In Sermon Illustrations: "Life Change"

In 1990, A Woman Entered A Haagen-Dazs Store In ...

Contributed by Rick Pendleton on Mar 29, 2011

In 1990, a woman entered a Haagen-Dazs store in Kansas City for an ice cream cone. While she was ordering, another customer entered the store. She placed her order, turned and found herself staring face to face with Paul Newman. He was in town filming a movie. His blue eyes made her knees buckle. ...read more

Tags: Commitment To Christ

Denomination: Baptist

Help Yourself First

Contributed by Brad Henry on Aug 16, 2011

HELP YOURSELF FIRST When an airliner loses cabin pressure the oxygen masks drop. You are told by the flight crew to put the mask on yourself before putting it on your child. You would think the child would be first. But if you pass out before you get the child’s mask on then both of you are ...read more

Tags: Power

Destiny...?

Contributed by Perry Greene on May 6, 2013

DESTINY...? During a momentous battle, a Japanese general decided to attack even though his army was greatly outnumbered. He was confident they would win, but his men were filled with doubt. On the way to the battle, they stopped at a religious shrine. After praying with the men, the general took ...read more

Tags: Goals

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Door Of Hope

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 24, 2015

There is a small metal door painted white in the side of a tiny mission church in Johannesburg South Africa. This door is changing lives. On it are painted the words “door of hope.” That is exactly what it is for various babies within the city. On average some forty to fifty babies were being ...read more

Scripture: John 10:7-10

Tags: Hope, Jesus The Door, Rescuing Babies

Boy Eating Apple

Contributed by John Bright on Jan 17, 2021

A four-year-old boy was eating an apple in the back seat of the car, when he asked, "Daddy, why is my apple turning brown?" "Because," his dad explained, "after you ate the skin off, the meat of the apple came into contact with the air, which caused it to oxidize, thus ...read more

Scripture: Luke 11:28

Tags: Bible, Understanding

Denomination: Methodist

Saint Or Sinner

Contributed by John Bright on Feb 19, 2021

In the “Freedom in Christ” course, Neil Anderson and Steve Goss, share an illustration that I just love – “You know the fairy tale of the princess who decided to kiss a frog? When she kissed the frog, he changes into a handsome prince. Now imagine they go out to a fancy restaurant to celebrate ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:2

Tags: Princess, Prince, Sinners, Saints, Frog  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Methodist

Marriage Insight

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Nov 15, 2021

Destructive to marriage is the self fulfillment ethic that assumes marriage and the family are primarily institutions of personal fulfillment, necessary for us to become whole or happy. The assumption is that there is someone just right for us to marry and that if we look closely enough we will ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:22-33

Tags: Relationships, Love, Marriage

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The "repenters"

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Feb 19, 2022

It is interesting that before the "Iron Curtain" went down, the believers in the anti-Christian Communist countries were often known as "Repenters." Why? Because they were not just "professors", but "possessors", and showed the Spirit of Christ was in them ...read more

Tags: Russia, Acts 2, Pentecost, Salvation, Repentance, Simon Peter  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Parable From A Peanuts Cartoon

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Feb 19, 2022

We need another revival like Pentecost! It will come when walking and working together! As Vance Havner said, “Snowflakes are fragile things, but when they stick together... they can stop traffic!” In a Peanuts cartoon Lucy demanded that Linus change TV channels, threatening him with her fist ...read more

Tags: Unity, Jokes, Cartoons, Church, Holy Spirit, Pentecost, Revival, Humor  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

No More Fear Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 10, 2009

NO MORE FEAR OF FALLING At the time it was completed in 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world. During the first phase of the project, 23 men fell to their death. There were very few safety devices, and things seemed to be going from bad to worse. So when it ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 1:5-9

Tags: Security

What Baptismal Candidates Wore On The Island Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 24, 2009

What Baptismal Candidates Wore On the Island of Barbados When The Gospel was First Preached The story is told that when the Gospel was first preached on the island of Barbados, several accepted the invitation to be baptized. When they arrived at the water for the baptismal service the women were ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:38

Tags: Baptism

The Falsities Of Mormon Author Betty Eadie

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 18, 2010

THE FALSITIES OF MORMON AUTHOR BETTY EADIE The idea of hell and judgment are nowhere to be found in Betty Eadie’s bestseller, Embraced By The Light, on the N.Y. Times bestseller list for more than 40 weeks, including 5 weeks as #1. In November 1973 Eadie allegedly died after undergoing a ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 4:1-3

Tags: False Teaching

Postman

Contributed by Dr John Singarayar Svd on Dec 1, 2023

In the quiet routines of everyday life, a seemingly ordinary event unfolded – a postman knocking on a door, bearing a letter. A child-like voice responded from within the house, promising to come and receive the letter. However, minutes passed without any sign of the resident. The postman's ...read more

Scripture: Mark 6:34

Tags: Mercy, Compassion

Denomination: Other

August 22, 1741, Was A Sweltering Day In The ...  PRO

Contributed by John Hamby on Mar 27, 2001

“August 22, 1741, was a sweltering day in the city of London. An elderly stooped-shouldered man wandered through the streets. His nightly aimless wandering through the streets of the city had become a familiar ritual. His angry mind raced back to the memories of great adulation and then looked at a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 14:1-31

Tags: Sacrifice, God In The Hardships, Endurance

Denomination: Baptist

Pleasure Comes From Pain  PRO

Contributed by Alan Perkins on Feb 7, 2002

PLEASURE COMES FROM PAIN The world's best cyclist, Lance Armstrong, says this about pain: I become a happier man each time I suffer. Suffering is as essential to a good life, and as inextricable, as bliss. The old saying that you should live each day as if it’s your last is a nice sentiment, ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 46:1

Tags: Disciplines General, Endurance, Human Body

Denomination: Baptist

Busted Knuckles

Contributed by Jack Kale on May 10, 2016

Busted Knuckles The blades needed replacement on the old red Murray riding mower we use at the camp. I purchased two 21” blades from Lowes and got around to replacing them this past weekend for the first mow of the year. I hoisted the front end of that insanely heavy grass cutter and secured ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:28

Tags: Work, Scars, Pain And Suffering, Hurting

Denomination: *other

[046]. A Message From A Poem – Christians In Response

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 6, 2025

[046]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – CHRISTIANS IN RESPONSE This is another poem where I make use of rhyming patterns. Each line has an internal rhyme separated by one syllable. Here it is explained – “My life was SPENT, and WENT its way, with worldly discord gained.” The rhyming scheme for the ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 4:19, Revelation 5:11-13

Tags: Praise, Christians, Response, Poetry, Poem, Death Of Christ  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Seared Conscience, Citation: J. Douglas Burford, ...  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Oct 25, 2002

[Seared Conscience, Citation: J. Douglas Burford, Mission, Kansas] During my college years—in my infinite wisdom—it occurred to me that it made no sense to stop at red traffic lights when there was clearly no traffic around. So I began to stop only briefly—just long enough to ...read more

Tags: Sin General, Temptation General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

This Is A True Story. Two Guys In A Church, Paul ...  PRO

Contributed by Mary Lewis on Jun 11, 2004

This is a true story. Two guys in a church, Paul and William decided that they really wanted to become godly men. So they started meeting with one another to pray and encourage one another; they even set goals for themselves and their behavior, and then were accountable to the other one. Paul ...read more

Tags: Grace, God's Provision

Denomination: Baptist

Carl Boyle Is A Sales Representative, And He Was ...

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Jun 12, 2005

Carl Boyle is a sales representative, and he was driving home through his suburban neighborhood one day when he saw a group of young children selling Kool-Aid on a corner. They had taped the typical hand-scrawled sign on their stand: “Kool-Aid, 10 cents.” As a salesman, Carl was intrigued. He ...read more

Tags: Sharing My Testimony, Evangelism Urgency, Evangelism How To

Denomination: Methodist