In Sermon Illustrations: "Lying"

During The Time Of The Second Great Awakening In ...  PRO

Contributed by Scott Malone on Mar 1, 2005

During the time of the Second Great Awakening in America, Charles Finney was the foremost among the great evangelists. Many people know him. However few know the name, Daniel Nash. Nash was a lackluster pastor in upper New York State who, at the age of 48, dedicated his life to prayer. Long ...read more

Tags: Prayer Persistence, Prayer Adoration

Denomination: Baptist

In A Remote Swiss Village Stands A Beautiful ...

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Jun 28, 2010

In a remote Swiss village stands a beautiful church - Mountain Valley Cathedral. It has high pillars and magnificent stained glass windows, but what makes it special is the most beautiful pipe organ in the whole region. People would come from far off lands just to hear the lovely tunes of this ...read more

Tags: Salvation, Restoration

Denomination: Independent/Bible

While Attending Ministerial School (Seminary) In ...

Contributed by Fred Sigle on May 22, 2007

While attending MINISTERIAL SCHOOL (SEMINARY) in Lubbock, Texas, I had a CLASS MATE, Lloyd, who shared a STORY about an incident that HAPPENED to him while in Vietnam. I can’t remember all the DETAILS, but this is what I recall. Lloyd was a HELICOPTER MACHINE GUNNER. While on a MISSION flying ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Dumb Crooks

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 23, 2008

DUMB CROOKS A Circle-K convenience store was patronized by man requesting change for a twenty dollar bill. As soon as the register drawer was opened, the man pulled a gun and demanded it contents. He fled with all dollars of it, but left his original twenty lying on the counter. A guy walked into ...read more

Tags: Character

Laughter Resurrection  PRO

Contributed by Ferdinand Funk on Sep 29, 2008

Laughter Resurrection Bernard Martin, writes the following story in his book If God Does Not Die. One day a pastor was called from a children's party at the Sunday school to visit a young woman whose world had collapsed into an acute depression following the death of her husband in an auto ...read more

Tags: Easter Resurrection

Denomination: Mennonite

Bears, Caps And Bags

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 16, 2009

BEARS, CAPS AND BAGS Two hunters came across a bear so big that they dropped their rifles and ran for cover. One man climbed a tree while the other hid in a nearby cave. The bear was in no hurry to eat, so he sat down between the tree and the cave to reflect upon his good fortune. Suddenly, and ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:6-9

Tags: Hardship Of Life

The Significance Of The Manger

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Dec 9, 2023

If you try to point out something to a dog, the dog will often look at your finger instead of the object you’re trying to point to. This is frustrating, but it illustrates a natural mistake we all make from time to time. It’s the mistake many people make when reading the Christmas story in Luke’s ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:1-20

Tags: Messiah, Christmas, Manger, Shepherds, Sign  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Thermostat War

Contributed by Austin W. Duncan on Apr 17, 2026

I had a roommate, and we had this thing with the thermostat. I’d set it where I wanted it. He’d walk by and bump it up. I’d walk by and bump it back down. He’d change it again. This went on for weeks. Neither of us said a word about it. It was a completely silent war. And finally, I did what any ...read more

Scripture: James 4:1-2

Tags: Conflict, Pride

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Monkey Business

Contributed by David Dunn on Jan 15, 2026

I want to tell you a story about monkeys. This story takes place in a country called India. When I was about your age, I lived with my parents and my brothers and sisters in India. In that country they have monkeys. The monkeys don’t live in zoos like they do here. They live in the trees—right ...read more

Scripture: James 1:5, Proverbs 15:1

Tags: Mercy, Wisdom

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

One Of The Characters In The Movie, Toy Story, Is ...  PRO

Contributed by Jim Kane on Apr 29, 2001

One of the characters in the movie, Toy Story, is Buzz Lightyear, a new toy to Andy’s room. Buzz is an astronaut, with a lot of neat things attached to him. Buzz comes into the other toys’ lives thinking that there are no other Buzz Lightyears around. He is the only one. Woody, a cowboy toy, and ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:7-10, 2 Corinthians 4:7-18

Tags: Lordship Of Christ, God's Provision, Descriptions Of God

Denomination: Church Of God

Here Is A Parody Of Luke's Account Of The Birth ...  PRO

Contributed by Steve Malone on Nov 13, 2001

Here is a parody of Luke’s account of the birth of Christ, that really underscores just how far our world has let the true meaning of Christmas slip away from them. "And there were in the same country children keeping watch over there stockings by the fireplace. And lo! Santa Claus came upon ...read more

Tags: Birth Of Jesus, Christmas

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Good Samaritan  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 8, 2002

Luke 10:30-37 John Darley and Daniel Batson are two Princeton University psychologists. Some years ago they decided to conduct a study, inspired by the story of the Good Samaritan. They conducted the study at Princeton Theological Seminary. They met with a group of seminarians and asked each one ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:30-37

Tags: Compassion, Christian Love

Throwing A Life Away?  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 26, 2004

THROWING A LIFE AWAY? Lost behind the story of Seabiscuit, the most celebrated racehorse of the 20th century, and the jockey played by Spiderman’s Tobey Macguire was the story of its peculiar trainer, Tom Smith. When the rich man played by Jeff Bridges decided to turn to horse racing, he needed ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:25-37

Tags: Forgiveness General, Parable Good Samaritan, Compassion

There Is A Wonderful Park Located In North ...  PRO

Contributed by Robert Lundy on Mar 19, 2005

There is a wonderful park located in North Carolina called the Fields of the Wood. It is just the other side of the Great Smokey Moutains from Gatlinburg, TN. It is owned and maintained by the Church’s of God. Inside the park is the largest Ten Commandments in the world. They are laid out on a ...read more

Scripture: James 4:14

Tags: Endurance

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Resisting The Temptation To ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 9, 2010

Resisting the Temptation to Lie It’s the only thing we can do when we can’t see ahead – follow the Lord step-by-step. That means doing what we know HE wants us to do, even if it doesn’t always make sense to us. Jim George, in his book, God’s Man of Influence, talks about trying to sell a used ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 3:5-6

Tags: Temptation Resisting

Build Character Into Your Children  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 6, 2010

BUILD CHARACTER INTO YOUR CHILDREN David Kraft was a big, strong man -- all muscle. At the age of 32, he was six feet, two inches tall and weighed 200 pounds. He had been to seminary and ended up working with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, because of his athletic background. Then he was ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:1-4

Tags: Father's Day

Under The Influence

Contributed by Greg Nance on Apr 13, 2012

UNDER THE INFLUENCE David Kupelian's book The Marketing of Evil, published in 2005, is an eye-opening study of what we face today. I wish every parent would read it. Does anyone here remember what happened to Robert Bauman in 1980? He was elected in 1973 as representative of the First ...read more

Tags: Sin Bondage To

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Names Of Satan

Contributed by Leighton (Lee) Vary on Nov 7, 2016

1. In Isaiah 14:12, he is named Lucifer and called the son of the morning 2. In 2 Corinthians 11:14 & 15, it is said that he transforms himself into the likeness of an angel of light 3. The god of this world who blinds men’s minds (2 Corinthians 4:4) 4. The prince of this world (John 12:31) 5. The ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 12:6-17

Tags: Satan, Lucifer, Abaddon, Beelzebub

Denomination: Baptist

Basic Training

Contributed by John Telgren on Feb 11, 2017

I hated shining shoes in Basic Training. There were other things I would rather be doing instead of sitting on the floor with a brush and mounds of cotton balls stained with black Kiwi shoe polish! If our boots and dress shoes were not perfect we paid for it dearly! During one of our trips to the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 2:15, 2 Timothy 2:15

Tags: Diligence, Diligently, Diligent

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Living Or Dead

Contributed by Max Furman on Dec 24, 2021

On Easter Sunday, religious leaders and the disciples had all witnessed the same event. However, both saw something differently. A few years ago, I was getting ready to leave the house for a run and as my wife and I talked, I learned that she was soon going to run an errand. Jokingly, I told her ...read more

Scripture: Luke 24:8-11

Tags: Easter, Resurrection