In Sermon Illustrations: "Masterful Preacher"

How Sick I Really Was  PRO

Contributed by Michael Luke on Apr 4, 2005

HOW SICK I REALLY WAS A wealthy businessman lay on his deathbed. His preacher came to visit and talked about God’s healing power and prayed for his parishioner. When the preacher was done, the businessman said, "Preacher, if God heals me, I’ll give the church a million dollars." Miraculously, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:33-37

Tags: Truth

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

We Must Be Careful Not To Gather Around Us Bible ...

Contributed by Warner Pidgeon on Oct 12, 2005

We must be careful not to gather around us Bible teachers who will tickle our ears, teaching us what we want to hear, or seeking out ‘Great speakers’. No one has done this to me yet but I heard about the little boy who went up to the preacher at the end of the service and gave him a £5 note. The ...read more

Tags: Love Of The Disciples

Denomination: Anglican

Comedian Flip Wilson Told A Story About A ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Comedian Flip Wilson told a story about a preacher and his church. A preacher was trying to get his people to be more enthusiastic about their church. The preacher said in his sermon: "If this church is going to get anywhere, it has to learn to crawl." The people said, "Let it crawl, Rev., let it ...read more

Tags: Giving General

The Greed Trap

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 10, 2011

THE GREED TRAP It is true that sin is a self snare. In a move against the Mafia’s control of the Fulton Fish Market in New York City, the case was broken open when investigators discovered that the mob boss had transferred $168,000 from a high interest fund to a low interest bank account so that ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 10:1-18

Tags: Greed

A Friend In Montana Told Me About A Sheepherder ...  PRO

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Feb 13, 2012

A friend in Montana told me about a sheepherder who discovered oil on his land and became enormously rich. One of the first things he bought was a Rolls Royce limousine, the kind usually driven by a chauffeur who sits in front of a glass partition. When the sheepherder brought this splendid car in ...read more

Scripture: Luke 16:13

Tags: Money, Materialism

Denomination: Baptist

Antonio Was An Italian Boy Who Loved Music, But ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 15, 2005

Antonio was an Italian boy who loved music, but whenever he tried to sing the music that was in his heart, it came out so badly that all his friends laughed at him. Next to singing, the boy loved to hear the violin. He had a pocketknife he always carried with him and he would whittle all sorts of ...read more

Tags: Endurance

Antonio Was An Italian Boy Who Loved Music, But ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 10, 2006

Antonio was an Italian boy who loved music, but whenever he tried to sing the music that was in his heart, it came out so badly that all his friends laughed at him. Next to singing, the boy loved to hear the violin. He had a pocketknife he always carried with him and he would whittle all sorts of ...read more

Tags: Evangelism How To

The First Duty Of Every Soul Is To Find Not Its ...  PRO

Contributed by Donnie Martin on Jul 1, 2002

"The first duty of every soul is to find not its freedom but its Master". Warren W. Wiersbe, The Integrity ...read more

Tags: Christian Liberty, Disciplines General

Denomination: Baptist

Ben Merold Said This About Worship: "In Most ...  PRO

Contributed by Kim Huffman on Mar 30, 2004

Ben Merold said this about worship: “In most churches we have the preacher performing, with God as the prompter, and the people as the audience. In truth, worship should be the people ...read more

Tags: Worship Definition

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Remember That William Carey, The Father Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Jun 1, 2002

Remember that William Carey, the Father of modern missions told his churches, If you will hold the ropes, I will go down to look for the lost." He started out with only six supporters but ended up staying 47 years in India and setting in motion the entire modern missionary movement because of those ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Hold Yourself Responsible For A Higher Standard ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody else expects of you. Never excuse yourself. Never pity yourself. Be a hard ...read more

Tags: Self

I Am Reminded About The Story Of This Particular ...

Contributed by David Rogers on Nov 23, 2004

I am reminded about the story of this particular church. One Sunday morning the congregation arrived to find a dirty old vagrant lying beside the door. Some looked at him and said how awful that someone like that is sitting outside our beautiful church, why the pastor should make him move on we ...read more

Tags: Humility, Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Baptist

Funny Church Feuds

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 31, 2022

Church feuds are not uncommon, especially among cliques in the congregation. But when the pastor and worship leader get into it, stand aside. In one church, the preacher preached one weekend on commitment, and how you should dedicate yourselves to service. The worship leader then led the choir in ...read more

Tags: Church, Unity, Hymns, Division, Church Fights  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Little Girl Became Restless In Church As The ...  PRO

Contributed by Tim Gresham on Jan 10, 2004

A little girl became restless in church as the preacher’s sermon dragged on and on. Finally, she leaned over to her mother and whispered, "Mommy, ...read more

Tags: Giving General

Denomination: Baptist

How Well Do You Obey?  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 7, 2012

HOW WELL DO YOU OBEY? How we admire the obedience a dog shows to its master! Archibald Rutledge wrote that one day he met a man whose dog had just been killed in a forest fire. Heartbroken, the man explained to Rutledge how it happened. Because he worked out-of-doors, he often took his dog with ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:21-23, Luke 9:23-27, Jeremiah 7:21-24

Tags: Obedience

It Comes Back To ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 30, 2008

IT COMES BACK TO YOU A preacher was making his rounds to his parishioners on a bicycle when he came upon a little boy trying to sell a lawn mower. "I’ve been needing a lawn mower. How much do you want for it?" asked the preacher. "I just want enough money to go out and buy me a bike," said the ...read more

Tags: Dead To Sin

Preaching Fluff Versus Quality

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jun 8, 2017

I once lived in a town where there were two preachers who were polar opposites. The one was very charismatic and enthusiastic. But, he did not preach the Bible. I asked him one day why he didn't preach the Bible. His answer was that the people could read their Bibles at home. He preached ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:16-20

Tags: Great Commission, Preach Christ, Teach Jesus

Denomination: Baptist

Just As A Servant Knows That He Must First Obey ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 8, 2006

"Just as a servant knows that he must first obey his master in all things, so the surrender to an implicit and unquestionable obedience must become the ...read more

Tags: Christian Values

Too Much Idleness, I Have Observed, Fills Up A ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"Too much idleness, I have observed, fills up a mans time much more completely, and leaves him less his own master, ...read more

Tags: Productivity

Shared Laughter Creates A Bond Of Friendship. ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"Shared laughter creates a bond of friendship. When people laugh together, they cease to be young and old, master and pupil, worker and driver. They have become a ...read more

Tags: Compassion