In Sermon Illustrations: "Jesus Suffered"

The Importance Of The Fence

Contributed by Davon Huss on Nov 22, 2010

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE FENCE Pleasure, delight, sweets, is not the way Christianity is usually described. It is described by some as a restrictive life. Let’s think of it as a group of children who are playing on top of a monadnock (Pilot Mountain) and around the point where the rock drops off ...read more

Tags: Commandments General

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

No Dummies Allowed  PRO

Contributed by T D on Dec 28, 2010

NO DUMMIES ALLOWED Why couldn’t Jesus be more specific? Why couldn’t he just define things in a 30-second commercial or make it easier to understand? I saw in the bookstore the other day one of those yellow books which said “Computers for Dummies.” They had a whole series of them- cooking for ...read more

Scripture: John 5:1-5

Tags: Bible Study

Denomination: Evangelical Free

Recovery Is Connection

Contributed by Bret Toman on Jan 3, 2011

RECOVERY IS CONNECTION Henry Cloud in How People Grow writes, "Virtually every emotional and psychological problem, from addictions to depression, has alienation or emotional isolation at its core or close to it. Recovery from these problems involves helping people get more connected to each other ...read more

Tags: Church Small Groups

Denomination: Baptist

What We Really Want

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Feb 22, 2011

WHAT WE REALLY WANT A woman lay in a hospital bed, her body ravaged by cancer. Day after day her pastor and others prayed for her healing. Each day they could see her silent disappointment that she was not being healed. Then one day she said, "Let's not pray that I'll be healed. God knows that I ...read more

Tags: Trust

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Gratitude For A Savior

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 5, 2011

GRATITUDE FOR A SAVIOR A lady was on a lake steamer when her little girl fell overboard, and the woman was almost frantic. A gentleman on the boat had a large Newfoundland dog. The dog was directed to leap into the water and save the child. He did so and swam ashore with the little girl, part of ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:13-15

Tags: Gratitude

The Lack Of Evangelism

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 6, 2011

THE LACK OF EVANGELISM (Evangelism Statistics from Michael Parrot, Acts Evangelism, Spokane, WA, 1993, pp. 9-11.) • Ninety-five percent of all Christians have never won a soul to Christ. • Eighty percent of all Christians do not consistently witness for Christ. • Less than two percent are ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:18-20

Tags: Evangelism Fear Of

The Occult, The Supernatural, And Teenagers

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 6, 2011

THE OCCULT, THE SUPERNATURAL, AND TEENAGERS In 2006, researcher George Barna came out with the top 12 most significant or surprising faith findings for that year. Coming in second was this report: "Three out of every four teenagers have engaged in at least one type of psychic or witchcraft-related ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 18:9-13

Tags: Supernatural

Hope Is

Contributed by Jason Bonnicksen on Apr 25, 2011

HOPE IS Hope is faith in the immutable promise that miracles prevail when the darkness tries to win-out with cries of despair. Hope is a gift from God that helps us yearn, and live a life that believes and moves with the pledge of a better tomorrow. And what’s more, hope springs-forth ...read more

Tags: Easter Resurrection

Denomination: Lutheran

Achieving Virtue

Contributed by Michael Walther on Jul 4, 2011

ACHIEVING VIRTUE The word "virtue" is taken from the Latin word virtus and actually means "strength" or "manliness." So you see that the real strength of this life is found by successfully winning the inner war of faith. It is because of weakness that we are ruled by passions and controlled by ...read more

Tags: Sanctification

Denomination: Lutheran

Is That All?  PRO

Contributed by Thomas Cash on Jul 14, 2011

IS THAT ALL? Listen to the words of Francis Chan: "You go to a building, someone gives you a bulletin, you sit in a chair, you sing a few songs, a guy delivers maybe a polished message, maybe not, someone sings a solo, you go home. "Though Christians believe in an almighty and all powerful God ...read more

Tags: Zeal

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Not Ashamed

Contributed by William L. Vincent on Aug 15, 2011

NOT ASHAMED No matter what you are looking for, you can find a religion or philosophy to fit your state of mind. We find this culture creating pressure on the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. We find people church-shopping--looking for the right “fit” for their needs. And I realize that we need to ...read more

Tags: Church Practices

Denomination: Orthodox

A 33-Year-Old Great

Contributed by Steve Wilson on Jun 6, 2012

A 33-YEAR-OLD GREAT About 2,300 years ago Alexander the Great marched his army from Greece to India. Though the distance was long, his army was unstoppable. The only reason he stopped was that his men became homesick and wanted to return to Greece. That march had long ranging influence. The Greek ...read more

Tags: Cross

Denomination: Baptist

A Peek At The Universe  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 11, 2012

A PEEK AT THE UNIVERSE In 2004, scientists pointed the Hubble telescope at a blank-looking patch of sky near the Orion Constellation. The Hubble stayed focused on that spot for 400 orbits over 11 days. The patch of sky they were looking at is no bigger than a grain of sand held out at arm’s ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 40:21-31

Tags: Creation

God Has Something Better For You

Contributed by Ken Pell on Mar 10, 2013

GOD HAS SOMETHING BETTER FOR YOU A daddy took his little girl to the park one Saturday afternoon. She was about 4 and was having such a good time in the sun and the presence of her daddy. The ice cream vendor came by and daddy bought her an ice cream cone. Then he noticed that his little girl had ...read more

Tags: God's Love

Denomination: Nazarene

Wild Bill Resurrected?

Contributed by Perry Greene on Apr 15, 2013

WILD BILL RESURRECTED? In 1876, Wild Bill Hickock was killed in Deadwood, SD by Jack McCall while playing poker at the Nuttal and Mann's Saloon. You may recall that he was holding what has been referred to as the "Dead Man's Hand" (2 8s and 2 Aces -- all black with an unknown 5th card). He was ...read more

Tags: Easter Resurrection

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Helping People Go Home

Contributed by Tim Smith on Feb 11, 2015

The conductor of a railroad was on his last day before retiring. As he was going through the cars punching tickets, he came to the third car and there was a man who had ridden that car through the years with the conductor. He stopped him by grabbing his shirt sleeve and said, “Hey Jim, how do you ...read more

Scripture: John 14:1-18

Tags: Evangelism, Death, Salvation, Going Home

Denomination: Methodist

Betty's White Cake Is For Whoever

Contributed by Paul Steen on Dec 11, 2017

I walked into the kitchen one afternoon and saw a big white cake that had just been frosted. I love white cake. It’s my favorite. And my wife Betty can really make a mean one. So I found Betty and asked her, “Who is that white cake for?” She looked at me and shrugged, “Whoever.” Now she didn’t ...read more

Tags: Whosoever, Whoever, Anyone

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

The Monkey In The Quicksand

Contributed by Daniel King, D. Min. on Jul 25, 2018

Main Idea: You cannot pull yourself out of sin. Verse: “…no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law…” (Romans 3:20 NIV). Illustration: A little monkey fell in the quicksand. As he was sinking into the sand, a monkey on the bank started giving him advice. He said, ...read more

Tags: Need For Christ, Sin, Salvation

Denomination: Charismatic

Old Nature

Contributed by Steve Kinnard on Feb 15, 2019

OLD MAN Some time ago, a person I worked with came up to me and said, “if I didn’t know you, I would be terrified to meet you on the street”. If my coworker only knew half of what I’d been, He would never even talk to me. God took the most vile, evil, misguided person in the world and ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:22-32

Tags: New Man, Old Man

Denomination: Pentecostal

The Called

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Oct 15, 2019

The Called are those who have been summoned by God. Called to salvation (Rom. 8:30) Called both Jews and Gentiles (1 Cor. 1:24) Called "with a holy calling" (2 Timothy 1:9) Called with a heavenly calling (Heb. 3:1) Called out of darkness into His marvelous light (1Pet. 2:9) Called to ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:30

Tags: Election, Calling, God's Sovreignty

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational