In Sermon Illustrations: "Loving Others"

At Last I Understood: In The Final Analysis, ...  PRO

Contributed by Mike Wilkins on Sep 23, 2002

"At last I understood: in the final analysis, forgiveness is an act of faith. By forgiving another, I am trusting that God is a better justice-maker than I am. By forgiving, I release my own right to get even and leave all issues of fairness for God to work out. I leave in God’s ...read more

Scripture: Luke 17:3-5

Tags: Forgiveness For Others, Forgiveness General, Forgiveness

Denomination: *other

On The Lord's Day A Group Of Missionaries And ...  PRO

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Jun 5, 2001

On the Lord’s day a group of missionaries and believers in New Guinea were gathered together to observe the Lord’s Supper. After one young man sat down, a missionary recognized that a sudden tremor had passed through the young man’s body that indicated he was under a great nervous strain. Then in a ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness For Others, Coercion, Peace, Reaping

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Little Girl’s Prayer: A Little Girl Was ...  PRO

Contributed by Brian Mccutchen on Jan 26, 2001

A little girl’s Prayer: A little girl was being punished by eating alone in the corner of the dining room. The family paid no attention to her until they heard her pray: “I thank Thee, Lord, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 18:21-35, Matthew 5:16-18, Matthew 6:3-20, Psalm 145:8-21

Tags: Compassion, Forgiveness General, Forgiveness For Others

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Martin Luther Put It This Way In The First Of ...  PRO

Contributed by William Jewett on Nov 2, 2000

Martin Luther put it this way in the first of the 95 theses he nailed to the door of the Wittenberg church: "When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said ’repent,’ He ...read more

Tags: Confession Of Sin, Forgiveness For Others, Repentance

Denomination: *other

For Many People Today The Spiritual Journey Is ...  PRO

Contributed by Timothy Peck on Feb 1, 2001

For many people today the spiritual journey is filled with crushing burdens. I think of the character Rodrigo from the 1986 academy award winning movie The Mission. Rodrigo, played by Robert DeNiro, portrays a slave trader who kills his brother in a fit of rage. He’s filled with such terrible ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:11-13, Ephesians 1:1

Tags: God's Forgiveness, Guilt, Forgiveness For Others

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Abe Lemmons Was Head Basketball Coach At The ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 4, 2001

Abe Lemmons was head basketball coach at the University of Texas for years. Asked if he was bitter at Texas Athletic Director Deloss Dodds who fired him as the Longhorn’s basketball coach, he replied, "Not at all, but I plan to buy ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness General, Forgiveness For Others, Anger

Nothing In My Hands I Bring  PRO

Contributed by Gerald Cornelius on Mar 27, 2001

Nothing in my hands I bring, Simply to ...read more

Tags: Crucifixion, Forgiveness For Others, Cross Agony

Denomination: Baptist

Dragging My Sin  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 6, 2005

DRAGGING MY SIN In this award winning film called “The Mission,” Robert DeNiro plays a mercenary who has taken asylum in the local church after killing his brother in a fit of jealous rage. He eventually leaves the church and heads to a mission post located above the waterfalls in a South American ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 32:1-11, Psalm 32:1-11, Mark 5:1-19, Mark 5:1-19

Tags: Forgiveness General, Forgiveness For Others, Character

Forgive Means "Let Go"  PRO

Contributed by Mark Stepherson on Jul 14, 2011

Forgive Means "Let Go" In the last few days there was an item on the news about residents in a local neighborhood finding a bobcat in their yard. A story we sometimes hear is about an alligator being found in a drainage ditch. We haven’t heard that this year, with the drought, but sometimes we ...read more

Scripture: Mark 11:25

Tags: Forgiveness, Stand, Grievances, Forgiveness For Others

Denomination: Baptist

Chris Paul: Forgiving The Murderers

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 23, 2011

CHRIS PAUL: FORGIVING THE MURDERERS In April, 2011, Rick Reilly wrote a moving story about forgiveness from the life of Chris Paul, the all-star basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets. Reilly writes: On the moonless night of November 15, 2002, five boys ran across a park, jumped a ...read more

Scripture: Luke 11:4

Tags: Forgiveness For Others, Ask Seek Knock

The Best Thanksgiving Ever

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Dec 27, 2014

“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” – Epictetus They lived a comfortable life in the upscale part of town, the children were teen and pre-teen then and had most anything their hearts desired. They had begun to recite their ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Tags: Gratitude, Serving Others, Giving Spirit

Denomination: Charismatic

Jesus Took Our Place

Contributed by Daniel King, D. Min. on Jul 25, 2018

Main Idea: Jesus died a horrible death so we could live for eternity. Verse: Jesus “Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness…” (1 Peter 2:24 NKJV). Illustration: A man was sentenced to a horrible death. He was to be buried up ...read more

Tags: Salvation, Sacrifice Of Christ, Sacrifice For Others

Denomination: Charismatic

Communication: Who Is The Problem, Really?

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Mar 8, 2021

. A woman met with a counselor and stated, "I want to divorce my husband." ?On what grounds?” asked the counselor. ?Grounds? We have two acres at the edge of town with a big lawn and some fruit trees.” ?No, that's not what I meant. Do you have a grudge?” ?Yes, we've a two car ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 18:2, Jeremiah 17:9

Tags: Communication, Blame, Rationalization, Blaming Others

Denomination: Independent/Bible

H. John Wesley Once Had For A Traveling ...  PRO

Contributed by Davon Huss on Aug 13, 2001

H. John Wesley once had for a traveling companion an officer who was intelligent and agreeable in conversation; but there was one serious drawback- his profanity. When they changed vehicles, Wesley took the officer aside and, after expressing the pleasure he had enjoyed in his company, said he had ...read more

Tags: Christian Love, Love Of The Disciples, Humility

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

To Be One, To Be United Is A Great Thing. But To ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 10, 2002

To be one, to be united is a great thing. But to respect the right to be different is maybe even ...read more

Tags: Christian Love, Unconditional Love, Unity

A Church Can Survive Without A Huge Budget But ...  PRO

Contributed by Lynn Floyd on Jan 10, 2003

A church can survive without a huge budget but it can’t ...read more

Tags: Love For God, Christian Love, Compassion

Denomination: Baptist

Our Comfort, Our Hope—communion Meditation  PRO

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Mar 30, 2003

OUR COMFORT, OUR HOPE-- COMMUNION MEDITATION Recently I came across a true story that happened during the Holocaust of the Second World War. Solomon Rosenberg, his wife and their 2 sons were arrested, together with Rosenburg's mother and father for the crime of being Jews. They were placed in a ...read more

Tags: Parenting, Love, Unconditional Love, Selfless

Denomination: Anglican

Judge A Man By The Reputation Of His Enemies. ...  PRO

Contributed by Carlton Coon on Dec 27, 2000

Judge a man by the reputation of his enemies. ...read more

Tags: Christian Love, Love Of The Disciples, Holiness

Denomination: Pentecostal

A Young Man Wrote This To His Girlfriend. ...  PRO

Contributed by John Walls on Jan 31, 2001

A young man wrote this to his girlfriend. “Sweetheart, if this world was as hot as the Sahara desert, I would crawl on my knees through the burning sand to come to you. If the world would be like the Atlantic Ocean, I would swim through shark infested waters to come to you. I would ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 3:18

Tags: Holiness, Unconditional Love, Romantic Love

Denomination: Baptist

The Prominent Psychiatrist Karl Menninger Was ...  PRO

Contributed by Joel Santos on Sep 24, 2004

The prominent psychiatrist Karl Menninger was featured in an article carried by the "Chicago Daily News" entitled, "Love working miracles for the mentally Ill in Kansas." Dr. Menninger contended that love is one of the most effective cures in healing mental illness. When reporters asked Menninger ...read more

Tags: Christian Love, Compassion, Unconditional Love

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational