In Sermon Illustrations: "Lively"

Relationships Matter Most In Happiness

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 10, 2011

RELATIONSHIPS MATTER MOST IN HAPPINESS In 1937, a researcher at Harvard University began a study (originally named The Harvard Study of Adult Development) on what factors contribute to human well-being and happiness. The research team selected 268 male Harvard students who seemed healthy and well ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 2:24-26

Tags: Happiness

The Bells Toll For Someone Else

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Jun 22, 2011

THE BELLS TOLL FOR SOMEONE ELSE We began the week with the story of the Chicago nightclub fire in which 21 people were killed as they rushed to the exit. The club had already been cited for overcrowding and other safety violations--like not enough doors and windows. What happened was that a ...read more

Tags: Second Coming

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

David's Extremes

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Jul 19, 2011

DAVID'S EXTREMES David’s life story is an amazing story of the extremes one person can face in a lifetime: • Early years extremes: o From seclusion to fame o From being a nobody to a somebody. o From forgotten to living legend o From least to greatest o From the runt of the family to the most ...read more

Scripture: 2 Samuel 19:1-8

Tags: David

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

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

The Rug: Making And Keeping Good Boys

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 6, 2011

THE RUG: MAKING AND KEEPING GOOD BOYS A preacher tells how he was once entertained by a teacher and his wife who had two boys in their middle teens. He writes, "Immediately on entering, I felt the home atmosphere. They were evidently a fine Christian family. However, I noticed that the carpet in ...read more

Scripture: Titus 2:1-6

Tags: Mother's Day

Where Can I Get A Heart Like Yours?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 12, 2011

WHERE CAN I GET A HEART LIKE YOURS? Bill White of Paramount, California talks about being in Compton, California, working with volunteers from several different churches on a Saturday doing projects to serve the city. At lunch time, he was headed down a narrow side street when he saw dozens of ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:11-12

Tags: Christian Witness

You're Beautiful To God  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 12, 2011

YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL TO GOD R.C. Buckner, a big, bold and brash man, lived about 100 years ago in Texas. This imposing figure had a very tender heart for children, starting Buckner's Children's Homes all across the state. The children affectionately called him "Papa Buckner" and would run up to him ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 9:9-13

Tags: Compassion

Life's Deeper Meaning

Contributed by Larry Wilson on Aug 29, 2011

LIFE'S DEEPER MEANING Examining life for deeper meanings is a twentieth century preoccupation. We assume that things are not what they seem. Words disguise Hidden Feelings. Actions symbolize Something Else. We sometimes try too hard to discover the hidden meanings when there just might not be ...read more

Tags: Dealing With Conflicts

Denomination: Baptist

Declaration Of Dependence

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Sep 11, 2011

DECLARATION OF DEPENDENCE The Declaration itself laid the groundwork for our freedom as a Nation: And that declaration was to be based upon the nation’s faith in God. It was quite literally a declaration of “Dependence upon God.” In the first two sentences of the Declaration of Independence - ...read more

Tags: Patriotism

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Billy Graham: Growing Old Has Been A Surprise  PRO

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Feb 7, 2012

BILLY GRAHAM: GROWING OLD HAS BEEN A SURPRISE Billy Graham, in his book "Nearing Home: Life, Faith, and Finishing Well" (pp. 1-2, Thomas Nelson), he writes: Growing old has been the greatest surprise of my life. The young live for the here and now. Thinking ahead seems to be in the form of dreams ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 16:31

Tags: Aging

Denomination: Baptist

The Happiness Of Heaven

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 7, 2012

THE HAPPINESS OF HEAVEN In 1871 Fr. J. Boudreau wrote a short story entitled "The Happiness of Heaven." It's a story about a kindhearted king who is hunting in the forest when he discovers a blind, poor orphan boy living there. The king takes the blind orphan to his palace and adopts him as his ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Tags: Heaven

A True Church Family

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 28, 2012

A TRUE CHURCH FAMILY Fred Sigle, preaching minister at Garfield Christian Church in Indianapolis tells about Mark Knutson. On August 28, 1993, he was diagnosed with an extremely aggressive form of cancer. When diagnosed, he was already in the late stages and was only given a short time to ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:42-47

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Designed Dilemmas

Contributed by Steven Ferber on Jun 21, 2012

DESIGNED DILEMMAS In Dr. Tim Kimmel’s book Raising Kids Who Turn Out Right, he has a section called Designed Dilemmas. Kimmel is convinced that most modern parents pamper their kids to the point where they don’t ever have to face situations that force them to grow up, mature, learn responsibility. ...read more

Tags: Trust

Denomination: Lutheran

Worship: It Takes Time To Warm Up

Contributed by Tim Smith on Jul 1, 2012

WORSHIP: IT TAKES TIME TO WARM UP When I was a kid in Kansas City, we lived next door to a family who owned a publishing company. They had an old 4 door Mercedes that they would let their son drive to school. He was 3 years older than me and also named Tim. On those winter mornings when the ...read more

Tags: Worship General

Denomination: Methodist

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

Worship At A Garbage Dump

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 21, 2012

WORSHIP AT A GARBAGE DUMP Imagine a town built atop an active landfill. That is "Garbage City" in Cairo, Egypt, longtime home to an impoverished, marginalized community of Coptic Christians for whom life is only going to get harder. The so-called Zabbaleen have been the trash collectors of Cairo ...read more

Scripture: John 4:24

Tags: Worship General

So Many Valuable Possessions  PRO

Contributed by Perry Greene on Sep 26, 2012

SO MANY VALUABLE POSSESSIONS Waylon Prendergast, 37, of Tampa, Florida, committed a spur-of-the-moment robbery while on his way home from a late-night drinking session. A very inebriated Mr. Prendergast forced his way into the house through an open upstairs window, filling a suitcase with cash and ...read more

Scripture: Luke 21:25-31, Luke 23:28-34

Tags: Blessing, Forgive, Nightmare

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

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

Carrying What I Don't Need  PRO

Contributed by Kelly Benton on Jan 29, 2013

CARRYING WHAT I DON'T NEED I think back to my Army days. All those foot marches and all the pain associated with them. As a young private I packed pretty much everything I could before we went out. I wanted to make sure I had all the comforts to help make life easier. I made sure to have extra ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness General

Denomination: Other

Susie The Savior  PRO

Contributed by Ken Pell on Mar 30, 2013

SUSIE THE SAVIOR The story is told of a certain 9-year-old who is sitting at his desk in school when all of a sudden there is a puddle between his feet, and the front of his pants are wet. He thinks his heart is going to stop, because he knows when the boys find out, he'll never hear the end of ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 53:4-5

Tags: Atonement

Denomination: Nazarene