In Sermon Illustrations: "Last Things"

More From Technology, Less From One Another

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Jul 18, 2012

MORE FROM TECHNOLOGY, LESS FROM ONE ANOTHER Sherry Turkle, a professor at M.I.T. and author of Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other, has spent the last 15 years studying how our "plugged-in lives" have changed who we are. She claims that all of our ...read more

Tags: Communication General

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

We Humans Tend To Come To Blockages And Stop. ...

Contributed by Andrew Moffatt on Dec 28, 2012

We humans tend to come to blockages and stop. The other day I was using a vacuum cleaner, the nice new yellow one here at the hall, I turned it on and it worked (tuned it on made all the right noises). But it had no suck. It had become blocked and jammed with hay where the hose met its body, thanks ...read more

Tags: Prayer Hardship

Denomination: Salvation Army

Who Churchill Wants To Be  PRO

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Jan 7, 2013

WHO CHURCHILL WANTS TO BE Winston Churchill once attended a formal banquet in London, where the dignitaries were asked the question, "If you could not be who you are, who would you like to be?" Naturally everyone was curious as to what Churchill, who was seated next to his beloved Clemmie, would ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:1-3

Tags: Marriage Commitment

Denomination: Baptist

No Atheists In The Water  PRO

Contributed by Paul Barreca on Mar 31, 2013

NO ATHEISTS IN THE WATER David Harrell wrote a book telling the story of his father, Edgar Harrell. Edgar was one of the 300 survivors of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis, the last US ship sunk by enemy contact in WW2. 600 of the 900 men who survived the ship's sinking were stranded in the ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 2:15

Tags: Shipwreck, Death, Dying, Loneliness, Atheism  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Feasts In The Bible

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 11, 2014

There are seven feasts in the Bible and they help us to tell the time. In fact, the Hebrew word for "feast" is moadim, used 223 times in Scripture and means "appointed times". The feasts represent the calendar of God’s plan for the ages. Four of the feasts were historically fulfilled in Christ’s ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 12:1-13

Tags: Second Coming, Passover, Feast

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Nfl...a Moral Compass?

Contributed by Robert Harmon on Oct 4, 2014

How would you like to have the NFL as your moral compass? Last week, we were hammered by reports about Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson and how the NFL was responding (or not responding) to the allegations of abuse. Tabloids, Social Media, and ESPN have been overloaded with their stories and many ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:24-27

Tags: Firm Foundation, Becoming Like Christ, Nfl

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Contentment

Contributed by Paul Steen on Dec 11, 2017

Two old friends met each other on the street one day. One looked sad and almost on the verge of tears. His friend asked, “What has happened to you, my old friend?” The sad fellow said, “Let me tell you. Three weeks ago, my uncle died and left me forty thousand dollars.” “That’s a lot of money,” ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:11-13

Tags: Contentment, Satisfaction, Content

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Assumptions And Arrogance

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Nov 12, 2019

Four people—a pilot, a professor, a pastor, and a hiker—were flying in a small plane when the engines died. The pilot said, “There are only three parachutes. Since this is my plane, I’m taking one of them.” He put it on and jumped out. The professor said, “I’m brilliant and the world needs me, so ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 5:13-20

Tags: Mistakes, Arrogance, Assumptions, Snob, False Confidence, Errors  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Christmas Present Unrealized

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Nov 25, 2019

This is a true story. Freddie and John were fortunate enough to have a season ticket to watch Chelsea soccer in the UK. They could not help noticing that there was always a spare seat next (B14) to them and they had a friend who would love to buy a season ticket, especially if all three could have ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:1-20

Tags: Christmas, Christmas Present, Unattended Effect, Missed Opportunity

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Death And Vanity

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Aug 29, 2022

A middle-aged, wealthy woman has a heart attack. While on the operating table she has a near death experience. She sees the angel at the gates and asks if this is it. The angel says no, she has another 30-40 years to live. She recovers, and decides to stay in the hospital and have a face lift, ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 9:27, Proverbs 31:30, Mark 8:36, Matthew 16:26

Tags: Death, Beauty, Vanity

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Take Time To Say Thank You

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Aug 2, 2023

A doctor wrote a letter of thanks to a schoolteacher for having given him so much encouragement when he had been in her class 30 years before. He later received this reply: "I want you to know what your note meant to me. I am an old lady in my eighties, living alone in a small room, cooking ...read more

Tags: Teachers, Encouragment, Thank You, Retired People, Thanksgiving, Gratitude, Blessings, Senior Adults  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Chuck Colson Says It Well, "Holiness Is The ...  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Goettsche on Oct 18, 2000

Chuck Colson says it well, "Holiness is the everyday business of every Christian. It evidences itself in the decisions we make and the things we ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 1:5

Tags: Holiness, Love Of The Disciples

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

St. John Of The Cross (1542-1591) Said, "A ...  PRO

Contributed by Victor Yap on Jan 25, 2001

St. John of the Cross (1542-1591) said, "A Christian should always remember that the value of his good works is not based on their number and excellence, but on ...read more

Tags: Doing God's Will, Faith Vs. Works, Christian Love

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Truth Without Enthusiasm, Morality Without ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 9, 2006

"Truth without enthusiasm, morality without emotion, ritual without soul, are things Christ unsparingly condemned. Destitute of fire, they are nothing more than a godless ...read more

Tags: Truth

One Famous Orchestra Leader And Renowned Violin ...

Contributed by Warren Lamb on Jul 8, 2006

One famous orchestra leader and renowned violin player was asked, “What is the most difficult thing you have even been asked to play?” ...read more

Tags: Character

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Blaise Pascal, The French Mathematician And ...

Contributed by John Shearhart on Mar 12, 2007

Blaise Pascal, the French mathematician and philosopher, wrote "there is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man that cannot be filled by any created thing ...read more

To Make The Improving Of Our Own Character Our ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 11, 2007

To make the improving of our own character our central aim is hardly the highest kind of goodness. True goodness forgets itself and goes out to do the ...read more

Tags: Christian Love

Blaise Pascal, The French Mathematician And ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Blaise Pascal, the French mathematician and philosopher, wrote "there is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man that cannot be filled by any created thing ...read more

Tags: Worship Benefits

We've Extended Our Definition Of Need To Include ...

Contributed by Curt Cizek on Sep 15, 2007

We’ve extended our definition of need to include saving for retirement, buying things we don’t need so that we don’t ...read more

Denomination: Lutheran

Once We Become Rightly Related To God, Duty ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"Once we become rightly related to God, duty will never be a disagreeable thing of which we have to say with a sigh, Oh, well, I ...read more

Tags: Discipleship