In Sermon Illustrations: "New Years"

Russell Herman's Last Will And Testament

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 22, 2011

RUSSELL HERMAN'S LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT In 1994, a 67-year-old carpenter named Russell Herman died in Marion, Illinois. In his last will and testament he bequeathed the following: • $2.4 billion to the town of Cave-In-Rock • $2.4 billion to the city of East St. Louis • $1.5 billion for projects ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 21:45

Tags: Promises Of God

Dwarfish Christianity

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 24, 2011

DWARFISH CHRISTIANITY Charles Spurgeon, the famed pastor of the Metropolitan Baptist Tabernacle in London made this observation in the late 1800’s when he came in contact with a community of small framed men. "There was once in London a club of small men, whose qualification for membership lay in ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:10-20, 1 Timothy 3:10-12

Tags: Growth In Christ

At Any Price

Contributed by David T. Smith on Oct 24, 2011

AT ANY PRICE Several years ago a woman by the name of Mrs. Jane Kolodziej was attempting to have her husband released from the psychiatric ward where he had been committed because she had testified that he had tried to kill her and their two sons. She had told the judge that she believed her ...read more

Tags: Sin Wages Of

Denomination: Baptist

Hiding The Word Of God

Contributed by Perry Greene on Jan 10, 2012

HIDING THE WORD OF GOD During World War II, Jewish inmates of the Yanov labor camp in occupied Poland defied their Nazi guards, secretly conducting religious services inside their darkened barracks. To observe their ritual, the Jews had cut religious scrolls into sections, bound the parchment ...read more

Tags: Bible Influence

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Longing

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Jan 15, 2012

LONGING In his book The Spiritual Life of Children, the famous Harvard psychiatrist Robert Coles tells the story of Alice, a ten-year-old girl who came from a family that did not believe in God. She expressed her doubts to him with these words: "I remember... I saw the people next door coming ...read more

Tags: Salvation

Denomination: Methodist

I Want To Be Pretty  PRO

Contributed by Tim Hinrichs on Jan 24, 2012

I WANT TO BE PRETTY "I want to be pretty." This is the title of a popular tv program that was airing when we lived in Poland. It was a reality tv show in which in every episode you follow the changes of two women who are the heroes of the program. Each of these women work with a team of ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 31:30

Tags: Faith, Love, Beauty, Faithfulness, Patience  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Lutheran

Open Table Ministry

Contributed by Tim Smith on Feb 26, 2012

OPEN TABLE MINISTRY Open Table started with a chance encounter with a homeless man named Ernie who simply asked a youth group serving him a meal if he could come worship at their church. The adult youth workers were moved to agree to come the very next day to bring Ernie to their church service. ...read more

Tags: Action

Denomination: Methodist

Do You Fear What You Need Not Fear?

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 11, 2012

DO YOU FEAR WHAT YOU NEED NOT FEAR? A friend told me a story of some hunting dogs that he had. They were good hunting dogs that he used when he went to hunt pigs in the mountains. He shared however, that the dogs, as tough as they were, were deathly afraid of chickens. I couldn’t believe it, so I ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 2:14-18

Tags: Satan

An Outward Expression Of An Inward Experience

Contributed by Christian Cheong on May 11, 2012

AN OUTWARD EXPRESSION OF AN INWARD EXPERIENCE David Ring was born with cerebral palsy. He had complications at birth and he was technically dead for 18 minutes after delivery. No oxygen reached his brain and a portion was permanently damaged. His family’s story was catastrophic – his father had ...read more

Tags: Joy

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Story Of Open Table

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 21, 2012

THE STORY OF OPEN TABLE Open Table started with a chance encounter with a homeless man named Ernie who simply asked a youth group serving him a meal if he could come worship at their church. The adult youth workers were moved to agree to come the very next day to bring Ernie to their church ...read more

Denomination: Methodist

What Is Our Tradition?

Contributed by Perry Greene on May 20, 2013

WHAT IS OUR TRADITION? It is said that during a service at an old synagogue in Eastern Europe, when the Shema prayer was said, half the congregants stood up and half remained sitting. The half that was seated started yelling at those standing to sit down, and the ones standing yelled at the ones ...read more

Tags: Pentecost, Tradition

Denomination: Independent/Bible

A Pastor In Disguise

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 9, 2013

A Pastor in Disguise A few years ago at a Methodist Church in North Wales, as worshippers arrived at the church, they were distressed to see a dirty, drunk, smelly homeless man on the front steps. They didn't realize this bum was actually their pastor, Derek Rigby, who had disguised himself as a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:31-46

Tags: Compassion, Homeless

Is Evangelism Too Hard?

Contributed by Tim Smith on May 11, 2014

Jenn Hopkins writes of attending a funeral several years ago. "There he lay, dead. He was gone and unsaved. Lived a life and then, in the flash of an eye, he was in Hell. Someone I loved and respected was gone and so was my opportunity to share the Gospel with him. His funeral was in a church, one ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 3:8-13

Tags: Evangelism, Hell

Denomination: Methodist

Wrong Reasons For Study Of Bible

Contributed by Tony Abram on Jan 21, 2018

At the village church in Kalonovka, Russia, attendance at Sunday school picked up after the priest started handing out candy to the peasant children. One of the most faithful was a pug-nosed, lad who recited his Scriptures with proper piety, pocketed his reward, then fled into the fields to munch ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:1-3

Tags: Holy, Sanctification

Perpetual Babyhood

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Jul 18, 2018

WE HAVE AN IMPERATIVE COMMAND: 2 Peter 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. PERPETUAL OR ETERNAL BABYHOOD… From LIVING WITH JESUS TODAY by Juan Carlos Orte We have a phenomenon in the church today which I ...read more

Tags: Babyhood, Diaper Changes

Denomination: Assembly Of God

The Vine

Contributed by Michael E. Bartee Sr. on Oct 19, 2018

When I was growing up I was one of six children. Our house was very small, only four rooms. And without any of the convieniences most houses had in those days. We did not have a bathroom,running water, or a furnace. There were two boys, about my age, that lived close by. In my mind they were ...read more

Scripture: John 5:15

Tags: Trusting God, Faith In Christ

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

God's Doing Something

Contributed by Steve Kinnard on Feb 14, 2019

GOD IS DOING SOMETHING Gas Station Business Card A few years ago, I was impressed of God to design a business card that had a picture of hell on the front with the words “GET OUT OF HELL FREE” on the back I placed Salvation Scriptures. I was driving to work early one morning and nearing my exit, ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:27

Tags: Obedience, Unexpected

Denomination: Pentecostal

Imhotep And Joseph

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Dec 9, 2019

A memory of Joseph may have been merged into the legend of Imhotep: “According to Egyptologists, the Pharaoh Djoser employed an adviser named Imhotep, who designed his pyramid. Prior to that time, Pharaohs were buried in low, rectangular structures called mastaba. Imhotep’s design used a creative ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 41:1-57

Tags: Leadership, Joseph, History, Egyptology, Imhotep  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Your Freedom

Contributed by Shawn Drake on Mar 20, 2021

As we conclude Galatians today, I want to further discuss your freedom in Christ. This entire letter is about not giving up your freedom in Christ for rituals. When I worked for McDonald’s in Canyon, TX; I was an Assistant Manager. It was around this time of year, which meant we sold many ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:1-18

Tags: Freedom, Freedom In Action

Denomination: Baptist

Voice Of The Poor

Contributed by Rev. Duraimony Dickson on Jul 9, 2021

Sometimes in our lives, we wonder when God will send the angels to come and save us. There was a story last week that was published by a lot of magazines and daily newspapers. Stanislaus Lourduswamy, popularly known as Stan Swamy, was an Indian Roman Catholic priest, a member of the Jesuit order. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:10

Tags: Voice Of Voiceless, Voice Of Poor

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational