In Sermon Illustrations: "Lead"

Radical Faith  PRO

Contributed by Ken Pell on Jan 24, 2011

RADICAL FAITH I want to read to you the opening story from David Platt's book "The Radical Question" (Multnomah Press). Imagine a scene that took place in Asia not so long ago: A room in an ordinary house, dimly lit, all the blinds on the windows closed. Twenty leaders from churches in the ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 12:10-17

Tags: Persecution, Better Together

Denomination: Nazarene

Hymn Story: O Love That Will Not Let Me Go By ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 6, 2011

HYMN STORY: O LOVE THAT WILL NOT LET ME GO BY GEORGE MATHESON George Matheson was only fifteen when he was told that he was losing what little eyesight he had. Instead of giving up, Matheson immediately continued with his plans to enroll in the University of Glasgow, and his determination lead to ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:28-39

Tags: God's Love

A Confession Of Stealing

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 3, 2011

A CONFESSION OF STEALING Jack removes the envelope from the small pile of mail and draws in a deep breath. It is from his former employer. He has lost sleep waiting for it. What he is about to read could lead to his exoneration or to imprisonment. He had written to this man two weeks ago, ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 28:13

Tags: Confession Of Sin

Works-Driven Rituals

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 4, 2011

WORKS-DRIVEN RITUALS Every year a great throng of people make pilgrimage to the Shrine of Guadalupe in Mexico, a site where supposedly the Virgin Mary once stood...however unlikely that is. They go there hoping to get her attention, and to get her to intervene for them with her son Jesus. They ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 1:7-10

Tags: Action

Dying For Someone Like That

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Aug 12, 2011

DYING FOR SOMEONE LIKE THAT During the war in Vietnam, a young West Point graduate was sent over to lead a group of new recruits into battle. He did his job well, trying his best to keep his recruits from ambush and death. But one night, when they had been under attack, he was unable to get one of ...read more

Tags: God's Love

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Come Down Off The Chair

Contributed by Michael Milton on Sep 11, 2011

COME DOWN OFF THE CHAIR There is a pastor who was once a professor--a very creative professor--at RTS in Jackson, Mississippi. One day he had the responsibility of leading the chapel service. Most of us prepare for chapel messages by Bible study and prayer. This professor prepared by not only ...read more

Tags: Pride

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Billy Graham's Arena Dreams

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Feb 7, 2012

BILLY GRAHAM'S ARENA DREAMS Billy Graham, in his book "Nearing Home: Life, Faith, and Finishing Well" (pp. 2-3, Thomas Nelson) writes: I have remained a baseball fan, not necessarily of one team over another but of the game itself--the teamwork, the strategy, and the challenge of defeating the ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:28

Tags: Dreams

Denomination: Baptist

Under The Influence

Contributed by Greg Nance on Apr 13, 2012

UNDER THE INFLUENCE David Kupelian's book The Marketing of Evil, published in 2005, is an eye-opening study of what we face today. I wish every parent would read it. Does anyone here remember what happened to Robert Bauman in 1980? He was elected in 1973 as representative of the First ...read more

Tags: Sin Bondage To

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

For An Animation Of Psalm 42, Please Go To ...

Contributed by Jessica Johnson on Aug 5, 2012

for an Animation of Psalm 42, please go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTMfZ1u9DHU&feature=plcp . 'As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for Thee, O God. My soul thirsts for God, the Living God. When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 42:1-11

Tags: Water, Wave, Enemy, Night, Call, Pants, Countenance, Worship General, Delivery, Day, Deer, Waterfalls, Bones, Appear, Breaker, God, Soul, Rock, Help, Presence, Deep  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian Church

Ravi Zacharias Tells The Story Of A Man Who Went ...

Contributed by Ken Henson on Aug 7, 2012

Ravi Zacharias tells the story of a man who went to School in Wheaton with Billy Graham and later entered into politics. He was a popular man and rose to become the Prime Minister of Canada. In the process of going down that way, to fame, to popularity and power, he began to sacrifice his ethics ...read more

Tags: Temptation General

Denomination: *other

Finish Strong

Contributed by Jeffrey Rowe on Dec 29, 2012

In 2 Tim 4:7 Paul said that death was like finishing the race. Like crossing the finish line. That all of life is really about one thing – finishing well. Accomplishing the dreams and goals that God has for your life. I ran cross country in high school. We’d go out to these golf courses and ...read more

Tags: Death, Running The Race

Denomination: Holiness

When Adam Hamilton Saw Christmas

Contributed by Tim Smith on Jan 6, 2013

WHEN ADAM HAMILTON SAW CHRISTMAS Adam Hamilton tells the story of leading his youth group in Dallas, TX to south Dallas, a part of town that was largely forgotten and the remaining people who lived there had been largely forgetten as well. The neighborhood was filled with empty lots, boarded up ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Methodist

During Super Bowl Xxxvii, Fedex Ran A Commercial ...  PRO

Contributed by Raymond L. Johnson on May 27, 2013

During Super Bowl XXXVII, FedEx ran a commercial that spoofed the movie Castaway, in which Tom Hanks played a FedEx worker, whose company plane went down, stranding him on a desert island for years. Looking like Tom Hanks in the movie, the FedEx employee in the commercial goes up to the door of a ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 25:8-10

Tags: Fulfillment, Discovery, Doing God's Will, God's Sovereign Will, Knowing God's Will  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

The Final Play Of The Game  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 7, 2013

THE FINAL PLAY OF THE GAME It's never too late to trust Jesus. Oops, I need to qualify that. There IS a time when it's too late to trust Jesus. If you die without putting your faith in Jesus, then it's too late. Someone observed about the thief on the cross that there is one deathbed conversion in ...read more

Scripture: Luke 23:39-43

Tags: Salvation, Becoming A Christian

Just Off The Shore Of North Carolina On The ...

Contributed by Todd Stiles on May 2, 2007

Just off the shore of North Carolina on the island of Cape Hatteras is a village known as Nag’s Head, a small shoreline town where, back in the 1800’s, the “wreckers” lived. These “wreckers” made their living gathering up parts and cargo from ships that had run aground in the night. But these ships ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Your Before And After Doesn't Have To Be ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Your before and after doesn’t have to be complicated. It is simply sharing from your heart what God has done for you and leaving the results with God. Listen to the story of Spud Webb. At 5’ 6” Spud was like Zaccheus in the NBA where the average height is 6’ 8”or 6’ 9”. Spud played for 9 years in ...read more

Tags: Paul

Christmas Eve, 1953

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Christmas eve, 1953 New Zealand’s worst railway disaster occurred on Christmas Eve, 1953. The Wellington-Auckland night express plunged into the flooded Whangaehu River just west of Tangiwai, near Waiouru. Of the 285 people on board, 151 were killed. The tragedy left a nation in mourning and ...read more

Tags: Easter Good Friday

Lynn Anderson, In "They Smell Like Sheep Relates ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Lynn Anderson, in "They Smell Like Sheep relates this story: “Several years ago in Palestine, Carolyn and I rode a tour bus through Israel’s countryside nearly mesmerized as the tour guide explained the scenery, the history, and the lifestyle. In his description, he included a heart-warming ...read more

Scripture: John 10:1-5

Tags: People In Acts

There's An Old Story Of A Man And His ...  PRO

Contributed by Don Hawks on Oct 28, 2007

There’s an old story of a man and his grand-daughter who go for a walk to the local town park. The man and girl are sitting on a park bench sharing an afternoon snack when they are approached by a traveler. "Good sir, please tell me. Is this a friendly town? I’ve had the misfortune to live in a ...read more

Denomination: Methodist

King George And Queen Elizabeth And Then Princess ...

Contributed by R. David Reynolds on Nov 24, 2007

King George and Queen Elizabeth and then Princess Elizabeth set the example of being great leaders of and role models for their people by being servants. The Rev. Dr. John C. Maxwell is an honored pastor in the Wesleyan Church Dr. Maxwell and founder of two companies world renowned EQUIP and ...read more

Tags: Gifts Leadership

Denomination: Methodist