In Sermon Illustrations: "Long Suffering"

Buy Less, Love More

Contributed by Tim Smith on Mar 17, 2011

BUY LESS, LOVE MORE Shane Claiborne writes: I am incredibly hopeful this Advent, because there are so many signs of Christians who are longing for new ways to celebrate our Savior that are not cluttered with the noise of shopping and infected with the myth that happiness must be purchased. On the ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Methodist

Lost Alasdair

Contributed by Warner Pidgeon on Jul 10, 2011

LOST ALASDAIR In October 1984 my brother-in-law Alasdair got lost. As a family they had visited Venice – long before I knew them – Sandy and Valerie my in-Laws, Moira my wife who was 14 at the time, and Alasdair who was 11. They were at St. Mark’s square, Venice – at the same time as Queen ...read more

Tags: Parable Lost Sheep

Denomination: Anglican

If You Want It Bad Enough

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 10, 2011

IF YOU WANT IT BAD ENOUGH When a person first comes to faith in Christ and gets a taste of His grace, they can’t get enough of the Bible. Pat Summerall, the well-known sports announcer, trusted Christ with his life and overcame alcohol in the late 60’s. As he describes his life with Christ, he ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:2-3

Tags: Growth In Christ

The Agenda Of The Coach

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 8, 2011

THE AGENDA OF THE COACH LSU tackle Drake Nevis was the anchor of the defensive line for LSU last year. Listen to what Defensive Coordinator John Chavis said about Nevis before the draft: "Folks are going to fall in love with him. When you get a guy that has the athletic ability he does and ...read more

Tags: God's Sovereign Will

Denomination: Methodist

First-Century Fire

Contributed by Suresh Manoharan on May 16, 2012

FIRST-CENTURY FIRE Billy Graham, that great and uncompromising preacher, once in a Revival meeting held at Los Angeles, shared a passionate message on the Early Church, outlining what needs to be done for the Churches of modern era to become more effective. While many were moved by it, some ...read more

Tags: Pentecost

Denomination: *other

The Significance Of Spit

Contributed by Perry Greene on Aug 13, 2012

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SPIT Now why did Jesus spit in the blind man’s eyes? This is similar to another time when he spit in some dust and made clay, with which he anointed blind eyes (Mark 7:33). If a modern evangelist or missionary followed Jesus’ example in this, how well received would it ...read more

Tags: Knowing God's Will

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Joining For The Perks

Contributed by Stephen Belokur on Nov 13, 2012

JOINING FOR THE PERKS Lay down our lives? You mean total sacrifice? Partial commitment is not allowed. I remember a man in a church I attended long ago who had a grandson who was in the Army and his grandson was about to be deployed into a war zone. This man got up in church and with tears ...read more

Tags: Commitment To Christ

Denomination: Nazarene

The Exxon Valdez Is An Oil Tanker That Was On Its ...

Contributed by Gaylon Clark on Nov 14, 2012

The Exxon Valdez is an oil tanker that was on its way to Long Beach, California. Instead, it crashed into a reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska. The crash resulted in the second largest oil spill in US History. Between 25-32 million gallons of oil spilled into the Ocean. Over 250,000 members of ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:7-10

Tags: Good Deeds, God's Purposes, Fatigue, Rest, Commandments Sabbath  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Little Things Can Change The Direction Of Big Things

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 13, 2014

Tim George gave the example of two warships that had the largest full-load displacement in the world: U.S. Navy aircraft carriers. The USS Nimitz and Dwight D. Eisenhower each weigh about 91,000 tons. They are over 1,000 feet long and can travel over 30 knots per hour, powered by engines that can ...read more

Scripture: James 3:1-12

Tags: Ship, Tongue

A Wrist Watch And A Big Bang

Contributed by Ron Freeman, Evangelist on Mar 24, 2019

Shake it together! If we placed the parts of a wrist watch in a bag and began to shake it; how long do you think it would be, before it came together, and function properly? Both the world and the watch had a creator, designer, and maker. The world did not begin as a result of a big bang. God ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 1:1, Hebrews 1:10, John 1:1-3, Psalm 14:1, Psalm 53:1  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Big Bang, Darwins Theory, Evolution Theory, Wrist Watch Created, Creation, God Created  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Identifying With Christ

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Oct 15, 2019

During the Civil War a man by the name of George Wyatt was drawn by lot to go to the front. He had a wife and six children. A young man named Richard Pratt offered to go in his stead. He was accepted and joined the ranks, bearing the name and number of George Wyatt. Before long Pratt was killed in ...read more

Scripture: Romans 6:1-13

Tags: Christ Our Substitute, Identifying With Christ, The Exchanged Life, Crucifixion To Self

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Boy Eating Apple

Contributed by John Bright on Jan 17, 2021

A four-year-old boy was eating an apple in the back seat of the car, when he asked, "Daddy, why is my apple turning brown?" "Because," his dad explained, "after you ate the skin off, the meat of the apple came into contact with the air, which caused it to oxidize, thus ...read more

Scripture: Luke 11:28

Tags: Bible, Understanding

Denomination: Methodist

On Living And Dying

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Jun 22, 2021

Martin Luther King Jr. on living, dying and his funeral. If any of you are around what I have to meet my day, I don’t want along funeral. And if you get somebody to deliver the eulogy, tell them not to talk too long. Every now and then I wonder what I would want them to say. Tell them not to ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:6-8, Philippians 1:21, Galatians 2:20

Tags: Loving Others, Death, Love, Giving, Servanthood, Serving, Funerals  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Missing The Point

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Aug 2, 2021

A minister decided that a visual demonstration would add emphasis to his Sunday sermon. Four worms were placed into four separate jars: The first worm was put into a container of alcohol. The second worm was put into a container of cigarette smoke. The third worm was put into a container of ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, 1 Corinthians 10:1-5

Tags: Interpretation, Conclusion, Misunderstanding, Error, Perspective, Failure  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Undependable Directions

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Aug 16, 2021

Three young women escaped the sinking Mercedes-Benz SUV after the vehicle's GPS directed them down a boat launch and into the Mercer Slough in Bellevue, Washington. The driver thought she was on a road while following her GPS unit just after midnight, but she was actually heading down the ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 29:8-11

Tags: Trust, Guidance, Authority, Leading, Independable  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

I Have A Friend Who Worked In A Slaughter House, ...  PRO

Contributed by Dallas Mcgill on Jun 10, 2002

I have a friend who worked in a slaughter house, putting to death cattle, hogs, chickens, turkeys; you name it he did it. One day there was an exceptional animal that was penned in the slaughter barn. A Lamb. "Usually," my friend voiced, "I would just slit the throat of the beast and it would ...read more

Tags: Crucifixion, Jesus Teachings

Denomination: Baptist

I Was Burdened To Pray One Day. So When I Got ...

Contributed by Harold Wanton on Apr 30, 2005

I was burdened to pray one day. So when I got home from work my wife who usually would be home, was not home. So I to my room to pray and God led me to pray for a baby in our family. As I prayed ferverently in the spirit, I did not know why, but I prayed for about an hour. When I finished praying ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 2:1-4, Romans 8:26-27

Tags: Prayer In The Spirit, Prayer Adoration

Denomination: Apostolic

When Jesus Comes Back, He Will Have A Name That ...  PRO

Contributed by Rob Willis on Sep 13, 2005

When Jesus comes back, He will have a name that only He knows (Rev. 19:12). This is reveals to us that all there is to know about Jesus has not been revealed. The more we get to know Him, the more we realize there is more to get to know. This title - an unknown title - reveals His lack of ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 19:12, Philippians 3:10-11

Tags: Descriptions Of God

Denomination: Baptist

A Few Weeks Ago I Thought I Was Going Out Of My ...

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Jan 14, 2006

“A few weeks ago I thought I was going out of my mind. At the time I didn’t realize I was experiencing a form of an "Anxiety Attack." My heart raced with fear as thoughts came to my mind of all the things I hadn’t accomplished that day. And the fear of failing the people around me made me want to ...read more

Tags: Examples Of Faith

Denomination: Salvation Army

The True Story Is Told Of Two Drunks Who Were ...  PRO

Contributed by Ethan Muse on Apr 2, 2004

The true story is told of two drunks who were sitting in a bar late one night and having an argument about who had the best wife. As they were arguing, the first drunk decides to prove that his wife is the best, so he invites his friend home with him. They arrived at the house at 1:00 in the ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:22-24

Tags: Marriage Obligations

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist