In Sermon Illustrations: "New Year"

What Would You Say?

Contributed by Scott Sharpes on Dec 16, 2010

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY? A number of years ago a couple traveled to the offices of an Adoption Society in England to receive a baby. They had been on the waiting list a long time. They had been interviewed and carefully scrutinized. Now at last their dreams were to be fulfilled. But their day of ...read more

Tags: Adoption

Denomination: Nazarene

Subway Superhero

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 22, 2011

SUBWAY SUPERHERO Just a few years ago, an astonishing thing happened in New York City. A construction worker named Wesley Autrey was standing on a subway platform with his two young daughters waiting on a train. Suddenly another man on the platform, apparently suffering from a seizure, stumbled ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:25-37

Tags: Heroism

Making Service A Joy

Contributed by David Parks on Sep 2, 2011

MAKING SERVICE A JOY An amusing story was told to me by the manager of a New York hotel. The great Paderewski occupied a suite there a number of years ago during one of his seasons at Carnegie Hall. It was the master’s custom to practice for a couple of hours every morning on the magnificent ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 4:9-11

Tags: Servanthood

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

King Tut Vs. William Borden

Contributed by Bret Toman on Jan 31, 2012

KING TUT VS. WILLIAM BORDEN In 1922 Howard Carter discovered the burial chamber of King Tutankhamen. King Tut had died at around age 19 and his tomb had been untouched for over 3000 years. Buried with him were solid gold chariots and thousands of golden artifacts. His gold coffin was found within ...read more

Tags: Apologetics Jesus

Denomination: Baptist

Lottery's Biggest Losers

Contributed by Aaron Mishoe on Apr 3, 2012

LOTTERY'S BIGGEST LOSERS Winning the lottery isn’t a guaranteed ticket to the good life, as these previous winners can attest: --Jack Whittaker: This West Virginia businessman won $315 million in the Powerball lottery in 2002, the largest jackpot ever from a single ticket in American history at ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 13:11

Tags: Money

Denomination: Holiness

The Cost Of Trying To Fit In

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 19, 2012

THE COST OF TRYING TO FIT IN Kevin Miller of Wheaton, Illinois wrote the following: Right after I finished 6th grade, my family moved to a new town. As I started junior high that fall, I suddenly found myself in a school I didn’t know, in a town I didn’t know, with people I didn’t know. I felt ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 18:24

Tags: Friendship General

Heavenly Home

Contributed by Davon Huss on Nov 3, 2014

Daniel Overdorf- One Friday afternoon I struggled to prepare for the weekend. The week’s hectic pace, filled with activities, left me scrambling on Friday to finish my sermon. While I hunched over my desk, unable to develop anything that resembled a sermon, the office phone rang. From the ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 3:13

Tags: Heaven, Heavenly Home, Entering God's Rest

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Titanic And The Importance Preparing Ourselves For Growth

Contributed by David Simpson on Apr 17, 2018

Growth is a natural part of growing up! The Lord wants us to grow up…to feed on Him and get growing! Ephesians 4:15 "Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ." Col. 1:10 "And we pray this in order that you may live a life ...read more

Tags: Immaturity, Be Prepared, Growth, Preparation, Maturity, Selfishness, Disaster  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian Church

Grief

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on May 17, 2022

On Death and Loss… He was 50 years old. The cancer was aggressive and relentless. The pain was unmanageable and agonizing. In two months he was gone. I didn't have the opportunity to say good-bye and if I did, what would I say? Could I get the words out? Our last communication, me in Port ...read more

Scripture: John 11:25, Psalm 90:1-12, 2 Corinthians 1:1-7

Tags: Death, Grief, Sickness

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Evolution Is The Problem - And The Solution?

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Jul 19, 2023

Gov Pritzker (Illinois) gave the 2023 Commencement Address at North Eastern University "… Whenever we see someone who doesn't look like us, or sound like us, or act like us or love like us, or live like us - the first thought that crosses almost everyone's brain is rooted in either ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-3, Romans 3:23, Galatians 5:22-23, Psalm 139:14, Romans 7:21-25, Genesis 1:27, Genesis 3:17-19  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Evolution, Compassion, Salvation, Kindness, Education, Humanity, Fruit Of The Spirit  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Alex Navalny - Russian Dissident

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Feb 19, 2024

Russian opposition leader and outspoken Christian, Alexei Navalny. Navalny voluntarily returned to Russia - knowing he would be arrested and imprisoned. Navalny, 47, dies while serving a 19-year sentence in a penal colony north of the Arctic Circle. In Navalny’s closing statement during his 2021 ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:6

Tags: Righteousness, Sermon On The Mount, Sacrifice, Integrity

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

My Daughter Brought A Caterpillar From School One ...  PRO

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Aug 8, 2001

My daughter brought a caterpillar from school one day. We promptly found a shoe box and put some leaves and grass into the box. My daughter gently placed the little insect into its new home. We punched holes in clear wrap and placed it over the top of the box, so that we could watch our little ...read more

Tags: God In The Hardships, God's Omniscience, Knowing God's Will

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Look Carefully  PRO

Contributed by John Williams Iii on Apr 16, 2002

LOOK CAREFULLY In the Greek original of the New Testament the word often translated sincere means `judged in the sunlight’; and the English word is derived from the Latin--- `sine cera’, which means `without wax’. In the days when art flourished in ancient Greece, it was the common ...read more

Scripture: James 1:13-17, James 1:13-17

Tags: Truth, Faith, Leadership General

Denomination: United Methodist

The Truth Hurts  PRO

Contributed by Darren Ethier on May 9, 2002

THE TRUTH HURTS Some of us may be able to sympathize with the fellow who received a call from his wife just as she was about to fly home from Europe. "How’s my cat?" she asked. "Dead." "Oh, honey, don’t be so honest. Why didn’t you break the news to me slowly? You’ve ruined my trip." "What do you ...read more

Tags: Faith, Compassion, Conflict, Communication, Men And Women, Truth  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Pentecostal

A Great Place To Live  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 26, 2002

A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE America is a great place to live. Thousands of people reach its borders everyday hoping to live the American Dream. The Chrisian Science Monitor recently reported a poll that asked the question "If it couldn’t be US, whose citizenship would you want?" Americans, ...read more

Tags: Kingdom Of God, Independence Day

I Don't Know How I Feel About The Christmas Lexus ...  PRO

Contributed by Fred Mueller on Dec 13, 2002

I don’t know how I feel about the Christmas Lexus commercials. Have you seen them? In a series of vignettes, a key to a new Lexus is given to a very surprised and very pleased wife or husband. IN one instance, the husband has the family dog take the ribbon holding the keys to his wife. In ...read more

Tags: Christmas, Forgiveness General, Television And Movies

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Story: When I Was Younger, I Used To Wonder Why ...

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Jan 10, 2004

Story: When I was younger, I used to wonder why on earth Matthew and Luke recorded the genealogies of Christ. That is until I met Gideon Miller. Gideon Miller was an extraordinary man. He was about 5’6” and had size 16 shoes. He was married to a German woman who had been a member of the Hitler ...read more

Tags: Bible Influence, Faith General

Denomination: Anglican

It Is Interesting That Time Magazine In 1971 ...

Contributed by Timothy Smith on Sep 4, 2004

It is interesting that Time magazine in 1971 noted that labor experts were predicting that by the new millennia we would be on a national 4 day work week and have an abundance of leisure time. Those projections have not come true, in fact exactly the opposite has happened. According to a ...read more

Tags: Workplace Balance

Denomination: Christian Church

We Once Had A Homeless Man Show Up At Our ...

Contributed by Robert Rose on Oct 18, 2005

We once had a homeless man show up at our mission. He had been walking for days to get someplace so that he might find work. His feet were blistered, his shoes were worn and his socks had holes. The case manager had a big heart, she had the man sit down and she got a pan of water. She proceeded ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness General, Christian Disciplines, Poverty

Denomination: Holiness

Here Are Words To A Hymn From The Tune Of 'o ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Miller on Dec 13, 2005

Here are words to a hymn from the tune of ’O Little Town of Bethlehem.’ It was sung after a Narnia message titled, "What If There Were No Christmas?" O Wintry Land of Narnia O wintry land of Narnia what mysteries do you hold? Despite the threats of the white witch, Good News is to unfold! ‘Cause ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: United Methodist