In Sermon Illustrations: "Life Journey"

Mom, That Was For You!

Contributed by Nickolas Kooi on Aug 30, 2017

A pastor went to the hospital to visit Maggy, one of his members. She was in the last stages of her life because of cancer, and was heavily medicated, and unresponsive. He went to support her family, who was taking it hard. When he got there, he was surprised with what he saw. Her daughter, ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:9-13

Tags: Service, Love, Honor, Sacrificial Love

Denomination: Lutheran

Wrong Reasons For Study Of Bible

Contributed by Tony Abram on Jan 21, 2018

At the village church in Kalonovka, Russia, attendance at Sunday school picked up after the priest started handing out candy to the peasant children. One of the most faithful was a pug-nosed, lad who recited his Scriptures with proper piety, pocketed his reward, then fled into the fields to munch ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:1-3

Tags: Holy, Sanctification

Gun Laws

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Mar 18, 2018

Gun Laws Laws - "are sent by Him to punish those who do wrong and commend those who do right." 2 Peter 2:14 - Keeping this truth in the context of guns. Nothing wrong with making sure there are laws which make it hard for wicked or mentally ill people from getting guns. Those (mentally ill or ...read more

Tags: Gun Laws, Guns, Laws

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Vine

Contributed by Michael E. Bartee Sr. on Oct 19, 2018

When I was growing up I was one of six children. Our house was very small, only four rooms. And without any of the convieniences most houses had in those days. We did not have a bathroom,running water, or a furnace. There were two boys, about my age, that lived close by. In my mind they were ...read more

Scripture: John 5:15

Tags: Trusting God, Faith In Christ

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Close Encounter

Contributed by Steve Kinnard on Feb 15, 2019

A Close Encounter As the great hunter stalks his prey thru the sultry jungle of Africa, the prey is running for his life; but to no avail because nothing escapes the skills of the great white hunter. The prey is trembling with fear as the hunter closes in. Can you see the evil leer in the ...read more

Scripture: Acts 4:1-13

Tags: Grace, Mercy

Denomination: Pentecostal

Discerning Prophecy

Contributed by Richard Tow on Apr 26, 2021

I was once in charge of a meeting where I was confronted with this situation. A lady gave forth a powerful and anointed utterance in an unknown tongue. We all waited for the interpretation. Quite soon a man began to give forth what he obviously wanted us to accept as the interpretation. It was, in ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 3:6, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, 1 Corinthians 14:29, 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21

Tags: Deception, Discernment, Prophecy, Charismatic, Tongues, False Prophet  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Charismatic

Humility

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Jun 27, 2021

The Western meaning of humility derives from the usage of the Hebrew speaking Jews, Latin speaking Romans and the Greeks, in particular Greek speaking Christians of the first century. In all three languages the word used to describe humility means "low", as in low to the ground: the ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:1-11

Tags: Service, Humility, Power

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Love Your Neighbour

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Oct 12, 2021

Canadian Folk singer (and believer) Bruce Cockburn wrote this song for his church in San Franciso. The story is told in Christianity Today, October 12, 2021. ORDERS; (Bruce Cockburn) The just the merciful the cruel The stumbling well-intentioned fool The deft the oaf the witless pawn The golden ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:25-37

Tags: Parables, Neighbor, Love

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Simplicity Of The Gospel

Contributed by Jerry Cosper on Jan 31, 2022

How does the thief on the cross fit into your theology? I think many times we complicate the issue of getting into heaven. What is required? Let's think about the the thief on the cross. No baptism, no communion, no confirmation, no speaking in tongues, no mission trip, no volunteerism, and ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16

Tags: Gospel, Cross

Denomination: Baptist

Watches Over Us

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 24, 2009

WATCHES OVER US An engineer, after doing his internship with NASA in Houston, made a startling decision to change course and study medicine. Two decades removed from college, he shared his testimony in our church thanksgiving service: "Passing the Oral Board is the culmination of 10 years of ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:28

Tags: God's Provision

Among The Apostles, The One Absolutely Stunning ...

Contributed by Thomas Cash on Apr 13, 2009

"Among the apostles, the one absolutely stunning success was Judas, and the one thoroughly groveling failure was Peter. Judas was a success in the ways that most impress us: he was successful both financially and politically. He cleverly arranged to control the money of the apostolic band; he ...read more

Tags: Apostles Judas, Peter And Judas

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Abraham Lincoln And Perseverance

Contributed by Tyler Edwards on May 11, 2009

ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND PERSEVERANCE Consider this: There was a man whose life was characterized by failure. At the age of 22, his business failed. At 23, he ran for Legislature but was defeated. So he turned to another business, which failed when he was 24. At 25, things started to turn around ...read more

Tags: Endurance

Denomination: *other

One Mother's Day I Was Preaching In Another State ...

Contributed by Jim Blevins on May 16, 2009

One Mother’s Day I was preaching in another state and during the Sunday School class I told about one of the two times that I sassed my mother. Now my mother is about 4 foot 11 inches tall and I was approaching 6 foot so I towered over her. She had told me to do something and I told her she wasn’t ...read more

Tags: Mother's Day

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Study Shows Divorce Won't Make You Happier

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 25, 2009

STUDY SHOWS DIVORCE WON’T MAKE YOU HAPPIER One research team studied the responses of over 5,000 married adults who were first interviewed in the 1980s. Five years later, the survey re-contacted those people. Even though the study really wasn’t centered on divorce, they found that some of the ...read more

Scripture: Malachi 2:16

Tags: Divorce

Spiritual Growth Takes Time  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 25, 2009

SPIRITUAL GROWTH TAKES TIME There was once a farmer who went to town to purchase seeds for his farm. As he was returning home one of the squash seeds he had purchased fell from his pocket onto the ground. It happened that within a few feet was another seed of a different type. The place where the ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 4:12-13

Tags: Spiritual Growth, Growth In Christ

Because You're My ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 13, 2009

"BECAUSE YOU’RE MY DAD!" Author Tim Hansel writes: One day, while my son Zac and I were out in the country, climbing around in some cliffs, I heard a voice from above me yell, "Hey Dad! Catch me!" I turned around to see Zac joyfully jumping off a rock straight at me. He had jumped and then yelled ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 20:7

Tags: Trust

Baptism Is A Burial…. I Heard One Preacher Who ...

Contributed by Brian B on Jul 29, 2009

Baptism is a burial…. I heard one preacher who told the story of being a young kid who lived on a farm….. one day one of his puppies died and he took it out to the back yard and dug a hole and placed the puppy in the hole and…… well the point of the story is that you bury dead things….. ...read more

Tags: Baptism

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Love Is Never Inconsiderate

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Sep 21, 2009

LOVE IS NEVER INCONSIDERATE Gary and Mary Jane Chauncey were totally devoted to their eleven-year-old daughter Andrea. Andrea was confined to a wheelchair because of cerebral palsy. Andrea was pretty insignificant to practically everyone except her parents. The Chauncey family were passengers on ...read more

Tags: Christian Love

Denomination: Church Of God

Opportunity Definition, Ancient Greek Statue ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 2, 2009

Opportunity Definition, Ancient Greek Statue Symbolism Our English word opportunity comes from the Latin and means “toward the port.” It suggests a ship taking advantage of the wind and tide to arrive safely in the harbor. The brevity of life is a strong argument for making the best use of the ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:15-16

Tags: Opportunity

God's Provision: The Holy Spirit  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 7, 2009

GOD'S PROVISION: THE HOLY SPIRIT Without the Holy Spirit the church could not exist. It is He who inspired the writers of Scripture, and He who dwells in every Christian, giving us life in Christ. All our efforts are dust and ashes apart from Him. A young man asked an old rich man how he made his ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:16-25

Tags: God's Provision