In Sermon Illustrations: "Mark 7 1 8 14 15 21 23"

What Are We Voting For?

Contributed by Dan Thompkins on Jan 11, 2008

WHAT ARE WE VOTING FOR? A parishioner had dozed off to sleep during the morning service. “Will all who want to go to heaven, please stand?” the pastor asked.” – All stood, except the sleeping parishioner. After they sat, the pastor continued, “Well, will all who want to go to the other place ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:29-30, Mark 9:43-48

Tags: Death, Heaven, Salvation

Denomination: Pentecostal

Strike While The Iron Is Hot - Engagement

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Mar 1, 2023

There is an old adage ... that you may still hear at times even today: ... Strike while the Iron is hot! The saying is basically telling us .... that when the time is right... you should act... you should seize the moment ... or you will miss out ... on your opportunity. The adage is taken from a ...read more

Scripture: John 5:1-9, Mark 2:1-12

Tags: Seize, Strike

Denomination: Anglican

You Are My Dear, Dear Child: I'm Delighted With You.

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Apr 22, 2023

A famous movie-maker had a huge legal wrangle with his longtime mentor and guide. The younger man simply couldn't handle criticism and ended up rejecting the person who had helped him so much. When it was all over, a close friend summed up the real problem. "It was all about an ungenerous ...read more

Scripture: Mark 1:9-13, Matthew 3:13-17

Tags: Loved By God, Jesus Baptism, God's Love, Loved

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Seek Spiritual Advice From Spiritually Mature Christians

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Aug 7, 2023

Seek Spiritual Advice from Spiritually mature Christians. Albert Einstein ... had difficulty speaking until he was four years old ... and did not read ... until he was seven. Beethovens music teacher said: .... As a composer, ... he is hopeless. When Thomas Edison was a young boy, ... his ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 14:22-33, Mark 6:45-52

Tags: Advice, Spiritual

Denomination: Anglican

If It Is Impossible It Will Take A Little Longer

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Aug 7, 2023

The Navy branch ... of the service ... called the Seabees ... had a unique slogan ... during World War II, (Pause) If its difficult, ... it will take a day or two. If its impossible, ... it will take a little longer. (Pause) It seems to me ... there are a number of ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 14:22-33, Mark 6:45-52

Tags: Difficult, Impossible, Truths

Denomination: Anglican

Never Give Up

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Oct 4, 2023

CONCLUSION: There was an old frog that gathered the little tadpoles around him to teach them a lesson about endurance and persistence. He told of the farmer and his wife that had milked all the cows and set the milk cans out by the road. He told how the frogs loved to jump up and sit on top of the ...read more

Scripture: Mark 5:36, Hebrews 11:1

Tags: Persistence, Never Quit

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Trouble? Joe Was Trouble...

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Oct 25, 2023

TROUBLE? JOE WAS TROUBLE! SOMEONE IS HURTING! I had taught school in Virginia several years. I was assistant principal. I often observed the kids in the younger classes and thought someday I will teach that child. There was a young boy named Joe. Joe was in the office pretty often in some kind ...read more

Scripture: Micah 6:8, Mark 12:29

Tags: Help, Trouble, Ministry

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Rapture Why God Doesn't Reveal When

Contributed by Raymond Petzholt on Feb 26, 2024

When I and my sister were young children we use to regularly have babysitters when our parents went out in the evenings. Some of the babysitters were fun! Some weren’t. The fun ones were the ones that let us play wild games that normally our parents would never let us do in the house if ...read more

Scripture: Mark 13:32, Matthew 24:36

Tags: Second Coming, Rapture, Judgment

Denomination: Baptist

Why Palm Sunday Is Important

Contributed by Richard L. Brown on Mar 26, 2024

In 1997 I traveled to Pittsburgh to attend a Promise Keepers Meeting at Three Rivers Stadium. Men from the Ashland Area Churches rented a bus and traveled there together. Promise Keepers was created to issue a calling to men to live up to their biblical responsibilities to be good Husbands, ...read more

Scripture: Mark 11:1-11, Isaiah 50:5-7

Tags: Faith, Palm Sunday

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Watch?

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Apr 18, 2024

I read the story of a young boy that lived on a farm in the mountains. The grandparents, parents, his brothers and sisters lived in the old farm house. Every time the young boy got a chance he told anyone that would listen: HE WANTED A WATCH. His grandfather had a pocket watch, so did his dad. The ...read more

Scripture: Mark 13:37, Isaiah 21:11

Tags: Watch, Ready

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Sharing Love

Contributed by Rob Roy on May 22, 2024

In Irving Illinois a group purchased the old school building and made it into a long term alcohol recovery program. Some of those started coming to worship at the Irving church, two had met there, Matt and Kim, I and not using their real names. My favorite wife, Lisa and I got to know them, ...read more

Scripture: John 21:15-19, Mark 12:30-31

Tags: Service, Hope, Blessings

Contact With Another World

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Aug 12, 2024

A group of scientists are directing their thoughts and needs into the heavens, but not to the God of the Bible. They have calculated that as many as fifty million civilizations may exist somewhere in space, and they believe that some of them may have found methods to improve our lives and control ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 33:3, Mark 11:24

Tags: Prayer, Intercession, Believing, Asking, Scientists, Faith  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Horrid French Pun

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 11, 2025

A young cook in France, Jean Luc, decided that the French would enjoy feasting on rabbits and decided to raise rabbits in Paris and sell them to the finer restaurants in the city. Jean Luc searched all over Paris seeking a suitable place to raise his rabbits. None could be found. Finally, an old ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:10-12, Zechariah 14:7

Tags: Unique, Complex, Joke, Pun, Sermon Into  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Blind Bartimaeus

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 11, 2025

John MacArthur points out two pieces of information that help set the context for today’s narrative. i. Before modern medicine, many babies would become blind from eye infection. Venereal diseases also cause infants to go blind, which is why perhaps the disciples asked whose fault it is if a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 20:29-34, Mark 10:46-52

Tags: Healing, Blind, Bartimaeus

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Children's Faith

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 11, 2025

"Children’s Letters to God" series, actual authentic letters written by kids to God: "Dear God, I read the Bible. What does ’begat’ mean? Nobody will tell me. Love, Alison." "Dear God, did you mean for the giraffe to look like that or was it an accident?" - ...read more

Scripture: Mark 11:1-11, Matthew 18:3

Tags: Childlike Faith, Questions

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Fig Tree Jesus Cursed

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 11, 2025

An acted-out parable: most of Israel was like a fig tree out of SEASON. “The early figs, appearing in March or April and ripening in June, are called ‘bikkurah.’ …The early fig was considered a great delicacy by the Hebrews. The late or green figs, which sometimes ripen after the fall of the leaf, ...read more

Scripture: Mark 11:12-25, Matthew 21:18-22

Tags: Curse, Fig Tree

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Keeping The 10 Commandments?

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 22, 2025

Bernie and Esther were not the most religious Jews and in fact they really only went to Temple once a year. As they were leaving the Temple, the Rabbi said, "Bernie, it sure would be nice to see you and Esther here more than once a year!" "I know," replied Bernie, "but at ...read more

Scripture: Mark 12:28-34, Exodus 20:1-17

Tags: Law, Ten Commandments

Denomination: Independent/Bible

End Times Ignorance

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 22, 2025

A friend says to a seminarian, “What subjects are you studying at school?” The young theologian says, “You know, the usual, Biblical Texts, Church History, Ministry and Systematic Theology.” The friend asks if he has studied anything on eschatology in his Systematic class. The seminarian ...read more

Scripture: Mark 14:1-22, Matthew 24:1-51

Tags: Eschatology, Second Coming, Tribulation, Millennium, Bible Prophecy, Last Things, End Times  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Bad Timing

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 22, 2025

On blogger writes, “Today, my school put on a musical. I was one of the leads, and in the middle of my solo, I got a huge ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, Mark 13:24-37

Tags: Human Limits, Timing, Frailty, Unforeseen, Embrassment, Worst Possible Moment, Ill Timed  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Oops -- Flooded With Calls!

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 22, 2025

One blogger writes, “Today, 50,000 copies of the new edition of the town's phone book came out. I manage a pizza place and bought a full menu ad. Apparently the ad designer got confused, as they placed my cell phone number in ...read more

Scripture: Mark 14:26-31, Romans 8:18

Tags: Suffering, Consequences, Mistake, Errors, Nuissance  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible