In Sermon Illustrations: "Moving Forward"

Just A Scrap Can Change A Life

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 1, 2009

JUST A SCRAP CAN CHANGE A LIFE Back in the 1500s, people didn't have a Bible they could read. The Catholic Church controlled the translating of Scripture and only offered it in Latin. But when Martin Luther rebelled against the abuses of the Church of his day he worked hard to make a translation ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16

Tags: Bible Influence

Office Worker Reads Bible In Secret At ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 6, 2009

Office Worker Reads Bible In Secret at Work When I was a college student I worked for a time in a government office. I noticed after a while in that office that one of the engineers whose desk was back-to-back with mine would perform a little lunch hour ritual involving something in his desk ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:18-20

Tags: Evangelism Fear Of

The Spite ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 23, 2009

The Spite House Once there was a millionaire who owned a lot in an exclusive residential area of a large city. This lot presented an unusual problem. It was only 2 yards wide but nearly 100 feet long. There was nothing that he could do but sell it to one of the neighbors on either side. He went to ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:12-15

Tags: Bitterness

Fritz Kreisler, World Famous Violinist, Discovers ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 24, 2009

Fritz Kreisler, World Famous Violinist, Discovers an Exquisite Violin Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962) was a world-famous violinist who earned a fortune with his concerts and compositions. He generously gave most of it away. So, when he discovered an exquisite violin on one of his trips, he wasn’t able ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 1:1-14

Tags: Evangelism, Christian Witness

Dare To Be Different

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 7, 2009

DARE TO BE DIFFERENT A number of years ago I was traveling in the western part of North Carolina, near the town of Bryson City. I had not had my license very long and had been given specific instructions by my family members concerning the road that I would find once I left the main highway. I was ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:12-14

Tags: Holiness

The Blood Of Lambs

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2009

THE BLOOD OF LAMBS I just finished a very moving book called, "The Blood of Lambs" by Kamal Saleem (Howard Books, 2009). He describes his life as a terrorist and how he hated Israel and America. He also couldn't stand Christians--that is, until God brought some Christian men into his life after he ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17

Tags: Islam

Jeans, And No Shoes. That Was, After All, His ...

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on May 11, 2010

jeans, and no shoes. That was, after all, his wardrobe for 4 years of college. Bill was brilliant. And He became a Christian while in college. Across street from his college was a church – a church where everyone was well-dressed and very conservative. Bill went there one day. He walked in as he ...read more

Tags: True Love, Love Of The Disciples

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Stages Of Loss

Contributed by Rodelio Mallari on Nov 20, 2010

THE STAGES OF LOSS Several years ago a profound and dramatic research project began in Chicago's Billings Hospital. It was a seminar on death, in which psychiatists, chaplains, nurses, and medical doctors studied the ultimate human crisis of facing death. Basic findings is that the very ill ...read more

Tags: Death

Denomination: *other

Catherine Lawes: A Story Of Compassion

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 8, 2011

CATHERINE LAWES: A STORY OF COMPASSION Max Lucado relates this story. When Catherine Lawes’ husband, Lewis, became the warden on Sing Sing prison in 1921, she was a young mother of three daughters. Everybody warned her never to step foot inside the walls. But she didn’t listen to them. When the ...read more

Scripture: John 13:34-35

Tags: Compassion

Alexander Maclaren On The Right Stimulus For ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 10, 2011

ALEXANDER MACLAREN ON THE RIGHT STIMULUS FOR ACTION It is perfectly legitimate, although it is by no means the highest motive, to appeal to feeling as a stimulus to action. We have a right to base our urging of Christian men and women to missionary work either at home or abroad, upon the ground of ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:11-21

Tags: Emotions

Separation From Your Love

Contributed by Michael Buckingham on Jun 24, 2011

SEPARATION FROM YOUR LOVE I remember once there was girl I loved so much in my youth, I thought that we would be together forever, and I thought that I could never live without her! But now I hardly ever think about her... the truth is that I really can live without her. So what changed between ...read more

Tags: Prayer General

Denomination: Baptist

How Not To Achieve Virtue

Contributed by Michael Walther on Jul 4, 2011

HOW NOT TO ACHIEVE VIRTUE How do we move from vice to virtue? Let me tell you first of all how not to... Even ancient pagans, those who never heard the Bible, recognized that living in vice was deadly and destructive. They were far ahead of our modern culture that is foolishly accepting vices ...read more

Tags: Sin Bondage To

Denomination: Lutheran

Mom's Church  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 6, 2011

MOM'S CHURCH Four scholars were arguing over Bible translations. One said he preferred the King James Version because of its beauty, eloquent old English. Another said he preferred the American Standard Bible for its literalism, the way it moves the reader from passage to passage with confident ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:5

Tags: Mother's Day

Holy Spirit: The Forgotten God

Contributed by Brad Henry on Oct 19, 2011

HOLY SPIRIT: THE FORGOTTEN GOD ALL the ruthless Ninevites from the commoner to the King of Assyria repented and God did not send destruction. But why did these ruthless people listen to Jonah who was just one man? I have been struggling with this very question and asked God to help me speak to you ...read more

Tags: Obedience

1 Peter 4:12 "Dear Friends, Do Not Be Surprised ...

Contributed by Brad Henry on Nov 11, 2011

1 Peter 4:12 “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.” I have a doctor’s appointment this morning to see what is going on. I am tried all the time, can hardly move with pain and a host of other ailments. OK so I ...read more

Tags: Suffering Joy In

Greed: Armored Truck Accident

Contributed by Rodelio Mallari on Jan 10, 2012

GREED: ARMORED TRUCK ACCIDENT Oakland, Calif. (AP) - People jumped out of cars in rush hour traffic, grabbing bags of money that fell out of a Brink's armored truck, and apparently got away with it. "I saw one guy strike an old lady who was reaching for one bag," said Willie Greenwood, who was ...read more

Tags: Greed

Denomination: *other

God's Forgiveness And The Jump Drive

Contributed by James Webster on Jan 14, 2012

GOD'S FORGIVENESS AND THE JUMP DRIVE Most of you know I keep most of my office work in the corner of the family room in the parsonage since we moved back. Most of my study I do early before anyone gets up. However, for the past couple of weeks I have been coming over to the church office early ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness General

Denomination: Nazarene

The Master And The Child  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 17, 2012

THE MASTER AND THE CHILD The folklore surrounding Poland's famous concert pianist and prime minister, Ignace Paderewski, includes a story, which though fictional, provides a true picture of what God can do with us: A mother, wishing to encourage her young son's progress at the piano, bought ...read more

Scripture: James 1:2-4

Tags: God In The Hardships

Watch Where You're Going!

Contributed by Tim Smith on May 28, 2015

I had just flown back home from attending a class for my Doctorate in Pasadena, CA. The week was filled with long days and short nights. I had an early morning flight and then flew most of the day. By the time I got home, I was exhausted. Yet I didn’t want to miss my workout so I headed to the gym. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:13-14

Tags: Consequences, Watchful Servants, Direction Of Life

Denomination: Methodist

Persecuted For Faithfulness

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Aug 6, 2018

Many of our sisters and brothers are persecuted even in our own time. Voice of the Martyrs reports, for example, the experience of a young man named Philip, who lives in Laos. Philip walked two hours to another village to hear the gospel. Just three weeks after he returned home as a new believer, ...read more

Scripture: John 15:18-20

Tags: Persecution, Faithfulness

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed