In Sermon Illustrations: "Material Possessions"

I'm No Moses!

Contributed by Anne Benefield on Sep 4, 2008

"I'm No Moses!" When I received my call to go into ministry, I was praying. Immediately, I rejected the call, telling God that I was a business person, not really minister material. I knew how to speak about marketing. I knew a bit about managing people. I could talk about that. On and on I ...read more

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The One-Dollar Bill  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 23, 2008

THE ONE-DOLLAR BILL Take out a one dollar bill and look at it. The one dollar bill you’re looking at first came off the presses in 1957 in its present design. This so-called paper money is in fact a cotton and linen blend, with red and blue minute silk fibers running through it. It is actually ...read more

Tags: America

In The West During The Torrential Spring Rains, ...

Contributed by Tim Zingale on Oct 10, 2005

"In the west during the torrential spring rains, the rivers frequently rise and flood the lowlands. There was a little girl who lived In the valley of one of these mighty rivers and one weekend "he was going with her parents to visit friends. As she was packing, she placed her dearest possession in ...read more

Tags: Promises Of God, Forgiveness In Jesus

Denomination: Lutheran

Our Dog Ami Sometimes Jumps Up On A Chair While ...

Contributed by Glen O'brien on Sep 21, 2006

Our dog Ami sometimes jumps up on a chair while we are eating dinner and looks longingly at what we are eating hoping for a handout. She closes her eyes, as if in closing her eyes we won’t notice she’s there. This is her passive approach. But if that doesn’t work and she’s particularly hungry and ...read more

Denomination: Methodist

When We Give Our Lives To Christ And Become His ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 26, 2007

When we give our lives to Christ and become His follower we will want to hold on loosely to the things of this world. Back in 1987 on a commuter flight from Portland, Maine, to Boston the pilot, Henry Dempsey, heard an unusual noise near the rear of the plane. Dempsey turned the controls over to ...read more

Scripture: Luke 5:1-9

God Knows What He Is Doing  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on May 30, 2002

GOD KNOWS WHAT HE IS DOING Ever wonder if the Lord really knows what you want and need? David Smallbone felt God leading him to promote Christian concerts in his homeland, Australia, where only 5 percent of the people believed in Christ. When too few fans filled his seats during one major tour, ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Long Time Friend And Associate Of Billy Graham ...  PRO

Contributed by Ray Ellis on Sep 10, 2003

A long time friend and associate of Billy Graham was Chuck Templeton. He worked with Billy Graham in Youth for Christ in their early days of ministry. Chuck Templeton helped organize Youth for Christ in Canada. But over time Chuck Templeton became an Agnostic and renounced his faith in Christ. ...read more

Tags: Faith General, Doubt

Denomination: Free Methodist

Freeing Gollum  PRO

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Oct 26, 2003

FREEING GOLLUM In the film The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, we are introduced to a frightening creature named Gollum. He lives in the area known as Middle Earth and goes about with a croaking throat muttering. At one time he possessed the ring of power and it corrupted him with its evil. ...read more

Tags: Repentance, Sin General

Denomination: Methodist

When I Think Of The Promises Of God, I'm Reminded ...  PRO

Contributed by John Montgomery on Jun 9, 2007

When I think of the promises of God, I’m reminded of the story of the young man who had a dream to go to America. He scrimped and saved, and did everything in his power to save enough money to buy a ticket on a boat bound for America. The day came when he had precisely the amount of money ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 5:13

Tags: Journey

Denomination: Baptist

After Four Years Of Marriage And No Offspring To ...

Contributed by Aldo Rivellino on Apr 13, 2009

After four years of marriage and no offspring to show for it, my wife and I (mostly my wife) decided that we would like to adopt a child. Not long after the tedious process of filling out papers, being investigated for any criminal activity, going to interviews to authenticate true intent, having ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:5-11

Tags: Obedience, Faith And Obedience

Denomination: Pentecostal

Life In The Family

Contributed by Aldo Rivellino on Apr 13, 2009

LIFE IN THE FAMILY After four years of marriage and no offspring to show for it, my wife and I (mostly my wife) decided that we would like to adopt a child. Not long after the tedious process of filling out papers, being investigated for any criminal activity, going to interviews to authenticate ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:5-11

Tags: God's Love, Adoption, Family Relationships

Denomination: Pentecostal

Revenge Vs. Forgiveness  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 18, 2009

REVENGE VS. FORGIVENESS There was once a man who was bitten by a dog, which was later discovered to be rabid. The man was rushed to the hospital where tests revealed that he had, in fact, contracted rabies. At the time, medical science had no cure for this disease and so his doctor faced the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 7:41-50

Tags: Forgiveness For Others

Laws Of Stewardship, Sowing And ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 26, 2009

Laws of Stewardship, Sowing and Reaping A few of the Laws of Stewardship and of Sowing and Reaping: THE LAW OF RIGHTFUL OWNERSHIP – Nothing truly belongs to us; everything actually belongs to God. THE LAW OF PURPOSEFUL POSSESSION – Wise stewards are guided by lordship, not “hoardship.” THE LAW ...read more

Tags: Stewardship

Take My Hand  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 7, 2011

TAKE MY HAND The story is told of a man and his boy who was with him, when a little fellow, in Scotland, and for the first time he possessed what in that country is known as a top-coat. They were walking out one cold day, and the way was slippery. The little fellow's hands were deep down in his ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 16:18, Proverbs 16:18-33

Tags: God, Hands, Pride, Hold, Pluck  (view more)  (view less)

The Sound And Wind

Contributed by Chuck Sligh on Apr 14, 2011

THE SOUND AND WIND The sound and wind symbolize the awesome power the Holy Spirit possesses! The Holy Spirit fills every believer with the same force and strength that was evidenced that day at Pentecost. I have seen the power of the wind. I remember as a teenager in Okinawa, about once every ...read more

Tags: Power

Denomination: Baptist

Why Would You Want To Be President?

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 8, 2011

WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO BE PRESIDENT? Parker Palmer was offered a job at a university and was wrestling with whether or not to take the job. Parker decided to ask 12 friends to come together to think about whether he should take the job. They began asking him questions. One of them asked, "Parker, ...read more

Tags: Pride

Denomination: Methodist

Frankl And The Meaning Of Life  PRO

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Mar 15, 2012

FRANKL AND THE MEANING OF LIFE When Jewish psychiatrist Viktor Frankl was arrested by the Nazis in World War II and put in Auschwitz, the infamous death camp, he was stripped of everything: property, family, possessions, and a manuscript he had spent years researching and writing on finding ...read more

Scripture: Mark 12:30

Tags: Love For God

Denomination: Baptist

A Worry Satire  PRO

Contributed by Troy Borst on May 31, 2012

A WORRY SATIRE Luke 12:22-34 (New Revised Updated Modernization Version for the E-Pad with notes) (NRUMVEPwN) Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, about evil people hurting you your family, or random biological terrorist attacks, or how the stock ...read more

Tags: Worry

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Box Was Not Empty

Contributed by Perry Greene on Jul 3, 2012

THE BOX WAS NOT EMPTY "We often learn the most from our children. Some time ago a friend of mine punished his 3-year-old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight, and he became infuriated when the child tried to decorate a box to put under the tree. Nevertheless, the ...read more

Tags: Children

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

In The Context Of Eternity

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Oct 16, 2008

In the Context of Eternity "There are numerous individuals in church unaware that they will give an account of what they've done in their short stay on earth. Many have the erroneous idea that all future judgment is eradicated by their salvation. Indeed, Jesus blood cleanses us from the sins that ...read more

Tags: Judgment

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational