In Sermon Illustrations: "Materialism"

Tear Down The Castle To Build The Wall

Contributed by Bob Joyce on Dec 28, 2010

TEAR DOWN THE CASTLE TO BUILD THE WALL The story is told that years ago in Ireland a certain castle was one of the architectural gems of the Emerald Isles. It was called Castle Wray. The structure fell into disrepair and finally was uninhabited. As often happens, peasants from nearby began to ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Denomination: Baptist

The Recycled ...

Contributed by Ken Pell on Mar 23, 2013

THE RECYCLED ORCHESTRA In December of last year (2012) NPR told the story of a poor community in Paraguay has formed an amazing orchestra that plays instruments created from recycled trash. The young musicians in a slum that's built on a landfill. More than 1500 tons of trash gets dumped into the ...read more

Tags: Grace

Denomination: Nazarene

Chillin Ain’t What I Thought It Was

Contributed by James Snyder on Oct 3, 2020

Last week the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage came up with a brilliant idea. At least, at the time, it seemed brilliant. “Why don’t we,” she began, “take Monday off and just chill?” Since it's been a long time since I did any chillin, I had to ask her, "What do we chill ...read more

Scripture: Amos 3:3

Tags: Humor, Vacation, Day Off

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Charles Fuller Once Announced That He Would Be ...

Contributed by Richard Tow on Sep 22, 2005

Charles Fuller once announced that he would be speaking the following Sunday on “Heaven.” During that week, a precious letter was received from an old man who was very ill. Here is part of his letter: “Next Sunday you are to talk about Heaven. I am interested in that land, because I have held a ...read more

Tags: Heaven

Denomination: Charismatic

Somewhere Way Back Deep In My Mind, I Happened To ...

Contributed by Philip Harrelson on Sep 7, 2006

Somewhere way back deep in my mind, I happened to lodge an article in my memory from National Geographics that I knew would come in handy one of these days. In October, 1998, NG had an article entitled “Perfume, The Essence of Illusion.” One major player in the industry stated, “Perfume is a ...read more

Denomination: Pentecostal

In 1818, Ignaz Phillip Semmelweis Was Born Into A ...

Contributed by Bruce Landry on Dec 18, 2006

In 1818, Ignaz Phillip Semmelweis was born into a world of dying women. The finest hospitals lost one out of six young mothers to the scourge of "childbed fever." A doctor’s daily routine began in the dissecting room where he performed autopsies. From there he made his way to the hospital to ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

More Than  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 17, 2002

MORE THAN… There’s a line in a song that goes: “Thanks a lot, thanks a lot…Thanks for all I’ve got.” Thanks for all I’ve got? Actually, when I think of it, I’m embarrassed about all I’ve got. My mind goes to my garage. Unlike many people, we still fit our cars into our ...read more

Tags: Thanksgiving Holiday, Joy

The Deception Of Effective Leadership  PRO

Contributed by Dana Visneskie on Feb 9, 2004

Research from Barna concerning Leadership: The Deception of Effective Leadership Most pastors are content with the way things are going in their ministry. A national survey among pastors revealed that a majority feel they are doing an excellent or good job in leading people spiritually in ...read more

Tags: Leadership General

Denomination: Pentecostal

Just Off The Shore Of North Carolina On The ...

Contributed by Todd Stiles on May 2, 2007

Just off the shore of North Carolina on the island of Cape Hatteras is a village known as Nag’s Head, a small shoreline town where, back in the 1800’s, the “wreckers” lived. These “wreckers” made their living gathering up parts and cargo from ships that had run aground in the night. But these ships ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Our Community Recently Suffered A Devastating ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 1, 2007

Our community recently suffered a devastating flood. Area churches have partnered with the Salvation Army to pool donated goods for disater victims at a warehouse. I pastor one of the churches involved in the disaster relief. "I was told first-hand by a Salvation Army worker who helped a lady who ...read more

Rules. The World, Our Culture, Our Families... ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 23, 2008

Rules. The world, our culture, our families... all have rules. Without rules, our world would be in anarchy, chaos. Some rules are called laws. We have civil laws and criminal laws. Break a civil law and it can cost you a lot of money or other material wealth. Break a criminal law, and you could ...read more

Tags: Law

This Great Nation Will Endure As It Has Endured, ...  PRO

Contributed by Gary Harrison on Oct 27, 2008

This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself——nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. In every dark ...read more

Tags: Anxiety

Denomination: Methodist

God's Salvation ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 17, 2009

GOD’S SALVATION CHURCH In the 1990s, a cult from Taiwan relocated to San Dimas, California, and registered itself as God’s Salvation Church. In 1997, the Chen Tao cult, also known as the Flying Saucer cult, led by Hon-Ming Chen, headed to Garland (mistaken for "God Land"), Texas, where they expect ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 24:1-51

Tags: Rapture

Delivering Papers In The Rain

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Mar 23, 2009

DELIVERING PAPERS IN THE RAIN When I was ten, my mother and I somehow had gotten involved in a bible memory course. It was all through the mail, and we didn’t go to a church anywhere, even occasionally, but we would memorize ten verses a week. During the time, the materials gave some Scriptures ...read more

Tags: Doubt

Denomination: Church Of God

Henry Surber Is A Distant And Ancient Relative Of ...

Contributed by Chris Surber on Jul 31, 2009

Henry Surber is a distant and ancient relative of mine. The following is from “History of Montgomery County, Kansas”: The Rev. Henry Surber, a Campbellite preacher and an early settler of the "Hoosier State." The latter took his family to Iowa in the early settlement of that state and he aided ...read more

Tags: Preaching

Denomination: Christian Church

I Wish I Could Live Life Over Again

Contributed by Chuck Sligh on Jun 14, 2011

I WISH I COULD LIVE LIFE OVER AGAIN I remember when I was an assistant pastor in TN visiting a man who had lived his whole life in sin and selfishness. He finally came to the Lord in his sixties. When he was diagnosed with cancer, I went to visit him at his home shortly before his death. The day ...read more

Tags: Christian Values

Denomination: Baptist

The Second Pilgrim Winter

Contributed by Paul Barreca on Nov 19, 2011

THE SECOND PILGRIM WINTER After the first Thanksgiving with Massosiat and the Indians, the Pilgrims were excited that another ship arrived with 35 new colonists. Quoting again from William Bradford, “they were all landed; but there was not so much as bisket-cake or any other victialls [AO] for ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18

Tags: Thanksgiving Holiday

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

So Many Valuable Possessions  PRO

Contributed by Perry Greene on Sep 26, 2012

SO MANY VALUABLE POSSESSIONS Waylon Prendergast, 37, of Tampa, Florida, committed a spur-of-the-moment robbery while on his way home from a late-night drinking session. A very inebriated Mr. Prendergast forced his way into the house through an open upstairs window, filling a suitcase with cash and ...read more

Scripture: Luke 21:25-31, Luke 23:28-34

Tags: Blessing, Forgive, Nightmare

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

On The Anvil

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Jun 26, 2022

With a strong forearm, the apron-clad blacksmith puts his tongs into the fire, grasps the heated metal, and places it on the anvil. His keen eye examines the glowing piece. He sees what the tool is now and envisions what he wants it to be - sharper, flatter, wider, longer. With a clear picture in ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:6-7

Tags: Character, Suffering, Grief, Iron Sharpens Iron

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Cargo Cults

Contributed by Craig Sully on Apr 7, 2010

CARGO CULTS First noticed in the late 19th century, the concept of the cargo cult came to prominence in the years immediately following WWII. As the Japanese and American armies began to island hop their way to victory and defeat across the Pacific, they literally took over these small territories ...read more

Tags: Ignorance

Denomination: Pentecostal