In Sermon Illustrations: "Memorial Day"

Slavory And Original Sin

Contributed by Troy Heald on Jul 26, 2014

Picture your ancestors as plantation farmers in the South. They have many acres of farmland and need to manage those crops. To help them accomplish this task, they go to the docks and buy a family of slaves to do the work around the farm, thus becoming the first slave owners in your family. ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:12-14

Tags: Original Sin, Ask Forgiveness, Adam's Sin, Guilty As Charged

Denomination: Baptist

Clean Pigeon

Contributed by Davon Huss on Oct 9, 2015

Lester Roloff told about visiting a friend in Massillon, Ohio who had a number of pigeons. During the visit his friend showed him one of the birds and said, “See this bird. She just flew 500 miles from St. Louis to Massillon non stop.” Roloff interrupted his host: Come on, non stop! How do you ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:23

Tags: Clean, Holiness, Sanctify

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

It's In Your Hands

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Apr 18, 2017

A young student in China decided to play a trick on his elderly teacher one day. He caught a small bird and cupped it in his hands behind his back. He then approached the sage with this plan in mind. He would ask the old man what he had in his hand. If he answered correctly, he would then ask ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 24:15

Tags: Eternity, Decision, Commitment, Salvation

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The First And Second Great Revival

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on May 24, 2018

The first recorded revival in Christian history happened from a prayer meeting that took place with a handful of disciples in the upper room (Acts 1:14). The result of that prayer meeting was that they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:2-4, Acts 4:23-24

Tags: Revival, Prayer

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Out Of Tune

Contributed by Daniel King, D. Min. on Aug 1, 2018

Main Idea: God is perfect and He cannot tolerate any sin in His presence. Verse: “As for God, His way is perfect” (Psalms 18:30 NKJV). Illustration: Once there was a famous conductor who was asked to direct a world class orchestra. He chose a famous piece of music and the orchestra gathered ...read more

Tags: Sin, Salvation, Perfection, Need For Christ

Denomination: Charismatic

Catching The Flu

Contributed by Michael E. Bartee Sr. on Nov 10, 2018

Catching The Flu is definitely dangerous! Perhaps you have read about the flu epidemic that swept the world in 1918? It killed 50 million people. One fifth of the world’s population. It spread rapidly because it was so contagious and people didn’t know what it was or how to prevent it. I am ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:1-47, Acts 1:8

Tags: Evangelism, Revival

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Louis Braille And The Will Of God

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Oct 15, 2019

I do not know if Louis Braille was a believer, but his life is an example of a sovereign God causing all things to work together for good - In the French Academy of Science there is a rather plain, old shoemaker's awl on display. The story behind the awl is quite extraordinary. To look at it, ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:28

Tags: Miracles, Testimony, Will Of God

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

High Seas

Contributed by Roy Fowler on Oct 13, 2020

The thunder roared like a waking dragon. As the water churned and the ship rocked wildly like a kite on a string. I watched helplessly as the splinter sized crack in the mast grew until I was sure it would snap. The crew on deck wallowed and struggled to move in the thigh deep water to try and keep ...read more

Scripture: Mark 4:35-41

Tags: Trust, Storms

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Discipleship Is A Call To Suffer

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 4, 2021

John R. Scott gives a modern example of one who suffered for the gospel observing that… "Few men of this century have understood better the inevitability of suffering than Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He seems never to have wavered in his Christian antagonism to the Nazi regime, although it meant for ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:12, Philippians 3:1-20, Romans 1:16

Tags: Church, Commitment, Discipleship, Suffering, Will Of God, Bonhoeffer  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Are You Prepared For Tough Times?

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 4, 2021

Lord Joseph Duveen, American head of the art firm that bore his name, planned in 1915 to send one of his experts to England to examine some ancient pottery. He booked passage on the Lusitania. Then the German Embassy issued a warning that the liner might be torpedoed. Duveen wanted to call off ...read more

Tags: Commitment, Preparation, Hardships, Trials, Tough Times  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Asserting Leadership - The Lion Was Proud Of His ...  PRO

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Apr 16, 2007

ASSERTING LEADERSHIP - The lion was proud of his mastery of the animal kingdom. One day he decided to make sure all the other animals knew he was the king of the jungle. He was so confident that he bypassed the smaller animals and went straight to the bear. "Who is the king of the jungle?" ...read more

Denomination: Pentecostal

Shane Claiborne, Who Spent A Summer In The Slums ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Shane Claiborne, who spent a summer in the slums of Calcutta with Mother Teresa, wrote about her experience there. She said, “People often ask me what Mother Teresa was like. Sometimes it’s like they wonder if she glowed in the dark or had a halo. She was short, wrinkled, and precious, maybe even a ...read more

Tags: Humility

In Part I We Mentioned Robert Baxter And What He ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

In part I we mentioned Robert Baxter and what he said concerning the materialistic direction of people and the church. Let’s look at that again. "It is a most lamentable [regrettable] thing to see how most people spend their time and their energy for trifles [unimportant things], while God is cast ...read more

Tags: Call Of The Disciples

Taking The Plunge—readers' Digest Online, As ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Taking the Plunge—Readers’ Digest Online, As Kids See It, Stephen McCormack, St. Joachim, ON, 1997 "To my five-year-old son, Alex, jumping off the diving board that first time seemed an insurmountable challenge. He was too timid to manage it that day. On the drive home I tried to bolster his ...read more

Tags: Apologetics The Bible

A Man Was Irritated By His Wife's Refusal To ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

A man was irritated by his wife’s refusal to admit her hearing problem. Speaking with his doctor one day he asked, “How can I get my wife to admit that she needs a hearing aid?” “I’ll tell you what you need to do,” his doctor replied. When you get home peek your head through the door and ask, ...read more

Tags: Marriage Struggle

One Of Denmark's Leading Sculptors Had A Burning ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

One of Denmark’s leading sculptors had a burning ambition to create the greatest statue of Jesus ever made. He began by shaping a clay model of a triumphant, regal figure. The head was thrown back and the arms were upraised in a gesture of great majesty. It was his conception of Christ the King: ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 18:5-6

Tags: Building, Clay, Jesus Christ, Potter, Tear Down  (view more)  (view less)

Folks In The Arkansas Hills Have A Tradition Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Folks in the Arkansas hills have a tradition of strong family ties, which has sometimes led to unfortunate results. Like the time that Jeb Hollings stole a mule from the McCrary place. When the McCrary boys went to recover the mule, one of the Hollings clan shot Frank McCrary for trespassing. ...read more

Tags: Will Of God, God's Omnipotence

Two Longstanding Church Members Were Out In ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Two longstanding church members were out in their boat fishing and they had taken a new Christian with them that day. They were discussing their faith and their devotion to God. As they were talking, one man’s hat blew into the water. So he stood up, calmly stepped onto the water, walked over to ...read more

Tags: Apologetics The Bible

Hitting A Ball In Golf

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Hitting a Ball in golf I have a terrible hook or slice. I cant remember which. it’s the one that cuts to the right. If I get all my weight behind a ball I can drive it for about 300-350 yards But it doesn’t help when I cut it to the right I’ve tried everything Slowing down, taking my time Trying ...read more

Tags: Men And Women

Dr. Rod Cooper, A Professor At Denver Seminary ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Dr. Rod Cooper, a Professor at Denver Seminary grew up on a pig farm. In one field there were 200 or 300 little pigs running around. Every day at 4:00 a.m. he went out to feed them, and when he walked in they would all scatter except for one little pig that would come up and chew on his shoe. He ...read more

Tags: God's Omnipotence