In Sermon Illustrations: "Long Suffering"

Christmas Lights In March

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Dec 14, 2008

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS IN MARCH Robert Russell, pastor and author, tells a story of how about twenty years ago there was a house near the entrance of his subdivision that kept their Christmas lights burning long after the season was past. They burned through January. Even through the first of February ...read more

Tags: Holidays

Denomination: Salvation Army

Depression And Aloneness

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2008

Depression and Aloneness Author Bernard Anderson in "Out of the Depths" speaks of this remembering the multitudes and the house of God and makes a worthy observation. He says, "This is not a longing for a one-to-one relationship with God in mystic solitude. The poet yearns to be surrounded by the ...read more

Tags: Encouragement

Head Of Household  PRO

Contributed by Jim Kane on Feb 6, 2009

HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD The story begins in heaven after the final judgment. God appeared and said, "I want the men to make two lines. One line for the men who were true heads of their household and the other line for the men who were dominated by their women. I want all the women to report to St. ...read more

Tags: Men And Women

Denomination: Church Of God

The Big Black Door  PRO

Contributed by Dennis Marquardt on Oct 18, 2000

THE BIG BLACK DOOR An Arab chief tells a story of a spy who was captured and then sentenced to death by a general in the Persian army. This general had the strange custom of giving condemned criminals a choice between the firing squad and the big, black door. As the moment for execution drew near, ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 24:15

Tags: Freedom, Salvation, Change, Choice

Denomination: Assembly Of God

When I Was A Senior In High School, I Took A Trip ...

Contributed by Rick Crandall on Jul 16, 2009

When I was a senior in high school, I took a trip with some friends over to Myrtle Beach South Carolina. We were headed east on the interstate, going up a long hill, when suddenly the cars started acting very strange on the other side. People were weaving, waving, yelling, flashing their lights and ...read more

Tags: Wisdom, Dangerous

Denomination: Baptist

Limits. Write That Down. Who Do We Need To ...

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Oct 26, 2009

LIMITS. Write that down. Who do we need to accurately assess ourselves? Someone else. Regular assessment is important because our limits regular vacillate. They change according to what is on our plate and our overall well-being. They depend on the season. There are times in our lives in which we ...read more

Tags: Christian Values

Denomination: Church Of God

A Woman From The Slums Of London Sees The Ocean ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 30, 2009

A Woman from the Slums of London Sees the Ocean for the First Time Long ago, a poor woman from the slums of London was invited to go with a group of people for a holiday at the ocean. She had never seen the ocean before, and when she saw it, she burst into tears. Those around her thought it was ...read more

Scripture: Micah 7:19

Tags: Mercy

I Simply Came To Give...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 21, 2010

"I SIMPLY CAME TO GIVE..." In the middle of President Lincoln’s Presidency, an elderly lady made an appointment to see him. As she entered his office, he inquired, "How can I be of service to you, Madam?" The lady answered, "Mr. President, I know you are a very busy man, and I have not come to ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:6-7

Tags: Gratitude

Just ...

Contributed by Tony Abram on May 1, 2010

JUST REMEMBER... The next time you feel like God can’t use you, just remember... NOAH was a drunk.... ABRAHAM was too old... ISAAC was a daydreamer.... JACOB was a liar... LEAH was ugly... JOSEPH was abused... MOSES had a stuttering problem... GIDEON was afraid... SAMPSON had long hair, and was a ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 23:1-10

Tags: Worry, Useful To The Lord

He's My Dad.

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Nov 24, 2010

"HE'S MY DAD." A group of scientists and botanists were exploring remote regions of the Alps, looking for new species of flowers. One day they noticed through binoculars a flower of such rarity and beauty, that its value to science was incalculable. But it lay deep in a ravine with cliffs on both ...read more

Tags: God The Father

Denomination: Brethren

Time Marches On  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 10, 2011

TIME MARCHES ON There was once a middle aged man who was considering going back to school to get that degree he had always wanted. But he was balking at the idea because he was now over 50 and what good would it do him now. He went to his dad for advice and his dad asked him how long it would ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:15-16

Tags: Wisdom, Wait, Response, Call God's Name, Time  (view more)  (view less)

On Obedience  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2011

ON OBEDIENCE "One word stands out from all others as the key to knowing God, to having His peace and assurance in your life--it is obedience." (Eric Liddell) Elisabeth Elliot tells the story of when she and her brother Tom were small children. Their mother would let Tom play with paper bags that ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 15:22, 1 Peter 1:3-12, 1 Peter 3:1-12, Luke 8:16-21, Psalm 81:1-16  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Obedience

Abraham's Worship

Contributed by Rodelio Mallari on Apr 13, 2011

ABRAHAM'S WORSHIP The Jews have a legend that when Abraham started on his journeys he saw the stars in the heavens and said, "I will worship the stars." But before long the stars set. Then Abraham saw the constellations—the Pleiades and the rest of them—and he said, "I will worship the ...read more

Tags: Idolatry

Denomination: *other

I Can't Remember

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 19, 2011

I CAN'T REMEMBER An elderly man moved into a retirement community. It wasn't long until he had made a number of friends among the other residents. There was one lady he was especially attracted to and she was attracted to him, also. They spent a lot of time together. Finally one evening he ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:10-14

Tags: Aging

What Is A Mom?

Contributed by Jason Bonnicksen on May 8, 2011

WHAT IS A MOM? What is a mom? Is she the one that gave birth to your life? Is she one who raised you with the warm embrace of her arms? Is she the woman who gives the all of life, so that yours could be prosperous and long? Many mothers are probably all theses, and many things more. Moms are ...read more

Tags: Mother's Day

Denomination: Lutheran

Lessons From A Banana Tree

Contributed by Michael Walther on Aug 8, 2011

LESSONS FROM A BANANA TREE I once learned an interesting lessons from a retired pastor who grew banana trees in his backyard. Bananas will grow in our hot and humid Southern Illinois summers. But the season isn't long enough for them to produce much fruit. Some people tried to overcome this by ...read more

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Denomination: Lutheran

Despair Default

Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Nov 18, 2011

DESPAIR DEFAULT I remember a woman years back who used to come to me about once a month ... to rehearse her troubles. And I use the word "rehearse" on purpose, because that's exactly what she did. Every time, she'd tell me the same set of complaints over and over and over again. She had her ...read more

Tags: Mercy

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

It

Contributed by Brad Henry on Dec 9, 2011

IT Each of us has an "IT" that is keeping us from joy and being free from worry. It isn't until we let go of that "IT" that we will be free. We can talk about all the steps to get out of addictions, the steps to curtail anger, animosity, jealousy, fear of death and a host of other worries and ...read more

Tags: Fear And Worry

Jewish Blessings

Contributed by Perry Greene on Dec 19, 2011

JEWISH BLESSINGS David Stern relates in hid Jewish NT Commentary, pp.115-116 that there are many blessings given by the Hebrew people. There are blessings for wine (Matthew 26.27-29); for bread (14.19); The Talmud (circa 5th century CE) had specific formulas for dozens of blessings that the people ...read more

Tags: Blessing

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Telemarketer

Contributed by Davon Huss on Mar 6, 2017

Here’s a story from a telemarketer: “The other day I called a house and a real nice lady answered the phone, she was really helpful and friendly, she was the type of lady that helps a telemarketer get through a long day. After some pleasantries I asked if Mr. Smith was in, “I’m sorry”, she ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, Matthew 5:4

Tags: Grief, Grave, Cemetery, Marketing

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ