In Sermon Illustrations: "Look Back"

Will You Get Used To It?

Contributed by Perry Greene on May 3, 2012

WILL YOU GET USED TO IT? A new minister was standing at his study window, weeping as he looked over the tragic conditions of the inner city of the community in which he lived. His friend tried to console him by saying, "Don't worry, you will ...read more

Tags: Compassion

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Christmas Misunderstanding

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Dec 21, 2020

A little five year old girl took a sheet of brown construction paper and cut out the letter “E” with her safety scissors. She wrapped it and gave it to her dad for Christmas. When dad opened the present, he looked at it with a smile and asked, “what ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:15

Tags: Christmas, Gifts, Misunderstanding, Oops

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Barb’s Life Is A Mess. Her Drinking Problem ...  PRO

Contributed by Timothy Peck on Feb 1, 2001

Barb’s life is a mess. Her drinking problem is out of control, and her husband Ken refuses to cover for her anymore. Everyone around her sees Barb’s problem, but they all pretend like everything’s just fine, a classic case of denial. Every Sunday Barb and her family dress in their Sunday best and ...read more

Scripture: Jonah 2:1-2

Tags: Growth In Christ, Leadership General, Authenticity, Faith

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Church Has Never Been On Fire Before  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 16, 2002

The Church Has Never Been On Fire Before By Dan Adkins One Night At Almost Midnight, We Heard Tile Sirens Roar Everybody In The Neighborhood Was Looking Out Their Door Then In Bathrobes And Curlers, They Gathered Round To See The Church Was Going Up In Flames, It Burned ’Til Way Past Three Now ...read more

Tags: Church Purpose Of

On A Rather Insignificant Sphere  PRO

Contributed by Steven Simala Grant on May 28, 2002

ON A RATHER INSIGNIFICANT SPHERE A senior angel is showing a very young angel around the splendors of the universe. They view whirling galaxies and blazing suns, and then flit across the infinite distances of space until at last they enter one particular galaxy of 500 billion stars. As the two ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:6-8, 1 Peter 1:12

Tags: Christmas Advent

Denomination: Baptist

Perspectives

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 2, 2008

PERSPECTIVES It is because of some of the unique properties of water, a substance that makes up 75% of the earth and even makes up a large portion of your body, that life is even possible. Because ice floats, the oceans and rivers and lakes can continue to keep all of the living things in the ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:1-3

Tags: Family

In Texas Last Week, An 18 Year Old Man Was ...

Contributed by Art Good on Jun 7, 2007

In Texas last week, an 18 year old man was arrested for wearing a noose in public. As Jewelry. Seems kind of morbid doesn’t it? A noose is an instrument of an agonizing death. It represents vigilante law, I would never be proud to wear a noose. What about an electric chair? Did you know you ...read more

Denomination: Wesleyan

Contractor

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Contractor There was once a contractor who built homes in a small town somewhere in Europe. He built most of the homes for the people who lived in the village and was a gifted carpenter. Unfortunately, he was never able to afford a home of his own. One day, the wealthiest man in town came to the ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Bible: Life Support

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Oct 29, 2010

BIBLE: LIFE SUPPORT I didn’t always go to church; in fact, I didn’t start attending anywhere regularly until I was in the ninth grade. But I wasn’t exactly a stranger to church. Occasionally, this friend or that one would invite me to go to Sunday School. I remember one time -- I must have been ...read more

Tags: Bible Influence

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

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 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

Just A Touch

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Dec 17, 2020

Mar 5:27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. 28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. 29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. 30 And Jesus, ...read more

Scripture: Mark 5:27-34

Tags: Faith, Desire, Touch, Crowds

Denomination: Baptist

Navigtionally Challenged

Contributed by Austin W. Duncan on Apr 17, 2026

When I was 16, I went to pick up my girlfriend to drive and meet my parents and grandparents for a hockey game downtown. Downtown was north of my house in Amarillo. You get on I-27, head north, fifteen minutes, done. We drove for a while. And a little while more. And nothing was looking familiar. ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 5:22-24, Psalm 119:105

Tags: Guidance, God's Word

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

In Early 1991, The Cosmic Background Explorer ...  PRO

Contributed by Normand Cote on Aug 24, 2001

In early 1991, the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) satellite sent back information to Earth that caused a sensation in scientific circles. This satellite had been hurled into space to peer into the depths of the universe. But what it eventually produced was far more than pictures and measurements ...read more

Tags: Creation, Apologetics General, Apologetics God

Denomination: Adventist

I Would Like To Read You Something I Came Across ...  PRO

Contributed by Mary Lewis on Sep 24, 2001

I would like to read you something I came across this week. It was written by a man named Tamim Ansary– who is an Afghani-American writer [ taken from Salon.com ]. I don’t generally like to read something of this length, but I think it is important for us to hear. [start quote] I’ve been hearing a ...read more

Tags: Stand Fast, World Religions

Denomination: Baptist

What I'll Be Doing For Memorial Day  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 19, 2002

WHAT I'LL BE DOING FOR MEMORIAL DAY Memorial Day is a rough day for me. It’s a day of remembering. Remembering can be curse when you’ve spent years trying to forget. It’s even worse when you get mad at yourself for not being able to remember. It’s strange that you forget so many things you want ...read more

Tags: Holidays Civic, Christian Disciplines

Comfortable Out-On-A-Limb!" Romans 11:33-36 Key ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on May 23, 2005

“Comfortable Out-On-A-Limb!” Romans 11:33-36 Key verse(s) 11:“For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.” Get real! When as a youth I heard this phrase, it often gave me reason to pause. If someone was insisting that I was caught up in a fantasy and ...read more

Scripture: Romans 11:33-36

Tags: Trinity

Denomination: Lutheran

Learning To Give Thanks When Suffering ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 26, 2009

Learning to Give Thanks When Suffering Loss--Bouquet of Rose Thorns You must die to live; take up your cross daily in order to follow Christ; give in order to receive; all those who live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. The bitter and the sweet are realities when you put your faith ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 10:1-11

Tags: Thanksgiving Holiday

Christmas Tree

Contributed by Ronnie Miller on Dec 9, 2014

Around 10 years ago I began to tell my Grandson Ryan, who then was 5 years old about how when I was his age we always had a cedar for a Christmas tree and how to this day the smell of a cedar tree reminded me of Christmas growing up as a child at home. So, we decided to go Christmas tree hunting ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 9:6

Tags: Christmas Tree, Saviour Born

Denomination: Baptist

It Was A Week That Was Shot To Pieces

Contributed by James Snyder on Jun 27, 2020

I only made one mistake last week, which is something of a record for me. I try limiting mistakes to one at a time, but not always in sequential order. I once tried to make my mistakes in a logical order, but it turned out to be a mistake. The one faux pas I made was taking Monday off. I proposed ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:9

Tags: Humor, Plans

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance