In Sermon Illustrations: "Jesus Parables"

Hero In Black  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 26, 2004

HERO IN BLACK Victor Yap tells this story: A few years ago I saw a truck in front of me roaring fiercely about to turn the corner into the freeway ramp. In the driver’s seat of the humongous truck was a man in his late 20s ramming his engine and blasting his stereo. The guy had dark glasses and ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:25-37

Tags: Compassion, Forgiveness General, Parable Good Samaritan

Throwing A Life Away?  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 26, 2004

THROWING A LIFE AWAY? Lost behind the story of Seabiscuit, the most celebrated racehorse of the 20th century, and the jockey played by Spiderman’s Tobey Macguire was the story of its peculiar trainer, Tom Smith. When the rich man played by Jeff Bridges decided to turn to horse racing, he needed ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:25-37

Tags: Parable Good Samaritan, Forgiveness General, Compassion

Defining A Neighbor  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 26, 2004

DEFINING A NEIGHBOR It’s been said, "One cannot define one’s neighbor; one can only be a neighbor." Haddon Robinson said, "Your neighbor is anyone whose need you see, whose need you are able to meet." A neighbor is someone who says, "What is mine is God’s and what is God’s belongs to my ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:25-37

Tags: Compassion, Forgiveness General, Parable Good Samaritan

The Compassionate Catch  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 26, 2004

THE COMPASSIONATE CATCH On Aug. 8, 2004, the Vietnamese community of Westminster, California, celebrated one of the kindest and bravest acts performed by a stranger on them. On Nov. 13, 1985, ninety-six Vietnamese refugees despaired for their lives and their families' lives when the engine of the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:25-37

Tags: Parable Good Samaritan, Forgiveness General, Compassion

The Quitters Club  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 1, 2004

THE QUITTERS CLUB One of the largest organizations in America is the Quitters Club. The reason you’ve never heard of the Quitters Club is because they never meet–the members quit coming. There are no dues–the members quit paying them. The Quitters Club is comprised of people who faced a tough ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:1-8, Luke 18:1-8

Tags: Parable Widow, Prayer Persistence, Prayer General

The Stats On Prayer  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 1, 2004

THE STATS ON PRAYER A Newsweek poll several years ago titled "Is God Listening?" indicated that 54% of those the magazine surveyed prayed on a daily basis - 25% said they pray to God once a day and 29% more than once a day. 87% believed that God answers their prayers at least some of the time. ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:1-8

Tags: Parable Widow, Prayer Persistence, Prayer General

Be ...  PRO

Contributed by Joe Bertone on Aug 1, 2012

BE PREPARED A student is taking a class in ornithology, the study of birds, and it’s a very difficult class with a very ornery professor. He walks in for the final, and he thinks he’s studied up for it, but there’s no paper and pencil questions, no little blue books. He looks above the chalkboard ...read more

Scripture: Luke 3:1-6

Tags: Preparation, Prepare, Final, Parable Ten Virgins

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

If ...

Contributed by Joe Bertone on Aug 1, 2012

IF ONLY There was a great Scotch writer and historian in the nineteenth century named Thomas Carlyle. He married a woman, who’d worked as his secretary named Jane Welsh. But Carlyle was dedicated to his writing so he didn’t spend much time with her. He just mostly wrote. At one point she became ...read more

Scripture: James 4:13-17

Tags: Death, Remorse, Parable Ten Virgins, Regret

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Fail In Order To Succeed

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jul 15, 2017

An old axiom says that failure is the stepping stone to success. Are we afraid of failure? The road to success is paved with failures. Before the farmer in the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13) had a successful crop he failed in three areas. We fail in these same areas. We allow the devil to snatch ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:1-23

Tags: Sower, Success, Failure, Parable Of Sower, Quitting  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Things That Happened At Midnight In The Bible

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Mar 12, 2022

"MIDNIGHT" — Did you ever notice how many things in the Bible took place at midnight?   A. It was at midnight that the Lord God passed through Egypt, killed all the firstborn, and brought Israel out of the land of bondage with his mighty hand and stretched out arm (Ex. 11:4; ...read more

Tags: Parables, Lord's Prayer, Persistence, Midnight, Prayer  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Prodigal Son In The Key Of F

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Mar 14, 2022

Feeling footloose and frisky, a foolish fellow forced his father to fork over his fourth of the family farthings and flew far to a foreign field where he fast frittered his father's fortune feasting foolishly with faithless friends. Fleeced by his fellows and folly, and facing famine he found ...read more

Tags: Humor, Repentance, Parables, Lost, Prodigal Son  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Lesson Of The Good Samaritan

Contributed by Darian Hybl on Aug 21, 2013

Recently I read an article that convicted me of my ‘blind spots’ where I have not wanted to ‘cross the road’ or enter deeper into relationship. Alex Early penned an article entitled, “A Pastor Walked into a Gay Bar And…” At first I avoided the article because I thought this article was more a ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:23-37

Tags: God As Judge, Real Friend, Parable Good Samaritan

Denomination: Lutheran

Neil Orchard Was Talking With A Farmer About His ...  PRO

Contributed by Greg Yount on Nov 30, 2001

Neil Orchard was talking with a farmer about his soy bean and corn crops. Rain had been abundant, and the results were evident. So his comment surprised him: "My crops are especially vulnerable. Even a short drought could have a devastating effect." "Why?" Orchard asked. He explained that ...read more

Tags: Parable Sower And Seed, Bible Study, Disciplines General

Denomination: Baptist

Grant Vs. Custer  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 2, 2011

GRANT VS. CUSTER There is a story of two Civil War Generals: George A. Custer and Ulysses S. Grant. Both graduated from West Point--Gen. Grant, being the oldest, graduated in the 1840's and Gen. Custer in 1861. Grant fought in several wars and was a field General in every sense of the word. In ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 23:1-11, Matthew 23:23-24

Tags: Humility, Pride, Show Off, Comparison

God Is Seeking Me Out  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 11, 2004

GOD IS SEEKING ME OUT Nikki was a Jewess. Born of Jewish parents and raised in the Temple, she had never wanted anything to do with the church. But just because her friend Dana had invited her, she agreed to attend go - just this once. The next week she came back. And the next week, and the next. ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:1-31

Tags: Evangelism The Lost, Parable Prodigal Son, Promises Of God

The Cross Made The Difference

Contributed by David Simpson on Apr 20, 2020

I (David Simpson) grew up as part of the spiritual family of Hardwick Christian Church. Along with my parents and sisters, I learned about Jesus and Bible there. I don’t ever remember a Sunday throughout my childhood and into my teen years when I was not in that church building and doing life with ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 1:5, John 3:16

Tags: Communion, Good Friday, Cross, Lord's Supper, Blood Of Jesus, Cross Of Jesus, Sacrifice Of Jesus  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian Church

Singer Michael Card Wrote A Song Called The ...  PRO

Contributed by Bill Sullivan on Dec 7, 2000

Singer Michael Card wrote a song called The Promise, and he wrote a little Christmas devotional on this theme: He noted: Christianity is founded on a promise. Faith involves waiting on a promise. Our hope is based on a promise. Promises are made with words. … .that part of myself that goes ...read more

Tags: Christmas Advent, Birth Of Jesus, Advent, Hope, Forgiveness In Jesus  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Again, There’s A Great Deal Of Internet ...  PRO

Contributed by Kyle Meador on Jan 2, 2001

Again, there’s a great deal of Internet research and revisionist thinking going on about these characters in the Christmas story. Some of have suggested that things would have been considerably different if these wise men had actually instead been wise women. And things sure would have been ...read more

Scripture: Acts 16:40, Acts 16:40, Acts 16:29-31, Philippians 2:5-11, Acts 16:9-27, Acts 16:16-34  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Wall, Birth Of Jesus, Christmas, Mirror, Mary Jesus Mother  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[303]. A Message From A Poem - They Did This To My Saviour Lord - Easter

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 3, 2026

[303]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - THEY DID THIS TO MY SAVIOUR LORD This is not a complex poem and is written with Easter in view. It recounts some of the events of the Trial and hearing before Pilate. I have put a refrain into this poem, but I am not sure if it is one to be sung. Here and there ...read more

Scripture: John 19:1-3

Tags: Jesus Mocked, Jesus On Trial, Christian Poem, The False Trial, Jesus Scourged, The Crown Of Thorns, Easter, Pilate, Jesus Before Pilate  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Julia Had Been Singing "Softly And Tenderly" By ...  PRO

Contributed by Jeeva Sam on Apr 5, 2001

Julia had been singing "softly and Tenderly" by her father’s bedside. As the last word hummed in her throat, her father reached toward her. "I want that one," he said. His eyes rose to Julia in an urgent glare. "At the funeral?" she asked. He blinked slowly. "I’ll tell Reverend Walton," she said. ...read more

Tags: Christian Love, Forgiveness For Others, Parable Prodigal Son

Denomination: Methodist