In Sermon Illustrations: "John 9:1-41:1"

Men Who Have In The Past Exerted The Greatest ...  PRO

Contributed by Manuel Amparo on May 9, 2006

Men who have in the past exerted the greatest influence for good in the world had, as a rule, pious mothers. The mother of George Washington, the man in whose principles we glory today, made it a practice each morning to spend an hour in prayer, devotion, and Bible study before attempting to ...read more

Tags: Holiness

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Finally Christmas

Contributed by Steve Smith on Dec 4, 2006

ILL: FINALLY CHRISTMAS Senator John McCain of Arizona was a prisoner of war during the Vietnam conflict. He was shot down and held as a prisoner of war in Hanoi for 5 ½ years, 1967-1973, spending much of it in solitary confinement. John McCain said this, “When I was being mistreated by the North ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Work In God's Kingdom  PRO

Contributed by Owen Bourgaize on Jan 23, 2007

WORK IN GOD’S KINGDOM John Stott tells a joke against his vocation: a clefgyman is the last person in the world to write about work. For, as everybody knows, he has not done an honest day’s work in his life. As the old saying goes, he is ‘six days invisible and one day incomprehensible!’ The ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:31

Denomination: Baptist

Standing On A Small Platform, A Reader Calls Out ...

Contributed by Gene Gregory on Jul 24, 2007

Standing on a small platform, a reader calls out names, “Michael Hyde. Donald Jackson. Jose Munoz.” The names being read were those engraved on “The Wall.” No one calls it anything else. It was once highly controversial. This was not a statue, no soldier on horseback, but a black granite gash ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Steinbeck And His Hell-Sermon Experience

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 31, 2008

STEINBECK AND HIS HELL-SERMON EXPERIENCE In a fascinating story of his journey across the United States, John Steinbeck tells of a Church service he attended during his travels in the State of Vermont. Tongue-in-cheek, he says, "The preacher spoke of Hell as an expert. Not the mush-mush Hell of ...read more

Tags: Guilt

The Stewardship Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 17, 2009

THE STEWARDSHIP OF TIME John Taylor recently invented a clock called the chronophage. Literally it means "time eater." It was donated to Corpus Christi College at Cambridge. It combines the Greek word for time, "chronos," and the word "phageo," meaning "to eat". A monster-looking grasshopper with ...read more

Tags: Time

Three Stages Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 13, 2009

THREE STAGES OF LIFE John Claypool, at one time pastor of the Crescent Hill Baptist Church, had a little daughter who suffered with leukemia. When she went into remission, everybody thought that maybe God had healed her. But on an Easter Sunday morning, she went into a terrible relapse. In his ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 40:31

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

In Philadelphia

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Jul 2, 2011

IN PHILADELPHIA My father died in a Philadelphia hospital in 1999. Some weeks before his death, I was able to spend a few days with him. I stayed at the home of some friends in Washington Crossing, just a few miles north of Philadelphia, and each day I would drive into the city. The first morning ...read more

Tags: Patriotism

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Immortal Chaplains

Contributed by Ken Pell on Mar 16, 2013

The Immortal Chaplains The USAT Dorchester was a troop transport ship used during WWII. It left New York on January 23, 1943 with approximately 900 soldiers and four army chaplains; George Fox, Alexander Goode, Clark Poling, and John Washington. During the early morning hours of February 3, 1943, ...read more

Tags: God's Love

Denomination: Nazarene

Finding Perspective  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 1, 2001

FINDING PERSPECTIVE It’s something like what Coach John McKay of USC said to his team after they had been humiliated 51-0 by Notre Dame. McKay came into the locker room and saw a group of beaten worn-out and thoroughly depressed young football players who were not accustomed to losing. He stood up ...read more

Tags: Perspective

A Friend Lost Her Mate Several Years Ago And ...  PRO

Contributed by Dru Ashwell on Dec 16, 2001

A friend lost her mate several years ago and recently developed a friendship with a man who had also lost his spouse. They seemed a perfect match, and all their children agreed they should get married. While they were excited about the upcoming nuptials, they didn’t need more crystal vases, ...read more

Tags: Family, Marriage General

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

William H. Hinson Tells Us Why Animal Trainers ...  PRO

Contributed by Darren Ethier on May 9, 2002

William H. Hinson tells us why animal trainers carry a stool when they go into a cage of lions. They have their whips, of course, and their pistols are at their sides. But invariably they also carry a stool. Hinson says it is the most important tool of the trainer. He holds the stool by the back ...read more

Tags: Focus, Commitment To Christ, Distraction, Discipleship

Denomination: Pentecostal

Just Like Me  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2002

JUST LIKE ME John Howard Griffin was a white man who believed he could never understand the plight of African-Americans unless he became like one. In 1959, he darkened his skin with medication, sun lamps, and stains, then traveled throughout the South. His book, Black Like Me, helped whites ...read more

If God Be For Us, Who Can Be Against Us?  PRO

Contributed by Christopher Stanley on Mar 28, 2003

"If God be for us, who can be against us?" In the English parliament back at the beginning of the 19th century, William Wilberforce led the charge to abolish slavery in Great Britan. He fought and fought to no avail. After a while, he decided that he was going to give up and move on to another ...read more

Tags: Examples Of Faith, Faith General

Denomination: Methodist

Hammers And Anvils

Contributed by Keith Davis on May 5, 2003

Hammers and Anvils I paused last eve beside the blacksmith’s door. And heard the anvil ring, the vesper’s chime. And looking in I saw upon the floor Old hammers, worn with beating years of time. “How many anvils have you had?” said I. To wear and batter all these hammers so?” “Just one,” he ...read more

Tags: Bible Influence

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Death Of C.s. Lewis In Nov. 22, 1963 Has For ...  PRO

Contributed by Kenneth Squires on Nov 4, 2003

The death of C.S. Lewis in Nov. 22, 1963 has for years been overshadowed by the assisination of President John F. Kennedy on the same day. While the anniversary of Lewis’ death seldom gets much press, throngs of people crowd into Arlington Memorial Cemetary to watch the changing of the guard at the ...read more

Tags: Heaven, Death

Denomination: Pentecostal

A Natural Example Of This Point Can Be Found By ...

Contributed by David Schaal on May 20, 2004

A natural example of this point can be found by looking at the two seas in the Holy Land. The Sea of Galilee freely receives and gives out water. It has an abundance of life, nurturing many different kinds of fish and plant life. The water from the Sea of Galilee is carried by way of the Jordan ...read more

Tags: Christian Disciplines, Forgiveness General

Denomination: Pentecostal

Asking Everywhere  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 1, 2004

ASKING EVERYWHERE As hopeless as her situation must have seemed, she was persistent. The language of verse three (present tense verb) indicated that every day she begged him for help. “The language leaves open the possibility of confrontation everywhere, not just in the court. She pleaded with ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:1-8, Psalm 139:1-10

Tags: Parable Widow

In The Movie From Louis L'amour's Book, "Hondo", ...

Contributed by Clark Tanner on Nov 7, 2005

In the movie from Louis L’Amour’s book, “Hondo”, John Wayne passes the news to Geraldine Page’s character that their friend, Apache Chief Vittorio has been killed in battle. Her response is ‘no, it can’t be’, to which Hondo declares, ‘Everybody gets dead, it was his turn”. In spite of our ...read more

Tags: Death

Denomination: Orthodox

When Their Son Left For His Freshman Year At Duke ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 12, 2005

When their son left for his freshman year at Duke University, his parents gave him a Bible, assuring him it would be a great help. Later, as he began sending them letters asking for money, they would write back telling him to read his Bible, citing chapter and verse. He would reply that he was ...read more

Tags: Bible Influence