In Sermon Illustrations: "Never Leave"

Parents Teach Their Children God's Word At A ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 2, 2010

Parents Teach Their Children God’s Word at a Restaurant I once read an illustration of a family who took this seriously. One night at a pizza parlor, we decided to use the minutes waiting for our food as a teaching time. We passed out an index card and pencil to each child and had them write down a ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Tags: Parenting

The Last Samurai

Contributed by Jordan Lumbard on Jun 5, 2007

PLAY VIDEO CLIP – THE LAST SAMURAI The Battle of Thermopylae took place in 480 B.C, - With only 300 Spartan Warriors defending their post against a 1 Million man Persian army. - The Spartans put up the most brave and determinied resistance, taking their stand on a little hill, and fighting in a ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

This Week I Came Across This Tongue Firmly ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

This week I came across this tongue firmly implanted in cheek article titled “Pastor Quits Sports”. Here is why this pastor quit going to sporting events: 1. Every time I went they asked me for money. 2. The people with whom I had to sit didn’t seem very friendly. 3. The seats were too hard and ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Bill Bright, Founder And President, Campus ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Bill Bright, founder and president, Campus Crusade for Christ - I know two law partners who used to hate each other. When one became a Christian, he asked me, "Now that I’m a Christian, what should I do?" I said, "Why not ask him to forgive you and tell him you love him?" "I could never do that" he ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Six-Word Memoirs  PRO

Contributed by Ed Sasnett on Jan 19, 2009

Six-Word Memoirs One of the surprising best-selling books of 2008 is "Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure." Notice that the main title is only six words: "Not Quite What I Was Planning." People were asked to succinctly sum up their life in six ...read more

Tags: Time

Denomination: Baptist

If He Hadn't Taken My Son

Contributed by Chuck Sligh on Apr 15, 2011

"IF HE HADN'T TAKEN MY SON" Imagine the following scenario: Three little boys walk into a large electrical compound in Okinawa when the workmen momentarily walks to his truck to get some tools. One of those boys touches a live wire and is instantly electrocuted to death. The parents are ...read more

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Denomination: Baptist

Under Authority

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 15, 2011

UNDER AUTHORITY I used to be a substitute teacher. Most of the time, I had good classes. Sometimes I had bad classes. But one day, I had a horrible class. Kids were running around the room, throwing paper wads, screaming and yelling. One kid ran out the side door into the courtyard and came back ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 21:18-22

Tags: Authority

First Things First  PRO

Contributed by Mark Stepherson on Nov 3, 2011

FIRST THINGS FIRST When Coach Bobby Bowden played baseball in college, he never hit a home run. His senior year at Howard College, he was the only player not to hit a home run. One day, he hit a line drive against Auburn. As he approached third, the coach was waving him on. As he made his turn, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 22:37-39, Matthew 6:6

Tags: Prayer, Prayer Closet, Secret Prayer, Private Prayer, Prayer General  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

The Tragedy Of Steve Irwin

Contributed by Johnny A. Palmer Jr. on Dec 9, 2011

THE TRAGEDY OF STEVE IRWIN I loved to watch Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, but I knew he would die young. You simply do not play with wild animals without sooner or later getting in trouble. Steve survived countless snakebites; chased up a tree by a deadly komodo dragan; spat on by a red ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 4:23

Tags: Sin General

Denomination: Baptist

Michael Jordan: Persevere

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 17, 2012

MICHAEL JORDAN: PERSEVERE In the fall of 1978, fifteen-year-old Michael Jordan tried out for the varsity basketball team at Emsley A. Laney High School in Wilmington, North Carolina. The sophomore was 5 feet 11 inches and with his skills, the coach told him that he was not good enough, and Michael ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-12

Tags: Endurance

Go Get Your Mother!

Contributed by Joe Bertone on Aug 27, 2012

GO GET YOUR MOTHER! One of my favorite stories of a door is the story of the Amish boy and his father who went to the big city for the very first time. They were amazed by everything they saw. Having grown up and lived all their lives on a rural farm everything was completely new to them. The ...read more

Scripture: John 10:7-10

Tags: Door, Change, Transformation, Mystery, Elevator, Amish  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Gold, Common Sense, And Fur

Contributed by Davon Huss on Dec 24, 2012

There was a couple who desperately wanted children. They prayed to the Lord and he gave them 4 children in 4 years. When the children were still 5 years old and younger, they were the stars of the Christmas pageant. Here are the mothers words to describe the production: “My daughter was playing ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Influence Of A Pastor's Wife

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Aug 12, 2019

When William Booth, the founder of The Salvation Army, felt the call of the Lord to go into the streets of London and begin ministering to street people, he stood in a Methodist Conference meeting and requested permission from the presiding bishop to be released from his church to go into the ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 17:1-16

Tags: Pastor's Wives, Listening To God, Encouraging Others

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Get Back In The Game!

Contributed by John Bright on Mar 19, 2021

What if God started telling your church to do something we had never done before? How hard would you work against it - unwilling to change? There is an old saying – do you know what they put on the tombstone in front of a closed church? “WE NEVER DID IT THAT WAY BEFORE” If that’s the case, we ...read more

Scripture: Luke 5:12-26, Ephesians 4:11-12

Tags: Laity, Sports, Pastor, Basketball

Denomination: Methodist

Be Ready, Have A Plan.

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Apr 17, 2021

PEOPLE NEVER PLAN TO FAIL, THEY FAIL TO PLAN AND BECOME TRAPPED TO BE DOOMED. WHAT IS FAILURE? WHAT IS SUCCESS? LIFE OFTEN HAS MANY TEMPORARY SET BACKS? We must be ready! ALBERT EINSTEIN did not beginning talking until he was 4 years. Many of Einstein’s family and friends thought he was mentally ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 19:7, Matthew 25:10

Tags: Plan, Ready

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Obstacles To The Goal

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Oct 29, 2021

COLLEGE: WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU ARE HIT REAL HARD. ROY RIEGELS WILL FOREVER BE KNOWN AS “WRONG WAY ROY.” Roy played for the University of California from 1927 to 1929. Back then freshmen and sophomores never played on varsity. On January 1, 1929 Roy played in the ROSE BOWL. The GOLDEN ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:12-15, Matthew 13:45

Tags: Goal, Obstacle

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Ten Rules For Improving The Church

Contributed by David Parks on Jun 3, 2022

TEN RULES FOR IMPROVING THE CHURCH 1. Tell yourself over and over that since you are not perfect you would not fit into a perfect congregation, if one existed. 2. Instead of picking out the worldly members to point to, pick out the sincere, dedicated, spiritual members and thank God for them. You ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:1-2, 1 Peter 4:8, Matthew 7:1-5

Tags: Church, Encouragement, Judgementalism

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Is He Welcome

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Feb 21, 2025

John 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. Sadly, there are many buildings with church on the sign that Jesus is knocking on the door to get in. Some He has never been in and others He had been in but they turned Him by denying the Scriptures. Many people in those buildings ...read more

Scripture: John 1:11

Tags: Service, Wash, Salvation, Confession, Presence, Apostasy  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

On The Australian Coat Of Arms Is A Picture Of A ...  PRO

Contributed by David Browne on Dec 9, 2000

On the Australian coat of arms is a picture of a emu and a kangaroo. These animals were chosen because they share a characteristic that appealed to our forefathers. Both the emu and kangaroo can move only forward, not back. The emu’s three-toed foot causes it to fall if it tries to go backwards, ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:12-14, Matthew 14:22-33

Tags: Australian, Growth In Christ, Healing, Love Of The Disciples

Denomination: Baptist

I Have Mentioned Before That Leaders Of The ...  PRO

Contributed by Dan Erickson on Nov 21, 2000

I have mentioned before that leaders of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association estimate that roughly 10% of people who come forward at the end of a Crusade meeting really become Christians that night. Many already were Christians and lots of others go through the external motions but never ...read more

Tags: Lordship Of Christ, Apologetics General, Evangelism Fear Of

Denomination: Baptist