In Sermon Illustrations: "Joy"

Hope  PRO

Contributed by Tim Zingale on Dec 9, 2002

Hope Carolyn Self tells how she and her husband Bill and son Bryan took advantage of a school holiday and went to a secluded spot in the North Georgia mountains. It started out as a beautiful weekend. Bill returned to Atlanta on Saturday night to preach in his church on Sunday. He would return on ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 5:1-7

Tags: Faith, Endurance

Denomination: Lutheran

Let Me Close An Excerpt From Sharon Jaynes' Book, ...  PRO

Contributed by Dana Chau on Dec 16, 2002

Let me close an excerpt from Sharon Jaynes’ book, Celebrating a Christ-centered Christmas: An African boy listened carefully as his teacher explained why Christians give presents to each other on Christmas day. "The gift is an expression of our joy over the birth of Jesus and our friendship for ...read more

Tags: Gift, Christmas, Easter Resurrection

Denomination: *other

Love's Challenges  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2004

LOVE’S CHALLENGES (Based on John 13:35) What joy to love the saints above When I get home to glory. To love below, the saints I know, Well, that’s another story! To love mankind I always find To be a simple task. To have love for the man next door Is more than one should ask! Love’s full and ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 11:27-30

Tags: Christian Love

It Was June 18, 1815, The Battle Of Waterloo. The ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 10, 2001

It was June 18, 1815, the Battle of Waterloo. The French under the command of Napoleon were fighting the Allies (British, Dutch, and Germans) under the command of Wellington. The people of England depended on a system of semaphore signals to find out how the battle was going. One of these signal ...read more

Tags: What Is Evangelism?, Communication General

Many Years Ago There Was A Lonely Woman Walking ...  PRO

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Nov 28, 2001

Many years ago there was a lonely woman walking home in a cold snow storm. The storm became so intense that the woman decided to lay down in the hollow of a rock. There she covered her tiny baby boy with every ounce of clothing she had on. When the rescuers found the mother she had died from ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8

Tags: Compassion, Christian Disciplines, Forgiveness In Jesus

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Indian Jones And The Last Crusade Is One Of My ...  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Emmert on Jan 22, 2002

Indian Jones and the Last Crusade is one of my favorite movies—it’s great entertainment but it packs a powerful punch of a message about finding happiness and joy [Show the clip toward the end of the movie when Elsa has fallen to her death grasping for the grail and then Indiana nearly dies as he ...read more

Scripture: John 10:10

Tags: Call Of The Disciples, Fulfillment, God's Provision

Denomination: United Methodist

Dietrich Bonheoffer Once Asked This Question Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Dietrich Bonheoffer once asked this question of us, "Do we understand that instead we get a messiah who gives us power all right, but it’s a whole new kind of power, it’s THE POWER OF SUFFERING LOVE It’s a power that looks me in the eye, forgives my sin, my fear, my anger, my resentment, my ...read more

Tags: God's Provision

Ron Mehl: Love Found A Way

Contributed by C Jordan on Dec 7, 2007

QUOTE: By Ron Mehl (Love Found a Way). “Some people think I get a little carried away with Christmas. No, they don’t actually say anything (who wants to offend the pastor?). But I can tell. I’ve caught them rolling their eyes or changing the subject. I know that they’re thinking. They think I’m too ...read more

Tags: Antichrist

Denomination: *other

Missing

Contributed by Stephen Funderburk on Feb 6, 2008

I know what the tears in heaven will be when a mom looks for children and there’s one she can’t see after searching each mansion and her child she can’t find to know that one’s missing and lost for all time there will be such great heartache like none ever known to look at the circle and find one ...read more

Denomination: Assembly Of God

My Child

Contributed by Andy Beech on Mar 29, 2008

My Child I would like to rejoice with the rest, Lord, But there’s a great big ache in my heart - For someone I love is suffering, Lord, And I don’t know how to start. Will you help me sing carols again, Lord? And make all my fears depart? Will you lead me safely to Bethlehem To worship with all my ...read more

Denomination: Methodist

As A Father, I Have Had Moments In The Lives Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 10, 2008

As a father, I have had moments in the lives of my children that I was so overwhelmingly proud of them I did not know what to do or how to act. As I think back on these special memories, I recall doing something that almost seemed inappropriate for the moment. What I was beholding called for ...read more

P ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 11, 2008

PROMISES A Wall Street clerk went for a tuna sandwich one snowy noon and returned to work and found $37.1 million in negotiable certificates of deposit in a pouch dropped by a courier. The clerk turned them over to his supervisor, who notified the securities company. The man received a $250 reward ...read more

Tags: Promises Of God

I'm Fine, Sir!

Contributed by Donnie Martin on Sep 19, 2008

"I'm Fine, Sir!" During the most intense fighting of the war with Iraq, I was listening to one of the embedded reporters who was traveling with a column of Marine tanks. He was sitting on top of one of the tanks when the enemy opened fire. He said it was a frightening moment, but he emerged ...read more

Tags: Bible Influence

Denomination: Baptist

Everybody Smells Us  PRO

Contributed by Brian Harvison on Nov 12, 2008

EVERYBODY SMELLS US You ever met someone that had no sense of smell? I have, and actually, an estimated 2.7 million people in the United States have an impaired or absent sense of smell. It's known as chronic olfactory dysfunction. Most people I know can smell when there is a certain powerful ...read more

Tags: Christian Witness

Denomination: Baptist

The Visit

Contributed by Todd Leupold on Dec 9, 2008

THE VISIT As Dr. Charles B. Hardwick points out (in his sermon “The Promise”, 2nd Presbyterian Church, 12/24/07): "On that Silent Night, God kept His promise: the God of the universe became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood – moved into a stable, moved into a feeding trough.. . God ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Baptist

Drink Deeply  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 10, 2009

DRINK DEEPLY Picture this: You have just finished a ten-mile hike on a 95 degree day, and on the entire journey you haven’t had a thing to drink. Stumbling with thirst, you come to your father’s house and plea for water. With love and concern, he brings you a cold pitcher of water and a glass and ...read more

Scripture: John 4:1-26

Tags: Faith

Suffice It To Say That No Revival Is Of Sudden ...

Contributed by Donnie Martin on Jul 30, 2009

Suffice it to say that no revival is of sudden origin. When the revival manifests itself in a mighty way it comes suddenly as in the days of Hezekiah, but even so, its origins begin with the Holy Spirit of God moving effectively in individual lives in private. Let no one pray for revival—let no one ...read more

Tags: Revival

Denomination: Baptist

The Road To ...

Contributed by Bill Butsko on Aug 5, 2009

“The Road to Safety” A news correspondent, forced to jump from a crippled plane over New Guinea, landed safely. He sought a way out of the jungle. Up mountains, down the rivers, through the thick jungle growth he traveled, only to return discouraged to his starting point. Day by day, week by ...read more

Tags: Salvation

Denomination: Christian Church

Everyone Needs This List To ...

Contributed by Tony Abram on Aug 20, 2009

Everyone Needs this List to Live. * The most destructive habit: Worry, * The greatest Joy: Giving, * The greatest loss: Loss of self-respect, * The most satisfying work: Helping others, * The ugliest personality trait: Selfishness, * The most endangered species: Dedicated ...read more

Tags: Christian Values

Christian Maturity: It's In The Details

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 16, 2009

CHRISTIAN MATURITY: IT'S IN THE DETAILS Ted Williams, who died in 2002 was arguably the best hitter baseball has ever known. He was the last baseball player to hit better than .400 in a season. Upon his death, George Will said in his column "There is no joy in Red Sox Nation, a.k.a. New England, ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 5:14

Tags: Growth In Christ