In Sermon Illustrations: "Jesus Temptation"

Commitment And Loyalty To Christ Likened To A ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 7, 2010

Commitment and Loyalty to Christ Likened to a Trapeze Artist John Ortberg (Faith & Doubt, p. 169-170) says the word trapeze describes the bar between the ropes of a trapeze artist in the circus. It’s a Greek word, meaning table. It’s used in the New Testament when Jesus gathers his friends around ...read more

Scripture: Luke 14:26-27

Tags: Discipleship

Send Us Some Eternity

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Nov 30, 2010

SEND US SOME ETERNITY An English postal worker was in charge of letters inadequately addressed. One Christmas season he discovered a card from his own daughter to Santa. It said, "We're very sad at our house this year. My little brother went to heaven last week. You needn't leave me anything. But ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Cast The First Stone  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 11, 2011

CAST THE FIRST STONE A woman named Marilyn Helleberg told about being a teenager at church camp. She said an ugly rumor got started there about two of the counselors and it quickly became the talk of the camp. The next day, at Morning Prayer, the minister read the story of the adulterous woman. ...read more

Scripture: James 3:1-12

Tags: Tongue

My Son Peter Was Born In Poland And Has A Polish ...

Contributed by Tim Hinrichs on Aug 3, 2012

My son Peter was born in Poland and has a Polish passport and yet since he’s my son, he also has an American passport. Depending on the situation, he can use whichever passport he wants and claims he is a citizen of both countries. Some people think that they can do the same with their life here ...read more

Tags: Kingdom Of God

Denomination: Lutheran

The Lamp Under The Bed  PRO

Contributed by Perry Greene on Feb 25, 2013

THE LAMP UNDER THE BED I heard about a couple who received a set of two horrible bedside table lamps as a wedding present from a distant aunt. Since the lamps were so ugly, this couple didn't want to actually use them, so they put them in storage and bought a nicer set themselves. That worked for ...read more

Tags: Lies

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Let Our Faith Be In God And Not In The Things Of This World.

Contributed by Greg Burcham on Sep 2, 2016

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20 NKJV What a beautiful verse! Jesus declares His desire to be your Savior and friend. This verse comes at the end of Christ’s rebuke of ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 3:20

Tags: Laodicea, Open Door, God Cares For You

Denomination: Baptist

I Was At Calvary 2000 Years Ago

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Nov 6, 2022

Once during a trip to Israel, Dr. R.G. Lee visited the site where many believe Jesus Christ was crucified. He told his Arab guide that he wanted to walk to the top of the hill, but the guide tried to discourage him. The preacher was determined to climb the hill, so the guide accompanied him. When ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 2:20, Romans 5:8

Tags: Cross, Calvary, Golgotha, Identification With Christ

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Redemption Through His Blood - Yellow Fever Story

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Mar 3, 2023

There is a story...that may help Illustrate redemption...what Christ ...has done for us. In 1927, ...in West Africa... a blood specimen was taken from a native man named Asibi, ...who was sick ...with yellow fever. A vaccine ...was made ...from this original strain of the virus... obtained from ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:7, 1 Peter 1:18, Hebrews 9:22

Tags: Blood, Salvation, Redemption

Denomination: Anglican

We Can't Know The Day - But We Can Know The Season When Christ Returns.

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Apr 6, 2024

Jesus specifically told us that there would be signs in the sky in the sun and moon and stars (Luke 21:25), and he told us to “look up”, as our redemption draws near. Believers need to look up when the "season" of His return arrives.   The apostle Paul had this to say about the ...read more

Tags: Day Of The Lord, Return Of Christ, Seasons, Times, Rapture  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Struggling With God?

Contributed by Andrew Moffatt on Jun 17, 2024

Here is a wee question, is struggling with God a bad thing? Where is a person's character developed? Did the saints of God become saints before or without struggling with God, without responding to those things in the scriptures or the words of Jesus that offended them, before they repented of ...read more

Tags: Faith, Fear, Holy Spirit, Pentecost, Abraham, Disciples, Becoming The Church, Journey, Jacob, Isaac, Struggling, The Upper Room, Character Development  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Salvation Army

What Are The Five Solas Of The Reformation?

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Nov 11, 2024

What are the 5 Solas of the Reformation? The 5 “Solas” of the Reformation (“solas,” meaning, “alones”) are five principles that are foundational to the doctrine of salvation that were the focus of the Protestant Reformation. These five "solas" led to the rejection of the false teachings ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:5, Romans 5:1-8

Tags: Faith, Grace, Scripture, Sin, Salvation, Theology, Glory Of God, Reformation  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Don’t Hide The Light: The Blackberry Pocket Parable

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Feb 20, 2026

When I first got my Blackberry (throwback, anyone?), it had an annoying habit of opening up to the camera and taking literally hundreds of pictures of the inside of my pocket with the flash going. The camera was not intended to take pictures of lint covered peppermints or the amount of change I’ve ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:13-16, Isaiah 49:6

Tags: Evangelism, Light, Light To The Nations, Hiding The Light

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

I Will Close With A Record Of Something God Did ...  PRO

Contributed by Michael Belcher on Nov 26, 2001

I will close with a record of something God did 130 years go in New York City. It illustrates how God has started every harvest time in history, through the concerted prayer of his people. Toward the middle of the last century the glow of earlier religious awakenings had faded. America was ...read more

Tags: Prayer General, Prayer Adoration, God's Omnipotence

Denomination: Baptist

Trapping The Ball!" Psalm 25: 16-21 Key ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Jul 4, 2004

“Trapping the Ball!” Psalm 25: 16-21 Key verse(s): 21 “May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you.” Integrity! Perhaps it is one of the loneliest words in the English language. For many it creates the image of one standing alone, apart from the others, because just the ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 25:16-21

Tags: Character

Denomination: Lutheran

Many Years Ago Now, A True Story Is Told Of Two ...

Contributed by Guy De Swardt on Apr 1, 2010

Many years ago now, a true story is told of two identical twins who were working for their father. They were so close they even dressed alike. When their father died they took over the family business as everybody expected them to do. Their relationship with each other was considered by the town ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness, Sermon On The Mount

Denomination: Baptist

Not Talking To Me...or Is He?

Contributed by Ryan Davis on Oct 28, 2010

NOT TALKING TO ME...OR IS HE? So often those of us who have been coming to church and have been Christians for a long time sit and listen to sermons as if the preacher is talking to everyone else in the auditorium except us. We sit there during the sermon and take in what the preacher is saying, ...read more

Tags: Attitude General

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Harvest Is Ripe  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 22, 2009

THE HARVEST IS RIPE The Harvest is ripe -- Here's proof: Wycliffe: Vision 2025 Translation projects started in every language on the planet by 2025. Worldwide evangelism: In "The Faith Equation," Dr. Marvin Bittinger, Professor of Mathematics at Purdue University and author of over 175 college ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 9:37-38, Luke 10:1-5, John 6:25-35

Tags: Harvest, Islam, Muslim, Converts, Great Commission  (view more)  (view less)

God Honors Radical, Risk-Taking ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Beaird on Nov 6, 2000

"God honors radical, risk-taking faith. When arks are built, lives are saved. When soldiers march, Jerichos tumble. When staffs are raised, seas still open. When a lunch is shared, thousands are fed. And when a garment is touched -- whether by the hand of an anemic woman in ...read more

Scripture: 2 Kings 4:8-37, 1 Samuel 1:8-16

Tags: Faith General, Faith

Denomination: Pentecostal

Mine  PRO

Contributed by Michael Bird on Jan 15, 2002

Abraham Kuyper, put it this way: “When Jesus looks at his universe from his exalted throne at the right hand of the Father, and he sees the great galaxies whirling in space, the planets and the people upon this planet, and all the minute details of life here including the details ...read more

Tags: Creation, Divinity Of Christ

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Helen Keller Was Born Blind And Deaf. She Was ...  PRO

Contributed by Johnny Carver on Apr 12, 2002

Helen Keller was born blind and deaf. She was brought to a minister to explain the plan of salvation to her. In the simplest of terms the minister told the girl about Jesus. As she heard the Gospel, her face lit up and she spelled out in the hand of the ...read more

Tags: God's Provision, Humanity Of Christ

Denomination: Pentecostal