In Sermon Illustrations: "Life Giving"

A. Seven Years Ago, A Little Girl Named Keri Was ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

A. SEVEN YEARS AGO, A LITTLE GIRL NAMED KERI WAS PLACED IN FOSTER CARE, AFTER SUFFERING EXTREME ABUSE AND NEGLECT AT HOME. "KERI WAS A ZOMBIE," RECALLS HER FOSTER MOTHER. "SHE DIDN’T TALK AT ALL." B. AT THE SAME TIME, AN OLDER COUPLE, NAMED ELMER AND MARJORIE DAVIS WERE DEEP INTO RETIREMENT ...read more

Tags: Commitment To Christ

Shortly After The First Edition Of The Miami ...

Contributed by Scott Jensen on Jun 26, 2008

Shortly after the first edition of the Miami Herald had gone to press on Sunday night, December 29, 1946, Timothy Sullivan answered the telephone on the city desk. “Please help me,” a woman’s voice pleaded. “My husband is bleeding to death.” Sullivan got the entire story. The man’s name was Rudy ...read more

Tags: Kindness

Denomination: Lutheran

When A Thief Was Surprised At Church!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Nov 13, 2023

When I was pastoring in Texas, something strange happened one Christmas that I will never stop laughing about. Because it was a Christmas holiday, we were at home with our family taking a break from our normal ministry schedule. We did not go to the church campus for the weekend. But, while we ...read more

Scripture: Malachi 3:10-11, Proverbs 3:9-10, 1 Timothy 6:10, 1 Corinthians 16:1-2

Tags: Pastors, Tithing, Robbing God, Stealing, Surprises, Church, Giving, Humor  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Price Of A Miracle  PRO

Contributed by David Yarbrough on Mar 24, 2003

THE PRICE OF A MIRACLE Let me tell you about Tess. Tess was a precocious eight-year-old little girl. One day she heard her mom and dad talking in a serious and somber tone about her little brother, Andrew. Tess didn’t understand everything that they were saying, but she got the gist: Her little ...read more

Tags: Change, Character, Giving General, Excitement, Joy, Miracles, Wonder, Sanctification  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Famous Businessman Practices ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 30, 2009

Famous Businessman Practices Tithing One Famous Business man: About a 100 plus years ago a young man had to leave home because his family could not afford to feed and house him. On his way to his future he met an old friend who was captain of a canal boat. The Captain asked where he was off to. He ...read more

Scripture: Malachi 3:6-18

Tags: Tithes

Make This Muddled World A Better Place

Contributed by David Simpson on Feb 5, 2018

Make This Muddled World A Better Place January 24, 2018 Lanier Christian Church David Simpson The Academy Award Nominations came out yesterday. Of the movies nominated, one of them is about famous British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, entitled: Darkest Hour. Churchill left us with many ...read more

Tags: Bless Others, Give Of Self, Be A Blessing To Oth, Service, Compassion, Winston Churchill  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian Church

Just Before The Outbreak Of The First World War, ...  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Emmert on May 22, 2001

Just before the outbreak of the First World War, a small ship named the Endurance set sail from Briton with a crew intent on being the first to cross the South Pole. The ship reached Antarctica, but became ice bound in the Weddle Sea. Soon they had to abandon their ship and the 28-man crew took ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:1-4

Tags: Giving, Holy Spirit In Believers, Guidance, Bible Influence, Bible Study  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: United Methodist

Three Feet Away

Contributed by Roy Fowler on Dec 14, 2020

During the gold rush, a man from Ohio traveled to California. It had taken him months to get there. He had to get a claim and register it and buy tools before he could start mining. The Ohioan had been mining for months. Finally after all the hard work and finding nothing quit his claim. He was ...read more

Scripture: Mark 1:1-8

Tags: Don't Give Up, Success Isn't Far Away

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Six Ways To Be A Modern Day Barnabas

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Aug 2, 2023

Below are six ways to encourage someone. When was the last time you encouraged someone in any of the following ways? Have you ignored some gentle promptings by the Spirit to encourage someone? Perhaps today you might ask God to whom you might send a note or make a call? Yes, dear brother or ...read more

Scripture: Acts 4:36

Tags: Encouragement, Barnabas, Serving, Ministry To Others, Volunteers, Fellowship, Support, Giving  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

We Are Biologically Wired To Trust

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Apr 20, 2023

Henry Cloud in his book, Trust, talks about how we are hard-wired to trust. If you have ever been around a newborn, you may have noticed that newborns do not do much due diligence when they're hungry. They scream with all their might and basically say, "Bring it to me now!" The human ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 13:12

Tags: Trust, Mothers, Infants, Neuroscience

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Plunging To Murky Earth  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 19, 2003

PLUNGING TO MURKY EARTH A family was out vacationing at the lake one summer. Dad had been puttering out by the boat house. Two of his sons, a 12-year old and a 3-year old were down playing along the dock. The 12 year old was supposed to be watching his little brother, but he got distracted. The 3 ...read more

Tags: Christmas, Salvation, Waiting On God

C.s. Lewis- Pain Insists Upon Being Attended To, ...  PRO

Contributed by Davon Huss on Sep 26, 2001

C.S. Lewis- Pain insists upon being attended to, God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: ...read more

Tags: Pain, Hardship Of Life, Knowing God's Will, God In The Hardships, Suffering  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Photographer For A National Magazine Was ...  PRO

Contributed by Steven Dow on Jul 26, 2002

A photographer for a national magazine was assigned to get photos of a great forest fire. Smoke at the scene hampered him and he asked his home office to hire a plane. Arrangements were made and he was told to go at once to a nearby airport, where the plane would be waiting. When he arrived at ...read more

Tags: Waiting On God, Descriptions Of God, God's Omniscience, Hardship Of Life

Imagine If You Would That You Want To Go On The Bus.

Contributed by Andrew Moffatt on Jan 22, 2012

Imagine if you would that you want to go to Oamaru on the bus, the buses run to Oamaru every day of the week and there are at least three different bus companies to choose from. The trick with all these bus companies is that they charge different fares and that they go at different times. You can ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:1-10

Tags: Journey, Life Journey, Journey Of Faith, The Will Of God, Journey With Jesus  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Salvation Army

The Knowledge Of Good And Evil  PRO

Contributed by Lalachan Abraham on Jan 8, 2014

THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL Viktor Frankl in his book, "Man's Search for Meaning," describes the reactions of two brothers with the same heredity, the same environment, in the same concentration camp under the Nazis. One became a saint and the other a swine. Frankl tells us the reason why. He ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 30:19

Tags: Good And Evil, Life And Death, Forbidden Fruit, Knowledge Of Good

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Because He Lives  PRO

Contributed by Ronnie Miller on Sep 25, 2014

It’s because He lives we should be able to face tomorrow, it’s because He lives all fear should be gone. Because He lives we are pretty sure who holds the future. Is that the lyrics Bill Gaither wrote? No, but that’s the way many Christians feel. The first verse of Because He Lives says it all. God ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 46:1-3

Tags: Troubled Times, Trials And Difficulties, Time Of Trouble, Trials Of Life

Denomination: Baptist

Renewed Like The Eagle  PRO

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Feb 24, 2016

RENEWED LIKE THE EAGLE When the Psalmist mentions the renewal of the eagle, he may be referring to the "molting process" in an eagle’s life. As eagles age, their beaks and talons become encrusted with calcium. Thus, neither is as sharp as they once were. When this happens the aging eagle cannot ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 103:1-5

Tags: Revival, Renewal, Eagle, Crucified Life, Waiting On God, Lie  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Managing Time

Contributed by David Simpson on Jan 30, 2018

No matter what changes, no matter how much changes, TIME remains the same. And even though we know that, we never seem to have enough time. Consider the Calvin and Hobbes cartoon. Calvin says to Hobbes, "God put me on earth to accomplish a certain number of things. Right now I am so far behind I ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 39:4-6

Tags: Investing Your Life, Spending Time Wisely, Time Management

Denomination: Christian Church

The Easy Yoke

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 15, 2020

A yoke was a wooden frame which was put on the backs of animals and around their necks joining the two animals for a common task, such as plowing or pulling a load. If you were yoked with Jesus Christ, who do you think would "pull the load"? Obviously the Lord. And so in order to manifest ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-12, Matthew 11:28-30

Tags: Discipleship, Beatitudes, Christian Life, Surrender, Yoke, Following Jesus  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Is It A Weight Or A Wing?

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Dec 2, 2020

“The race of the Christian life is not fought well or run well by asking, "what's wrong with this or that?" but by asking, "is it in the way of greater faith, greater love, and greater purity? Not: “Is it a sin?” But: “Does it help me run the race! Is it in the way? ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:1

Tags: Purity, Christian Life, Running The Race, Habits, Weights, Hindrances  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational