In Sermon Illustrations: "Living Stones"

The Relationship Is What Counts  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 24, 2011

THE RELATIONSHIP IS WHAT COUNTS Wayne Cordeiro, a preacher in Honolulu, HI writes: Some time ago some wonderful people in our church gave Anna, my wife, and me a dinner certificate to a nice restaurant for $100. We thought, Wow, a hundred bucks. Let's go for it. We found a free evening. We ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 2:1-7

Tags: Basics Of Christianity

The Train Whistle

Contributed by Davon Huss on Mar 7, 2011

THE TRAIN WHISTLE "I lived in Germany during the Nazi holocaust. I considered myself a Christian.  I attended Church since I was a small boy.  We had heard the stories of what was happening to the Jews, but like most people we tried to distance ourselves from the reality of what was really ...read more

Tags: Compassion

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

How Do You Know You're Saved?

Contributed by Chuck Sligh on Apr 15, 2011

HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU'RE SAVED? When I ask some people if they're saved, they sometimes answer, "Well I think so" or "I hope so." What if someone came up to me and asked, "Pastor Sligh, are you married?" Suppose I say, "Well, I think so." You say, "Now wait a minute. You either are or you aren't. I ...read more

Tags: Assurance Of Salvation

Denomination: Baptist

Hymn Story: O Love That Will Not Let Me Go By ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 6, 2011

HYMN STORY: O LOVE THAT WILL NOT LET ME GO BY GEORGE MATHESON George Matheson was only fifteen when he was told that he was losing what little eyesight he had. Instead of giving up, Matheson immediately continued with his plans to enroll in the University of Glasgow, and his determination lead to ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:28-39

Tags: God's Love

The Bill Always Comes Due

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 12, 2011

THE BILL ALWAYS COMES DUE Bob Harris, weatherman for NY TV station WPIX-TV and the nationally syndicated independent Network news, had to weather a public storm of his own making in 1979. Though he had studied math, physics and geology at three colleges, he left school without a degree but with a ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 19:5

Tags: Lies

White As Snow  PRO

Contributed by Jason Bonnicksen on May 15, 2011

WHITE AS SNOW Ash Wednesday — it’s kind of a solemn day. It’s the start of Lent —a word which means “spring” in German. But more than this, it’s the time each year when we intently focus on the path Christ Jesus laid out for us to follow — to be true to his word, true to his calling, and ...read more

Scripture: Joel 1:14, Joel 1:14-27

Tags: Deception, Confession Of Sin

Denomination: Lutheran

Can't Never Did Nothing.

Contributed by Michael Walther on May 27, 2011

"CAN'T NEVER DID NOTHING." When I was in high school, I worked as a janitor. I was the summer help, and I was teamed up with the regular janitor named Jim. Jim was a rough character. When I first met him he reminded me of Charles Manson. He was a former Marine who had been through some very ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ

Denomination: Lutheran

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

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

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