In Sermon Illustrations: "Looking For Answers"

The Pursuit Of Joy

Contributed by Rodelio Mallari on Dec 31, 2010

THE PURSUIT OF JOY Men have pursued joy in every avenue imaginable. Some have successfully found it while others have not. Perhaps it would be easier to describe where joy cannot be found: Not in Unbelief — Voltaire was an infidel of the most pronounced type. He wrote: “I wish I had never been ...read more

Tags: Joy

Denomination: *other

Deceiving Ourselves: The Pentium Cover-Up  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 18, 2011

DECEIVING OURSELVES: THE PENTIUM COVER-UP Intel learned that its Pentium processing chip had a flaw. The chip would occasionally give wrong answers for division problems using large numbers. Intel believed this was a minor flaw, something they felt would affect the average user once every ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:21-23

Tags: Confession Of Sin

Why Did God Make Mothers?

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on May 10, 2011

WHY DID GOD MAKE MOTHERS? Consider these answers given by elementary-age children to the following questions. "Why did God make mothers?" "Mostly to clean the house." "To help us out of there, when we were getting born." "How did God make mothers?" "God made my Mom just the same like he made ...read more

Tags: Mothers

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Forgive And Forget

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Feb 15, 2012

FORGIVE AND FORGET There's a wonderful story about the cardinal of the Philippines, named, oddly enough, Cardinal Sin. When Cardinal Sin was a bishop, a young woman in his parish claimed that she had visions of Jesus. Bishop Sin was given the task of determining if these visions were authentic. He ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 1:9

Tags: Forgiveness General

Denomination: Baptist

The First And Second Great Revival

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on May 24, 2018

The first recorded revival in Christian history happened from a prayer meeting that took place with a handful of disciples in the upper room (Acts 1:14). The result of that prayer meeting was that they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:2-4, Acts 4:23-24

Tags: Revival, Prayer

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

New Church Treasurer

Contributed by Davon Huss on Apr 4, 2022

The day the old church treasurer resigned, the church asked the local grain elevator manager to take the position. He agreed under 2 conditions: 1. No treasurer’s report would be given for the first year 2. No questions be asked about finances during that year The people were surprised but finally ...read more

Scripture: Malachi 3:10

Tags: Money, Giving, Tithing

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Love At Last!!!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Nov 20, 2022

George, age 92 and Edith, age 89 are all excited about their decision to get married. They go for a stroll to discuss the wedding and on the way, they pass a drugstore. George suggests they go in and he addresses the man behind the counter. "Are you the owner? "The pharmacist answers, ...read more

Tags: Love, Marriage, Humor, Old Age, Weddings, Senior Adults  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

What Have We Learned?

Contributed by Loyd C. Taylor on Mar 6, 2023

What Have We Learned? They shouted with praises, reaching the sky, Pushing and shoving to see Jesus pass by. Crying, “Hosanna, glory to the King!’ He comes to us today, great joy He doth bring." They threw down palm leaves, covering the way, Making a clear path for Him to travel that ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 21:1-11

Tags: Palm Sunday, Poetry, Holiday, The Passover, Ressurrection, Easter  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

God's Currency

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Mar 19, 2023

Jesus might have asked, when presented with the coin with Caesar's image on it: "Whose image do you bear, whose image is stamped on you?” And the answer would have been - or should - have been: "We are carrying God’s image, we are carrying God’s name.” He coined us in his image. He ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:34-40, Matthew 22:19-21

Tags: Coin, Image Of God, Jesus The Stranger, Circulation, Joseph G Donders  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

He Must Increase And I Must Decrease

Contributed by Loyd C. Taylor on Mar 30, 2023

HE MUST INCREASE, BUT I MUST DECREASE. When you need assurance of Eternity and answer the Gospel call- He must increase and I must decrease! When He bids you take up your cross and be willing then to give all- He must increase and I must decrease! When the storms of life threaten, and you ...read more

Scripture: John 3:22-36, John 20:30, John 1:29

Tags: God First, John The Baptist, Jesus First, Preeminence Of Christ, Exalt Christ, Premience Of Christ  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Do You Want To Play Beethoven's Piano?

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Aug 5, 2023

J Vernon McGee offers the following illustration of humility of mind and adds a practical application. The story is told of a group of people who went in to see Beethoven’s home in Germany. After the tour guide had showed them Beethoven’s piano and had finished his lecture, he asked if any of them ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-11, Philippians 2:1-11

Tags: Lowliness Of Mind, Service, Honor, Humility, Spiritual Gifts, Position, Servants  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

When Church Makes You Throw Up!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Nov 12, 2024

Marty, a little boy, was in church one Sunday with his mother Doris, when he started feeling sick. 'Mummy,' he inquired, 'can we leave now?' 'No,' his mother replied, 'the service isn't over yet.' 'Well, I think I'm about to throw up.' Marty ...read more

Tags: Church, Children, Mothers, Sick

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

There Is An Old Story About A Man In China Who ...  PRO

Contributed by Melvin Newland on Nov 9, 2001

There is an old story about a man in China who was walking on a rain slick road. He lost his footing & fell into a ditch filled with mud. He kept sinking deeper & deeper in the mud. The more he struggled to get out of the ditch, the deeper he sank. As he was sinking in the mud Buddha came ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, 2 Corinthians 12:7-11, Psalm 103:4, Psalm 40:1-3

Tags: Humanity Of Christ, World Religions

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Story Was Once Told Of A Small Girl Who Lived ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 3, 2002

A story was once told of a small girl who lived in a high-rise building in the inner city of a large metropolis. The girl’s family was poor, but she wanted for only one thing. Each and every afternoon, the girl would sit at her bedroom window and look out at the most beautiful building she had ever ...read more

Recently A "Husband Shopping Center" Opened In ...  PRO

Contributed by Charles R. Swindoll on Sep 28, 2004

Recently a "Husband Shopping Center" opened in Dallas, where women could go to choose a husband from among many men. It was laid out with five floors, with the men increasing in positive attributes as you ascended up the floors. The only rule was once you opened the door to any floor, you must ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Too Many Professing Believers Have Given Up On ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 26, 2007

Too many professing believers have given up on God. They’ve dropped the ball. •Many because they were never encouraged. (Gregory Dawson (SC.com) Ben Hooper was born several decades ago as an illegitimate child who never knew his dad. As a result, he was constantly taunted by classmates. When he was ...read more

An Ancient Scottish Legend

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Jan 3, 2008

An ancient Scottish legend has this story. A shepherd boy was tending a few sheep on the side of a mountain. One day while wandering in the wilderness, he came to a huge cave. There was a door to the cave and it was closed. And as he was looking around, he noticed a very beautiful flower. ...read more

Denomination: Independent/Bible

He Lay In A Bed Seat, Slightly Twisted And ...

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Aug 12, 2010

He lay in a bed seat, slightly twisted and looking at me with one eye half open. I was finishing a small Bible study devotional with a group of aged people on a passage from the book of Job in the Bible, telling them that God loves them and still has a purpose for their lives, to look UPWARD NOT ...read more

Tags: Lies

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

"No Daddy, Just One More...please!"  PRO

Contributed by John Mcphail on Oct 12, 2010

"JUST ONE MORE, DADDY! PLEASE!" Children have a simple way of teaching the profound things of God. The moment my twin girls were born I knew two things immediately: 1) My life was going to be a whole lot more busy and 2) God had something very precious to share with me. When ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 6:2, John 3:16

Tags: Evangelism Urgency, Call To Salvation

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Let Me Relate A Bizarre Yet True Story, Before I ...

Contributed by Suresh Manoharan on Oct 25, 2011

Let me relate a bizarre yet true story, before I get started with my main theme. Before that… those of us who don’t know about, Charlie Chaplin, let’s put up our hands? Well, not many hands would go up, for most of us know that he was a huge movie star in the silent-picture era sending many (and ...read more

Tags: Worship General

Denomination: *other