COMES AS LIGHT "Jesus has come, moreover, not as a blaze which will soon die down, but as a light which will last our day, yea, last for ever. After the long dark and cold night of our misery, the Lord comes in the fittest and most effectual manner; neither as lightning, nor candle, nor ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: *other