In Sermon Illustrations: "Ministry To Others"

A Thunderclap In The Debate

Contributed by Michael Walther on Jul 11, 2011

A THUNDERCLAP IN THE DEBATE A group of college students were debating this issue one day. Some said a mother has the right to do what she wants with her own body. Others pointed out the scientific fact that an unborn child is not part of the mother's body and has its own distinct DNA, blood type, ...read more

Tags: Abortion

Denomination: Lutheran

Help Yourself First

Contributed by Brad Henry on Aug 16, 2011

HELP YOURSELF FIRST When an airliner loses cabin pressure the oxygen masks drop. You are told by the flight crew to put the mask on yourself before putting it on your child. You would think the child would be first. But if you pass out before you get the child’s mask on then both of you are ...read more

Tags: Power

Flotsam And Jetsam

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Jan 19, 2012

FLOTSAM AND JETSAM Flotsam and jetsam are commonly used terms. They are used to describe the wreckage and debris that floats in the water after a shipwreck. What isn't so well known is that there is a difference between flotsam and jetsam. Flotsam is anything that ends up in the water resulting ...read more

Tags: Sin General

Denomination: Brethren

Marcus Young And The Bible

Contributed by Hal Seed on Nov 9, 2012

MARCUS YOUNG AND THE BIBLE In the 1890s, Marcus Young moved his family to the country of Burma, which is now called Myanmar. He was digging a well one day when he noticed some mountain tribesmen staring down into the hole he was in. The tribesmen asked him, “Have you brought the book of ...read more

Tags: Bible Influence

Denomination: Baptist

Value And Service = Design

Contributed by Michael Dean on Jan 26, 2013

VALUE AND SERVICE = DESIGN "For there are those who, giving the name of atoms to certain imperishable and most minute bodies that are supposed to be infinite in number, allege that these atoms, as they were carried along by chance in the void, all clashed fortuitously against each other in an ...read more

Tags: Creation

Denomination: Mennonite

What I Saw At The Abortion Clinic

Contributed by Davon Huss on Jan 20, 2014

"What I Saw at the Abortion Clinic" by Richard Selzer. In this article he talks about witnessing a 19 week old fetus being aborted by an injection procedure no longer in use. He described the abortionist sliding the needle of the syringe into the woman's belly, and then, he writes, "I see ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 11:5

Tags: Abortion, Womb

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Wooden Legged Friend  PRO

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 30, 2014

WOODEN LEGGED FRIEND Two farmers were talking about their livestock when a pig walked by them that had a wooden leg. One farmer was amazed and said, "Is that your pig? Why does he have a wooden leg?" The other farmer smiled and said, " That pig is my best friend! He saved my life." ...read more

Scripture: John 15:1-10

Tags: Friendship, Christian Friendship

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Sin Changes You

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Apr 21, 2022

I heard a quote many years ago that I believe is from a movie I do not recommend called 8mm. (it is about human trafficking or some other awful thing). The quote is so true: If you dance with the devil, the devil dont change. The devil changes YOU. We can see this principle illustrated so ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:8, 1 Peter 5:9

Tags: Sin, Temptation, Compromise

Denomination: Charismatic

A Tale Of Two Artists

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Mar 4, 2023

The great Danish theologian Soren Kierkegaard told a parable of 2 artists: One bragged, “I have travelled much and seen much in the world, but I have sought in vain to find anyone worth painting. In every face I have seen one or another fault. Therefore I seek in vain.” The second one, on the other ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 1:26-31, Matthew 25:40-46

Tags: Art, Creativity, Attitude, Kierkegaard

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Social Consequences Of Sin

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Oct 13, 2024

Social consequences of sin. Jonathan Edwards in his book “The Nature Of True Virtue” lays out how sin destroys the social fabric. He argues that human society is deeply fragmented when anything, but God is our highest love. If our highest goal in life is the good of our family, then we will tend to ...read more

Scripture: Romans 3:21-24

Tags: Virtue, Jonathan Edwards, 10 Commandments, Law, Sin, Idolatry  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Goal Of Spiritual Gifts

Contributed by John Bright on Sep 24, 2025

Spiritual Gifts were documented in Class Meetings within the Wesleyan tradition. It was there that members shared their lives – the successes and the struggles. They would search the Scriptures for answers, and they would pray for each other. Those prayers included listening for a Word from the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 4:10-11, 1 Corinthians 12:28

Tags: Spiritual Gifts, Small Groups, Class Meeting, Love

Denomination: Methodist

The Whole Conviction Of My Life Now Rests Upon ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2001

The whole conviction of my life now rests upon the belief that loneliness, far from being a rare and curious phenomenon, peculiar to myself and a few other solitary men, is the ...read more

Tags: Holy Spirit Attributes, Evangelism The Lost, Disappointment

Give Me A Stout Heart To Bear My Own Burdens. ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 20, 2002

Give me a stout heart to bear my own burdens. Give me a willing heart to bear the burdens of others. Give me a believing heart to cast all ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:2, Galatians 6:2

Tags: Compassion, God In The Hardships, God's Provision

Faith Understands That God Intervenes In The ...  PRO

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Mar 14, 2002

Faith understands that God intervenes in the natural course of events; on the other hand, if the natural course of events should happen to answer prayer--that which we call a ...read more

Tags: Faith General, God's Provision

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Gore Vidal, The Famous Author And Atheist Once ...  PRO

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on May 17, 2003

Gore Vidal, the famous author and atheist once described Christianity as the greatest disaster ever to strike the West. He said: “It is not enough to succeed. Others must fail.” and ...read more

Tags: Envy, Emotions

Denomination: Anglican

Charles De Gaulle Once Said: "When I Am Right, I ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 8, 2005

Charles De Gaulle once said: “When I am right, I get angry. Churchill gets angry when he is wrong. So we were very ...read more

Tags: Sin General

Slightly More Than Half Of All Born Again Adults ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 20, 2006

Slightly more than half of all born again adults shared their faith in Christ with others during the past 12 months, or roughly 43 million ...read more

Tags: Sharing My Testimony

I Believe That The First Test Of A Truly Great ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"I believe that the first test of a truly great man is his humility. Really great men have a curious feeling that the greatness is not in them but through them. And they see something ...read more

Tags: Humility

Of All Things, Good Sense Is The Most Fairly ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"Of all things, good sense is the most fairly distributed: Everyone thinks he is so well supplied with it that even those who are the hardest to satisfy in every other ...read more

Tags: Thought

Great Discoveries And Improvements Invariably ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

Great discoveries and improvements invariably involve the cooperation of many minds. I may be given credit for having blazed the trail but when I look at the subsequent ...read more

Tags: Discovery