In Sermon Illustrations: "Missed Opportunity"

Have You Ever Cleaned Your Living Room And ...  PRO

Contributed by D. Greg Ebie on Jul 28, 2002

Have you ever cleaned your living room and thought that it was clean only to have the sun shine in through the window and reveal all the dust that was left behind? Ruth Graham tells of the time that the TV news wanted to interview she and her husband Billy at their home. They got the house all ...read more

Tags: Sin Exposed

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Greg Laurie, Pastor Of Harvest Church In ...  PRO

Contributed by Kenneth Squires on Jun 13, 2005

Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Church in Riverside, California, was having lunch with Billy Graham. Ruth, Billy’s wife, had made a classic southern lunch of fried chicken, collard greens, and the works. It was Greg’s first time to meet Billy Graham; he was nervous. Greg says, “I had many questions ...read more

Tags: Mind, Cross Agony, Renewing The Mind

Denomination: Pentecostal

Someone Took The Time To Do The Research For Us. ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Someone took the time to do the research for us. If we live to 75… We will spend 3 years in school (24 hours a day) 7 years eating 14 years working 5 years driving/riding in airplane 5 years talking 1 year recovering from sickness 24 years sleeping 15 years amusing ourselves Now what if you spent ...read more

Tags: Heaven

Before World War Ii, Nora Waln Wrote A Book ...

Contributed by Bruce Howell on Aug 9, 2007

Before World War II, Nora Waln wrote a book exposing Hitler and his Nazi plotters. The book, Reaching for the Stars, was intercepted in the German mails on its way to an American publisher. She fled to London, rewrote the book from memory and sent copies to Heinrich Himmler, the Nazi hangman. He ...read more

Denomination: Wesleyan

History Gives Us A Rather Interesting Account On ...  PRO

Contributed by Don Jones on Sep 16, 2007

History gives us a rather interesting account on resolution of conflict. French novelist and playwright Alexandre Dumas once had a heated quarrel with a rising young politician. The argument became so intense that a duel was inevitable. Since both men were superb shots they decided to draw lots, ...read more

Tags: Death, Dealing With Conflicts, Leadership General

Denomination: Baptist

Nobody Knew He Was Gone

Contributed by Bret Toman on Jun 15, 2009

NOBODY KNEW HE WAS GONE The rent hadn’t been paid, so the landlord came knocking. For years, the rent was paid automatically from the tenant’s bank account. But suddenly, there were no funds available and no response from the tenant. When he didn’t come to the door, the landlord let himself in to ...read more

Tags: Church Small Groups

Denomination: Baptist

In December 1903, After Many Attempts, The Wright ...

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Dec 21, 2009

In December 1903, after many attempts, the Wright brothers were successful in getting their "flying machine" off the ground. Thrilled, they telegraphed this message to their sister Katherine: "We have actually flown 120 feet. Will be home for Christmas." • Katherine hurried to the editor of the ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Independent/Bible

French Novelist And Playwright Alexander ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 25, 2002

Ill: French novelist and playwright Alexander Dumas once had a heated quarrel with a rising young politician. The argument became so intense that a duel was inevitable. Since both men were very fast and superb shots they decided to draw lots, the loser agreeing to shoot himself. Dumas lost. Pistol ...read more

We Thought You Said...  PRO

Contributed by Tom Doubt on Jul 15, 2003

WE THOUGHT YOU SAID... The kids had talked Mom into getting a hamster They promised to take care of their pet, whom they named “Danny.” Within two months, though, Mom was taking care of Danny. One day Mom decided enough was enough; Danny would be given to a new owner. She called the kids ...read more

Tags: Dad, Children, Fatherhood, Fathers Day, Parenting  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

During Sunday School, Our Pastor, Who Was ...  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Nov 29, 2003

During Sunday school, our pastor, who was teaching the adult class, selected a middle-aged couple to act out the burning bush scene from the Old Testament. The husband was asked to supply the voice for God and his wife would read Moses’ lines. All went well until they got to verse 15. The wife, as ...read more

Tags: God The Father

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

One Time Stephanie And I Were On Our Way To ...  PRO

Contributed by Jason Cole on Feb 26, 2004

One time Stephanie and I were on our way to church in Knoxville. We were going to a large Church of Christ that was composed of many UT students. As we drove we ran over a razor blade and the tire began to lose air. We did not know it until we got to the church. We sat in the church parking lot ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:29-37

Tags: Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

On June 25, 1979, Thirty-Five Year Old Willard ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 23, 2004

On June 25, 1979, thirty-five year old Willard Boone from the Sandy Hook community, south of Columbia, MS, drowned in the Pearl River. During that week four others drowned along the path of the Pearl. A reporter for the then "Jackson Daily News" quoted a law offi- cial as saying, "This is one of ...read more

Tags: Evangelism Urgency

Returning Home One Afternoon With My Two ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 15, 2005

Returning home one afternoon with my two daughters, Kimberley, age two, and Kristi, six months, I pulled into my driveway and stopped to check the mailbox. But when I returned to the car, I found Kimberley had pushed the locks down on both doors—and I had left the key in the ignition. For an hour ...read more

Tags: Children

French Novelist And Playwright Alexandre Dumas ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2005

French novelist and playwright Alexandre Dumas once had a heated quarrel with a rising young politician. The argument became so intense that a duel was inevitable. Since both men were superb shots they decided to draw lots, the loser agreeing to shoot himself. Dumas lost. Pistol in hand, he ...read more

Tags: Sin General

Proverbs According To Kids: A First Grade ...

Contributed by C Jordan on Apr 5, 2006

Proverbs According To Kids: A first grade teacher collected old, well known proverbs. She gave each kid in her class the first half of a proverb, and had them come up with the rest. As You Shall Make Your Bed So Shall You... Mess It Up. Better Be Safe Than... Punch A 5th Grader. Strike While ...read more

Tags: Children

Denomination: *other

In His Early Years, American Landscape ...

Contributed by James Westmoreland on Oct 23, 2006

In his early years, American landscape photographer Ansel Adams studied piano and showed some talent. At one party, however, as Adams played Chopin’s F Major Nocturne, he recalled that "In some strange way my right had started off in F-sharp major while my left had behaved well in F-major. I could ...read more

Denomination: Disciples Of Christ

Millions Of People Upon This Planet This ...

Contributed by Aubrey Vaughan on Oct 28, 2006

Millions of people upon this planet this Christmas will celebrate with big celebration’s, but they will completly miss the point of the celebrations. Could you imagine returning home to find your house decortated top to bottom with lights and party decorations and when you get to the door you ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Halfway Through A Rehearsal, With Trumpets ...

Contributed by Bruce Howell on Feb 14, 2007

Halfway through a rehearsal, with trumpets blaring, drums rolling, and violins singing their rich melody, the piccolo player muttered to himself, “What good am I doing? I might as well not be playing. Nobody can hear me anyway.” So he placed his instrument to his lips but made no sound. Within ...read more

Denomination: Wesleyan

E. M. Bounds -- Our Religion Breaks Down ...

Contributed by Philip Harrelson on Feb 15, 2007

E. M. Bounds -- Our religion breaks down oftenest and most sadly in our conduct. Beautiful theories are marred by ugly lives. The most difficult as well as the most impressive point in piety is to live it. Our praying suffers as much as our religion from bad living. Preachers were charged in ...read more

Denomination: Pentecostal

If We Have Failed In Any Respect In This Matter ...

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Apr 13, 2007

If we have failed in any respect in this matter of “go…preach” it is probably related to our limited understanding of what the church is. Bishop Leslie Newbigin, labeled as “one of the leading influences on the theology of mission” (Wilbert R. Shenk) in the 20th century, was once quoted as saying, ...read more

Denomination: Salvation Army