In Sermon Illustrations: "Jesus Parables"

The Need For Ease  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Apr 4, 2002

THE NEED FOR EASE The following are actual responses from comment cards given to the staff members at Bridger Wilderness Area in 1996: Trails need to be wider so people can walk while holding hands. Trails need to be reconstructed. Please avoid building trails that go uphill. Too many bugs and ...read more

Tags: Endurance, Kingdom Of God, Parable General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Hard Times For Hell  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 6, 2002

HARD TIMES FOR HELL Hell, it would seem, has fallen on rather lean times. It used to be that the vast majority of Christians, regardless of denominational affiliation, believed that Hell was a real place where the wicked and the impenitent go when they died. The very thought of the pains and ...read more

Tags: Parable Lazarus, Second Coming, Hell

Just A Mite Confused  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 12, 2004

JUST A MITE CONFUSED Daniel Boone explored the great wilderness of Tennessee and Kentucky. It was Boone who marked the wilderness road that brought settlers into the new land. He often wandered over vast areas of forest, living off the land and dodging arrows. Once he was asked if he had ever bee ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:1-32

Tags: Parable Lost Sheep, Evangelism The Lost

Looking For The Lost  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 12, 2004

LOOKING FOR THE LOST The boss of a big company needed to call one of his employees about an urgent problem with one of the main computers. He dialed the employee’s home telephone number and was greeted with a child’s whispered, "Hello?" Feeling put out at the inconvenience of having to talk to a ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:1-31, Luke 15:1-31, Luke 15:1-31

Tags: Parable Lost Sheep, Evangelism The Lost

Lost In America  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 12, 2004

LOST IN AMERICA According to the North American Mission Board Research Division, there are 192 million lost people in America today and that number is growing by almost 2 million ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:1-31, Luke 15:1-15

Tags: Evangelism Urgency, Parable Lost Sheep

Finding Detroit  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 12, 2004

FINDING DETROIT Mary Brumbaugh’s husband, an airline pilot, often has difficulty locating items around the house. One day he asked Mary where the salt was. Annoyed, she responded, "How on earth can you find Detroit at night in a blizzard, but you can’t find the salt in your own kitchen?" "Well, ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:1-31

Tags: Parable Lost Coin, Evangelism The Lost

Wanted: Movers

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 28, 2004

WANTED: MOVERS Suppose that one of the local businessmen had purchased a new building and was planning to move all of his stock into the new store. He placed an ad in the paper offering $100.00 per day to anyone who would come to help him make the move. The first workers were there early on the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 20:1-16

Tags: Grace, Parable Vineyard, Promises Of God

One's As Good As Another  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 19, 2004

ONE’S AS GOOD AS ANOTHER Did you hear about the farmer who asked his neighbor if he could borrow a rope? The neighbor said, “Sorry, I’m using the rope to tie up my milk.” “Milk?” said the farmer. “You can’t tie up milk with a rope.” The neighbor replied, “I know, but when a man doesn’t want to ...read more

Scripture: Luke 14:12-27

Tags: Parable Great Banquet, Apologetics General

Famous Neighbors  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 26, 2004

FAMOUS NEIGHBORS Can you name some famous neighbors? *Mr. Rogers Neighborhood in his sweater and sneakers … “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood … won’t you be my neighbor?” *Dennis the Menace … “Helloooo Mr. Wilson!” *Ricky & Lucy Ricardo … Fred & Ethel Mertz. *Tim “the Tool Man” Taylor ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:25-37

Tags: Christian Love, Parable Good Samaritan

Like Limbaugh And Clinton  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 26, 2004

LIKE LIMBAUGH AND CLINTON In the story of the “The Good Samaritan,” these men weren’t physical neighbor. The Jews & the Samaritans hated each other. Generations earlier, when the Jews were in Babylonian captivity, the Samaritans had taken over the land … and mixed their religion with the Jewish ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:25-27

Tags: Parable Good Samaritan, Christian Love

The Boss Of A Big Company Needed To Call One Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

The boss of a big company needed to call one of his employees about an urgent problem with one of the main computers. He dialed the employee’s home telephone number and was greeted with a child’s voice, "Hello?" It was a quiet little voice. Feeling put out at the inconvenience of having to talk to ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:11-32, Matthew 18:1-5

Tags: Obedient, Hearing, Parable Prodigal Son

Martin Luther King Jr. Once Said, "The First ...  PRO

Contributed by Timothy Smith on Sep 27, 2007

Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “The first question the priest and the Levite asked was: ‘If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?’ But ... the Good Samaritan reversed the ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness General, Parable Good Samaritan

Denomination: Christian Church

We Know A Family Who Had Been Searching In Vain ...

Contributed by Ajai Prakash on Jun 15, 2010

We know a family who had been searching in vain for their teenage son (+ 18) for a number of months. Finally they located him in Colorado Springs and went down to see him. He was unrecognizable ~ hair not washed for months, uncut beard, and disgusting odor reeked from his body. He had been living ...read more

Tags: Father's Day, Parable Prodigal Son

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Welcoming Misfits  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 19, 2004

WELCOMING MISFITS Ryan Johnson, minister in Glen Elder, Kansas, shares this story: I was heading north out of Salina, Kansas when I saw him. His name was Charlie. Charles was sitting in the ditch with large army bags. The cold misty rain was drenching him and his bags. He wore his Vietnam ...read more

Scripture: Luke 14:12-24

Tags: Kingdom Of God, Parable Great Banquet, Compassion

Always Pray And Don't Give Up  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 11, 2004

ALWAYS PRAY AND DON’T GIVE UP Jesus taught that we should “always pray and not give up” · Not because God is hard of hearing · Not because God needs to be pestered into answering our requests · Not because God doesn’t want to answer us NO… Jesus taught us always pray and not give up because, ...read more

Scripture: Luke 11:1-18, 2 Kings 2:9, 1 Samuel 12:23-24, 1 Samuel 12:23-24, 1 Samuel 12:23  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Prayer General, Prayer Persistence, Parable General

We’ve Probably All Heard The Expression, ...  PRO

Contributed by Mary Lewis on May 10, 2001

We’ve probably all heard the expression, “This separates the men from the boys!” What kinds of things separate the men from the boys? Things that involve danger and risk. Things that take courage and a willingness to sacrifice. Things that are grueling and gut-wrenching. Things that require ...read more

Tags: Character, Love Of The Disciples, Parable Good Samaritan

Denomination: Baptist

Most Christians Believe The Virgin Birth Is ...  PRO

Contributed by James Wilson on Dec 17, 2000

Most Christians believe the Virgin Birth is true. According to George Barna, 85% of those surveyed believe that Jesus Christ was born to a virgin. He also found that even 75% of the people who do not embrace Jesus as their Savior believe that he was ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1-14

Tags: Mary Jesus Mother, Apologetics Jesus, Christmas

Denomination: Baptist

Calvin Miller Said, "One Cannot Even Begin To ...  PRO

Contributed by Victor Yap on Jan 29, 2001

Calvin Miller said, "One cannot even begin to understand the life of Christ ...read more

Tags: Jesus Teachings, Jesus Christ, Lordship Of Christ

Denomination: Independent/Bible

In 1957, Lieutenant David Steeves Walked Out Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Ted Sutherland on Mar 14, 2001

In 1957, Lieutenant David Steeves walked out of the California Sierras 54 days after his Air Force trainer jet had disappeared. He related an unbelievable tale of how he had lived in a snowy wilderness after parachuting from his disabled plane. By the time he showed up alive, he had already been ...read more

Tags: Miracles Of Jesus, Apologetics Jesus, Easter Resurrection

Denomination: Baptist

No Cross, No Poland  PRO

Contributed by Steve Malone on Apr 7, 2001

NO CROSS, NO POLAND Charles Colson in his book Kingdoms In Conflict, tells how before the collapse of communism, the government of Poland issued an order that all crucifixes were to be removed from classroom walls just as they had been banned in factories, hospitals, and other public ...read more

Tags: Jesus Teachings, Forgiveness In Jesus, Cross Agony

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ