In Sermon Illustrations: "Look Ahead"

A Bone Or A Steak?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 25, 2011

A BONE OR A STEAK? Which is better, a bone or a steak? Think of it this way. It’s easy to give a dog a bone, but it’s almost impossible to take a bone away from a dog. Even our little Schnauzer, Betsy, the world’s friendliest dog, will growl at me if I try to take a bone away from her. But ...read more

Tags: Christian Values

Faith Like A Potato: Don't Give Up Hope

Contributed by Selwyn Robins on Apr 19, 2011

FAITH LIKE A POTATO: DON'T GIVE UP HOPE There is a movie called 'Faith Like a Potato'. It takes place in South Africa. Long story short a farmer w/an anger management issue is converted to a believer (follower) of the word. Needing to bring in money for his family, he decides to plant a crop of ...read more

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Charismatic

The One  PRO

Contributed by Jason Bonnicksen on Apr 22, 2011

THE ONE The crowds cheered and waved their hands. Many stood upon their tip-toes hoping to catch a glimpse of their deliverer as he processed by. "He's the one! echoed throughout the streets. Many praised his name with hands and fists held high. Was it true? Had "the one" finally come ...read more

Tags: Easter Palm Sunday

Denomination: Lutheran

The Best Thing For Her

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 11, 2011

THE BEST THING FOR HER Ida M. Clark writes that she was still overwhelmed with grief as she approached the church on the Sunday morning after her mother had died. Just outside the door, a 7-year-old boy met her. He stopped, planted his feet solidly on the path in front of her, and with tearful ...read more

Scripture: John 15:7

Tags: Prayer Answered

Hit By A Rock

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 28, 2011

HIT BY A ROCK Corrective suffering is tribulation or affliction God allows in our lives to chasten us for unforsaken sin in order to turn us back to Him. In the city of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, the broken end of a high voltage wire was lying on the pavement, along which the engineer was walking, ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-12

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

The Path Of Rescue—follow The Light

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 3, 2011

THE PATH OF RESCUE--FOLLOW THE LIGHT Bob Russell shared an interesting illustration about darkness and light several years back with the Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY. He said: "Every once in a while we get a bird inside this sanctuary. He doesn't really want to be in here, but ...read more

Scripture: John 8:12

Tags: Salvation

Beware Of Dog!

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 22, 2011

BEWARE OF DOG! Upon entering a little country store a stranger noticed a sign saying "DANGER! BEWARE OF DOG!" posted on the glass door. Inside, he noticed a harmless old hound dog asleep on the floor near the cash register. He asked the store’s owner "Is that the dog folks are supposed to beware ...read more

Scripture: Acts 20:17-35

Tags: Giving, Receive, Blessed, Christian Witness

Stain Removal: Homeboy Industries

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Sep 9, 2011

STAIN REMOVAL: HOMEBOY INDUSTRIES Father Greg Boyle is in the business of erasing the past. A Jesuit priest, he is the founder and director of Homeboy Industries in East Los Angeles. Father Boyle put together a team of physicians trained in the laser technology of tattoo removal. The team is ...read more

Tags: Blood Of Christ

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Giving Brings Hope And Purpose

Contributed by Brad Henry on Sep 29, 2011

GIVING BRINGS HOPE AND PURPOSE I have a friend that called me last night. I have known him for many years and he has been struggling with uncertainty like most folks in his business. He was also questioning, "Is this what the Lord wants me to do?" Well, he just came back from a trip where he was ...read more

Tags: God Brings Purpose

The Obedient Mule

Contributed by Eugene Morell on Oct 11, 2011

THE OBEDIENT MULE There is a story about a farmer who wanted to sell his mule so The put the add in the local paper. One day a man from another community came to the farm. The two farmers got to talking and eventually they got around to talking about the mule. The farmer who wanted to buy the ...read more

Tags: Obedience

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Waking Up In Another Room

Contributed by Jason W. Lawson on Nov 17, 2011

WAKING UP IN ANOTHER ROOM A young child was diagnosed with a terminal disease. The parents knew that he would die soon. The child as well knew that his death would be soon. One night he was sitting in his mother's lap watching television with her. He looked up into her eyes and said, "Mommy does ...read more

Tags: Funerals Christian

Denomination: Baptist

Expectations And Reality

Contributed by Tim Hinrichs on Nov 29, 2011

EXPECTATIONS AND REALITY I had arrived only a couple weeks before in the Czech Republic and was living with a retired Czech couple in a small village. Being the only American in the area I was somewhat a celebrity. One day a couple elders from a local church visited me to ask if I would preach in ...read more

Tags: Disappointment

Denomination: Lutheran

Who Influences Whom?

Contributed by Perry Greene on Feb 15, 2012

WHO INFLUENCES WHOM? I heard a joke about Bill and Hillary Clinton recently. It seems they were on vacation one weekend, and decided to go for a drive to see the beautiful countryside. After a while, they needed to stop for gas. They pulled into a tiny gas station, and out walked a man to help ...read more

Tags: Worldliness

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Purpose Of Life  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 28, 2012

THE PURPOSE OF LIFE There's a guy named Hugh Morehead who 45 years ago began a hobby of writing to famous philosophers and scientists and authors and asking them, "What is the purpose of life?" The responses he got back were depressing at best. Isaac Asimov wrote back, "As far as I can see there ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 1:1-14

Tags: God Brings Purpose

Toy Story: Friendship

Contributed by Ken Pell on Jun 23, 2012

TOY STORY: FRIENDSHIP "As iron sharpens iron so one man sharpens another." (Proverbs 27:17) Henry Ford said, "My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me." And what's true of a good church is true of a good friend; they love you and they help you aspire to grow and be whole. Have ...read more

Tags: Friendship General

Denomination: Nazarene

"You Done Quit Preachin' And Gone To Meddlin'!"

Contributed by Rick Pendleton on Oct 11, 2012

Two excited women who were sitting together in the front pew of church with a fiery preacher. They were in the spirit and loving the message. They were shouting out and waving their hankies. They would use their paper fan to wave for Jesus and then to cool themselves off fearing they might just ...read more

Tags: Preaching, Gossip

Denomination: Baptist

To Whoever Finds This...i Love You  PRO

Contributed by Davon Huss on Nov 19, 2012

TO WHOEVER FINDS THIS...I LOVE YOU Several years ago there was a girl in an orphanage. She was unattractive and had mannerisms that were not very attractive either, and so she was disliked and shunned by the other children and was not liked by her teachers. The head of the institution looked for ...read more

Scripture: Mark 9:30-40

Tags: Kids, Child, Children, God's Love

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Few More Hours

Contributed by Jerry Cosper on Jan 23, 2013

A FEW MORE HOURS A young lady busied herself getting ready for a blind date. He had promised dinner at an exclusive downtown restaurant with live music and dancing. Wanting to make a good first impression she had taken the day off work. She cleaned her apartment; she went out that afternoon to ...read more

Tags: Second Coming

Denomination: Baptist

Last Lap Of The Race

Contributed by Shawn Miller on Jul 4, 2014

May 29, 2011 it looked like it was destiny, the day Dale Earnhardt Jr. was rounding the last lap of the Charlotte Motor Speedway. You could just imagine the script that was being set; it was memorial day, he was being sponsored by the national guard, and He was going to finally win for the first ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:7

Tags: Perseverance, Endurance, Finish The Race, Gas Tank

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

10th Birthday

Contributed by Davon Huss on Nov 16, 2014

Donald Whitney tells us of his 10th birthday. He invited 8 friends. They played football and basketball, enjoyed hot dogs and hamburgers, then devoured ice cream and cake. “The climax was a gift from me to them. Nothing was too good for my friends. I was going to pay their way to the most ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:28

Tags: Right Worship, Casual Worship, Insincere Worship, Unacceptable Worship

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ