In Sermon Illustrations: "Missing Out"

Prayer Before Battle  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 28, 2012

PRAYER BEFORE BATTLE During the 1800s, the French General George Muller Massena who took orders from Napoleon, arrived at a quaint and militarily important Austrian town. His 18,000 soldiers were gearing up for their invasion, as the stunned Austrian citizens were lifeless and terrified. Knowing ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 20:1-30

Tags: Prayer Supplication

A Thief And A Priest

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 12, 2012

A THIEF AND A PRIEST The story is told about a Catholic priest who was walking down an alley behind his church when a thief jumped out from behind some garbage cans and pressed the muzzle of his gun into the priest's ribs. The thief said, "Give me your wallet!" Without hesitation, the priest ...read more

Scripture: Romans 14:1-23

Tags: Christian Values

Who Shot The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 3, 2013

WHO SHOT THE DEER? A lawyer, a doctor, and a preacher went deer hunting together when along came a big buck. The three of them all shot at the same time, and immediately the buck dropped to the ground. They all rushed up to examine the deer, but couldn't determine whose shot had actually killed ...read more

Scripture: John 8:42-47

Tags: Preaching

Covered Under His Wings  PRO

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 7, 2014

COVERED UNDER HIS WINGS It was a hot day in the dry old West. As the railroad came roaring down the tracks, sparks were flying everywhere because of the hot temperatures. When the sparks flew, often they would begin a fire that would destroy ranches, homes and livestock. One particular day, ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

Tags: Atonement, Forgiveness, Cross, Love Of God

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I'll Take Hymn!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 26, 2016

One Sunday, a pastor told his congregation that the church needed some extra money. He asked the people to consider donating a little more than usual into the offering plate. He said that whoever gave the most would be able to pick out three hymns. After the offering plates were passed, the pastor ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 2:21-23

Tags: Marriage, Dating, Husbands And Wives, Singles

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Really Dumb Thief

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Apr 17, 2017

A REALLY DUMB THIEF Any thief knows that the easiest way to steal gasoline from a car is to siphon it from the other guy’s tank into your own. Stick a rubber hose in his gas tank, suck on the other end of the rubber hose until you get a mouth full of the gas, then spit it out. From then on, the ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:7-8

Tags: Revenge, Wages Of Sin

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Trust God With The Splinter

Contributed by Ed Sasnett on Apr 28, 2018

Trouble is inevitable. It has spawned the counseling ministry. Therapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, support groups dedicate their lives to helping people deal with grief, addictions, abuse, and stress. There are many solutions offered. You can pop a pill or uncork a bottle or take a ...read more

Tags: Trust God, Comfort Of God

Denomination: Baptist

Almost

Contributed by Steve Kinnard on Feb 15, 2019

Almost Story It started out with a low rumbling; then there was the sound of the explosion. It seemed like the whole world was rocking and reeling under the blow of Mother Nature. The sky was filled with smoke as dark as a midnight; the ashes from the eruption were falling like snow in a winter ...read more

Scripture: Mark 4:17

Tags: Delay, Almost

Denomination: Pentecostal

Here's A Funny New Approach To Evangelism!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Apr 10, 2022

There was a barber that thought that he should share his faith with his customers more than he had been doing lately. So. the next morning when the sun came up and the barber got up out of bed he said, "Today I am going to witness to the first man that walks through my door." Soon after ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:8

Tags: Evangelism, Gospel, Humor, Witnessing, Sermon Intro, Barbers  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Be Found Faithful

Contributed by Roger Hasselquist on Mar 31, 2025

Remember the movie, Ben Hur? It came out in 1959. The movie won 11 Oscars and was over three and a half hours long. The most memorable scene in the film is the chariot race. Charlton Heston was trained for five weeks before the shooting of that scene. Heston was grateful for the trainer's ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 4:1-2

Tags: Faithfulness, Ben Hur, Chariot Race, Charles Heston

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Don't Quit

Contributed by Rick Pendleton on Nov 17, 2008

DON’T QUIT When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill, When the funds are low, and the debts are high, and you want to smile, but you have to sigh. When care is pressing you down a bit, Rest if you must, but don’t you quit. Life is queer ...read more

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Baptist

Light In Dark Places

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 11, 2008

Light in Dark Places A young girl once consulted with her minister. "I cannot stick it out any longer. I am the only Christian in the factory where I work. I get nothing but taunts and sneers. It is more than I can stand. I am going to resign." "Will you tell me," asked the minister, "where ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:1-2

Tags: Evangelism How To

Bearing The Mark

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2008

BEARING THE MARK Joseph Damien was a nineteenth-century missionary who ministered to people with leprosy on the island of Molokai, Hawaii. Those suffering grew to love him and revered the sacrificial life he lived out before them. One morning before Damien was to lead daily worship, he was ...read more

Tags: Christmas

We Need Hope

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 31, 2008

WE NEED HOPE Someone has said that if you could convince a man there was no hope, he would curse the day he was born. Hope is an indispensable quality of life. Dusk was falling on the Saturday before Christmas in 1927 the S-4 submarine (S-class submarines, were the first class of submarines built ...read more

Tags: God Brings Hope

I See It But I Can't Get There

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 31, 2008

I SEE IT BUT I CAN'T GET THERE A man named Floyd Collins, in 1925, was exploring near Mammoth Cave in Kentucky and got stuck fifty-five feet from the surface. Icy water was dripping in his face. The rescuers came in and diverted the water, and they talked with him, they calmed him down, but they ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ

We Are ...

Contributed by Donnie Martin on Sep 29, 2008

We Are Accountable Three men who, police say, stole a car in San Jose, California, and drove it to Chico, California, were arrested in Chico when police caught them trying to break into the same car because they had locked the keys inside, or at least thought they had. Chico officer Jose Lara said ...read more

Tags: Sin Punishment Of

Denomination: Baptist

Irony

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on May 3, 2021

One definition of the word irony is, “a state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often amusing as a result.” • It is ironic, for example, that the most shop-lifted book is the Bible. • Every year ABC cuts down A Charlie Brown Christmas—a movie about ...read more

Tags: Rejection, Irony, Pedigree, Sibling Rivalry, Humble Pie, Family Strife, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

If Ii Were Satan...

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Nov 14, 2021

IF I WERE SATAN… I would delude their minds into thinking that they had come from man's effort, instead of God's blessings; I would promote an attitude of loving things and using people, instead of the other way around; I would convince people that character is not an issue when it comes ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:7-9

Tags: America, Satan, Spiritual Warfare, The Devil

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Martin Luther Many Years Ago Was Looking For A ...  PRO

Contributed by Kyle Meador on Jan 22, 2001

Martin Luther many years ago was looking for a way to help the people of his day learn to praise God in song. So he went into the pubs to find out what they were singing. He took a popular tune and set words to it… “A Mighty Fortress is ...read more

Tags: Sharing My Testimony

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Doctor, An Architect, And A Lawyer Were Arguing ...  PRO

Contributed by Brendon Bridges on Nov 2, 2000

A doctor, an architect, and a lawyer were arguing over who had the oldest profession. The doctor said, "Well the first operation was performed on Adam, so the medical profession is the oldest." "No," said the architect, "Architectural planning and design was needed to create the earth and the ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 45:5

Tags: Apologetics General, Creation

Denomination: Independent/Bible