In Sermon Illustrations: "Need For Others"

First Grader Learns That More Is Expected Of Him ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 14, 2009

First Grader Learns That More Is Expected of Him Than When He Was in Kindergarten When they came in the house, Jesus asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. Sitting down, Jesus said, “If anyone wants ...read more

Scripture: Mark 9:33-35

Tags: Discipleship

Debate Between Booker T. Washington And W.e.b. ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 16, 2009

Debate Between Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois About Who Should Be Educated and Trained Almost exactly a century ago, American listened to a debate between two great thinkers, two men who had unquestionable credentials, first-rate minds, and powerful pens. Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. ...read more

Scripture: Daniel 1:3-5

Tags: Learning, Debate

One Of My Jobs Some Years Ago Was Working With ...

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Dec 29, 2009

One of my jobs some years ago was working with disabled people. I remember working with a young Christian woman and my job was teaching her how to read. She would readily share her faith to others and I enjoyed the opportunity to encourage her in her faith. I chose the 23rd Psalm in our lessons and ...read more

Tags: Persecution

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

We Sing When We Face ...

Contributed by Thomas Cash on Jan 11, 2010

We sing when we face death. Lavena (Beanie) Peters was dying of liver cancer. I was at the hospital with her family, essentially on a deathwatch. Beanie’s pain was excruciating, and the pain medicine kept her in a nearly unconscious state. Others left the room for a moment; only Harriet her ...read more

Tags: Singing Praise, Death Nearness

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Horror Stories From ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 6, 2010

Horror Stories from Refugees Hushidah Bagam is 20. For two years now, she has lived in a squalid bamboo and corrugated iron hut in a Bangladesh refugee camp. But what she left behind in neighbouring Myanmar (formerly called Burma) was worse. “The soldiers came to our village In the middle of the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 2:13-18

Tags: Hardship Of Life

God Wants Our Christianity To Be Where Everyone ...

Contributed by Thomas Cash on Mar 9, 2010

God wants our Christianity to be where everyone can see it. We get into trouble when we are secretive about our faith. Don’t make a decision to follow Jesus if you intend to do so only in the presence of other believers. Be ready to identify yourself as Christ’s disciple in your home, your ...read more

Tags: Testimonies About Jesus

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Jonathan Edwards, Who Was One Of America's ...

Contributed by Bret Toman on May 20, 2010

Jonathan Edwards, who was one of America's greatest theologians, was a New England pastor of the 1700s. Edwards was brilliant. At age 6 he studied Latin. He entered Yale when not quite 13 and graduated when barely 15. He was ordained at 19, taught at Yale by 20 and later became president of ...read more

Tags: Sin Separates From God, Great Awakening

Denomination: Baptist

My Sister And Her Husband Pete Are On A Holiday ...

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Jun 4, 2010

My sister and her husband Pete are on a holiday working their way through OUTBACK PLACES in Australia. Unfortunately they can't travel on the dirt roads at the moment because of an unexpected rainy season. They have to stick to the highways because if they get off the track they will sink in the ...read more

Tags: John The Baptist

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Who Says So?

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Jun 29, 2010

WHO SAYS SO? A previous church I served had a lot of acreage and had turned part of it into 3 softball diamonds. Monday - Thursday nights, all summer long, various church leagues played their slow-pitch games there. Three of the leagues ran everything for their evening but one league was run ...read more

Tags: Authority

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Life With Eternal Value

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Aug 30, 2010

LIFE WITH ETERNAL VALUE I was talking with a Jewish friend at work the other day. She said "I don't like evangelicals!" I said that it was unfortunate because I was one, and that she was working for an evangelical organisation. She said "I don't like people trying to convert me!" I said that as I ...read more

Tags: Christian Witness

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Good For Goodness' Sake

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Dec 26, 2010

GOOD FOR GOODNESS' SAKE “You better watch out, you better not cry Better not pout I'm telling you why - Santa Claus is coming to town He's making a list and checking it twice; Gonna find out Who's naughty and nice Santa Claus is coming to town He sees you when you're sleeping - He knows when ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Akiane: The Gift Of God

Contributed by Major Gerardo Balmori on Apr 2, 2011

AKIANE: THE GIFT OF GOD Akiane Kramarik is only 12-years-old, but she has abilities far beyond her years. Her mother chose to give birth to her underwater at the family home on July 9, 1994 in Mount Morris, Illinois. The family now lives in Idaho. Akiane speaks four languages, writes poetry, plays ...read more

Tags: Miracles General

Denomination: Salvation Army

Would You Hire Him?

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 2, 2011

WOULD YOU HIRE HIM? A certain church found itself suddenly without a pastor, and a search committee was formed. In due course it received a letter from a man applying for the vacant position. The committee chairman read: "I am considered to be a good preacher, and I have been a leader in most of ...read more

Scripture: Acts 26:1-29

Tags: Paul

Blind But Now I See  PRO

Contributed by Michael Buckingham on Jul 8, 2011

BLIND BUT NOW I SEE Peter spent a few years trying to cope with his blindness, learning ways of looking after himself so that he wasn’t so much a burden upon his family, although they still continued to visit on the odd occasion. He also learned how to read Braille. Then one day he was informed ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:13

Tags: Beauty

Denomination: Baptist

Poor Man's Philanthropist  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 11, 2011

POOR MAN'S PHILANTHROPIST In 2005, when Thomas Cannon died of colon cancer in a hospital in Richmond, Virginia, he was 79. Thomas described himself a "poor man's philanthropist." When Thomas was three years old, his father died. Once Thomas' mother remarried, the family of six lived in a ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:1-15, 2 Corinthians 9:15

Tags: Giving General

I Could Have Done More  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 18, 2011

I COULD HAVE DONE MORE The film Schindler's List chronicled the heroic efforts of a German industrialist named Oskar Schindler. Through his unselfish activities, over a thousand Jews on the trains to Auschwitz were saved. After Schindler found out what was happening at Auschwitz, he began a ...read more

Scripture: John 15:9-17, Luke 16:9

Tags: Stewardship, Illustration

Who Is This Guy?

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Aug 29, 2011

WHO IS THIS GUY? Chuck Colson relates this interesting story in his book How Then Should We Live?: "In William Steig's Yellow & Pink, a delightfully whimsical picture book for children, two wooden figures wake up to find themselves lying on an old newspaper in the hot sun. One figure is painted ...read more

Tags: Creation

Denomination: Methodist

He Cried For Me  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 14, 2011

HE CRIED FOR ME Jan, who was a young mother in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, 20 years ago, tells a remarkable story from that time in her life. In a note to her pastor, she wrote: It was the end. I knew it. I could no longer fight. I sat here emotionless. I was totally alone. Others had tried to ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 62:5-8

Tags: Suffering Loneliness

Making Christmas Special  PRO

Contributed by Sam Higgs on Dec 1, 2011

MAKING CHRISTMAS SPECIAL In the months leading up to the Christmas season, Dan had lost his job. Well, in the city he lived in, most of the workers had to relocate with the company or face unemployment. Dan was one of the unlucky ones who had not been with the company long enough to be asked ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 1:18-21, Galatians 4:4

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Baptist

Go Find Something To Do For God

Contributed by Tim Smith on Feb 19, 2012

GO FIND SOMETHING TO DO FOR GOD Ruth Rettig tells the story of having gone through unsuccessful cancer surgery and following up with chemo in Houston, which meant 500-mile roundtrips from their home in central Texas. The trips were exhausting enough but the chemo made her feel sick to death. She ...read more

Tags: Birth Of Jesus

Denomination: Methodist