In Sermon Illustrations: "Living Hope"

The Adoption Of Michael Oher

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Jan 4, 2010

THE ADOPTION OF MICHAEL OHER Michael Oher was born in Memphis, TN. His dad was murdered and his mom a cocaine addict. He didn’t have a permanent address until he was 16 and went to 11 schools in 9 years. At the age of 16, he had a measured IQ of 80. Michael was staying with a friend whose son ...read more

Tags: Adoption

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

We Always Turn To Something

Contributed by Aubrey Vaughan on Jan 30, 2010

We Always Turn to Something In Thessalonica, notice those who heard the gospel responded by 1Thes1:9 turning to God from idols to serve the true and living God. In our 21st century western society there has been a huge paradigm shift, a turning away from Judea/Christian God centred worldview, ...read more

Tags: Idolatry

Denomination: Baptist

Nathaniel Hawthorne's Great Stone ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 6, 2010

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Great Stone Face Perhaps some of you remember Nathaniel Hawthorne’s story about the great stone face. A little lad lived in a village where there was a mountain with a rock formation which they called the great stone face. The people had a legend that someday someone would ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 3:17-18

Tags: Change

Trust The One Who Can See Over The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 9, 2010

Trust the One Who Can See Over the Crowd In a time of fear and uncertainty, Jesus disciples were very careful to do exactly what He told them to do. and That’s what we must do if we want to survive and thrive in these days of fear and uncertainty. Anne Graham Lotz says that when she and her ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 3:5-6

Tags: Trust

On Profanity And Ungodly Language

Contributed by Bobby Mcdaniel on Apr 17, 2010

ON PROFANITY AND UNGODLY LANGUAGE Profanity and crude language are becoming more common on prime-time television programs. Many writers and producers seem to be intent on pushing the limits of how much immoral and offensive speech the public will allow. Profane and vulgar language is noise ...read more

Tags: Communication Speech

Many People Have Been Richly Blessed By What They ...

Contributed by Ajai Prakash on May 3, 2010

Many people have been richly blessed by what they learned at their mother’s knee. Consider John and Charles Wesley. Their names would probably never have lighted the pages of history if it hadn’t been for their godly mother who taught them that the law of love and Christian witness was to be their ...read more

Tags: Mother's Day

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

In Disney's Animated Movie Toy Story, Woody (...

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on May 11, 2010

In Disney's animated movie Toy Story, Woody (a plush toy cowboy) confronts Buzz Lightyear (a toy astronaut) with the fact that he is only an action figure and not really a space hero. Early in the movie Woody shouts, "You're not a space ranger! You're an action figure—a child's plaything." After ...read more

Tags: Security

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Forgetting The Things Of Earth

Contributed by Robert Joseph on Oct 13, 2010

FORGETTING THE THINGS OF EARTH In January of 1997, astronaut John Blaha returned to earth after spending the previous four months aboard the Russian Space Station, Mir. Besides conducting various experiments, his mission was to help scientists understand the effects of long term weightlessness ...read more

Tags: Disciplines General

Denomination: Pentecostal

Overcoming Evil With Good  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 18, 2010

OVERCOMING EVIL WITH GOOD Watchman Nee, the Chinese evangelist, tells this true story. A poor, Christian Chinese farmer had rice fields high in the mountain. Every day he spent hours pumping water into the rice paddies; but when he returned to the fields the next morning, he would find that his ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:1-5

Tags: Christian Witness

The Gospel Tract Dispenser

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 20, 2010

THE GOSPEL TRACT DISPENSER Mike Slaughter tells the story of rushing through the airport to catch his connecting flight. He ran into the bathroom and went into a stall. And when he began to pull on the toilet paper, and a Gospel tract fell out onto the floor. He picked it up and began to read ...read more

Tags: Evangelism How To

Denomination: Methodist

Spurgeon On The Final Preservation Of The Saints

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 23, 2010

SPURGEON ON THE FINAL PRESERVATION OF THE SAINTS In the words of Charles Spurgeon: When I heard it said that the Lord would keep His people right to the end, --that Christ had said, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall ...read more

Scripture: Jude 1:24-25

Tags: Calvinism

When Love Reigns, God Reigns

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 28, 2010

WHEN LOVE REIGNS, GOD REIGNS During the puritan OLIVER CROMWELL'S (1599-1658) reign as Lord Protector of England (1653-1658) a young soldier was sentenced to die. The girl to whom he was engaged pleaded with Cromwell to spare the life of her beloved, but to no avail. The young man was to be ...read more

Scripture: John 15:12-13

Tags: Christian Love

The Joy Of Citizenship

Contributed by Jason Bonnicksen on Mar 15, 2011

THE JOY OF CITIZENSHIP Arnold Schwarzenegger once said: "As long as I live, I will never forget that day 21 years ago when I raised my hand and took the oath of citizenship. Do you know how proud I was? I was so proud that I walked around with an American flag around my shoulders all day long." ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:17-22

Tags: Kingdom Of God

Denomination: Lutheran

Avoiding The Rocks

Contributed by Tim Smith on Mar 17, 2011

AVOIDING THE ROCKS Alan was my prayer partner at a previous church and he tells the story of going white water rafting on a Christian retreat. He said he always got stuck being the captain of the boat and sure enough for the 4th year in a row, he was named captain. So his job was to direct the men ...read more

Tags: Discipleship

Denomination: Methodist

Maclaren On Facing Death

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 2, 2011

MACLAREN ON FACING DEATH The great 1800s Scottish preacher Alexander MacLaren said: "Many of us cling to life with a desperate clutch, like some poor wretch pushed over a precipice and trying to dig his nails into the rock as he falls. Some of us cling to it because we dread what is beyond, and ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 1:20-23

Tags: Death Nearness

The Foundation Made The Difference  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 5, 2011

THE FOUNDATION MADE THE DIFFERENCE On Oct. 17, 1989, a massive earthquake struck the San Francisco area. Buildings built on solid ground sustained much less damage than those built on shaky ground. The south pier of the Golden Gate Bridge sits directly on top of the San Andreas fault, yet it is ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:24-27, Matthew 7:21-29

Before It's Too Late

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 11, 2011

BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE USA Today had an article on the front page about those who escaped the World Trade Center on September 11. After interviewing over 300 survivors and family members of victims, USA Today concluded that in the South tower those who didn’t delay but ran for safety immediately ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:57-62

Tags: Evangelism Urgency

You Are Not In Charge  PRO

Contributed by Donnie Martin on Sep 7, 2011

YOU ARE NOT IN CHARGE Tom Boyd tells about a woman who was a member of a church he pastored in Tennessee. She was flamboyant and eccentric but Boyd was impressed with her "intense commitment to the faith. She did not have a pietistic bone in her body, but her devotion was nonetheless clear and ...read more

Tags: Humility

Denomination: Baptist

Bryon's Story

Contributed by Arron Chambers on Dec 21, 2011

BRYON'S STORY Do you know that Jesus is still in the life-changing business? Bryon Widner does. Bryon used to be one of the leaders of the white power movement as the found of the Vinlanders gang of skinheads. He’d covered his body and face with tattoos that were designed to communicate hate and ...read more

Tags: Change

Denomination: Christian Church

Afraid

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Dec 23, 2011

AFRAID I was all alone. I lived with four other guys in a huge, old house just off the campus of Baylor University, but I was the only one home. I must have been twenty-one or twenty-two – a grown man, practically a college graduate – but I was afraid. There was usually a surplus of noise in the ...read more

Tags: Fear And Worry

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed