In Sermon Illustrations: "Missionary Work"

Anxiety Is A Dud

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 13, 2010

ANXIETY IS A DUD What's worse than being trapped behind prison bars? Trying to live while avoiding capture. Sergei was a Latvian prison convict with ten months left to serve on his seven-year burglary sentence, when he decided to escape. But even after years of freedom, the escapee couldn't ...read more

Tags: Anxiety

The Classical Artist Renoit Is Revered In The ...

Contributed by Grant Sisson on Aug 29, 2010

The classical artist Renoit is revered in the world of art. He left many works of art that are respected and admired the world over. But Mr. Renoit had a problem later in life that caused him terrible pain – he had arthritis in his hands. Arthritis in an artist’s hands is about like a musician ...read more

Tags: Suffering Joy In

The Cause

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 23, 2010

THE CAUSE A university physics professor testified that he came to the university believing he had all the answers. “An avowed evolutionist, I knew all about cause and effect. I could begin with the present and work back. Behind every natural effect I found a natural cause. “One day I was ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Tags: Creation

God Calls Busy People  PRO

Contributed by Rodelio Mallari on Dec 12, 2010

GOD CALLS BUSY PEOPLE In the Bible, God never goes to the lazy or the idle when He needs men (or women) for His service. He goes to those who are already at work — the busy person: — Moses was busy with his flock at Horeb. — Gideon was busy threshing wheat by the winepress. — Saul was busy ...read more

Tags: Christian Disciplines

Denomination: *other

David Brainerd: Spiritual Messenger

Contributed by Rodelio Mallari on Dec 31, 2010

DAVID BRAINERD: SPIRITUAL MESSENGER Tomahawks in hand, the Indians crept toward the strange tent. As they cautiously peered under the flap, their intention to kill was forgotten. There, in the center of the tent was a man on his knees. As he prayed, a rattlesnake crossed his feet and paused in ...read more

Tags: Salvation

Denomination: *other

Because I'm A Gentleman  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 23, 2011

BECAUSE I'M A GENTLEMAN A middle-aged business executive once approached the front entrance of the office building in which he worked. A young feminist came up at the same moment, so he stepped back and held the door open for her to pass on through. She looked at him and said with annoyance, ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:7

Tags: Character

The Artist And The Gardener

Contributed by Matthew Carpenter on Apr 1, 2011

THE ARTIST AND THE GARDENER Both the artist and the gardener begin with contemplation, paying close attention to what is already there. The gardner looks carefully at the landscape; the existing plants, both flowers and weeds; the way the sun falls on the land, and so on. The artist regards their ...read more

Tags: Christian Witness

Denomination: Baptist

Haydn Gives Glory To God

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2011

HAYDN GIVES GLORY TO GOD Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) was present at the Vienna Music Hall, where his oratorio The Creation was being performed. Weakened by age, the great composer was confined to a wheelchair. As the majestic work moved along, the audience was caught up with tremendous emotion. ...read more

Scripture: Acts 12:20-24

Tags: Humility

Living Stones

Contributed by Jason Bonnicksen on May 22, 2011

LIVING STONES I have to tell ya, I’m so proud of my baby girl. She's working on a project for the school’s science-fair by growing citrine crystals in the basement. What normally takes thousands of years to do in nature; chemists have somehow been able to reproduce in a matter of weeks. I think ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ

Denomination: Lutheran

If You Want It Bad Enough

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 10, 2011

IF YOU WANT IT BAD ENOUGH When a person first comes to faith in Christ and gets a taste of His grace, they can’t get enough of the Bible. Pat Summerall, the well-known sports announcer, trusted Christ with his life and overcame alcohol in the late 60’s. As he describes his life with Christ, he ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:2-3

Tags: Growth In Christ

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

A Jealous Wife  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 8, 2012

A JEALOUS WIFE A man worked in an office with several attractive ladies. His wife, constantly jealous, had a list of questions ready every day. Then she would examine his coat. If she found a blond hair she would accuse, "You’re having an affair with a blond woman." If she found a red hair, black ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:19

Tags: Marriage Faithfulness

If Crumbs Of Joy Now, What Next?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 2, 2012

IF CRUMBS OF JOY NOW, WHAT NEXT? A widely respected man known as "Uncle Johnson" died in Michigan at the incredible age of 120. Perhaps his advanced years could be credited in part to the cheerful outlook that characterized his life. One day while at work in his garden, he was singing songs of ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 2:9-16, 1 Corinthians 2:2

Tags: Joy

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

One Way Fans Try To Follow Jesus Without Denying ...  PRO

Contributed by Kevin Karhoff on Mar 4, 2013

One way fans try to follow Jesus without denying themselves is by compartmentalizing the areas of their lives they don’t want him to have access to. They try to negotiate the terms of the deal. I’ll follow Jesus, but I’m not going to sell my possessions. Don’t ask me to forgive the people who ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 19:16-22

Tags: Jesus Christ

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Guidelines For Praying  PRO

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Mar 4, 2014

GUIDELINES FOR PRAYING If the request is wrong, God says, "No." If the timing is wrong, God says, "Slow." If you are wrong, God says, "Grow." But if the request is right, the timing is right and you are right, God says, "Go!" Here is a prayer where everything was RIGHT: In its early days, ...read more

Scripture: John 15:1-7

Tags: Faith, Prayer, Prayer Answered

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Surprise Surprise!

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 11, 2025

Blog stories: “Today, I went to my new job at a pre-school. I was really excited because everything was going so well, and a little boy even said he was drawing a picture of me. He even gave it to me when he was finished. Well it was me, but I was also on fire and being stabbed and shot multiple ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:13-17

Tags: Anger, Reaction, Surprise

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Little Things Add Up

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Mar 15, 2025

MY SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER TOLD A STORY OF A MAN THAT WORKED IN THE COAL MINES IN EAST TENNESSEE. The man drove a coal truck from the coal temple to the rail road loading dock. It was a short quick trip. Each time the driver drove by the house where he lived. He made a quick stop threw a very large ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:13

Tags: Small, Little

Denomination: Assembly Of God

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: Small Groups, Class Meeting, Love, Spiritual Gifts

Denomination: Methodist

Pledge -- Prayer

Contributed by David Dunn on Oct 6, 2025

Two men were arguing at work one day about religion. Neither really knew what they were talking about. Finally one said, “Man, you don’t know anything about religion. I’ll bet you ten dollars you can’t even repeat the Lord’s Prayer.” The other grinned. “Oh yeah? It’s a bet!” He straightened up ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Hebrews 4:12, Psalm 119:105

Tags: Scripture, Discipleship, Truth, Authority

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist