In Sermon Illustrations: "Matthew 5:43-45:45"

A Hungry Enemy  PRO

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Oct 27, 2002

A HUNGRY ENEMY A woman wrote to "Pulpit Helps" to explain a miraculous lesson her family experienced. During one of their family Bible readings as new Christians, they ran across the verse, "If your enemy is hungry, feed him" (Romans 12:20 RSV). She writes: Ours sons, 7 and 10 at the time, ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:20, Matthew 5:43-48

Tags: Forgiveness For Others, Enemy, Forgiveness General, Christian Love, Christlikeness, Love  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

God Cares For His Creatures  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 27, 2002

FEATURE ARTICLE, God Cares for His Creatures ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Some of the most brilliant butterflies in tropical America are the butterflies of the genus Morpho. Many species are brilliant metallic blue. A few of the females are metallic red. These ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:14-16, Philippians 2:14-16

Tags: God's Provision, Light, Testimony, Shine

The Concept Of Grace  PRO

Contributed by Rick Labate on Feb 19, 2003

THE CONCEPT OF GRACE There is a great article that illustrates the concept of grace written by Charles Stanley. “One of my more memorable seminary professors had a practical way of illustrating to his students the concept of grace. At the end of his evangelism course he would distribute the exam ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-9, Matthew 13:1-9

Tags: Grace, Forgiveness In Jesus, Two Or Three, Surrender

Denomination: Adventist

Years Ago A Farmer Owned Land Along The Atlantic ...  PRO

Contributed by Bjornlleven Rodriguez on Mar 11, 2003

Years ago a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops. As the farmer interviewed ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:24-27, Romans 13:11

Tags: Faith, Peace

Denomination: Church Of God

Charlie Lubin Made Great Cheesecake. In Fact It ...  PRO

Contributed by James Chandler on Apr 1, 2003

Charlie Lubin made great cheesecake. In fact it was so good he decided to open a cheesecake store, which he did on the north side of Chicago. It went so well that he opened a second store in South Chicago. That store did not do so well and eventually he lost both stores as a result. He sat in ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 3:8, Matthew 4:4

Tags: Endurance, Finding Fulfillment

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Everyone Loves A Parade  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 7, 2003

EVERYONE LOVES A PARADE It was October 29, 1927 when Charles Lindbergh was given a ticker-tape parade in New York City in honor of his solo flight of the Atlantic Ocean. 750,000 lbs. of ticker tape poured onto the streets. But the biggest ticker-tape parade was on March 1, 1962, for astronaut ...read more

Scripture: Luke 19:28-44, Matthew 21:1-11

Tags: Easter Palm Sunday

Conference After Conference Is Held To Discuss ...  PRO

Contributed by Owen Bourgaize on Apr 20, 2003

Conference after conference is held to discuss the destruction of the Earth’s environment and to solve the poverty of two thirds of the world’s population but very little gets done when the talking is over. Isn’t it essentially a problem of selfishness, greed and exploitation? Desmond Tutu, the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 23:14, Mark 12:40

Tags: God Brings Hope, Evangelism The Lost

Denomination: Baptist

Tony Evans Says, "If You Limit Worship To Where ...  PRO

Contributed by Mike Hamilton on Apr 29, 2003

Tony Evans says, “If you limit worship to where you are, the minute you leave that place of worship you will leave your attitude of ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 113:1-3, Matthew 2:1-18

Tags: Worship Purpose

Denomination: Baptist

Seeds In Mustard Plant

Contributed by Nick Scarpa on May 24, 2003

Seeds In Mustard Plant A gardener, prompted by curiosity, counted the seed pods on a medium-sized mustard plant. There were 85. The average number of seeds in each pod was eight. Since two crops in a given year could be matured, the gardener figured that it was possible in the interim between ...read more

Scripture: Mark 4:30-34, Matthew 13:31-33

Tags: What Is Evangelism?

Denomination: Baptist

Wandering Off  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 14, 2003

WANDERING OFF Dr. Andrew Bonar told me how, in the Highlands of Scotland, a sheep would often wander off into the rocks and get into places that they couldn’t get out of. The grass on these mountains is very sweet and the sheep like it, and they will jump down ten or twelve feet, and then they ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 9:36, John 10:1-18

Tags: Sheep, Shepherd, Love, People In Acts, Jesus Christ, Jesus Teachings, Flock  (view more)  (view less)

Dr. Anthony T. Evans, Guiding Your ...  PRO

Contributed by Troy Borst on Aug 5, 2003

ILLUSTRATION… Dr. Anthony T. Evans, Guiding Your Family in a Misguided World. One day, two monks were walking through the countryside. They were on their way to another village to help bring in the crops. As they walked, they spied an old woman sitting at the edge of a river. She was upset because ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 18:35-36, Philippians 2:14

Tags: Complaint, Emotions, Anger

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Too Many Times People Want Glory Just For ...  PRO

Contributed by James Chandler on Aug 25, 2003

Too many times people want glory just for themselves. Sometimes football players score a touchdown and do a dance wanting everyone to applaud them and their greatness. Sometimes baseball players hit a homerun and prance around the bases. They want the crowds to worship and adore them. If we want ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 20:26-28, John 17:1

Tags: Christian Values, Humility

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Boss Of A Big Company Needed To Call One Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

The boss of a big company needed to call one of his employees about an urgent problem with one of the main computers. He dialed the employee’s home telephone number and was greeted with a child’s voice, "Hello?" It was a quiet little voice. Feeling put out at the inconvenience of having to talk to ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:11-32, Matthew 18:1-5

Tags: Obedient, Hearing, Parable Prodigal Son

Corrie Ten Boom In The Book, Reflections Of God's ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 3, 2007

Corrie Ten Boom in the book, Reflections of god’s Glory (page 69), wrote, “In Africa a man came to a meeting with bandaged hands. I asked him how he had been injured. He said, “My neighbor’s straw roof was on fire; I helped him to put it out and that’s how my hands were burned. “Later I heard ...read more

Scripture: Luke 6:27, Matthew 5:43-44

Tags: Forgiveness

The Point: The Best Way To Work On A Marriage Is ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 7, 2007

[The Point: The best way to work on a marriage is to work on yourself.] On their first visit to a marriage counselor, a couple kept blaming the other person for the troubled relationship. So, to help them focus on their own flaws, the counselor asked each of them, "What have you personally done ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:3-5, Luke 6:41-42

Tags: Divorce, Marriage Struggle

What Are We Voting For?

Contributed by Dan Thompkins on Jan 11, 2008

WHAT ARE WE VOTING FOR? A parishioner had dozed off to sleep during the morning service. “Will all who want to go to heaven, please stand?” the pastor asked.” – All stood, except the sleeping parishioner. After they sat, the pastor continued, “Well, will all who want to go to the other place ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:29-30, Mark 9:43-48

Tags: Death, Heaven, Salvation

Denomination: Pentecostal

Do Unto Others

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 31, 2008

DO UNTO OTHERS There is a story about a rather legalistic Seminary student who wanted to have a Scriptural basis for everything he did. He felt he was on solid ground if he could quote the Bible, book, chapter and verse to okay his actions. He did all right with that until he began to fall in ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:12, Luke 6:31

Tags: Law

Hospitality Is Commended To Be Exercised, Even ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"Hospitality is commended to be exercised, even toward an enemy, when he cometh to thine house. The tree does not ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:43-48, Luke 6:27-36

Tags: Love, Enemy, Beatitudes, Christian Values

God Just Needs A Voice  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 13, 2009

GOD JUST NEEDS A VOICE John Stott, a well-known British pastor and theologian, was invited to preach at the University of Sydney in Australia; but after he got there, he lost his voice. He describes his experience as follows: "What can you do with a missionary who has no voice? We had come to ...read more

Scripture: Luke 21:14-15, Matthew 1:18-24

Tags: God Brings Purpose

Three Things

Contributed by Tony Abram on Aug 20, 2009

THREE THINGS Three things in life that, once gone, never come back 1. Time 2. Words 3. Opportunity Three things in life that can destroy a person 1. Anger 2. Pride 3. Unforgiveness Three things in life that you should never lose 1. Hope 2. Peace 3. ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:1-2, Matthew 18:35

Tags: Christian Disciplines