In Sermon Illustrations: "Laughs"

Charles Oakley On Tenacity

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Oct 14, 2009

CHARLES OAKLEY ON TENACITY Charles Oakley, forward for the New York Knicks and an NBA All-Star, has a reputation for being one of basketball’s best rebounders. It’s his toughness, however, that has probably contributed the most to his outstanding sports career. While other professional players ...read more

Tags: Disciplines General

Denomination: Pentecostal

Climate At Church Compared To Jewelry Store Grand ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 11, 2009

Climate at Church compared to Jewelry Store Grand Opening John Bisagno former Pastor of Houston’s First Baptist Church tells the story of his coming as a candidate for the position of pastor many years ago. He said that as he entered the auditorium it was dimly lit, with just a few people huddled ...read more

Scripture: Luke 4:14-30

Tags: Pastors

When I Was In Seminary, The Administration Asked ...

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Dec 24, 2009

When I was in seminary, the administration asked me to go on a recruiting trip back to Central College, from which I had graduated. So one of the professors and I flew into DesMoines, Iowa, where the college chaplain picked us up. He started to drive us to Pella, a trip of about an hour. The three ...read more

Tags: Evangelism The Lost

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Brits Are Emotional Too

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Feb 20, 2010

BRITS ARE EMOTIONAL TOO I remember hearing a discussion on Radio Humberside about 10 years ago about the Toronto blessing. The Toronto Blessing was a powerful move of God in a Vineyard Church at the end of the runway at Toronto International Airport. People were crying and laughing in the ...read more

Tags: Emotions

Denomination: Anglican

Why Should I Surrender?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 29, 2010

WHY SHOULD I SURRENDER? The story is told of the military legend Alexander the Great, King of Macedonia (336-323) and conqueror of Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt, Babylonia, and Persia, almost all of the known world. One day on the warpath, Alexander and small company of soldiers approached a strongly ...read more

Scripture: Luke 14:25-27

Tags: Discipleship

But He Is My Father

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 22, 2011

BUT HE IS MY FATHER There is an old Roman story which tells how a Roman emperor was once enjoying a great victory. He had the privilege of marching his troops through the streets of Rome with all of his captured trophies, and his prisoners behind him. This emperor was marching with his troops; the ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 4:1-7

Tags: God The Father

The Magnitude Of The Request

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 26, 2011

THE MAGNITUDE OF THE REQUEST Napoleon and his soldiers overcame an island in the Mediterranean Sea. They had fought for many days to take the island and finally succeeded. After the capture of the island at the price of many lives, Napoleon and his generals gathered for a celebration. As they were ...read more

Scripture: Mark 11:24

Tags: Prayer How To

Words Leave A Lasting Impression

Contributed by Dennis Davidson on Jul 7, 2011

WORDS LEAVE A LASTING IMPRESSION As bad as it is to hear foul words, it is worse to speak them. A nobleman went to see how Josiah Wedgwood made his SUPERB POTTERY. A young apprentice was told to give the guest a tour of the factory. As they walked through the plant, the visitor began to use ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 121:1-21

Tags: Heaven, Message, Giving, Words, Tithing, Churches, Scroll  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Firm Foundation  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 5, 2011

FIRM FOUNDATION Ravi Zacharias told about doing a lectureship several years ago at the Ohio State University. As he was being driven to the lecture, they passed what was then the "new" Wexner Art Center. The driver commented, "This is a new art building for the university. It is a fascinating ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:24-27

Tags: Foundation

Bad News, Then Good News  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 15, 2011

BAD NEWS, THEN GOOD NEWS Nearly 20 years ago at the height of Operation Desert Storm, Ruth Dillow received a very sad message from the Pentagon. The message stated that her son, Clayton had stepped on a landmine in Kuwait and was killed. Ruth later wrote these words, "I can't begin to describe my ...read more

Scripture: John 20:1-20, Matthew 28:8

Tags: Emmaus Road, Post Easter, Easter Resurrection

I Want To Go Home

Contributed by Johnny A. Palmer Jr. on Dec 11, 2011

I WANT TO GO HOME Fred Smith, an influential Christian businessman was seriously ill in the summer of 2004. He was hospitalized, semiconscious, and not expected to live. Periodically he would mutter, "I want to go home, I want to go home." After an emotional family conference, the family ...read more

Tags: Death

Denomination: Baptist

A Tragic Dream Fulfilled--The Case Of Robert ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 1, 2012

A TRAGIC DREAM FULFILLED--THE CASE OF ROBERT BURNS Robert Burns, the famous poet, occasionally had times of serious reflection of the state of his soul. He recorded one of those times when he compared himself to the review of his past life. He wrote that he was like a lonely man walking amidst the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 8:4-15

Tags: Parable Sower And Seed

Gold, Common Sense, And Fur

Contributed by Davon Huss on Dec 24, 2012

There was a couple who desperately wanted children. They prayed to the Lord and he gave them 4 children in 4 years. When the children were still 5 years old and younger, they were the stars of the Christmas pageant. Here are the mothers words to describe the production: “My daughter was playing ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Being Crucified With Christ

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Aug 11, 2016

As I was typing up the many pages of notes I would use for my weekly podcast sermon, I needed to replace some letters in a name in part of my document with "M-E," so it would read correctly as I recorded. I was trying to use the ’Find & Replace’ command, but it looked a little ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 2:20

Tags: Sin, Flesh, Self, Crucified With Christ, Crucify Flesh, Crucified  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Charismatic

Know Who You Are Fighting

Contributed by Steve Kinnard on Feb 15, 2019

The Nature of Our Enemy One of the foremost rules of warfare is: know your enemy. The more you know about your enemy-how he thinks, what motivates him-the better you are able to devise a means of counteracting his moves and defeating him. To overcome the enemy of our eternal spirit, the devil, the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:8

Tags: Enemy, Satan

Denomination: Pentecostal

Business Is Always Good

Contributed by Peter Loughman on Jul 29, 2008

BUSINESS IS ALWAYS GOOD I had a man in my last congregation who was in the snack business. He was part of a small company which supplied chips and pretzels and the like to mini markets and various retail outlets. One afternoon I asked Albert how business was, good or bad, up or down. He looked at ...read more

Tags: God's Omnipotence

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Answered Prayer On A ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 12, 2009

ANSWERED PRAYER ON A PLANE WELLINGTON, New Zealand--Grant Stubbs and Owen Wilson were flying up the sloping valley of Pelorus Sound in New Zealand, admiring the beautiful panoramic view. Then there was a cough. "Bless you, Owen." "For what, Grant?" "Your cough." "I didn’t cough." "Oh." Then ...read more

Tags: Prayer Answered

The Choice: Build Up Or Tear Down  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 11, 2009

THE CHOICE: BUILD UP OR TEAR DOWN Years ago I picked up a poem named "The Choice." I do not know where I got it nor the author, but it illustrates the importance of building others up. This poem raises the question of whether we will "tear down or build up." "I watched some men tearing a building ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:11, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

Tags: Encouragement

Simple Confession, Profound Forgiveness

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 31, 2022

In 1818 one out of six women who had children died of something called “childbirth fever.” A doctor’s daily routine back then started in the dissecting room, where he performed autopsies, and from there he made his rounds to examine expectant mothers. No one even thought to wash his hands...at ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 1:9

Tags: Grace, Forgiveness

The Light Of The Word

Contributed by Taiwo Oyadiran on Mar 23, 2019

I like to tell this story about my son as a 2-year-old. I always liked to give him a shower/bath and like most kids that age, he liked playing with the water. Many times, when there’s water and soap on his head and face, he, of course, had to close his eyes. That part he didn’t like. No kid would ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 119:105

Tags: Faith, Revelation