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In Sermon Illustrations: "John Updike"

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  • Joy To The ...

    Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 5, 2009
     | 8,418 views

    JOY TO THE WORLD Sadly, our period in history is not, by any means, the first to argue, fight or shoot at one another over our opinions about what does and does not make a worthy song of worship. Nor is ours the first in which there were scores of people in the congregations who sang the words of ...read more

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  • In His Book Ghost Soldiers, Hampton Sides Tel...

    Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 13, 2009
     | 3,054 views

    In his book Ghost Soldiers, Hampton Sides tells the story of a dramatic mission during World War II. On January 28th, 1945, 121 hand-selected Army Rangers slipped behind enemy lines in the Philippines in an attempt to rescue 513 American and British POW’s who had spent three years in a hellish ...read more

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  • Prison Doors Open From ...

    Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 13, 2009
     | 4,359 views

    PRISON DOORS OPEN FROM OUTSIDE Dietrich Bonhoeffer, imprisoned by Hitler during World War II, writes to his fiancé about one of the many lessons he learned from life in prison: “A prison cell, in which one waits, hopes, does various unessential things, and is completely dependent on the fact ...read more

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  • The Church Is About ...

    Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 13, 2009
     | 3,368 views

    THE CHURCH IS ABOUT FREEDOM The silkworm makes an amazing journey to becoming a moth. At one point in the journey, the worm spins about itself a remarkable cocoon. The little sack is composed of 400 to 800 yards of silk fiber which seals it from the inside as it waits for metamorphosis. When that ...read more

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  • Together Again

    Contributed by Stephen Funderburk on Jan 18, 2009
     | 3,977 views

    Together Again Together again, over yonder God’s promise the way it will be Never again to know parting Together again, you and me. Together again, up in heaven Removed from life’s sorrow and care No worry about a tomorrow Together again, over there. Together again, glad reunion Happy meeting in ...read more

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    Denomination: Assembly Of God

  • Sputtering  PRO

    Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 28, 2009
    based on 12 ratings
     | 5,426 views

    SPUTTERING A man in North Carolina bought a new car with a voice-warning system. ... At first he was amused to hear the soft female voice gently remind him that his seat belt wasn’t fastened. ... Edwin affectionately called this voice the "little woman." He soon discovered his little woman was ...read more

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  • Stuttering  PRO

    Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 28, 2009
    based on 5 ratings
     | 3,839 views

    STUTTERING A enormously muscular guy with a bad stutter goes to a counter in a department store and asks, "W-w-w-where’s the m-m-m-men’s dep-p-p-partment?" The clerk behind the counter just looks at him and says nothing. The man repeats himself: "W-w-w-where’s the m-m-m-men’s dep-p-p-partment?" ...read more

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  • Escaped ...

    Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 28, 2009
     | 3,547 views

    ESCAPED CONFLICTS In the 1980’s a retired couple was alarmed by the threat of nuclear war so they undertook a serious study of all the inhabited places on the globe. Their goal was to determine where in the world would be the least likely place affected by a nuclear war -- a place of ultimate ...read more

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  • Never Said Thanks  PRO

    Contributed by Et Tapper on Feb 9, 2009
    based on 8 ratings
     | 3,808 views

    NEVER SAID THANKS Edward Spencer was a ministerial student in Evanston, Illinois, and also a member of a life-saving squad during his school years. In 1860, a ship went aground on the shore of Lake Michigan near Evanston, and Spencer waded again and again into the frigid waters to rescue seventeen ...read more

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    Denomination: Pentecostal

  • The ...

    Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 10, 2009
     | 4,342 views

    THE SHEEP-CHASER A guide on a tour bus that traveled through Israel’s countryside had the crowd engaged as he explained the history, the scenery and the lifestyle. In his description, he included a heart-warming portrayal of the ancient shepherd/sheep relationship. He told of how the shepherd ...read more

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  • The World Doesn't Hate You

    Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 12, 2009
     | 4,401 views

    THE WORLD DOESN’T HATE YOU After a tough and discouraging day at work, Melvin plopped himself on the couch and began wallowing in self-pity. His moaned to his wife, "Nobody cares about me. In fact, the whole world hates me." Without even looking up from her work, Melvin’s wife replied, "That’s ...read more

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  • Imbalanced ...

    Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 13, 2009
     | 2,090 views

    IMBALANCED COVERAGE Only 8% of Americans are atheist, reports The National Cultural Values Survey conducted for the Culture and Media Institute (CMI). Yet the U.S. news media does not subject atheism or atheists to the same skepticism to which it subjects Christians and Christianity. From the 105 ...read more

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  • Christ Was Love  PRO

    Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 16, 2009
    based on 5 ratings
     | 5,196 views

    CHRIST WAS LOVE I read a story that I thought was a perfect illustration as to what the perfect gift looks like at Christmas. It centered on a school Christmas pageant. Of course there was nothing there to make it religious. Only snowmen, reindeer and the like. And so the kindergarten class was ...read more

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  • Light In The Darkness

    Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 11, 2009
    based on 1 rating
     | 13,926 views

    LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS I remember a story told to me by a friend who flew combat choppers in Viet Nam. He was radioed to a secret mission one night which required him to fly in total darkness, totally by instruments. Hovering above a jungle under heavy cloud cover, he told me that it seemed you ...read more

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  • The Story Of Isaac ...

    Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 13, 2009
     | 3,594 views

    THE STORY OF ISAAC WATTS A young boy complained to his father that most of the church hymns were boring and old-fashioned, with tiresome words that meant little to his generation. His father challenged him with these words: "If you think you can write better hymns, why don’t you?" The boy ...read more

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  • Famous Last Words  PRO

    Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 13, 2009
    based on 2 ratings
     | 3,454 views

    FAMOUS LAST WORDS Karl Marx, died in 1883 with these last words: "Go on, get out - last words are for fools who haven’t said enough." Thomas à Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, d.1170 "I am ready to die for my Lord, that in my blood the Church may obtain liberty and peace." The very last words ...read more

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  • I ...

    Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 13, 2009
     | 2,990 views

    I CHEATED... Davy Troxel said: My 8-year-old son came home from school with a stuffed animal he had won at the class Valentine party. "How did that happen?" I asked. "Well," he explained, "the teacher put all our names together, then picked one out. I cheated, though," he said, looking ...read more

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  • God's Story

    Contributed by Rev. Duraimony Dickson on Dec 20, 2020
    based on 1 rating
     | 2,153 views

    Story of God does not end with the resurrection or with the disciples. The story is still being written and lived through the Body of ...read more

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    Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

  • Caesar Ruled.....but God Overruled!

    Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Dec 20, 2020
    based on 1 rating
     | 1,668 views

    "Augustus Caesar was ruling, but God was in charge, for He used Caesar's edict to move Mary and Joseph eighty miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem to fulfill His Word. Rome took a census every fourteen years for both military and tax purposes, and each Jewish male had to return to the city of ...read more

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    Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

  • No Room In The Inn

    Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Dec 20, 2020
     | 2,371 views

    People have no room for Christ because they are full of themselves, full of their own will, full of their own cares, and full of their own sinfulness. They feel they have no time or no need for the Lord. People may deny Christ and scorn Him. Yet, every time they write the date of the year, they are ...read more

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    Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational