In Sermon Illustrations: "Never Quit"

Jesus Was Never Interested In Having Fans. ...  PRO

Contributed by Kevin Karhoff on Feb 11, 2013

"Jesus was never interested in having fans. When he defines what kind of relationship he wants, "Enthusiastic Admirer" isn’t an option. My concern is that many of our churches in America have gone from being sanctuaries to becoming stadiums. And every week all the fans come to the stadium where ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:18-25

Tags: Redemption, Jesus Christ, Saved

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

A Gift Of Kindness - You Never Know

Contributed by Roberta Karchner on Oct 20, 2018

A number of years ago, my husband and I went to Applebees on our Anniversary for a quiet dinner together. It was, indeed, very quiet, because my husband had just been ordered to undergo an MRI, and we knew that the results might change our future forever. Still, we did what old married couples ...read more

Scripture: Mark 12:31, Hebrews 13:2, Matthew 25:39-40

Tags: Do Unto Others, Love Your Neighbor, Loving Acts, Kind Acts

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Never Despair (What A Hilarious Story!)

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Nov 14, 2021

Robert Morgan has the following humorous illustration to encourage us to emulate Paul and "never despair". I read about a man whose route to work every day took him through a particular park in the city, and every day he saw an old fellow sitting on the park bench. This fellow was an ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Tags: Depression, Despair, Humor, Discouragement

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Father Who Will Never Leave Us

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Dec 31, 2021

A FATHER WHO WILL NEVER LEAVE US Devotional written by Dr. Larry Petton When I was pastoring in Texas, a sweet little girl came up to me once and said, "Pastor Larry, will Jesus ever leave me if I trust in Him?" I knelt down beside the little girl and said, "Why do you ask me ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 13:1-5

Tags: Holy Spirit, Assurance, God's Faithfulness, Our Father In Heaven, The Son Of God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Things That Mom Would Never Say!!!!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on May 5, 2022

THINGS THAT MOM WOULD NEVER SAY.... 1) “How on earth can you see the TV sitting so far back?” 2) “Yeah, I used to skip school a lot myself when I was your age!” 3) “Just leave all the lights on … it makes the house look more cheery.” 4) “Let me smell that shirt — Yeah, it’s good for another ...read more

Tags: Sermon Introductions, Mother's Day, Mothers, Humor

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Never Throw Away Your Freedom

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Oct 23, 2022

Sitting on top of the United States capitol building is a 20-foot statue known as the “Freedom Lady”. She was sculpted by Italian artists in the city of Rome and shipped across the Atlantic Ocean to her perch in Washington DC. During the delivery, the ship carrying the statue encountered a fierce ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:1-16

Tags: Freedom, America, Patriotism

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Devil Never Takes A Day Off

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Aug 7, 2023

Not long ago, ... a minister shared... a conversation ...he had ... with one of his ...parishioners. He said that one day ... a church member ... called him up on the telephone, ... and angrily said ... I phoned you Saturday, ... but I could not get you. The pastor explained that it was his day ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 4:9-10, Mark 2:23-28, Exodus 34:21, Matthew 11:28

Tags: Sabbath, Rest

Denomination: Anglican

You Have Probably Never Heard Of The Island Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Damien Spikereit on Dec 7, 2000

- You have probably never heard of the island of Molokai. Well, it’s located in the state of Hawaii. And it has quite a history. You have to go way back to the late 1800’s to understand its significance. You see, back then, there was no cure for the highly contagious and deadly disease called ...read more

Scripture: John 1:14

Tags: Compassion, Humanity Of Christ, Forgiveness In Jesus

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

What Are Fathers Made Of?  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2001

WHAT ARE FATHERS MADE OF? A father is a thing that is forced to endure childbirth without an anesthetic. A father is a thing that growls when it feels good--and laughs very loud when it’s scared half to death. A father never feels entirely worthy of the worship in a child’s eyes. He’s never ...read more

Tags: Father's Day, Parenting

In The Late Winter Of 1891, The Whale-Ship 'star ...  PRO

Contributed by Peter Bines on Sep 6, 2005

In the late winter of 1891, the whale-ship ’Star of the East’ was in the area of the Falkland Islands when it sighted a whale. Two boats were sent out with harpoons to catch and kill the creature. But the whale’s lashing tail overturned one of the boats spilling the crew into the sea. All were ...read more

Scripture: Jonah 3:1-10

Tags: Fiction, Fact Or Fiction, Check, Jonah, Never Happened  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Annie Johnson Flint's Life On Earth Could Never ...  PRO

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Aug 6, 2004

Annie Johnson Flint’s life on earth could never be measured in any degree by comfort and ease; quite the contrary, from childhood her body endured the onslaught of Rheumatoid Arthritis until she could no longer rise from bed. Over the years the affliction took a great toll, leaving her with no ...read more

Tags: Hardship Of Life, Human Body, Mercy, Perseverance, Affliction, Struggles  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Fail In Order To Succeed

Contributed by I. Grant Spong on Jul 15, 2017

An old axiom says that failure is the stepping stone to success. Are we afraid of failure? The road to success is paved with failures. Before the farmer in the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13) had a successful crop he failed in three areas. We fail in these same areas. We allow the devil to snatch ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:1-23

Tags: Sower, Success, Failure, Parable Of Sower, Quitting  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

An Invalid Was Told That She Could Never Escape ...  PRO

Contributed by Tim Zingale on Dec 11, 2000

"An invalid was told that she could never escape from his prison of pain and weakness. ’Oh, well,’ she replied, ’there is a lot of living to be found within your ...read more

Tags: Endurance, Joy

Denomination: Lutheran

The Great Question That Has Never Been Answered ...  PRO

Contributed by Alan Perkins on Apr 25, 2001

"The great question that has never been answered and which I have not yet been able to answer, despite my thirty years of research into the feminine ...read more

Tags: Marriage Obligations, Romantic Love

Denomination: Baptist

In Order To Avoid Criticism, Never Do Anything. ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 15, 2001

In order to avoid criticism, never do anything. ...read more

Tags: Dealing With Conflicts, Endurance, Unity

This Story Never Held Much Attraction For Me ...  PRO

Contributed by Howard Tyas on Jan 7, 2002

This story never held much attraction for me until I saw it recreated a number of years ago on a television mini-series entitled, “Jesus of Nazareth.” The whole series, I thought, was a particularly authentic portrayal of the life of Jesus, but seeing the account of the slaughter of the innocents ...read more

Tags: Birth Of Jesus, Messianic Prophecies, Herod

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Do Not Wait; The Time Will Never Be "Just Right." ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 20, 2002

Do not wait; the time will never be "just right." Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ, Workplace

We May Never See The End Results, But That Is The ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 20, 2002

We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker. We are workers, not master builders, ministers, not messiahs. We are prophets of a ...read more

Tags: Parable General, Parable Sower And Seed, Kingdom Of God

We Need Never Shout Across The Spaces To An ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 20, 2002

We need never shout across the spaces to an absent God. He is nearer than our own soul, closer than our most ...read more

Tags: Descriptions Of God, Promises Of God

I Have Never Found, In A Long Experience Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 10, 2002

I have never found, in a long experience of politics, that criticism is ever inhibited ...read more

Tags: Christian Love, Christian Disciplines