In Sermon Illustrations: "Making Excuses"

Makes A Difference For That One

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 11, 2025

Thousands of star fish washed on the beach after a storm. One boy was busily throwing them back. A watching man said, “There’s thousands and thousands washed ashore. How can you make a difference.” Boy says, “You are ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:2

Tags: Discipleship, Personal, Individual, Mentoring, One At A Time, Reforming  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

An Arab Chief Tells A Story Of A Spy Who Was ...  PRO

Contributed by George Rhodes on Apr 19, 2006

An Arab chief tells a story of a spy who was captured and then sentenced to death by a general in the Persian army. This general had the strange custom of giving condemned criminals a choice between the firing squad and the big, black door. As the moment for execution drew near, the spy was brought ...read more

Tags: Making Choices, Christian Liberty

Denomination: Baptist

Kory Wilcoxon- Gary, Who Was In His 50s, Was ...

Contributed by Davon Huss on Apr 25, 2016

Kory Wilcoxon- Gary, who was in his 50s, was mentally disabled, and had the mental capacity of a six- or seven-year-old. He also had one of the worst singing voices I’ve ever heard. His singing was slurred and never close to the right key. And he didn’t have the social development to recognize his ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 95:1-2

Tags: Make A Joyful Noise, Singing

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Lesson On Mahatma Gandhi

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Jan 27, 2017

I HAVE MANY PEOPLE I GREATLY RESPECT... ONE OF THOSE MEN I RESPECT FROM THE TWENTIETH CENTURY IS: MAHATMA GANDHI... Several stories have made an impression in my heart. I read once that Mahatma Gandhi attended a church in Northern Africa. Gandhi had read about Jesus' teachings and he loved ...read more

Scripture: Jude 1:22

Tags: Respect, Gandhi Makes A Difference

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Encourage: Plant A Tree

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Mar 6, 2024

There was a man that looked around the barren community where he lived. The man wanted to do something to help the lifeless areas around his community. The man decided there was nothing he could do to help his neighbors. He prayed and asked God to help him help his family and his friends to bring ...read more

Scripture: Jude 1:22, Ezekiel 11:19

Tags: Help, Encourage, Make A Difference

Denomination: Assembly Of God

World Class Failures  PRO

Contributed by Kay Kurtz on Oct 26, 2006

World class failures: * There was a guy, a general, who lost two-thirds of all the battles he fought in the American Revolution. George Washington. He won the war. * There was another guy who graduated 42nd out of a class of 43. Then he went out and conquered Europe. Napoleon. * There’s a guy ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:9

Tags: Dominion, Earth, Creation, Father, Ecology  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Church Of God

Making It! (10.28.05--Making It!--Jeremiah ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Oct 26, 2005

Making It! (10.28.05--Making It!--Jeremiah 52:34) He had a job most people despised. In fact, his job most often elicited laughs than it did applause. He lived alone since his wife died. There were times that he would go on long fasts, sitting in front of his humble home, drawing stares from his ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 52:34

Tags: Faith, Believe, Peace

Denomination: Lutheran

When You Have To Make A Choice And Don't Make ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 15, 2005

When you have to make a choice and don’t make it, that is in itself ...read more

Tags: Basics Of Christianity

If You Make Six Figures And Can't Make Ends ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"If you make six figures and can't make ends meet, maybe your ends are ...read more

Tags: Money

[015] A Message From A Poem - All About Me But What About The Lord?

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jun 18, 2024

[015] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - ALL ABOUT ME BUT WHAT ABOUT THE LORD? This is a very serious poem even though it is written in a partly informal way. The title says it all. “Everything revolves around me, and the Lord should be grateful for the time I give to Him.” Of course that attitude is ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 3:15-17, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Tags: Communion, Commitment, Study, Excuses, Selfish, The Bible  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

George Washington Carver Said, "Ninety-Nine ...

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Jul 5, 2007

George Washington Carver said, "Ninety-nine percent of failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses." Carver was no stranger to adversity and could have easily made excuses for not succeeding. But that wasn’t his way. Despite being born into slavery, he rose above his ...read more

Denomination: Pentecostal

When You Have To Make A Choice And Don't Make It, ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 17, 2006

When you have to make a choice and don’t make it, that is in itself a ...read more

Tags: Jesus Christ

Duty Makes Us Do Things Well, But Love Makes Us ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"Duty makes us do things well, but love makes us do ...read more

Tags: Christian Love

His Rightful Place

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Apr 11, 2022

I have a dog named Simba. I named him Simba because he is the color of a lion and he has the personality of a lion even though he is a chihuahua. One afternoon, we were really tired and I decided to take a quick nap with Simba. Simba has a certain place on the bed beside me where he always lays. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:33, Luke 10:41

Tags: Putting God First, Resting, Making Room For God, Making Time For God

Denomination: Charismatic

The Next Time You Feel God Can't Use You....

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Mar 4, 2014

Noah was a drunk. Abraham was too old. Isaac was a daydreamer. Jacob was a liar. Joseph was abused. Moses had a stuttering problem. Gideon was afraid. Sampson was a womanizer. Rahab was a prostitute. Jeremiah and Timothy were too young. David had an affair and was a murderer. Elijah was ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 3:1-11

Tags: Moses, Weakness, Failure, Excuses

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I’d Rather Kiss A Goat

Contributed by James Snyder on May 15, 2023

There are very few things in my life I regret; at least that I can remember. One of the good things about getting old is that you can forget many things. The important thing is to forget the right thing, which is a challenge. You can be sure I work on this all the time. It takes a really good ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 12:36-37

Tags: Kiss, Goat, Accountability, Excuses

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

The Author Will Make Things Clear  PRO

Contributed by Rich Young on Jan 18, 2001

THE AUTHOR WILL MAKE THINGS CLEAR Author Marshall Shelley, who suffered the deaths of two of his children, writes in Leadership: "Even as I child, I loved to read, and I quickly learned that I would most likely be confused during the opening chapters of a novel. New characters were introduced. ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:28-29

Tags: Faith, God In The Hardships, Trust

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

There Is Nothing That Makes Us Love A ...  PRO

Contributed by David Dewitt on Jan 8, 2001

“There is nothing that makes us love a person so much as ...read more

Tags: Compassion, Prayer Adoration, Prayer General

Denomination: Church Of God

The Thing That Ought To Make The Heart ...  PRO

Contributed by Paul Wallace on Sep 1, 2001

“The thing that ought to make the heart beat is a new way of manifesting the ...read more

Tags: Call Of The Disciples, Sharing My Testimony

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

In England, There Is A Paper Factory That Makes ...  PRO

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Oct 10, 2001

In England, there is a paper factory that makes the finest stationery in the world. One day, a man touring the factory asked what it was made from. He was shown a huge pile of old rags and told that the rag content was what determined the quality of the paper. The visitor couldn’t believe ...read more

Tags: Descriptions Of God, Forgiveness In Jesus, Becoming A Christian

Denomination: Independent/Bible