In Sermon Illustrations: "Made Up Mind"

Dont Say Giddy-Up To Your Mouth Before Your Head ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

Dont say giddy-up to your mouth before your ...read more

Tags: Communication Speech

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

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: Faith, Prayer, How To Pray, Answered Prayers

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

Do You Want To Play Beethoven's Piano?

Contributed by Garris Hudson 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: Humility, Spiritual Gifts, Position, Servants, Lowliness Of Mind, Service, Honor  (view more)  (view less)

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

The Two Chairs

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Jul 29, 2025

A youth pastor once stood before a group of students with two chairs. He placed one on the far left side of the stage and the other on the far right. He said, “Let’s imagine this chair represents loyalty to God — trusting Him, following His ways, surrendering your heart. And this chair over here ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 119:113, Psalm 119:105

Tags: Obedience, Choose, Make A Choice, Divided, Double Minded, Commitment, Law  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Christian Doctor Explains Heaven To Dying Patient

Contributed by Rick Crandall on Sep 24, 2025

Christian Doctor Explains Heaven to Dying Patient Wayne Brouwer told about a very sick man home on hospice. His doctor had come to see him that day, and as the doctor was leaving the room, the patient said, "Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side." *Very ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 139:1-24

Tags: Fearfully Made, Wonderfully Made, Nathan The Prophet, Solomon's Temple, Mother's Womb, Omniscience, Omnipotence, Omnipresence, God's Presence, God's Creation, King David, Light, Darkness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Purity

Contributed by Davon Huss on May 1, 2015

A mother was concerned when she heard that her son had a live in girlfriend. She went to his house. Her son was the only one home. The son said, “It’s not what you think, Mom. She needed a place to stay. She has her bedroom and I have mine.” The son then showed his mother the guest bedroom ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8

Tags: Cohabitation, Shacking Up, Sexual Purity, Living Together

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

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

Not Loving The World

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Jul 30, 2021

It was very late Wed. Night of last week. I had only just finally gotten to relax after working on sermons all day and helping my friends a little with their move. So my plan was, while I was working some more on my sermons, to listen to a documentary about John Foxe, the author of Foxes Book of ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 2:15, Romans 12:2

Tags: Obedience, Taking Up Your Cross, Not Loving The World

Denomination: Charismatic

[289]. A Message From A Poem – The Rapture

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Feb 15, 2026

[289]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THE RAPTURE The Rapture is very real to me as one of those who believes the next event in God’s divine, prophetic calendar will be the Lord’s coming for His Church to snatch His own away before the great and terrible judgements of the Tribulation break on the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, 1 Corinthians 15:50-58, Revelation 4:1, Titus 2:13, John 14:3  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Bride, Caught Up, The Rapture, Trumpet, Christian Poems  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Rationalizing (Justifying)

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Nov 1, 2022

Morris Siegel, the owner of a small Kosher New York deli, was being questioned by an IRS agent about his tax return. He had reported a net profit of $60,000 for the year. Why dont you people leave me alone? the deli owner said. I work like a dog, everyone in my family helps out, the place is ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:1-8

Tags: Honesty, Shrewd, Deceit, Cover Up, Rationalizing, Quick On Feet  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

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

Shut Up: He Who Guards His Lips Guards His Soul

Contributed by Tony Abram on Jan 25, 2007

Shut Up, He who guards his lips guards his soul. A Church in Kansas City has as its slogan: Wake up, sing up, preach up, pray up and pay up, but never give up or let up or back up or shut up ...read more

I Don't Know About You But As I Was Growing Up I ...  PRO

Contributed by Harvie Neatherlin on Jun 17, 2003

I don’t know about you but as I was growing up I worked hard at trying to figure out ways to insure that Mom or Dad would say yes. I don’t know how it worked around your house but I always got what I call the classic response. Here’s how it went, I would ask my dad if I could go somewhere or if I ...read more

Scripture: Judges 13:9-12

Tags: Communication General, Children

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

My Father Smoked All Of My Life So I Grew Up ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 10, 2003

My father smoked all of my life so I grew up breathing second hand smoke. I never saw it as a good thing until the day I was thrust into the smoking section of a run down nursing in a big city. The room was just thick with the smoke and my fellow ministry team members couldn’t even stand it, so ...read more

Tags: God's Provision, Promises Of God

I Don't Stand Up Here Today In Judgment Nor Do I ...

Contributed by George Alves on Jan 27, 2003

I don’t stand up here today in judgment nor do I seek to make people uncomfortable. This whole subject of avoiding church is very close to my heart. I too was one who had 101 excuses why I didn’t need the church – in my early twenties I stopped coming to Olivet for a brief period, I said church ...read more

Tags: Church General, Faith

Denomination: Brethren