In Sermon Illustrations: "Ministry Of Jesus"

Stop Expecting Life To Be Perfect

Contributed by Tim Smith on Feb 19, 2012

STOP EXPECTING LIFE TO BE PERFECT Donald Miller has written a book called, "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years." It's about the journey Don went on when a couple of filmmakers decided to make a movie about his life, based on his book Blue Like Jazz. Now during the process of writing a screenplay ...read more

Tags: Discipleship

Denomination: Methodist

Follow Instructions: Rafting The Rio Grande

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 5, 2012

FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS: RAFTING THE RIO GRANDE A few years ago, my family climbed aboard a rubber raft for a ride down the rapids of the Rio Grand River. We had never been on such an adventure, but all of us were experienced swimmers, and the river seemed to be fairly shallow. It seemed to be a ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 4:20-27

Tags: Obedience

Tough Love  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 15, 2012

TOUGH LOVE "Living in this house is like living in hell," screamed the young girl as she stamped her feet on the way upstairs to her room. The mother stood looking at her daughter, a hint of tears forming in her eyes. She wanted to run up the stairs and hug her daughter but she knew the timing ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 13:24

Tags: Parenting

That Little Khaki-Covered Book  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 6, 2012

THAT LITTLE KHAKI-COVERED BOOK We Thought We Heard The Angels Sing, written by Lieutenant James Whittaker who was one of seven men whose plane crashed into the Pacific Ocean on October 21, 1942. Their leader was the famous Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, and these seven men found themselves stranded ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 32:6-7

Tags: Bible Influence

The Scariest Road  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 7, 2012

THE SCARIEST ROAD Yahoo! Travel has released an article titled America’s Scariest Drives, and the results are frightening. Here is a brief list of some of the roads: Highway One that travels off the Big Sur Coast in California is both beautiful and breath-taking. This 122 mile stretch travels ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:13-14

Tags: Sermon On The Mount

Humility: The Balloon Game  PRO

Contributed by Davon Huss on Nov 26, 2012

HUMILITY: THE BALLOON GAME Robert Roberts writes about a fourth grade class in which the teacher introduced a game called "balloon stomp." A balloon was tied to every child's leg, and the object of the game was to pop everyone else's balloon while protecting one's own. The last person with an ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:5

Tags: Humility

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Padded Cross  PRO

Contributed by David Parks on Mar 25, 2013

THE PADDED CROSS Well, here I am, Lord. You said, "Take up your cross," and I'm here to do it. It's not easy, You know, this self-denial thing. I mean to go through with it, through...yes, Sir. I'll bet you wish more people were willing to be disciples like me. I've counted the cost and ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:23-25

Tags: Easter Resurrection

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Hush Puppies

Contributed by Ed Sasnett on Aug 27, 2014

Are you familiar with the brush-suede shoe called Hush Puppies? It was popular when I was a kid. The brand was all but dead until late 1994. Sales were down to 30,000 pairs a year, mostly sold in backwoods outlets and small-town family stores. Wolverine, the company that makes Hush Puppies, was ...read more

Scripture: Daniel 6:10

Tags: Prayer Power, Importance Of Prayer

Denomination: Baptist

Just Let Go !

Contributed by Bruce Simpkins on Mar 11, 2015

In my younger years I thought it would be an exciting adventure to try sky diving. After checking into it, I found I could get a big discount if I brought 5 friends to jump with me . . . so I did. It was a beautiful sunny day in California when we arrived for a half day training and then an ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:8-9

Tags: He Is Strong, I Am Weak

Denomination: Baptist

A Teaching On Hospitality  PRO

Contributed by Richard L. Brown on Oct 1, 2016

My wife’s grandmother was a real character. Her name was Ora Gee Craycraft . Everyone in the family just called her Mom. She was a loving lady, always smiling, full of compassion, always putting others before herself. Her strong suit was nurturing. If you were sick, or someone hurt your ...read more

Scripture: Luke 14:1-14, Hebrews 13:2

Tags: Compassion, Practicing Faith, Faith And Obedience

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

God's Tattoo

Contributed by Richard L. Brown on Nov 2, 2016

God’s Tattoo Isaiah 49: 8-16 When my grandson Isaiah was three years old he had a problem of wondering off and hiding. One day my daughter Maeghan and my wife Becky where shopping at a local mall and of course, he slipped off. All of a sudden they realized he was missing. They panicked, running ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 49:8-16

Tags: God's Love, God's Longing, God's Love For Us

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Living Word

Contributed by Tim Smith on Aug 13, 2017

Ravi Zacharias tells of ministering in Vietnam in 1971, and one of his interpreters was Hien Pham, an energetic young Christian. He had worked as a translator with the American forces, and was of immense help both to them and to missionaries such as myself. Hien and I traveled the length of the ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16

Tags: Scripture, Romans, Living Word, The Bible, Persevering Grace  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Methodist

Biblical Principles Of Work

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Oct 15, 2019

1) Work is ordained by God. It was His creative invention from the beginning. By working, we resemble God. Like God, you have the ability to work, make plans, implement them, and be creative. Additionally, God gave us the task of ruling over and taking care of His creation (Genesis ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 1:28

Tags: Work, Business

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Man Who Made A Pet Out Of A Rattlesnake

Contributed by David Goering on Nov 1, 2019

ILLUSTRATION: the story of the man who made a pet out of a rattlesnake. The "Memphis Commercial-Appeal" tells of a man across the river in Arkansas who had a pet rattlesnake. He had found it as a baby snake, taking it, fed it, and made a pet of it. The reptile would come when he ...read more

Scripture: Romans 6:23

Tags: Death, Sin

When It Was Dark

Contributed by Joshua Blackmon on Apr 15, 2022

When It Was Dark I’m not quite sure how to say this. We have always said in the church that our faith was based upon facts. It was a faith built upon evidence that led us to the facts. My friends, something has come to light just this past week that is out now in the professional journals and ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

Tags: Easter, Resurrection

Denomination: Pentecostal

Healing Power Of The Church

Contributed by Mark Mitchell on Jan 22, 2023

A YOUNG couple got married and was on their way home from the honeymoon. A tractor-trailer pulled out in front of them suddenly and the young groom swerved to avoid it. The car went into a tailspin and crashed. The groom was okay, but his new bride was bleeding profusely. He knew if he didn’t get ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:1-13

Tags: Church, Holy Spirit, Healing, Gospel

Denomination: Baptist

Redemption - His Twice

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Mar 3, 2023

A little boy worked diligently to build a sailboat. He took it to the lake and pushed it in hoping it would sail. Sure, enough a wisp of breeze filled the little sail and it billowed and went rippling along the waves. Suddenly before the little boy knew it, the boat was out of his reach, even ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 20:28, 1 John 1:9, Isaiah 43:25, Ephesians 1:3-14, Matthew 1:21  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Salvation, Redemption, Price, Paid, Redeemed  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Anglican

World Peace

Contributed by Roger Hasselquist on May 30, 2023

Isaiah makes a prophecy in chapter two of better days that will come. He proclaimed (NKJV): 2 Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the Lord’s house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 2:2-4

Tags: Memorial Day, World Peace, Swords Into Plowshares

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Probability Of Prophecy Fulfilled

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Aug 27, 2023

There are 61 major prophecies that Jesus fulfilled. If you can find anyone living or dead, who can fulfil only half of these predictions than I have $1000 for you. The following probabilities are taken from Peter Stoner in Science Speaks to show that coincidence is ruled out by the science of ...read more

Scripture: Micah 5:2, Malachi 3:1, Zechariah 9:9, Psalm 22:16, Zechariah 11:12, Zechariah 11:13, Isaiah 53:7, Isaiah 53:12  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Probability, Mathematics, Prophecy Fulfilled, Fulfilled Prophecy

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

This Puppy Will Need Someone Who Understands

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 9, 2024

A little boy appeared under the store owner’s sign, "Puppies for sale." "How much are you going to sell the puppies for?" he asked. The store owner replied, "Anywhere from $30 to $50." "I have $2.37," the little boy said, "Can I please look at ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 4:15-16, 2 Corinthians 5:21

Tags: Children, Sin, Bethelehem, Temptation, Understanding, Incarnation, Deity Of Christ, Humanity Of Christ, Trials  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational