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

Pennies, Pluto, And The Things That Matter

Contributed by Todd Catteau on Dec 18, 2025

I just got back to my office after a quick stop for a soda and a snack. When the cashier gave me back my change, he rounded it to the nearest nickel. It looks like we're doing away with pennies. For some odd reason, I think that's sad. But it makes sense (pun intended). From what I hear, it ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:31-46, Mark 12:41-44

Tags: Pluto, Pennies, Kingdom, Kindness

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Modeler And The Modeled

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 6, 2010

THE MODELER AND THE MODELED Michael Chesko describes himself as an eccentric mix of engineer, model maker, unofficial cartographer, and most of all, artist. When he was a little boy living in Arizona he would make maps of fictitious landscapes of places like Arizona and then he started to model ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:12

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Assumptions

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 22, 2025

A few years ago at the Women’s Banquet, I was the head cook and decided to make meatballs, along with pasta, Italian bread, and salad. I announced we had plates with 1 meatball for a small serving and 2 meatballs for a regular serving. Some people were saying, “they are going to starve us.” They ...read more

Scripture: Mark 12:35-44, Isaiah 53:1, Luke 24:13-35

Tags: Communication, Experience, Assumption, Preconceived Ideas, Mental Block  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

He Took The Lashes

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 31, 2008

HE TOOK THE LASHES Cliff Barrows tells of the time his two young children did something wrong. Although they were gently warned, they repeated the offense and needed to be disciplined. Cliff's tender heart was pained at the thought of having to punish the ones he loved. So he called Bobby and ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:24

Tags: Atonement

Plumb Luck

Contributed by Terry Blankenship on Jan 25, 2009

PLUMB LUCK Plumber recovers $78,000 diamond ring; Woman accidentally flushed 7-carat gem down restaurant toilet PHOENIX - Just a case of plumb luck. It took a plumber to retrieve a woman's 7-carat diamond ring after city workers failed in efforts to flush the gem out of the pipes of a restaurant ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:6-7

Tags: Anxiety

Denomination: Baptist

Blue Collar 34.9% Of U.s. Blue Collar Workers Are ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 20, 2007

Blue Collar 34.9% of U.S. blue collar workers are female vs. 31.6% in ’00. Hispanics make up 22.5%, up from 19%. Caucasians declined from 59.1% to 52.8%. Blacks fell from 17.6% to 15.9%. ...read more

Tags: Workplace

Who Was Salome?

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 11, 2025

By comparing Matt. 27:56 with John 19:25, it seems likely that Salome was sister to Mary (Jesus’ mother). “By inference from the other Gospel accounts, Salome is also identified with the mother of the sons of Zebedee (Mt. 27:56) and with the sister of Mary the mother of Jesus…. (John 19:25)… If ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 27:56, John 19:25, Mark 10:35-40

Tags: Jesus' Family, Mary's Sister, Jesus' Aunt, Salome

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Discerning God's ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 13, 2009

DISCERNING GOD’S WILL George Mueller’s recommended method for discerning God’s will: 1. Have no will of your own in the matter. (Mark 14:36) 2. Seek the will of God in direct connection with the Word of God (Psalm 119:33-35) 3. Circumstances will agree with the Word of God (Judges 6:36-40) 4. Ask ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:2

Tags: Prayer Answered

I Don't Believe In Hell

Contributed by Raymond Petzholt on Jul 5, 2023

Illustration: “I don’t believe in Hell.” The fact that a lot of people have a tough time believing in a literal Hell was brought home to me in a very meaningful way. When I pastored in Chino, CA we lived in a parsonage right next to the Church. I soon noticed that a certain man was walking up ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 10:28, Mark 9:43-45, Luke 16:23

Tags: Hell, Salvation, Facing Death

Denomination: Baptist

He Who Is

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Dec 22, 2012

He Who is "the image of the invisible God" (Col. 1:15),(21) is Himself the perfect man. To the sons of Adam He restores the divine likeness which had been disfigured from the first sin onward. Since human nature as He assumed it was not annulled,(22) by that very fact it has been raised up to a ...read more

Tags: Incarnation, Jesus' Ministry

Denomination: Catholic

[061]. A Message From A Poem – Do You Love Me More Than These?

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 14, 2025

[061]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – DO YOU LOVE ME MORE THAN THESE? How sound is our love? How enduring is it? How sturdy is it – does it flicker on and off like some lights? Is your love for the Lord, your Saviour, prepared to go to a martyr’s death? The inspiration for this poem came from that ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 2:4-5, 1 John 4:19, John 21:15-17

Tags: Love, Friendship, Poetry, Poem, First Love  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Follow Me (Christ's Steps)

Contributed by William Akehurst on May 5, 2009

FOLLOW ME. (Christ’s Steps) It is reported that St. Wenceslaus, King of Bohmia, one winters night, going to his devotions in the snow barefooted, his servant, who endeavoured to imitate his master’s piety, began to faint, through the inclemency of the weather, till the king commanded him to follow ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:21-25

Tags: Discipleship

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Fundamental Idea Of Spirit In Hebrew And ...  PRO

Contributed by Mike Wilkins on Apr 6, 2005

“The Fundamental idea of Spirit in Hebrew and Greek is breath, air, wind, storm – the intensity depending on the context. It may be a gentle breath (John 20:22), a gale-force wind (Ex 15:8), a cooling breeze (Gen 3:8). Most essentially Spirit is transcendent and divine, not mere flesh; it is the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 17:17-18, Psalm 69:1-3, 1 Samuel 17:1

Tags: Holy Spirit Baptism, Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit In Believers, Spirit

Denomination: *other

Faith Struggles: 9 Of 10 Adults Say Faith Is Very ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 27, 2006

Faith Struggles: 9 of 10 adults say faith is very important to them, and 3 out of 4 adults who consider themselves to be Christian say they would like to improve aspects of their faith life. According to a new Barna Group survey 48% of adults who deem themselves Christian rated themselves above ...read more

Tags: Faith General

: "When Blind Eyes Were ...  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Howell on May 9, 2001

Illus.: “When Blind Eyes Were Opened” D.L. Moody, the famed evangelist, told this story at one of his meetings: One evening just before Christmas, a man was walking through the streets of an Eastern city. The store windows were all beautifully decorated, and he observed three little girls ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:46-52, Job 42:1-6, 1 Corinthians 1:9-16, Isaiah 9:2-7

Tags: Assurance Of Salvation, Apologetics General, Blind, Evangelism, Holy Spirit Attributes  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Wesleyan

Laws

Contributed by Roy Fowler on Sep 13, 2020

The difference between Laws and Love. One earthly and one heavenly. FACTS: The Jews say there are 611 laws given to them directly from God. By the time you get to the New Testament times of Jesus you will find it depends on how they determine the number. Some believe there are 611 in Hebrew ...read more

Scripture: Mark 12:28-34, 2 Corinthians 3:6, 1 Corinthians 13:1-6

Tags: Love, Laws, To Many Laws, Jesus And Laws

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Love: Needing Or Giving

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Jul 26, 2023

“The typical example of Gift-love would be that love which moves a man to work and plan and save for the future well-being of his family which he may die without sharing or seeing; the second, Need-love, is that which sends a lonely and frightened child to its mother’s arms. And of course Divine ...read more

Scripture: Mark 12:29-31, Luke 10:27, 1 John 4:7-8, Matthew 22:36-39

Tags: Love Of Neighbor, Love, Love Of God

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Spit It Out!

Contributed by Loyd C. Taylor on Mar 5, 2024

Use part one to open the sermon. Part one: Spit it Out! One Sunday morning after church as I was shaking hands with a young dad, suddenly he said, “Pastor, excuse me, please.” He had noticed his little 4-year-old with something in her mouth. Fearing what she may have in her mouth, he demanded her ...read more

Scripture: Romans 1:16-17, 1 Peter 3:15, Mark 16:15, Matthew 28:18-20

Tags: Soul Winning, Winessing, Salvation, Testimony, The Gospel, Ashamed, Sharing The Gospel  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

The Sheep Who Went "moo"

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 22, 2025

A flock of sheep are grazing in a field, happily going "baa baa" to one another and discussing life as usual when suddenly they hear a "moo mooooooooooo!" They look around &see only sheep. They carry on grazing as before. "Moo moo!" One sheep can hear it all too ...read more

Scripture: Mark 14:26-31, 1 Corinthians 9:19-22, Nehemiah 8:8, Acts 2:5-13

Tags: Language, Midrash, Reading, Paraphrasing, Translating  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

You Might Be In A Country Church If.......  PRO

Contributed by Dru Ashwell on Dec 16, 2001

You might be in a country church if....... 1. The doors are never locked. 2. The Call to Worship is "Y’all come on in!" 3. People grumble about Noah letting coyotes on the Ark. 4. The Preacher says, "I’d like to ask Bubba to help take up the offering" and five guys stand up. 5. The ...read more

Tags: Country Church, Church General, Church Small Groups

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ