In Sermon Illustrations: "Ministry To Others"

A Texas-Sized Sword

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 24, 2011

A TEXAS-SIZED SWORD In 2000, we drove across the country from Maryland to California and back. On our return, we blew past this Great Big Cross along the highway in Texas. By the time we saw the exit, we had passed it and continued our journey home. The image of that great big cross stuck in my ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:18-25

Tags: Cross

The Salvation Of Karla Faye Tucker

Contributed by Tim Hinrichs on Mar 29, 2012

THE SALVATION OF KARLA FAYE TUCKER Many of you probably remember Karla Faye Tucker. She was the first woman to be executed in the US since 1984. She was an accomplice to a brutal ax murder of two people in the early eighties. Soon after being imprisoned, Tucker took a Bible from the prison ...read more

Tags: Salvation

Denomination: Lutheran

How Important Is The Virgin Birth Of Christ?

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Dec 6, 2022

Several years ago, Redbook Magazine took a poll of students in Protestant seminaries. They found that 56% of the students in Protestant seminaries studying for the ministry rejected the idea of the virgin birth. The Survey Research Center of the University of California at Berkeley polled the ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 7:14

Tags: Mary, Christmas, Bethlehem, Jesus, Incarnation, Virgin Birth, Deity Of Christ, Humanity Of Christ, Liberalism  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Spreading The Deadly Disease Of Gossip

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Aug 2, 2023

In 1520, one person stepped off a Spanish ship in Mexico and caused the deaths of thousands of people. The man was a soldier under the leadership of Pánfilo de Narváez, and he had smallpox. The soldier didn't know it, but wherever he went he exposed the citizens to a new disease. As a ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:28-30

Tags: Church, Lies, Gossip, Rumors, Division, Church Splits, Church Fights  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Protect The Purity Of Your Marriage

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Aug 21, 2023

I admire Queen Vashti. In the midst of an unsavory "scene she was brave enough to say no to that which was blatantly wrong, and in resisting this insulting act of indignity, she took a stand against the greatest power in her universe. Good for her! Submission does not mean that a wife is a ...read more

Tags: Submission, Character, Purity, Husbands, Wives, Vashti, Beauty, Esther, Marriage  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

When I First Came To Reno To Start A Church, Now ...

Contributed by James Wallace on Nov 12, 2009

When I first came to Reno to start a church, now about 22 years ago, my church planting advisors pointed me toward two men, two pastors who had had an extremely positive and successful experience in their church planting experiences. They had both planted churches in the past decade which had ...read more

Tags: False Teaching

Denomination: Bible Church

The Real Mccoy

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Jul 18, 2010

THE REAL MCCOY It was about a seventy-two-year-old Baptist preacher names Charles McCoy. McCoy was pastoring a Baptist church in Oyster Bay, New York, when at age seventy-two he was told by his denomination to retire. A lifelong bachelor, he had cared for his mother for as long as she lived. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 19:16-30

Tags: Call Of The Disciples, Following Christ

Denomination: Anglican

Mastering Fatherhood

Contributed by Eduardo Quintana on Jun 12, 2017

In 2001, I was serving as the youth pastor of Destiny Church and sitting at my office desk when I received a phone call from my mother. She called with sad news! My grandmother’s health had declined significantly and she was near death. She’d been suffering with Alzheimer’s for over seven years up ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:2

Tags: Parenting, Legacy, Fatherhood

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Humility Means Two Things. One, A Capacity For ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"Humility means two things. One, a capacity for self-criticism...The second feature is allowing others to shine, affirming others, empowering and enabling others. Those who lack humility are dogmatic and egotistical. That masks a deep sense of ...read more

Tags: Humility

Many Of These Rules For Evaluating The Behavior ...

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Dec 8, 2004

Many of these rules for evaluating the behavior and social skills of children in public schools are exemplery for how Christians should behave in the church family: Caring Cooperative Respectful Classroom • Being inclusive • Thoughfful, kind• Recognize feelings• Understand others’ feelings • ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Formula For Handling People: 1) Listen To The ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

Formula for handling people: 1) Listen to the other persons story; 2) Listen to the other persons full story; 3) ...read more

Tags: Leadership Listening

We Have A Neighbor Who Has Hired The Same Person ...

Contributed by John Tung on Jan 24, 2007

We have a neighbor who has hired the same person to do their yard maintenance for years. This man would mow their grass, edge the lawn, trim the bushes, seed the grass. And now they talk as if they are friends. They ask about each other’s family and vacations. They talk ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

As A Very Young Man, My Mother Sent Me This Poem ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

AS A VERY YOUNG MAN, MY MOTHER SENT ME THIS POEM WHICH SHE CLIPPED FROM THE SUNDAY PAPER AND I HOPE IT EFFECTS YOU, AS IT HAS ME FOR SOME FORTY YEARS NOW: "LORD, HELP ME TO LIVE FROM DAY TO DAY IN SUCH A SELF-FORGETFUL WAY THAT EVEN WHEN I KNEEL TO PRAY MY PRAYER SHALL BE FOR OTHERS. HELP ME IN ...read more

Tags: Heaven

The ‘holy Grail' Of Super Glues!" John 17:1-5 ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on May 15, 2005

“The ‘Holy Grail’ of Super Glues!” John 17:1-5 Key verse(s) 4:“I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.” It takes a special hand to deal with glue! Some are born to handle the sticky and others not. I am one of the latter lot. While, like most men, I find the ...read more

Scripture: John 17:1-5, Ephesians 4:1-6

Tags: Holy Spirit Attributes, Holy Spirit In Believers

Denomination: Lutheran

[087]. A Message From A Poem – For All Christians - The Three Os

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Apr 25, 2025

[087]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – FOR ALL CHRISTIANS - THE THREE Os There are 9 poems in this Trilogy series. This poem is part of a Trilogy - three sets of three. The first set is addressed to MEN, the second to ALL CHRISTIANS and the third is SPECIFIC. This is the third one in the second set ...read more

Scripture: Luke 24:45, James 4:6, 1 Samuel 15:22, Hebrews 5:8-9

Tags: For All Christians, Obey, Opposition, Poetry, Open, Poem, Oppose, Obedience, Wrong  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Two Older Gentleman Were Talking And One Said To ...

Contributed by Todd Catteau on Feb 11, 2009

Two older gentleman were talking and one said to the other, "You’re having an anniversary soon, right?" The other replied, "Yup, a big one... 25 years." "Wow," said the other, "what are you going to get your wife for your anniversary?" The other replied, "I’m giving her a trip to ...read more

Tags: Marriage Struggle

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Fox Sports Play Of The Day  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 1, 2002

FOX SPORTS PLAY OF THE DAY "Peter replied, 'Repent and be baptized, everyone of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’" (Acts 2:38). Pat Summerall spent 50 years with the national Football League. He was ...read more

Tags: Repentance, Baptism

Getting Past Your Past  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 23, 2002

GETTING PAST YOUR PAST Consider Charles Colson, the aide to Richard Nixon who was sent to jail for Watergate. As as a result of his experience as a convicted felon, Colson founded Prison Fellowship, now the world’s largest Christian outreach to prisoners and their families. Prison Fellowship has ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:15-16, Jeremiah 29:11

Tags: New Year's Day, God's Sovereign Will

As A Two And Three-Year Old I Used To Gather All ...  PRO

Contributed by D. Greg Ebie on Apr 23, 2003

As a two and three-year old I used to gather all my stuffed animals together and stand up on box and begin to “preach” to them. My Mom called me her “little preacher boy.” As a child God put within my imagination the dream of being a preacher. As a teenager I began to pursue my divine-daring ...read more

Tags: Fulfillment

Denomination: Assembly Of God

When Sherry And I Lived In Pottstown, We Shopped ...  PRO

Contributed by Guy Glass on Aug 22, 2003

When Sherry and I lived in Pottstown, we shopped at the ShopRite Supermarket I town. In fact I would say that at that time it was probably the most popular of the Super Markets. Well there was really only one easy way to get to ShopRite, and that was to cross a small bridge. Well, the time came ...read more

Tags: Racism

Denomination: Baptist