In Sermon Illustrations: "My Yoke Is Easy"

Making Lemonade

Contributed by Perry Greene on Jan 13, 2012

MAKING LEMONADE Charles Goodyear went to jail for a contempt of court citation. Imprisoned, he went to work in the kitchen and worked on an idea in which he developed the method for vulcanizing rubber. Martin Luther was forced to stay in Wartburg Castle and his lemonade was his translation of the ...read more

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Age Of The Temple

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Jul 23, 2012

THE AGE OF THE TEMPLE A tourist is traveling with a guide through one of the thickest jungles in South America, when he comes across an ancient Mayan temple. The tourist is entranced by the temple, and asks the guide for details. To this, the guide states that archaeologists are carrying out ...read more

Tags: Worship General

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Nicodemus Was Ready To Take His Relationship With ...  PRO

Contributed by Kevin Karhoff on Feb 18, 2013

Nicodemus was ready to take his relationship with Jesus to another level, but it wasn’t that easy. It never is. There would be much to lose if he went public as a follower of Jesus. What would people think if they found out that Nicodemus was an admirer of this homeless-carpenter-turned-rabbi ...read more

Scripture: John 3:1-18

Tags: Jesus Christ

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

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

Give The Keys To Jesus

Contributed by Brian La Croix on Feb 14, 2007

1. Give the keys to Jesus. Letting anyone drive our vehicle is tough. I admit that at times I’m not the best passenger, especially when it’s my vehicle. Just ask my wife. And just for the record, I think my wife’s a great driver. If I didn’t think so, I wouldn’t let her take my kids ...read more

Tags: Christian Values

Denomination: Wesleyan

Does God Have The Say?

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Mar 13, 2010

DOES GOD HAVE THE SAY? WE HAVE JUST MOVED TO SYDNEY NSW from the Whitsundays in Queensland, Australia. I didn't come seeking a better position, certainly not better scenery or more money. We don't even have our own house to live in at present. When we moved, we moved because we knew that God was ...read more

Tags: God's Provision

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Sending The Very Best  PRO

Contributed by Perry Greene on Nov 18, 2011

SENDING THE VERY BEST Someone has composed the following list of "Cards You'll Never See at Hallmark": "Looking back over the years that we've been together, I can't help but wonder.... What was I thinking?!" "I've always wanted to have someone to hold, someone to love.... After having ...read more

Scripture: James 1:19-25, Philippians 1:3-30, Matthew 25:31-46

Tags: Joy, Friendship General

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Mercy Me: Hold Fast

Contributed by Davon Huss on Feb 7, 2011

MERCY ME: HOLD FAST Mercy Me is a Christian band (I Can Only Imagine) and recently they sang a song called, "Hold Fast." Bart Millard tells the story of the inspiration for "Hold Fast": "I was standing in the back of the bus going to our next concert. We were in a traffic jam and we passed a ...read more

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Meditate On The Lord.

Contributed by Roy Fowler on Sep 18, 2021

Where I was Pastoring at the time I got 5th Sunday off. I had a favorite fishing hole. The water wasn’t very deep so I could wade in the water. That was fun for me. It had big trees that hung over the water and the sun would shine through them and made it look beautiful. It was great, this river ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 1:1-6

Tags: Life Is Rough, God Teaches To Smooth Us

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Implanted Sin

Contributed by Steve Kinnard on Feb 7, 2019

The enemy leader is in his command center discussing his battle strategy with those under his command. The enemy is very upset about the latest move by the rebellion forces. They have been attacking in vital areas. Never before in this struggle has the rebellion force (the C) had this much ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-13

Tags: Sin, Enemy

Denomination: Pentecostal

: Prayer Life Of General Stonewall ...  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Howell on Oct 10, 2001

Illus.: Prayer Life of General Stonewall Jackson General Stonewall Jackson had in his service a man who had become so accustomed to his ways that he was able to discern whenever the General was about to start on an expedition. Someone asked him how he knew the General was about to depart without ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 11:28-30

Tags: Holiness

Denomination: Wesleyan

Garibaldi Had An Incredibly Committed Volunteer ...  PRO

Contributed by Doug Lyon on Jan 9, 2002

Garibaldi had an incredibly committed volunteer army. He would appeal for recruits in these terms: “I offer neither pay, nor quarters, nor provisions; I offer hunger, thirst, forced marches, battles and death. Let him who loves his country with his heart and not with his lips only, follow ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:9-13

Tags: Discipleship, Commitment, Call Of The Disciples

Denomination: Independent/Bible

An Archaeologist Digging In The Negev Desert In ...

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Mar 25, 2008

An archaeologist digging in the Negev Desert in Israel came upon a sarcophagus containing a mummy. He called the curator of a prestigious museum. “I’ve just discovered the 3,000-year-old mummy of a man who died of heart failure!” the excited archaeologist exclaimed. The curator replied, “Bring him ...read more

Denomination: Church Of God

Too Much ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 9, 2008

TOO MUCH TROUBLE A site foreman had ten very lazy men working for him, so one day he decided to trick them into doing some work for a change. "I’ve got a really easy job today for the laziest one among you," he announced. "Will the laziest man please put his hand up." Nine hands went up. "Why ...read more

Tags: Servanthood

No Short Cuts For ...

Contributed by Donnie Martin on May 4, 2010

No Short Cuts For Revival Finally, there are no shortcuts when it comes to revival. The church desperately needs revival, but it is not going to come by quick and easy methods. Evan Roberts prayed for eleven years before the Welsh Revival broke out, and his ministry during that remarkable time ...read more

Tags: Revival

Denomination: Baptist

The Story Of Uncle George

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Nov 22, 2010

THE STORY OF UNCLE GEORGE Being honest is not always easy. The children in a prominent family decided to give their father a book of the family's history for a birthday present. They commissioned a professional biographer to do the work, carefully warning him of the family's "black sheep" ...read more

Tags: Truth

Denomination: Brethren

Sexuality, Self, And Identity

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Jun 11, 2011

SEXUALITY, SELF, AND IDENTITY Michael Foucault, in The History of Sexuality: "Sexuality is a word that now serves a purpose like the word soul did in the Middle Ages. In that period, people believed that one's soul united the various aspects of human identity and gave significance to that ...read more

Tags: Sexuality

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Pastor Steve Heartsill Shares A Story Of A Young ...  PRO

Contributed by Jeff Kolk on Jan 27, 2001

Pastor Steve Heartsill shares a story of A young man, who had worked for years on the railroad, wanted a job as a signalman for the railroad. For his interview, he was told to meet the inspector at the signal box. The inspector asked him, "What would you do if you realized that two trains were ...read more

Tags: Endurance, God's Omniscience, God's Provision

Denomination: Baptist

Short-Term Enthusiasm  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 20, 2002

SHORT-TERM ENTHUSIASM The story is told of a minister who was full of energy and enthusiasm for the Lord. One day he went to the hospital to visit one of his parishioners who was critically ill. The minister entered the room and saw the man lying in bed with a whole host of tubes and wires ...read more

Tags: Easter Palm Sunday

I Like Some Of What Edwene Gaines Writes About ...  PRO

Contributed by Don Hawks on Sep 30, 2007

I like some of what Edwene Gaines writes about although I do not agree with all her views on spirituality. But I have learned enough from her writings that I decided not to be bothered in areas where I disagree. I find her life story and spiritual journey though to be compelling. Years before she ...read more

Tags: Spirit, Eat, The Word

Denomination: Methodist