In Sermon Illustrations: "Journey"

Two Sons And What They Did With Their ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 11, 2009

Two Sons and What They Did With Their Marbles Once upon a time, a mother gave each of her sons two dollars and took them to a toy store to buy the beautiful, shiny marbles they had been asking for. The older son quickly figured out how many marbles he could get with his two dollars, chose the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:14-30

Tags: Stewardship

Twenty-Six Men Standing

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 14, 2011

TWENTY-SIX MEN STANDING A missionary on furlough told this true story while visiting his home church in MI. "While serving at a small field hospital in Africa, every 2 weeks I traveled by bicycle through the jungle to the nearest large city for supplies. This was a journey of 2 days and required ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:18

Tags: Prayer Answered

Puzzles And The Christian Life

Contributed by Greg Nance on Dec 28, 2011

PUZZLES AND THE CHRISTIAN LIFE At our traditional family Christmas gathering with Jenny's side of the family, somebody always brings a puzzle (usually 1000 piece) to put together as part of the festivities. Later, Jenny's mom will frame it and put it on the wall in their family room where there ...read more

Tags: Discipleship

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

You Probably Do Not Remember The Name Nikolai ...  PRO

Contributed by Lynell Friesen on May 24, 2001

You probably do not remember the name Nikolai Ivanovich Bukharin nor should you. But during his day he was as powerful a man as there was on earth. A Russian Communist leader he took part in the Bolshevik Revolution 1917, was editor of the Soviet newspaper Pravda (which by the way means truth), and ...read more

Tags: Apologetics General, Easter Resurrection, Miracles Of Jesus

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

From My Departed Husband  PRO

Contributed by Greg Madden on Jun 4, 2003

FROM MY DEPARTED HUSBAND A couple from north Oklahoma decided to go to Florida for a long weekend to thaw out during one particularly icy winter. Because they both had jobs, they had difficulty coordinating their travel schedules. It was decided that the husband would fly to Florida on Thursday, ...read more

Scripture: John 13:31-35

Tags: Death, Heaven, Hell

Denomination: Pentecostal

James Hudson Taylor In Challenging English ...  PRO

Contributed by Romualdo Macam on Sep 24, 2003

James Hudson Taylor in challenging English students during his time to be involved in China mission work, used to tell of the story about Peter, his Chinese convert and disciple. On one of their sea journeys, Peter (who do not know how to swim) fell from the side of the boat. Fortunately, there ...read more

Scripture: Romans 1:14-15

Tags: Evangelism Urgency, Evangelism How To, What Is Evangelism?

Denomination: Baptist

Do You Understand That You Represent Jesus To ...  PRO

Contributed by Robbie Phillips on Feb 5, 2004

“Do you understand that you represent Jesus to me? Do you know, do you understand that when you treat me with gentleness, it raises the question in my mind that maybe He is gentle, too. Maybe He isn’t someone who laughs when I am hurt. Do you know, do you understand that when you listen to my ...read more

Tags: What Is Evangelism?, Evangelism How To

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

In 1212 A French Shepherd Boy By The Name Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 21, 2005

In 1212 a French shepherd boy by the name of Steven claimed that Jesus had appeared to him disguised as a pilgrim. Supposedly, Jesus instructed him to take a letter to the king of France. This poor, misguided boy told everyone he saw about what he thought he had encountered. Before long he had ...read more

Tags: Sin Deceptive

Triumph From Tragedy  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 26, 2004

TRIUMPH FROM TRAGEDY Sometimes tragedy kind of sneaks up on you. It comes at you like termites at an old wood-frame house. It eats away for years, then one day the rafters of the house give way before you ever realized what was happening. Sometimes tragedy simply hits you full-body and knocks you ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 1:7-10

Tags: Ruth, God In The Hardships

Captain Jack's Compass  PRO

Contributed by Susan Blader on Jan 21, 2007

Captain Jack’s Compass In the movie, “The Pirates of the Caribbean,” Captain Jack Sparrow has a compass. It is no ordinary compass. Rather than pointing north, it points toward whatever the person holding it wants most. It might be treasure, or a person, or a location. But it only works if the ...read more

Denomination: Disciples Of Christ

A Young Man Named Robert Robinson Had Been Saved ...

Contributed by Austin Mansfield on Apr 1, 2007

A young man named Robert Robinson had been saved from a very sinful life in the mid 1700s through George Whitfield’s ministry in England. Soon afterward, the 23-year-old Robinson wrote the hymn, “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” You may recognize some of the lyrics: Come thou font of every ...read more

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

While At Mcdonalds This Past Week I Saw A ...

Contributed by Charles Newman on Mar 14, 2009

While at McDonalds this past week I saw a grandmother almost in tears of frustration as she tried to strap her toddler granddaughter into a car seat. They couldn’t leave to go to their next destination until the little girl was safe and secure in the car seat. The little child kicked and screamed ...read more

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Denomination: Methodist

All Part Of God's Plan  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 28, 2009

ALL PART OF GOD’S PLAN In the opening pages of his autobiography, "An American Life," Ronald Reagan writes, I was raised to believe that God had a plan for everyone and that seemingly random twists of fate are all a part of His plan. My mother - a small woman with auburn hair and a sense of ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 29:11

Tags: God In The Hardships

Your Grumbling Goes With You

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Jun 15, 2009

YOUR GRUMBLING GOES WITH YOU There was a boy named Grumble Tone who ran away to sea, "I’m sick of things on land," he said, "as sick as I can be; A life upon the bounding wave will suit a lad like me!" The seething ocean billows failed to stimulate his mirth, For he did not like the vessel, nor ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:14-18

Tags: Complaining

Denomination: Other

A Simple Hose Clamp Causes Failure Of Balloon's ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 9, 2009

A Simple Hose Clamp Causes Failure of Balloon’s Attempt to Circle the Earth Piccard and Richard Conniff writes in National Geographic that on January 12, 1997, two Swiss men, Bertrand Piccard and Wim Verstraeten, set out to be the first to CIRCLE THE EARTH in a balloon. Their aircraft was called ...read more

Scripture: James 3:1-6

Tags: Tongue

Gui—dance

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Mar 9, 2010

GUI--DANCE Robert Smith wrote in "Doctrine That Dances": "When I meditated on the word 'Guidance,' I kept seeing 'dance' at the end of the word. I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing. When two people try to lead, nothing feels right. The movement doesn't flow with the ...read more

Tags: Doing God's Will

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Sola Fide: By Faith Alone

Contributed by Timothy Brown on Mar 14, 2010

SOLA FIDE: BY FAITH ALONE To prove his point Paul includes a quotation from Habakkuk 2:4, "The just shall live by faith." It was this text--quoted by Paul in Romans 1:17--that ultimately shook Martin Luther to the core and brought him to saving faith in Jesus Christ. On this point, I quote from a ...read more

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Baptist

Working For Food

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 10, 2011

WORKING FOR FOOD I like the story of the rich executive who announced to his church one morning that he was going to give up all he owned so that he had to depend on his faith in God for everything he needed. He sold everything, gave it to the poor, and moved into a rented home down on the bad ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:19-34

Tags: Prayer Of Faith

A Texas-Sized Sword

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 24, 2011

A TEXAS-SIZED SWORD In 2000, we drove across the country from Maryland to California and back. On our return, we blew past this Great Big Cross along the highway in Texas. By the time we saw the exit, we had passed it and continued our journey home. The image of that great big cross stuck in my ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:18-25

Tags: Cross

I Recently Read An Insightful Story That Would ...  PRO

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Feb 8, 2012

I recently read an insightful story that would serve as a good reminder for us both as we prepare to part ways. The story is about a group of climbers who set out to scale a large mountain in Europe. The view boasted a breathtaking peak of snowcapped rocks. On clear days the crested point reigned ...read more

Scripture: Luke 24:13-35

Tags: Complaining, God Brings Purpose

Denomination: Baptist