In Sermon Illustrations: "Missed Opportunity"

Watching A Trapeze Show Is Breathtaking. We ...

Contributed by Aubrey Vaughan on Jun 1, 2008

WATCHING A TRAPEZE SHOW IS BREATHTAKING. WE WONDER AT THE DEXTERITY AND TIMING. WE GASP AT NEAR-MISSES. IN MOST CASES, THERE IS A NET UNDERNEATH. WHEN THEY FALL, THEY JUMP UP AND BOUNCE BACK TO THE TRAPEZE. IN CHRIST, WE LIVE ON THE TRAPEZE. THE WHOLE WORLD SHOULD BE ABLE TO WATCH AND SAY, "LOOK ...read more

Tags: Holiness

Denomination: Baptist

Stepping Out-Of-Bounds

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 12, 2009

STEPPING OUT-OF-BOUNDS I had missed a game winning free-throw. I swore that would never happen again. So I practiced until I became excellent at free-throws. In the next big tournament, I swished two free-throws. On the last one, I heard an ear-splitting whistle in my ear. I had stepped over the ...read more

Tags: Holy Spirit In Believers

Bonnie Laughlin's Answered Prayer

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Nov 16, 2010

BONNIE LAUGHLIN'S ANSWERED PRAYER Psalms 27:13 says, “I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.” One sacrifice made by Bonnie K. Laughlin was the Christian homeschooling of her son, Caleb Laughlin. Bonnie saw that Caleb needed to develop his ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 27:13

Tags: God's Sovereign Will

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Excellence Of Giving With Joy

Contributed by Saumiman Saud on Feb 19, 2025

THE EXCELLENCE OF GIVING WITH JOY Heavenly Father, You are so good to me, You gave Your Life to redeem my sins. Oh Lord, give me the opportunity to give to others as well. Sometimes I think about giving, but my faith is so weak, I'm still afraid that if I give, I will be in want. Forgive me, ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:7

Tags: Joy, Excellence

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

C. Over The Centuries People Have Come Up With A ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

C. Over the centuries people have come up with a lot of different ideas about Christian stewardship and giving. 1. There’s a story told about a couple of guys who were discussing their approaches to giving. a. One man said, “Here’s how I decide how much to give. I cash my paycheck in small bills, ...read more

Tags: Giving General

Freckles

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

FRECKLES Catherine Marshall wrote a book about a school-teacher named Christy who did her best to bring a little education to the foot-hills of the Smokies. In her writings Catherine Marshall details some things that are greatly hilarious and some of the other tales that she writes of are very ...read more

Tags: Peace

Epiphany

Contributed by Richard L. Brown on Jan 11, 2025

When I was in High School, I had a teacher named Miss Mary Bartram. She taught English and Literature. One day she read a poem to us by Robert Frost, entitled “The Road Not Taken”. She read it with such commitment and passion that I believe she changed a lot of lives that day, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12

Tags: Faith, Choice

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Remember Me!" Luke 23:32-43 Key Verse(S): ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Mar 22, 2005

“Remember Me!” Luke 23:32-43 Key verse(s): 42-43:“Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ Jesus answered him, ‘I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise’.” Did you ever notice that there are some problems that no matter how long you work with them or ...read more

Scripture: Luke 23:32-43

Tags: Jesus, Paradise, Jesus Christ

Denomination: Lutheran

Mother Teresa Visited Australia. A New Recruit ...  PRO

Contributed by Davon Huss on Apr 30, 2001

Mother Teresa visited Australia. A new recruit to the Franciscan order in Australia was assigned to be her guide and “gofer” during her stay. “Thrilled and excited at the prospect of being so close to this woman, he dreamed of how much he would learn from her and what they would talk about. But ...read more

Tags: Giving General, Poverty

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Leaders Learn From Their Mistakes  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 2, 2002

Leaders Learn from Their Mistakes In his book Managing People is Like Herding Cats, leadership guru Warren Bennis observes that "Almost invariably, great leaders have had a significant setback, crisis or failure in their lives. Many of the leaders I studied faced adversity early in their lives. ...read more

Tags: Leader, Leadership General

Do It Anyway  PRO

Contributed by Joel Vicente on Jun 7, 2003

DO IT ANYWAY While we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of faith (Galatians 6:10). People are unreasonable, illogical and self-centered. ………Love them anyway. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish, ulterior ...read more

Tags: Christian Values

Denomination: Baptist

Why Christian Lifestyles Aren't Different: George ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 27, 2006

Why Christian Lifestyles Aren’t Different: George Barna, researcher and author of the book, Transforming Children Into Spiritual Champions, says, “For years we have reported research findings showing that born again adults think and behave very much like everyone else. It often seems that their ...read more

Tags: Christian Values

During My Undergraduate Studies Some Years Ago, I ...

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Apr 26, 2009

During my undergraduate studies some years ago, I interviewed a lady whose religious belief was a hybrid of different religions. She spoke of trying to climb to a higher consciousness as her spiritual guide (which was an apparition that looked like an embryo with thousands of tentacles protruding ...read more

Tags: Peace, God's Peace

Denomination: Salvation Army

One Of My All-Time Favorite Teachers Was Don ...

Contributed by Rick Crandall on Jun 29, 2009

One of my all-time favorite teachers was Don Wilton. One day in class, Dr. Wilton told us about getting to serve on Billy Graham’s team for a crusade in Korea. Dr. Wilton told about sitting on the platform one night during the invitation, -- right next to Billy Graham. Dr. Wilton couldn’t help ...read more

Tags: Evangelism Urgency

Denomination: Baptist

I Remember When I Was A Kid And This Is True For ...

Contributed by Andrew Moffatt on Sep 1, 2009

I remember when I was a kid and this is true for the vast majority of boys and quite a few girls, getting covered in mud, a rugby game, a decent sized puddle, a building site, mud fights, mud pies any excuse was an opportunity for a wallow. I thought it was great, my mates thought it was great ...read more

Tags: Change

Denomination: Salvation Army

Pulling On Both Oars  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 26, 2009

PULLING ON BOTH OARS An old Scotsman operated a little rowboat for transporting passengers. One day a passenger noticed that the good old man had carved on one oar the word "Faith" and on the other oar the word "Works." Curiosity led him to ask the meaning of these oars. The old man, being a ...read more

Scripture: James 2:14-26, James 5:1-7

Tags: Faith Vs. Works

I'm Now Just Another Number In The System Of

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Feb 22, 2010

I'm now just another number in the system of "New Start". I made a phone call for Unemployment Benefits yesterday, while I am looking for a ministry opportunity. It took me a long time to get through and I was asked by a computer a series of questions before speaking personally to someone. Then the ...read more

Tags: Unconditional Love

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Occasionally, I Read A Web Log By A Young Man Who ...

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Feb 26, 2010

Occasionally, I read a web log by a young man who gives only his first name, which is Justin. In a recent post on his blog, which he calls “Uban Idealist,” he says this. He says, “For a long time my reaction to seeing [the broken] areas in my life has been to work hard on them. Try to act more ...read more

Tags: Humility

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Image Of God In Human Beings Is Like A ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 3, 2007

The image of God in Human beings is like a sponge. Sponges are useful creations. They are, we would say, Good. But human beings after the fall are like a sponge that has been dipped in crude oil. The sponge is still there – it is still “good” but there is no where in the sponge that the oil is ...read more

Authority Of Jesus

Contributed by Peter Loughman on Jun 21, 2007

AUTHORITY OF JESUS It is obvious that I love the Spurs NBA basketball team. Tim Duncan, who is on the San Antonio Spurs, is at the moment considered one of the greatest players of the sport. Tim Duncan routinely frustrates sports reporters as they interview him. The reporters want Tim to talk about ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational