In Sermon Illustrations: "Matthew 25"

Somewhere I Read The Story Of A Family With A ...  PRO

Contributed by Jelle Horjus on Nov 1, 2005

Somewhere I read the story of a family with a small boy, his parents and his grandfather. It happened that every evening when the family was having dinner at the table, the old grandfather spilled the food on his clothes. He was old, his hands were trembling and he could not move the spoon to his ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:35-45

Tags: Judgment, Mercy, Forgiveness For Others, Forgiveness, Compassion  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

For The Love Of Work  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Jan 18, 2006

The story goes that when the company founded by Andrew Carnegie was taken over by the U.S. Steel Corporation in 1901 it acquired as one of its obligations a contract to pay the top Carnegie executive, Charles M. Schwab, the then unheard of minimum sum of $1,000,000. J.P. Morgan of U.S. Steel was in ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:21

Tags: Workplace

Denomination: Lutheran

When I Was In The Military Ministry I Knew A ...  PRO

Contributed by Edward Williamson on Nov 6, 2006

When I was in the military ministry I knew a retiree friend that worked at a local antique shop. I ran into him at a local furniture store one day and he proceeded to tell me the secrets to separating the true antiques from the clever reproductions. He showed me a four drawer dresser and he ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:31

Tags: Authenticity

Denomination: Baptist

You Know, I Have Met Many A Christian Who Are ...  PRO

Contributed by Adam Deibert on Nov 19, 2006

You know, I have met many a Christian who are pew-potatoes. Have you ever heard of a pew-potato? Like a couch-potato, who is content to sit in front of a television, never doing anything, a pew-potato is content to come to church from week to week, sit for a few minutes and listen to a sermon, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:1-13

Tags: Virgin, Ten, Oil, Christian Values

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Two Sons And What They Did With Their ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 11, 2009

Two Sons and What They Did With Their Marbles Once upon a time, a mother gave each of her sons two dollars and took them to a toy store to buy the beautiful, shiny marbles they had been asking for. The older son quickly figured out how many marbles he could get with his two dollars, chose the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:14-30

Tags: Stewardship

Roman Soldier Shares Coat With A ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 30, 2010

Roman Soldier Shares Coat with a Beggar Martin of Tours was a Roman soldier and a Christian. One cold winter day, as he was entering a city, a beggar stopped him and asked for alms. Martin had no money; but the beggar was blue and shivering with cold and Martin gave what he had. He took off his ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:31-46

Tags: Compassion

How Clara Mcbride Hale Founded Hale House In ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 4, 2010

How Clara McBride Hale Founded Hale House in Harlem Do you know the story of Clara McBride Hale, also known as “Mother Hale”? She founded the Hale House in Harlem; it was a home for unwanted children and children who were born addicted to drugs. She originally opened her house as a day-care to ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:31-46

Tags: Compassion

A Young Lady Was Sunbathing On The Beach When A ...  PRO

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Nov 21, 2010

A young lady was sunbathing on the beach when a little boy in his swimming trunks, carrying a towel, came up to her and asked her, "Do you believe in God?" She was surprised by the question but she replied, "Why, yes, I do." Then he asked her: "Do you go to church every Sunday?" Again, her ...read more

Scripture: John 21:20-25, Matthew 25:31-46

Tags: Trust

Denomination: Brethren

Waiting Vs. Watching For Him

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 23, 2011

WAITING VS. WATCHING FOR HIM The Lord told us not only to wait for him but to watch for him, and he has pronounced a special blessing on those who watch. The difference between waiting and watching is illustrated in a story told of a Scotch fishing village. After days at sea, the skipper of a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:1-13

Tags: Second Coming

Don't Find Us Lacking!

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 24, 2011

DON'T FIND US LACKING! Mexican jails are not known for their tidiness or orderliness. Shortly after having taken office, the then President of Mexico, Luis Echeverria, decided to do something about this. Without giving any advance notice, he chose to visit the jails at midnight. He found guards ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:1-13

Tags: Second Coming

The Danger Of Spiritual Procrastination  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 24, 2011

THE DANGER OF SPIRITUAL PROCRASTINATION There is a fable which tells of three apprentice devils who were coming to this earth to finish their apprenticeship. They were talking to Satan, the chief of the devils, about their plans to tempt and to ruin men. The first said, "I will tell them that ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:1-13, Romans 13:11-14, Romans 13:12

Tags: Second Coming, Coming, Second

$3.00 Worth Of God, Please  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 8, 2011

$3.00 WORTH OF GOD, PLEASE Tim Hansel in his book "When I Relax I feel Guilty," writes some insights of what most people want from God. "I would like to buy $3.00 worth of God, please. Not enough to explode my soul or disturb my sleep, but just enough to equal a cup of warm milk or a snooze in ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:4-5, Mark 14:32-42, Matthew 6:9-13, 1 John 4:7-21, Mark 10:17-22, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Deuteronomy 8:28, Romans 8:28, Matthew 25:1-13, Matthew 5:38-48  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Plan, New, God, Truth, Prayer, Life, Grow, Patience, Commitment To Christ  (view more)  (view less)

Communion Meditation: Compassion In A Deli

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 11, 2011

COMMUNION MEDITATION: COMPASSION IN A DELI Dr. Fred Craddic tells of the time he was asked to speak in Winnipeg, Canada. While he was there he stopped into a deli get something to eat. He said the place was packed but people moved over and made room for him. Many people in there where just in to ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:31-46

Tags: Compassion

Sending The Very Best  PRO

Contributed by Perry Greene on Nov 18, 2011

SENDING THE VERY BEST Someone has composed the following list of "Cards You'll Never See at Hallmark": "Looking back over the years that we've been together, I can't help but wonder.... What was I thinking?!" "I've always wanted to have someone to hold, someone to love.... After having ...read more

Scripture: James 1:19-25, Philippians 1:3-30, Matthew 25:31-46

Tags: Joy, Friendship General

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Using The Resources You Have  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 18, 2012

USING THE RESOURCES YOU HAVE At 12:55 pm the mayday call crackled through the speakers at the Flight Service Station on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula. The desperate pilot of a Piper A22, a small single-engine plane, was reporting that he had run out of fuel and was preparing to ditch the aircraft in ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:14-30, Ruth 1:1-5

Tags: Grace, Stewardship, Investment, Value, Give Back  (view more)  (view less)

The Choice Of Sheep And Goats

Contributed by Stephen Belokur on Nov 27, 2012

THE CHOICE OF SHEEP AND GOATS I tried and tried to think of a common example that could be used to illustrate this separation of the sheep from the goats but was unable to do so because this situation is so unique and the reason it is so unique is because the sheep and the goats have chosen their ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:31-46

Tags: Judgement, Salvation, Free Will, Sheep And Goats, Free Moral Agency  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Nazarene

The Red Baron And Temptation  PRO

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Feb 16, 2013

THE RED BARON AND TEMPTATION Manfred, Freiherr von Richthofen was a famous German First World War fighter pilot. He was better known as the Red Baron because he flew a distinctive a red Fokker aircraft. He shot down more combat planes than any one else on either side in the first World war ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:12-14, Daniel 1:5-16, Matthew 25:1-13, Matthew 4:1-11

Tags: Temptation General

Denomination: Anglican

So All May Eat

Contributed by Davon Huss on Oct 22, 2013

So All May Eat Brad and Libby Birky opened a restaurant in Denver, Colorado. It is a 40-seat restaurant that has one thing conspicuously absent: a cash register. They serve healthy food to people in need. The Birkys do not charge for their meals, telling people "Pay whatever you can afford." ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:37-40

Tags: Benevolence, Helping Poor, Hunger Thirst

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Pastor In Disguise

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 9, 2013

A Pastor in Disguise A few years ago at a Methodist Church in North Wales, as worshippers arrived at the church, they were distressed to see a dirty, drunk, smelly homeless man on the front steps. They didn't realize this bum was actually their pastor, Derek Rigby, who had disguised himself as a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:31-46

Tags: Compassion, Homeless

And Also With You!  PRO

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 30, 2014

I love the story about the Lutheran pastor who always started each service off with the phrase, "The Lord be with you." The people would then respond, "and also with you.” However, one Sunday the sound system wasn’t working very well. The pastor stepped up to the pulpit and said, "There’s ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:4, Matthew 6:7, Matthew 25:14-22, James 1:2-12

Tags: Sin, Mistakes, Honesty, Confession Of Sin

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational