In Sermon Illustrations: "Needs"

Drop That Baby!  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 8, 2012

"DROP THAT BABY!" A pastor called on a lady from his church and found her very despondent and feeling that God had forsaken her. Looking at the baby in the woman’s arms, the pastor said to her, "Drop that baby on the floor." Startled by the suggestion, she looked at him in disbelief. "Well," he ...read more

Scripture: John 10:22-30

Tags: God In The Hardships

Downward Trends In U.s. Christianity

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 15, 2012

DOWNWARD TRENDS IN U.S. CHRISTIANITY In George Barna's new book on U.S. Christians called Futurecast, he tracks annual changes from 1991 to 2011 and shows that all the major trend lines of religious belief and behavior ran downward except two: More people claim they have accepted Jesus as their ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:11-16

Tags: Church Practices

The Spirit Of Poverty

Contributed by Charles Jones on Jun 30, 2012

THE SPIRIT OF POVERTY If: You justify your lack and make excuses. You are afraid to give under the direction of the Holy Spirit. You govern your finances with a lack of trust and don't believe God is your source. Your are suspicious that those around you may take your money. When things ...read more

Tags: Poverty

Denomination: Pentecostal

One Thing

Contributed by Perry Greene on Jul 17, 2012

ONE THING In the movie "City Slickers," Billy Crystal plays a confused, dissatisfied thirty-something character with a vague sense that life is passing him by. Jack Palance- ancient, leathery, wise to the ways of the world ("a saddlebag with eyes") -- asks Crystal if he would like to know the ...read more

Tags: Discipleship

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Holy Spirit Compared To Hydroelectric ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 9, 2012

THE HOLY SPIRIT COMPARED TO HYDROELECTRIC POWER As Christians we may be compared with a reservoir for producing electrical power, like one of those you see when you drive to Niagara Falls. When we accept Christ, construction of our reservoir is complete. We now have the potential to be useful and ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:8

Tags: Holy Spirit In Believers

A Personal Surgery

Contributed by Ken Henson on Aug 21, 2012

A PERSONAL SURGERY Dr. Evan Kane was the head of Summit hospital in New York, in the 1920s. At that time when they operated they used general anesthesia. Dr. Kane felt, local anesthesia would do and would help patient do better, and recovery would be quicker. His theory seemed true, but no one ...read more

Tags: Heart

Denomination: *other

Fallen World

Contributed by Tim White on Feb 15, 2013

FALLEN WORLD Crime rate, growth in atrocities of crime, world tension, wars (and as the Bible predicted, rumors of wars), growth and mutation of illnesses, viruses and diseases. Our great grandparents had not concept of Aids. Our nation’s founders never heart of Ebola, the flesh eating disease. ...read more

Tags: Bible Influence, Sin Fall Of Man

Denomination: Baptist

No Atheists In The Water  PRO

Contributed by Paul Barreca on Mar 31, 2013

NO ATHEISTS IN THE WATER David Harrell wrote a book telling the story of his father, Edgar Harrell. Edgar was one of the 300 survivors of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis, the last US ship sunk by enemy contact in WW2. 600 of the 900 men who survived the ship's sinking were stranded in the ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 2:15

Tags: Shipwreck, Death, Dying, Loneliness, Atheism  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

How The Mighty Fall

Contributed by Tim Smith on May 12, 2013

HOW THE MIGHTY FALL Jim Collins has written a book called "How the Mighty Fall" about businesses who at one time were strong and effective and yet went from hero to zero during the last decade. Motorola was number one in cell phones in the world in 2004 and today they are on the edge of ...read more

Tags: Pride, Attitude General, Temptation General

Denomination: Methodist

Glutton-Free Communion

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 14, 2014

Our staff recently started a new ministry to our church family by offering "gluten-free" bread for the Lord's Supper. It has been very successful and our staff has received a lot of affirmation because of this ministry. However, we didn't start off very well.......thanks to the Senior Pastor! ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 11:17-34

Tags: Communion, Preacher Bloopers

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Why God?

Contributed by Larry Turner on Feb 8, 2016

Why God? God, why did this happen, Questions my soul needs to know. If you really love me Why am I hurting so? Why did you let it happen? The power is in your hand. Why did you not stop it? Please help me understand. I know it’s for a purpose. I have to figure out What is your reason. Please help ...read more

Scripture: Job 10:1-3

Tags: Struggles, Life Struggles, Questioning God, Reason For Suffering, Understanding God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Foursquare

Not Ordinary

Contributed by T.j. Conwell on Apr 18, 2017

When we describe our kitchen to other people we always talk about new appliances, or new counters, or even our new silverware. But, we never describe the wall color to someone. The reason is simple: it is ordinary. Everyone has it, it’s not worth mentioning, and so we don’t even consider ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:24

Tags: Jesus, Jesus Christ, Ordinary, Extraordinary

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Forgetting What Is Past And Straining Toward The Future

Contributed by Kerry Haynes on Oct 8, 2017

Commentator Gordon Fee recalls the famous “miracle mile,” the first time two milers ran under four minutes in the same race. Roger Bannister and John Landy competed in Vancouver, B.C. in 1954. Landy had led all the way, but coming off the final turn toward the finish line he looked over his ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:13-14

Tags: Forgetting The Past, Heavenward Calling, Future Oriented

Denomination: Baptist

God's Sovereignty Is The Basis Of Our Prayers.

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Apr 19, 2018

"In prayer, you ask for things and give thanks for things. Why? Because you recognize that God is the author and source of all the good that you have had already, and all the good that you hoped for in the future. This is the fundamental philosophy of Christian prayer. The prayer of a Christian is ...read more

Tags: Sovereignty Of God, Prayer

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

It’s Only A White Collar Crime?

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Oct 16, 2018

C.S. Lewis died in 1963, but a comment in one of his writings speaks directly to the current opioid crisis. Lewis wrote: “The greatest evil is not now done in those sordid ‘dens of crime’ that Dickens loved to paint. It is not done even in concentration camps and labour camps. In those we see its ...read more

Scripture: Romans 3:23

Tags: White Collar, Opioid, Sin, Excuses, Business  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Assumptions And Arrogance

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Nov 12, 2019

Four people—a pilot, a professor, a pastor, and a hiker—were flying in a small plane when the engines died. The pilot said, “There are only three parachutes. Since this is my plane, I’m taking one of them.” He put it on and jumped out. The professor said, “I’m brilliant and the world needs me, so ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 5:13-20

Tags: Errors, Mistakes, Arrogance, Assumptions, Snob, False Confidence  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Boat

Contributed by Dr John Singarayar Svd on May 13, 2021

A seeker decides to meditate alone, away from his place. He takes his boat out to the middle of the lake, moors it there, closes his eyes and begins his meditation. After a few hours of undisturbed silence, he suddenly feels the bump of another boat colliding with his own. With his eyes still ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 8:23-27

Tags: Anger, Boat

Denomination: Other

The Wrong Target

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on May 31, 2021

Emmons loses gold medal after aiming at wrong target! 2004 Washington Post: Matt Emmons of the United States shoots at wrong target, finishes eighth. (Douglas C. Pizac -- AP) Matthew Emmons is an elite athlete ! He was an accounting major from Browns Mill, New Jersey. He was a four-year ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 22:26-30, 1 Corinthians 9:24, 2 Timothy 2:5, Hebrews 12:1-3

Tags: Purpose, Priorities, Idolatry

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Gossip Test

Contributed by John Bright on Jun 1, 2021

Another basic concept – sin creates spiritual blindness. Let me illustrate with my favorite sin to talk about… GOSSIP. I’ll stop right here and make sure you know how I define gossip. Before you tell someone a story about another person (even disguised as a prayer request), it needs to pass all ...read more

Scripture: Luke 6:37-45

Tags: Sin, Gossip, Spiritual Blindness

Denomination: Methodist

The Narrow Definition Of Neighbor

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Mar 20, 2022

With their passion for definition, Jewish Rabbis sought to define who a man's "neighbor" was. They confined the word "neighbor" to include only their fellow Jews. For instance, some of them said that it was illegal to help a Gentile woman in her time of childbirth for ...read more

Tags: Kindness, Good Samaritan, Levites, Priests, Rabbis, Parable, Neighbor  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational