In Sermon Illustrations: "Making Plans"

Making A Dent In The Universe  PRO

Contributed by Thomas Cash on Oct 6, 2011

MAKING A DENT IN THE UNIVERSE When Apple founder Steve Jobs died, there were many posts on various websites about his spirituality (Jobs was Buddhist). One cartoon depicted him at the Pearly Gates while Saint Peter fumbles through the Book of Life. Steve, holding an I-Something, says, "I have an ...read more

Scripture: John 14:6

Tags: Witness, Death, Eternity, Commitment, Heaven, Impact, Steve Jobs, Christian Values, Christian Witness, Commitment To Christ, Truth Absolute, Technology, Vision, Salvation, Truth, Value, Passion  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Making Christmas Special  PRO

Contributed by Sam Higgs on Dec 1, 2011

MAKING CHRISTMAS SPECIAL In the months leading up to the Christmas season, Dan had lost his job. Well, in the city he lived in, most of the workers had to relocate with the company or face unemployment. Dan was one of the unlucky ones who had not been with the company long enough to be asked ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 1:18-21, Galatians 4:4

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Baptist

Making The Wrong Right

Contributed by Bret Toman on Oct 31, 2012

MAKING THE WRONG RIGHT Many years ago, Christian professor Stuart Blackie of the University of Edinburgh was listening to his students as they presented oral readings. When one young man rose to begin his recitation, he held his book in the wrong hand. The professor thundered, "Take your book in ...read more

Tags: Humility

Denomination: Baptist

Make Your Reservation

Contributed by Thomas Cash on Jan 29, 2013

MAKE YOUR RESERVATION Is your name written in the book of life? Ruthanna Metzgar, a professional singer, tells a story that illustrates the importance of having our names written in the book of life. Several years ago, she was asked to sing at the wedding of a very wealthy man. According to the ...read more

Tags: Assurance Of Salvation

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Fail To Make Decisions

Contributed by Trae Durden on Nov 11, 2014

“To delay or fail to make decisions may be more sinful than to make wrong decisions out of faith ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:34-38

Tags: John Piper, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Risk, Big Decisions

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Bible Makes A Difference!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 4, 2021

The story is told of a South Sea Islander who proudly displayed his Bible to a G.I. during WW II. He had received it as a present from a missionary some time before. The soldier said, “Oh, we’ve outgrown that sort of thing like the Bible.” The native. who had been a Cannibal before he was ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Timothy 4:1-3

Tags: Bible, Humor, Miracles, Missionaries, Scriptures  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Make Room For The Tide!

Contributed by Joshua Blackmon on Mar 12, 2022

"Years ago, a wealthy businessman from London chartered a bus to carry a busload of urban children to the coast. There, the children spent a wonderful day at the ocean. Many of the children had never left the city. Most had never seen the ocean. For one blissful day, they ran unfettered over ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:18

Tags: Make Room, Spirit Filled, Ocean, Full, Tide  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Pentecostal

Patience Makes It Happen

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 12, 2023

"The history books are full of stories of gifted persons whose talents were overlooked by a procession of people until someone believed in them. To name a few ... "Einstein was four years old before he could speak and seven before he could read". Einstein became one of the greatest ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23

Tags: Long Suffering, Flesh Vs Spirit, Endurance, Patience, Fruit Of The Spirit, Spirit Filled Life  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Fathers Make A Difference

Contributed by John Bright on Jun 15, 2023

According to the 2022 U.S. Census Bureau, 18.4 million children, 1 in 4, live without a biological, step, or adoptive father in the home. That’s enough children to fill New York City twice or Los Angeles four times over. Research shows that a father's absence affects children in numerous ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:21

Tags: Dad, Fathers Day, Reading

Denomination: Methodist

The Difference Christmas Makes

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Dec 24, 2023

At Christmastime, we set up our Christmas trees and toy trains. We may even walk along singing carols, or we may preach a sermon, but these bits and pieces are barren if we are thinking only of them or even thinking only of being in heaven, and are not stopping to ask ourselves, “What difference ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:8-20

Tags: Shepherds, Christmas, Glory, God's Glory, Ordinary People, Making A Difference  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

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

Plots, Plans, Villains And Fools!" Ezra 6:13-18 ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Mar 10, 2005

“Plots, Plans, Villains and Fools!” Ezra 6:13-18 Key verse(s): 14:“So the elders of the Jews continued to build and prosper under the preaching of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, a descendant of Iddo. They finished building the temple according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees ...read more

Scripture: Ezra 6:13-18

Tags: God's Sovereign Will

Denomination: Lutheran

63% Of Non-Retired U.s. Adults Say They Plan To ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 19, 2007

63% of non-retired U.S. adults say they plan to work when they reach retirement ...read more

Good Things Happen Only When Planned. Bad Things ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

Good things happen only when planned. Bad things ...read more

Tags: Church Practices

Scholastic Plans A U.s. Record 12 Million Copies ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 10, 2008

Scholastic plans a U.S. record 12 million copies first printing of the 7th Harry Potter book to ...read more

Tags: Books And Literature

Victorious As We Follow God's Redemption Plan.

Contributed by Andrew Moffatt on Jan 20, 2025

I may have mentioned this previously to some of you that as a teen I was not able to even read a passage from a book in class, I could read, but to read out loud was something else, I was very insecure having been told at a young age, around 9 or 10 that I was hopeless and would never amount to ...read more

Scripture: John 14:15-17, John 3:1

Tags: Advocate, God's Love, Struggling, Victorious Living, The Spirit Of Truth, Self Estime  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Salvation Army