In Sermon Illustrations: "John Updike" showing 601-620 of 4,145

I Was On My Honeymoon In The Bahama's When A Man ...  PRO

Contributed by John Mayes on Nov 1, 2005

I was on my honeymoon in the Bahama’s when a man walked up to me and said, "Would you like to buy some cocaine? You can tell everyone how much you really enjoyed the Bahama’s." After I said "No!" and got over the shock of that man’s boldness, I wondered how Jesus would have responded if someone ...read more

Scripture: John 4:7-15

Tags: Evangelism How To, Evangelism Fear Of, Evangelism, Salvation, Witness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Pentecostal

On Little Yellow Flower! (11.04.05--Faith That ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Nov 2, 2005

On Little Yellow Flower! (11.04.05--Faith That Flies!--John 6:18-19) Now is the time of year when most of the flowers in my wife’s flower beds have wilted and sagged. The frost has struck more than once, making even the hardier mums droop a bit. The time of blossoming has passed for most of the ...read more

Scripture: John 6:18-19

Tags: Doubt, Devoted, Faith General

Denomination: Lutheran

Hans The Tailor  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Dec 6, 2005

Consider the story of Hans the tailor. Because of his reputation, an influential entrepreneur visiting the city ordered a tailor-made suit. But when he came to pick up his suit, the customer found that one sleeve twisted that way and the other this way; one shoulder bulged out and the caved in. He ...read more

Scripture: John 4:7-16

Tags: Misconceptions

Denomination: Lutheran

History Records For Us An Interesting Footnote. ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 8, 2005

History records for us an interesting footnote. It was during the dark winter of 1864. At Petersburg, Virginia, the Confederate army of Robert E. Lee faced the Union divisions of General Ulysses S. Grant. The war was now three and a half years old and the glorious charge had long since given way to ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1-13

Tags: Christmas Eve, Birth, Light, Wife

An Old Circuit Riding Preacher Had Finished His ...  PRO

Contributed by Toby Powers on Dec 27, 2005

An old circuit riding preacher had finished his last meeting of the year before winter set in and made it impossible to travel across the hills of West Virginia. The church where he was leaving received an offering for him and wrapped it in a napkin. He sat on his horse and kindly thanked the ...read more

Scripture: John 14:1-6

Tags: Heaven

Denomination: Baptist

Mike Breaux, When He Was The Sr. Pastor At ...  PRO

Contributed by Timothy Smith on Jan 14, 2006

Mike Breaux, when he was the Sr. Pastor at Southland Christian Church in Lexington, KY, made this point in a dramatic fashion. On the day he was to preach on the very text we’re studying, from James 2, Mike dressed up as a destitute bag lady and entered the Church service just as it began. He was ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16

Tags: Christian Values

Denomination: Christian Church

The Bible Tells Us This About Love, "So We Know ...  PRO

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Feb 24, 2006

The Bible tells us this about love, “So we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. (1 John 4:16) In the very same epistle we find that Scriptures warn us with, “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 ...read more

Scripture: John 13:3-17

Tags: Forgiveness In Jesus

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Two Men Were Flying To Orlando From California ...

Contributed by Michael Gardner on Mar 2, 2006

Two men were flying to Orlando from California and met on an airplane. After exchanging pleasantries, conversation turned to the needs of their community. One of them was a pastor who shared his vision for a soup kitchen just starting up in downtown Orlando. He also told of local churches that ...read more

Scripture: John 8:1-11

Tags: Forgiveness General

Denomination: Methodist

Submitting Totally To God's Plan For Us And Our ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Mar 7, 2006

Submitting totally to God’s plan for us and our loved ones, is difficult to do. But, it is a must for any Christian seeking the “whatever it takes” solution to the difficult problems in life. In 1878, when William Booth’s Salvation Army was beginning to make its mark, men and women from all over ...read more

Scripture: John 2:5

Tags: God In The Hardships

Denomination: Lutheran

Steve Lyons Will Be Remembered As The Player Who ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 10, 2006

Steve Lyons will be remembered as the player who dropped his pants. He could be remembered as an outstanding infielder ... as the player who played every position for the Chicago White Sox ... as the guy who always dove into first base ... as a favorite of the fans who high fived the guy who ...read more

Scripture: John 20:19-31

Tags: Sin General, Abandon

This Reminds Me Of Two Elderly Sisters Who Lived ...  PRO

Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Apr 12, 2006

This reminds me of two elderly sisters who lived in Arcadia during my youth ministry days. One named Alpha, was always sick with some sort of ailment or another, the other, named Virginia, still worked in a county office even though she was in her late 70’s and never seemed to suffer from any kind ...read more

Scripture: John 11:1-40

Tags: Death

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Woman Got A Divorce And Lost Her Family. She ...  PRO

Contributed by John Shearhart on Apr 20, 2006

A woman got a divorce and lost her family. She sank into a deep depression, and was in desperate need. The people in her church only shook their heads and pointed their fingers at her failure, so she left and began frequenting a bar. One day the preacher came and ...read more

Scripture: John 13:34-35

Tags: Christian Love

Quote: "As The Grave Grows Near, My Theology Is ...

Contributed by Manuel Amparo on May 10, 2006

Quote: “As the grave grows near, my theology is growing strangely simple, and it begins and ends with Christ as the ...read more

Scripture: John 14:6

Tags: Jesus Christ

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

A Little Girl Came Running Into The House To Her ...  PRO

Contributed by Manuel Amparo on May 10, 2006

A little girl came running into the house to her mother, exclaiming: “Mamma, I love you!” The mother replied: “I am so glad you love me. I have had a hard day, and I am so tired. If you love me so much, will you wash the dishes for me?” The little girl replied: “I do love you, mother, ...read more

Scripture: John 14:15-21

Tags: Commandments Parents

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

The Captain Of The Ship Looked Into The Dark ...  PRO

Contributed by Sherm Nichols on Nov 17, 2006

The captain of the ship looked into the dark night and saw faint lights in the distance. Immediately he told his signalman to send a message: "Alter your course 10 degrees south." Promptly a return message was received: "Alter your course 10 degrees north." The captain was angered; his command ...read more

Scripture: John 12:44-50

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

I Was Riding One Of Our Shetland Ponies, Trigger ...  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Willis on Nov 29, 2006

I was riding one of our Shetland ponies, Trigger or Sugarfoot. They were prone to buck you off from time to time and one of those occasions occurred. Well, as I hit the ground I heard someone call my name, “Bruce.” I rolled over to see who it was and no one did I see. However, when I looked ...read more

Scripture: John 14:26

Denomination: Baptist

There's A Little Stream Flowing At The Back ...

Contributed by Bruce Willis on Nov 29, 2006

There’s a little stream flowing at the back property line behind the neighbor’s house and ours. I’ve walked back there and this Summer there was no flow. That stream or branch had no flow of water. Have you ever crossed the Coosa River when there was no water flowing under the bridge? No! That’s ...read more

Scripture: John 7:37-39

Denomination: Baptist

I Will Never Forget How The Holy Spirit Worked In ...

Contributed by Bruce Willis on Nov 30, 2006

I will never forget how the Holy Spirit worked in my life to teach me to depend upon Him for the revelation and illumination of truth to my life. It was in March of 2003 - I had spent a week in special study at Luther Rice Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia. I had been studying about how to live the ...read more

Scripture: John 14:26

Denomination: Baptist

Charles Fuller Was A Radio Bible Teacher Years ...

Contributed by Doug Lyon on Dec 11, 2006

Charles Fuller was a radio Bible teacher years ago. He once announced that he would be speaking the following Sunday on the topic of “Heaven.” During that week, he received a letter from an elderly gentleman who was very ill—on his deathbed. The man wrote: “Next Sunday you are to talk about ...read more

Scripture: John 4:1-20

Denomination: Independent/Bible

My Hometown Is Dadeville, Alabama The County Seat ...

Contributed by Bruce Willis on Dec 29, 2006

My hometown is Dadeville, Alabama the county seat of Tallapoosa County, and I presently live in Wetumpka, the county seat of Elmore County. However, I was born in San Diego, California when my dad was in the United States Navy for 4 years. He met my mom there who was from Fort Meade, Florida - ...read more

Scripture: John 3:1-8

Tags: Graduation

Denomination: Baptist