In Sermon Illustrations: "Laid Hands"

Christmas Humor

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Dec 21, 2020

A Sunday School was putting on a Christmas pageant which included the story of Mary and Joseph coming to the inn. One boy wanted so very much to be Joseph, but when the parts were handed out, a boy he didn’t like was given that part, and he was assigned to be the inn-keeper instead. He was pretty ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1-12

Tags: Christ, Manger, Birth Of Christ, Mary And Joseph, Coming Of Christ, Christmas  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Witness Barber

Contributed by John Bright on Jan 17, 2021

There was a barber that thought that he should share his faith with his customers more than he had been doing lately. So the next morning when the sun came up and the barber got up out of bed he said, "Today I am going to witness to the first man that walks through my door." Soon after ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:15

Tags: Evangelism, Witness

Denomination: Methodist

A Light In The Dark

Contributed by Carl Allen on Jul 8, 2022

While leaving in Germany, I had the fortune of going camping in the black forest. I found out quickly why they call it the black forest. When the sun goes down it is pitch black and you can barely see your hand in front of your face. We had just finished setting up camp and I had to run back out ...read more

Scripture: John 9:5, Psalm 119:105

Tags: Found, Direction, Light, Darkness, Lost, Saved  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Daniel In The Lion's Den

Contributed by Davon Huss on Sep 13, 2022

Need this picture displayed for illustration: https://www.freebibleimages.org/illustrations/moody-daniel-lions/ Charles Stanley tells of a time when he was struggling with much opposition. In the midst of the turmoil, an elderly member of his church invited him to her apartment for lunch. He ...read more

Tags: Fear, Almighty, Powerful

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Power Of The Switch

Contributed by Imelda Mesa on Sep 27, 2022

THE POWER OF THE SWITCH – to some, the issue is not the light but our willingness/eagerness to turn the switch on! Example: Marie and Walter gifted us a 3-day tour in Canada - Kingston-Ottawa-Montreal-Old Quebec-1000 Islands The schedule is packed and the travel time between these places range ...read more

Scripture: John 8:12

Tags: Light, Darkness, Turn The Lights On

Denomination: Foursquare

Powerful Illustration For A Funeral

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Dec 13, 2022

There is an old story of a king and his clown or “jester” who sometimes said very foolish things. One day the jester had said something so foolish that the king handing him a staff, said to him: “Take this, and keep it till you find a bigger fool than yourself.” “Some years later, the king lay on ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 14:1

Tags: Evangelism, Death, Salvation, Lost, Time, Fools, Funerals  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Hilarious Christmas Story!!!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Dec 19, 2022

• A Sunday School was putting on a Christmas pageant which included the story of Mary and Joseph coming to the inn. One boy wanted so very much to be Joseph, but when the parts were handed out, a boy he didn’t like was given that part, and he was assigned to be the inn-keeper instead. He was ...read more

Tags: Mary, Nativity, Christmas, Bethlehem, Children, Joseph, Pageants  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Dirty Windows

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jun 12, 2023

"A friend of mine, Bud Wood, founded Shepherds Home in Wisconsin for boys and girls with developmental disabilities. The original ministry opened its doors in 1964 to 36 children, providing them a loving residential environment and a school that would focus on their unique needs, helping them ...read more

Scripture: John 14:1-6, Philippians 3:20, 1 John 3:1-3

Tags: Revelation, Children, Heaven, Second Coming, Rapture, Return Of Christ, Disabled Children  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

You Are Your Own Worst Enemy.

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jun 26, 2023

"Cain slew Abel, but Cain’s worst enemy was himself". - R E Neighbour “There is an old Icelandic legend that contains its own lesson. There was a man who was constantly pursued by a terrible spirit which took the form of a dwarf. His grain ricks were fired, his barns unroofed, his ...read more

Tags: Offerings, Enemies, Murder, Self, Hate, Cain, Abel, Blood Of Christ  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Five Finger Prayer Formula

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Apr 10, 2024

Prayer is a conversation with God, not a formula. Yet sometimes we might need to use a “method” to freshen up our prayer time. We can pray the Psalms or other Scriptures (such as The Lord’s Prayer), or use the ACTS method (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication). I recently came ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 33:3

Tags: Asking, Needs, Faith, Worship, Praise, Prayer, Hearing God, Receiving  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Power To Be The Light

Contributed by Joshua Blackmon on Jun 3, 2024

Smartphones are amazing pieces of technology. Everything my generation went to RadioShack to purchase is now all together in the palm of our hand, including our flashlights. My grandfather loved flashlights. It was okay to get him a new one each year for Christmas or his birthday. He would take a ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:8, John 15:5

Tags: Light, Holy Spirit, Power

Denomination: Pentecostal

Refuse To Change

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Sep 5, 2025

I RATHER CHOSE INSANITY THAN CHANGE? I REFUSE TO CHANGE. I EXPECT THE WHOLE WORLD TO CHANGE! WHY SHOULD I CHANGE? CHANGE? THERE IS A WARNING OF TERRIBLE COST TO THOSE THAT REFUSE TO CHANGE. There was a huge oil tanker that carried over a million barrels of oil across the ocean. One dark, ...read more

Scripture: Daniel 4:22-31, Isaiah 43:19, Deuteronomy 31:8

Tags: Change, Adapt

Denomination: Assembly Of God

How To Get Rid Of Your Preacher

Contributed by Loyd C. Taylor on Sep 26, 2025

How to Get Rid of Your Preacher I heard the tale of a preacher Who was boring and out of touch. Most of his sermons were dry or dead, And he spoke softly way too much. He had heard an awful rumor, From church gossip it had been told, “The church was going to fire him, Hire a young one, handsome ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 3:15

Tags: Preaching, Pastor, Appreciation, Preachers, Pastor's Appreciation Day, Honor  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Holy Communion

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Oct 30, 2025

Hugh Price Hughes (9 February 1847 – 17 November 1902), was a Welsh Methodist clergyman and he wrote this: I was struck even then at the way in which the most exalted were reduced to their simple humanity. Then, again, at the Holy Communion, all men are absolutely equal. One table for rich ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:16-17, 1 Corinthians 11:24-26

Tags: Holy Communion, Equal, Iron Duke

Denomination: Anglican

The Pit

Contributed by John Bright on Jan 18, 2026

The Pit man fell into a pit and couldn't get himself out. A subjective person came along and said: "I feel for you down there." An objective person came along and said: "It's logical that someone would fall down there." A Pharisee said: "Only bad people fall into ...read more

Scripture: James 1:22-27

Tags: Jesus, Helping Others

Denomination: Methodist

Treating God Like Amazon

Contributed by Austin W. Duncan on Apr 17, 2026

You’ve been up at 2 AM, scrolling, adding things to a cart you don’t need with money you don’t have for a version of yourself that doesn’t exist. And the next morning you wake up and think, “What was that?” That was your desires running the show while your judgment was asleep. And that’s not just a ...read more

Scripture: James 4:2-3

Tags: Prayer, Idolatry

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Root Bound

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on May 27, 2026

CONCLUSION: Many years ago I was in Illinois and was in a discussion with my father-in-law. He told me about this huge apple orchard. There were 10,000 trees, 5,000 red, and 5,000 yellow apple trees. I asked to go visit it. When we got there the owner had a hand drill and was drilling several holes ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:16

Tags: Fruit, Try Harder

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Bamboo

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Once upon a time, in the heart of an ancient Kingdom, there was a beautiful garden. And there, in the cool of the day, the Master of the garden would walk. Of all the plants of the garden, the most beautiful and most beloved was gracious and noble bamboo. Year after year, bamboo grew yet more noble ...read more

Scripture: John 3:22-36

Tags: Humility, Surrender, Abundance, Send, Die To Live  (view more)  (view less)

The Cane Ridge Revival

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 23, 2011

THE CANE RIDGE REVIVAL One of those great revivals of the American past took place in the late spring and early summer of 1801 at Cane Ridge in central Kentucky. A pastor named Barton Stone, who had been called to serve this little Methodist church by Daniel Boone, decided to call a four-day ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 7:14

Tags: Revival

[215]. A Message From A Poem - His Precious Redeemed Ones

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Sep 28, 2025

[215]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - HIS PRECIOUS REDEEMED ONES In my messages and sermons, sometimes I raise the plight of suffering Christians enduring persecution such as we observe in many nations in Africa. It makes me think of these suffering ones and how the Lord views them. They are ...read more

Scripture: John 12:24, Revelation 2:10-11, 1 John 5:4, 1 Peter 1:18-19, 2 Peter 1:4  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Love, Christ, Jesus, Persecution, Victors, Grain Of Wheat, Christian Poems, Africa, Precious, Put To Death, Redeemed, Believers, Saints  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational