In Sermon Illustrations: "Look Up"

How Much Would It Take For A Lady To Give Up Her Mirror?

Contributed by Andrew Moffatt on Sep 1, 2009

How much would it take for a lady to give up her mirror? That might be the 56 and a quarter million dollar question. I thought about a show of hands here, ...read more

Tags: Mirror, Sacrifices, Tent Of Meeting, Community Worship

Denomination: Salvation Army

People Who Give Up Vs. Those Who Don't ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 22, 2009

People Who Give Up vs. Those Who Don’t Quit Shannon Faulkner made headlines a few years ago as she crusaded to become the first female cadet at The Citadel, an all-male military academy. After a prolonged court battle, you’ll remember, she finally won the right to enroll. But she couldn’t endure ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 10:11-12

Tags: Endurance

Rome, Who Only 1 Year Old, Picked Up A Plastic ...

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Jun 13, 2010

Rome, who only 1 year old, picked up a plastic spade and began playing it, pretending it was a guitar. It has the right shape. Anything can become a guitar in his hands. He has seen guitars at Church and as he danced he made sounds like he was playing one of the upbeat worship songs. We danced and ...read more

Tags: Children

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Don't Give Up—the Case Of Mrs. Ruth Ertel

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 8, 2012

DON’T GIVE UP--THE CASE OF MRS. RUTH ERTEL In 1965 a divorced mother of two, found a classified ad offering a restaurant for sale. She mortgaged her house to purchase the restaurant, the original Chris’s steakhouse. In 1976 a fire forced her to relocate. Under the original purchase agreement, the ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:3-5

Tags: Endurance

I Grew Up In What I Would Consider, Lower Middle ...

Contributed by Mark Thometz on Aug 27, 2012

I grew up in what I would consider, lower middle class. In the schools I went to as a kid there were really 3 levels of kids when it came to income. You had the rich kids. These kids had a Playstation AND N64, which were big when I was kid. They had huge houses and a TV in every room. Then you had ...read more

Tags: Worship General

Denomination: Christian Church

Have You Ever Asked God To Wake You Up In The Morning?

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Dec 23, 2024

Be careful what you pray for. We all know the feeling of trying to wake up to a blaring alarm clock. I had been really tired from working late and had overslept several times in the past week. I was traveling at the time, not at home. It wasn’t an emergency since I work from wherever I am, but I ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:7, Mark 11:24, 1 John 5:14

Tags: Prayer, How To Pray, Answered Prayers, Faith

Denomination: Charismatic

Putting Up Faith Or Fight When It’s Most Important

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on May 14, 2025

Over the decades of my life, I have learned there are some things in life worth fighting for and some not. We have to choose our battles and then fight with all our might those battles that really matter. Years ago, I attended the wedding of my niece, a beautiful blonde cowgirl. She married her ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-12, 2 Corinthians 10:4

Tags: Standing In Faith, Battles Worth Winning

Denomination: Charismatic

The Reason Why All Men Honor Love Is Because It ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"The reason why all men honor love is because it looks up, and not down; ...read more

Tags: Christian Love

I Still Swing The Way I Used To, But When I ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"I still swing the way I used to, but when I look up the ball is going ...read more

Tags: Sports

There Is A Story Told By Dr. Joseph Stowell, ...  PRO

Contributed by David Daniels on Jan 23, 2001

There is a story told by Dr. Joseph Stowell, President of Moody Bible Institute, as he visited a home for mentally handicapped children. While walking through the corridors, he noticed that the windows were covered with tiny little hand prints. He asked the director, what they were all about. The ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 10:25

Tags: Faith, God Brings Hope, Second Coming

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Gettin' Up A Load Right Now!" Psalm 39: 5-13 Key ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Dec 26, 2004

“Gettin’ Up a Load Right Now!” Psalm 39: 5-13 Key verse(s): 5: “You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man’s life is but a breath.” It was the end of the church year and Pastor Smith was really into his preaching. He loved “end times” because ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 39:5-13

Tags: Heaven

Denomination: Lutheran

An Ungrateful Man Is Like A Hog Under A Tree ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"An ungrateful man is like a hog under a tree eating acorns, but never looking up ...read more

Tags: Hospitality

There’s An Old Story Of A Man Who Was ...  PRO

Contributed by Clark Tanner on Jan 6, 2001

There’s an old story of a man who was walking at night, and saw another man searching for something near a lamp post. Approaching, he asked the man what he was looking for, and the man, without looking up, replied, “My watch”. The first man asked, “Well, precisely where were you standing when ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 1:5-10

Tags: Knowing God's Will, Love Of The Disciples, Sermon On The Mount

Denomination: Orthodox

Sleep Walking With A Loaded Gun

Contributed by Davon Huss on Dec 29, 2019

Vs. 14 is an invitation to those who have been walking in their sleep, to wake up. Also an invitation for those who are asleep in darkness to wake up and come to the light. Sanford Rothman told police he woke up to a “bang” and realized he has suffered a gunshot wound to his knee. Rothman told ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:14

Tags: Light, Wake Up, Sleep Walking, Outer Darkness

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Every Publisher Should Have An Older Brother ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 11, 2007

"Every publisher should have an older brother who is a pimp. After all, the publisher needs someone he ...read more

Tags: Books And Literature

The Right Perspective  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2008

THE RIGHT PERSPECTIVE A man was walking through an art gallery when he came upon a picture of the Lord Jesus dying upon the cross. He stopped and looked at the beautiful portrait of Calvary's love. As he stared into the face of Christ, so full of agony the gallery guard tapped him on the shoulder. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 15:21-28

Tags: Worship, Humility, Cross, Submission, Surrender, Worship General  (view more)  (view less)

Far Away There In The Sunshine Are My Highest ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe ...read more

Tags: God Brings Hope

Abraham Lincoln Said "I Can See How It Might Be ...  PRO

Contributed by Denn Guptill on Oct 23, 2000

Abraham Lincoln said “I can see how it might be possible for a man to look down upon the earth and be an atheist, but I cannot conceive how he could ...read more

Tags: Creation, Apologetics God

Denomination: Wesleyan

As A Young Pastor, I Worked At A Feed Processing ...  PRO

Contributed by Jerry Steen on May 16, 2002

As a young pastor, I worked at a feed processing plant in Celina, Ohio. Each night when I went home, my boys would look at me and say, "Boy, dad, you sure are dusty!" I grumbled within myself, but smiled at them and said, "Yes, I sure am dusty" On a Saturday morning, I started washing my car. As ...read more

Tags: Father's Day, Children, Parenting

Denomination: Holiness

So I'm Going To Share With You A List I Came Up ...  PRO

Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Jan 10, 2007

So I’m going to share with you a list I came up with of Seven steps guaranteed to embitter your Children: 1. Discipline your child only when you lose your temper. Let him get away with everything, then without warning, let ‘em have it! Blow your top! Scream and Yell! Let ‘er Rip! Go Crazy! ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:4, Colossians 3:21

Tags: Children, Call, Leadership

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ