In Sermon Illustrations: "Messed Up"

Dragging My Sin  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 6, 2005

DRAGGING MY SIN In this award winning film called “The Mission,” Robert DeNiro plays a mercenary who has taken asylum in the local church after killing his brother in a fit of jealous rage. He eventually leaves the church and heads to a mission post located above the waterfalls in a South American ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 32:1-11, Psalm 32:1-11, Mark 5:1-19, Mark 5:1-19

Tags: Forgiveness General, Forgiveness For Others, Character

Purity

Contributed by Davon Huss on May 1, 2015

A mother was concerned when she heard that her son had a live in girlfriend. She went to his house. Her son was the only one home. The son said, “It’s not what you think, Mom. She needed a place to stay. She has her bedroom and I have mine.” The son then showed his mother the guest bedroom ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8

Tags: Cohabitation, Shacking Up, Sexual Purity, Living Together

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Sleep Walking With A Loaded Gun

Contributed by Davon Huss on Dec 29, 2019

Vs. 14 is an invitation to those who have been walking in their sleep, to wake up. Also an invitation for those who are asleep in darkness to wake up and come to the light. Sanford Rothman told police he woke up to a “bang” and realized he has suffered a gunshot wound to his knee. Rothman told ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:14

Tags: Light, Wake Up, Sleep Walking, Outer Darkness

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Not Loving The World

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Jul 30, 2021

It was very late Wed. Night of last week. I had only just finally gotten to relax after working on sermons all day and helping my friends a little with their move. So my plan was, while I was working some more on my sermons, to listen to a documentary about John Foxe, the author of Foxes Book of ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 2:15, Romans 12:2

Tags: Obedience, Taking Up Your Cross, Not Loving The World

Denomination: Charismatic

Microsoft Has Formally Launched The Final ...  PRO

Contributed by Ryan Johnson on Mar 6, 2002

Microsoft has formally launched the final revision of its Windows operating system for PCs. It’s called Windows "Me"—short for Windows Millennial Edition. One feature of Windows Me that has caused a stir is its new "system restore" feature. How does it work? Suppose you suffer a system crash on ...read more

Tags: God's Provision, God's Forgiveness

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Year Of The Yes  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 23, 2010

THE YEAR OF THE YES Playwright Maria Hedley had her fill of terrible dates. Most of the dates she went on she thought the guys would be great candidates but they were totally unsatisfying. She got sick of her own taste and decided that fate couldn’t mess up her love life anymore than she could, ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 7:25-40

Tags: Kindness

So I'm Going To Share With You A List I Came Up ...  PRO

Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Jan 10, 2007

So I’m going to share with you a list I came up with of Seven steps guaranteed to embitter your Children: 1. Discipline your child only when you lose your temper. Let him get away with everything, then without warning, let ‘em have it! Blow your top! Scream and Yell! Let ‘er Rip! Go Crazy! ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:4, Colossians 3:21

Tags: Children, Call, Leadership

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Shut Up: He Who Guards His Lips Guards His Soul

Contributed by Tony Abram on Jan 25, 2007

Shut Up, He who guards his lips guards his soul. A Church in Kansas City has as its slogan: Wake up, sing up, preach up, pray up and pay up, but never give up or let up or back up or shut up ...read more

I Don't Know About You But As I Was Growing Up I ...  PRO

Contributed by Harvie Neatherlin on Jun 17, 2003

I don’t know about you but as I was growing up I worked hard at trying to figure out ways to insure that Mom or Dad would say yes. I don’t know how it worked around your house but I always got what I call the classic response. Here’s how it went, I would ask my dad if I could go somewhere or if I ...read more

Scripture: Judges 13:9-12

Tags: Communication General, Children

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

My Father Smoked All Of My Life So I Grew Up ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 10, 2003

My father smoked all of my life so I grew up breathing second hand smoke. I never saw it as a good thing until the day I was thrust into the smoking section of a run down nursing in a big city. The room was just thick with the smoke and my fellow ministry team members couldn’t even stand it, so ...read more

Tags: God's Provision, Promises Of God

Gettin' Up A Load Right Now!" Psalm 39: 5-13 Key ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Dec 26, 2004

“Gettin’ Up a Load Right Now!” Psalm 39: 5-13 Key verse(s): 5: “You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man’s life is but a breath.” It was the end of the church year and Pastor Smith was really into his preaching. He loved “end times” because ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 39:5-13

Tags: Heaven

Denomination: Lutheran

Long Ago I Made Up My Mind To Let My Friends ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

Long ago I made up my mind to let my friends have ...read more

Tags: Compassion

Give God The Big Stuff, Too

Contributed by Sean Harder on Aug 5, 2011

GIVE GOD THE BIG STUFF, TOO I am mechanically inept and every once in a while I try to do some mechanical thing. Sometimes it's as simple as trying to put up a light fixture. Inevitably it fights back and doesn't go easily. I start getting frustrated and forcing the issue, usually making it worse. ...read more

Tags: Trust

A Little Boy's Knots!" Revelations 19:11-17 Key ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Mar 15, 2005

“A Little Boy’s Knots!” Revelations 19:11-17 Key verse(s): 16:“On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KINGS OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” There’s something about being rescued this is so completely satisfying. A number of years ago (pre-cell phone days) I was driving along the ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 19:11-17

Tags: God's Provision, God's Forgiveness, God Cares, Protector, Provider, Strengthen  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Lutheran

Cliff Barrows' Honeymoon ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 21, 2010

Cliff Barrows’ Honeymoon Service Dr. James Dobson wrote a book entitled When God Doesn’t Make Sense, and in his book he shared an illustration that is very applicable to the point being drawn from this particular verse. Take a moment and reflect upon the following story: In 1945, a young ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 11:6

Tags: Servanthood, God's Sovereignty

Six Essential Qualities That Are The Key To ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"Six essential qualities that are the key to success: sincerity, personal integrity, ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 1:7

Tags: Love Envies Not, Not Puffed Up, Workplace Success, Greatest Love

Promoted

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 4, 2020

The boss called one of his employees into the office. "Rob," he said, "you've been with the company for a year. You started off in the mail room, one week later you were promoted to a sales position, and one month after that you were promoted to district manager of the sales ...read more

Tags: Family, Leadership, Success, Influence, Promotion, Moving Up, Nepotism  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Getting Worse

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Sep 12, 2022

There is an old story about a pastor leaving a church. At his farewell dinner, he tried to encourage one of the pillar members, “Don’t be so sad. The next pastor might be better than me.” She ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 14:12-20, Ezekiel 28:11-15, Luke 10:17-20

Tags: Humble, Humility, Pride, Arrogance, Ego, Puffed Up, Humbled  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Rationalizing (Justifying)

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Nov 1, 2022

Morris Siegel, the owner of a small Kosher New York deli, was being questioned by an IRS agent about his tax return. He had reported a net profit of $60,000 for the year. Why dont you people leave me alone? the deli owner said. I work like a dog, everyone in my family helps out, the place is ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:1-8

Tags: Honesty, Shrewd, Deceit, Cover Up, Rationalizing, Quick On Feet  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Five Stupid Things We Do For Love

Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Apr 22, 2008

FIVE STUPID THINGS WE DO FOR LOVE The woman at the well in John 4 was like the women Dr. Laura Schlessinger had in mind when she wrote a book called, "Ten Stupid Things Women do to Mess Up Their Lives." Here are 5 of them --- (Now, keep in mind, these didn’t come from me. I’m quoting from the ...read more

Tags: Romantic Love

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ