In Sermon Illustrations: "Moving Forward"

Shrewd And Smart

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Jan 22, 2025

3 Greeks and 3 Turks are traveling by train to a conference. At the station, the 3 Turks each buy tickets and watch as the 3 Greeks buy only a single ticket. “How are 3 people going to travel on only one ticket?” asks one Turk. “Watch and you’ll see,” answers one Greek. They all board the train. ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 4:9-16, Matthew 10:16

Tags: Shrewd, Dishonest, Smart, Cheating, Trick, Enemies, Tricky, Tricking, Humiliating  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Finish The Race

Contributed by John Bright on Jul 11, 2025

“John Stephen Akhwari is an Olympic legend. Representing his country, Tanzania, he was a favorite to win the marathon at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. Well-rested. Ready. His expectations were high. The Olympic marathon began in the afternoon of October 20, 1968. John Stephen Akhwari ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 2:1-3, 2 Timothy 4:7-8

Tags: Integrity, Finish Well, Cloud Of Witnesses, Run The Race

Denomination: Methodist

Why Be So Negative?

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Dec 12, 2025

NEGATIVE: One young boy stood holding on to the poles behind me. He was a smart young man. During the trip the young boy talked how stupid his teachers were. The conversation turned about how bad the principal and the office staff was. Then he told me how our best Sunday School teacher was ignorant ...read more

Scripture: Jude 1:22

Tags: Negative, Attitude

Denomination: Assembly Of God

The Little Word That Changes Everything

Contributed by David Dunn on Dec 26, 2025

Opening (attention hook) (Hold up a big card with the word IF written on it) “Does anyone know this word?” (Let them shout: IF!) “This is a tiny word… but it can change what happens next.” >> The Story There was a little girl named Lily, and Lily loved to ask questions. One morning her ...read more

Scripture: John 14:15, James 1:22

Tags: Obedience, Choice

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

The Year I Thought I Killed The Vine

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Feb 20, 2026

Years ago, my wife and I moved into a new house in Michigan. There was a grapevine growing along the fence. We were getting into gardening, and I thought, “This is fantastic. We have a grapevine.” The first year, the vine looked amazing. It was long and healthy. It stretched along the fence, ...read more

Scripture: John 15:1-8

Tags: Spiritual Fruit, Spiritual Growth, Abiding In Christ, Pruning

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Unfold Your Deck Chair - Funny Story

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Mar 3, 2026

In a "Peanuts" strip, ... Charlie Brown and Lucy were discussing ... theology. Lucy said, ... "On the great cruise ship of life, ... some people ... take their deck chairs ... to the bow. And some people ... take their deck chairs ... to the stern. Where do you put your deck ...read more

Scripture: Acts 17:22-34, John 14:6

Tags: Deck Chair, Faith, Life, Ship, Chair  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Anglican

Bring Back The Rotary Phone?" Acts 13:42-52 Key ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Jan 11, 2005

“Bring Back the Rotary Phone?” Acts 13:42-52 Key verse(s): 50:“But the Jews incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region.” There are three things you can do in life when ...read more

Scripture: Acts 13:42-52

Tags: Leadership General

Denomination: Lutheran

Tiger Breath!" Matthew 6:9-13 Key Verse(S): ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Feb 6, 2005

“Tiger Breath!” Matthew 6:9-13 Key verse(s): 13:“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” It has been foreordained that life is a temptation! Now that is a depressing thought if I ever heard one. Foreordained? That means that no matter what I do or how I do it, ultimately I ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:9-13, Matthew 4:1-11

Tags: Risk Of Sin, Release, Sin Separates From God, Sin Exposed

Denomination: Lutheran

The Spirit Of Power That We Receive Is Not Like ...  PRO

Contributed by Austin Mansfield on Oct 28, 2007

The Spirit of Power that we receive is not like the human power that we recognize as strong. It’s a power unlike anything we can do on our own. A young man growing up in the wrong part of Houston became a bully. He would get in fights in school, in the neighborhood, and began mugging people to ...read more

Scripture: Luke 24:49, Matthew 28:19-20, Matthew 28:19, Luke 9:57-67, Zechariah 4:6, Psalm 33:16-18  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Friend, Friendship

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

The Coolest Dad In The Universe  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2001

THE COOLEST DAD IN THE UNIVERSE He was 50 years old when I was born, and a "Mr. Mom" long before anyone had a name for it. I didn’t know why he was home instead of Mom, but I was young and the only one of my friends who had their dad around. I considered myself very lucky. Dad did so many things ...read more

Tags: Father's Day, Parenting

Musician Learns A Lesson By Following A Band ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 1, 2010

Musician Learns a Lesson by Following A Band Director’s Advice I would like to begin by sharing with you today an event in my life that at the time felt like the worst thing that had ever happened to me, but which in retrospect has proven to be a significant and defining point of my life. This ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 4:10

On May 27, 1992, In Sarajevo, One Of The Few ...

Contributed by Philip Harrelson on Sep 16, 2004

On May 27, 1992, in Sarajevo, one of the few bakeries that still had a supply of flour was making and distributing bread to the starving, war-shattered people. At 4 P.M. a long line stretched into the street. Suddenly, a mortar shell fell directly into the middle of the line, killing 22 people ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness General, Endurance, Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Pentecostal

A Gold Mine Of Opportunity!" Genesis 41: 1-14 ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Dec 30, 2004

“A Gold Mine of Opportunity!” Genesis 41: 1-14 Key verse(s): 14: “So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh.” There once was an old Dutch farmer who owned a farm in a semi-arid part of South Africa ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 41:1-14, Matthew 5:1-12

Tags: Leadership General, Trust

Denomination: Lutheran

Aikido For Christ

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Mar 25, 2009

AIKIDO FOR CHRIST The lessons and teaching of the Holy Spirit came each day and through various ways. When we were doing a tent revival on Penn and Plymouth, the Holy Spirit taught me a lesson about dying to myself and letting go of my natural abilities like strength and fighting to resolve ...read more

Tags: Evangelism How To

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Church Without Outreach

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 26, 2011

THE CHURCH WITHOUT OUTREACH Fred Craddock tells the story of his first church. It was a beautiful little white church on a hill in Oak Ridge, Tenn. The church was beautifully maintained. The pews had been hand-hewn from giant poplar trees that had grown nearby. Little kerosene lamps on the walls ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 3:14-22

Tags: Church Purpose Of

The New Guideposts Christmas Treasury (3) Tells ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

The New Guideposts Christmas Treasury (3) tells a story of a little girl was wasn’t easy to love. Her name was Phyllis, and her Sunday School Teacher tells this story about her: "Phyllis wasn’t an easy child to love...sometimes I did wish she wasn’t in the particular Sunday School class that I ...read more

Scripture: Luke 1:46-55

Tags: Christmas, Children

The Window  PRO

Contributed by Eric Ferguson on Jun 2, 2008

THE WINDOW Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room’s only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked ...read more

Scripture: James 3:14-18

Tags: Wall, Encouragement, Barriers

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Something's Happening...

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Aug 20, 2008

Something's Happening... This last week I began reading a book by James Rutz. James wrote this book to make the Christian church aware that God is moving all across the world. His observations are a wakeup call to the American Christian and churches in America. Listen to some of his ...read more

Tags: Culture

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Lessons From The Pothole

Contributed by Todd Catteau on Mar 21, 2023

Driving to work the other day I hit a pothole and, like most people, I reacted angrily. “Why can’t they do something about this?” I mumbled under my breathe. But this time instead of complaining I thought maybe I could learn a lesson or two from the pothole. Here’s what I learned: Pothole Lesson ...read more

Scripture: James 1:2-4, Hebrews 12:11, 1 Peter 4:12, 1 Peter 1:6

Tags: Trouble, Pain, Proverbs, Persecution, Wisdom, Suffering, Difficulties  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

[004]. Message From A Poem - A Memorial To Kent Harrison

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on May 19, 2024

[004]. MESSAGE FROM A POEM - A MEMORIAL TO KENT HARRISON This was written after Kent’s death in Townsville maybe in April 2005. We had known him since early Mt Isa days, then later when he moved to Charters Towers and then to Townsville. Kent suffered a few massive strokes but battled on after ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 18:1, 2 Samuel 1:17, 2 Samuel 1:26

Tags: Death, Compassion, Friend, Memorial, Tribute, Prayer Warrior, A Christian Death  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational