In Sermon Illustrations: "No Room At The Inn"

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

Earnest Heed  PRO

Contributed by Charles Dupree on Oct 25, 2011

Earnest Heed Hebrews 2:1 There was a man named Earnest Heed Who simply refused listen But when his wife cooked apple pie His eyes would always glisten. Earnest had a few close friends Named Apathy and Lazy They like Earnest refused to hear And drove other people crazy. One day, ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 2:1-2

Tags: Obedience, Listen, Accountability, Laziness, Hearing  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

A Lesson From A Light Bulb  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 5, 2012

A LESSON FROM A LIGHT BULB A missionary in Africa lived in his central mission which had a small generator to supply current for his church and a small rectory. Some natives from an outlying mission came to visit the pastor. They noticed the electric light hanging from the ceiling of his living ...read more

Scripture: John 15:1-8

Tags: Power

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

If I Have Seen Everything....  PRO

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Feb 23, 2016

IF I HAVE SEEN EVERYTHING.... Evangelist Jack Taylor was alone in his hotel room in Houston, Texas after a Southern Baptist Convention meeting. He felt exhausted in ministry. He cried out to God in prayer, "Lord, if I have seen everything You have for me in my ministry.......then take my life ...read more

Scripture: John 15:1-5

Tags: Pastoral Ministry, Total Surrender, Burnt Out

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Over Your Head

Contributed by Steve Kinnard on Feb 15, 2019

OVER YOUR HEAD I remember struggling in the water and I remember going under. I also remember the distinct feeling that I was going to die. What I learned as a young child was that one should be careful about getting in over one's head. I would like to ask you a question. How many of you can ...read more

Scripture: Ezekiel 47:1-2

Tags: Fear, Commitment

Denomination: Pentecostal

Come Anyway (No Excuse Sunday)

Contributed by Roberta Karchner on Nov 7, 2020

To make it possible for everyone to attend church this Sunday, we are going to have a special "No Excuse Sunday": • We will provide pillows to nap for those who need the extra sleep on Sunday morning. • We will have extra cushions for those who feel that our pews are too hard. ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 24:18

Tags: Commitment, Faithfulness, Attendance, Sunday Morning

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

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

Being A Parent And A Father Can Be An ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Being a parent and a father can be an interesting and trying experience. Someone said, “Fathers spend the first part of a child’s life urging him to talk and walk, and the rest of his childhood telling him to sit down and keep quiet.” A son who was in college wrote home to his dad. He said, “Dear ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 1:2-21

Tags: Children, Father's Day, Challenge, Parenting

A Couple Had Been Married For 50 Years. "Things ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

A couple had been married for 50 years. "Things have really changed," she said. "You used to sit very close to me." "Well, I can remedy that," he said, moving next to her on the couch. "And you used to hold me tight." "How’s that?" he asked as he gave her a hug. "Do you remember you used to nudge ...read more

Scripture: Judges 4:8-9

Tags: Ot Leaders

Grim Reaper

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Grim Reaper According to an old fable, a man made an unusual agreement with Death. He told the Grim Reaper that he would willingly accompany him when it came time to die, but only on one condition—that Death would send a messenger well in advance to warn him. Weeks passed into months, and months ...read more

Tags: Death

As Time Passed, However, The Inevitable ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

As time passed, however, the inevitable occurred. They began to lose and lose and lose. The blame fell, at least in part, not on Coach George Allen, but on a quarterback named Sonny Jurgenson, in my opinion one of the most gifted and effective quarterbacks to ever play the game. Jurgenson possesses ...read more

Tags: Leadership General

January 6, 1850, Was Bitterly Cold In ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

January 6, 1850, was bitterly cold in Colchester, England, a hard-biting blizzard keeping most worshipers at home. At the Primitive Methodist Chapel on Artillery Street only about a dozen showed up. When it became apparent that even the pastor would not arrive, a man rose and spoke from Isaiah ...read more

Tags: Doing God's Will

Maybe I Can Illustrate This With Something A ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Maybe I can illustrate this with something a little whimsical. God knows we need whimsical in these bleak times I am remembering my grandmother and what a wonderful cook she was. We looked forward to holidays when we would be invited to her house for a delightful meal. But every Thanksgiving, every ...read more

Tags: Abortion

Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962), The World-Famous ...

Contributed by Aubrey Vaughan on Jun 23, 2007

Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962), the world-famous violinist, earned a fortune with his concerts and compositions, but he generously gave most of it away. So, when he discovered an exquisite violin on one of his trips, he wasn’t able to buy it. He Later, having raised enough money to meet the asking ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

A Squirrel In The Road

Contributed by Jim Heidebrecht on Jul 2, 2007

A Squirrel in the road: This week as I was thinking about roads and signposts and choices, I was on our road right out here and as I turned the corner, I saw a squirrel He was halfway across when he noticed me I didn’t have room to stop He froze in the middle, he started across, started back, ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

By Life Or By Death

Contributed by Steve Smith on Jul 16, 2007

ILLUSTRATION: BY LIFE OR BY DEATH John Piper, in his book, “Future Grace”, reprinted a letter by Carl Lundquist, former president of Bethel College and Seminary. In 1988, the doctors told him he had a rare form of cancer which invaded the skin over his entire body and ended his life three years ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Dr. Norman Shawchuck Has Pastored United ...

Contributed by R. David Reynolds on Sep 1, 2007

Dr. Norman Shawchuck has pastored United Methodist congregations in North Dakota and Indiana and is a prolific author and retreat leader in the area of spiritual formation. His contemporary prayer of repentance is so personally powerful: “O God, I surrender to you the habits and sins that, like ...read more

Denomination: Methodist

From Rustle Of Angels  PRO

Contributed by Paul Wallace on Sep 4, 2007

From Rustle of Angels p88 In the book Rustle of Angels Jeanette Gable tells her experience. She was very fearful about her upcoming surgery. She told the doctor, but he didn’t give her any medication for her anxiety. As she was in the holding area awaiting surgery she began to literally shake ...read more

Denomination: Wesleyan

Naval Aviation Training Includes An ...  PRO

Contributed by Austin Mansfield on Sep 18, 2007

Naval aviation training includes an indoctrination session in what looks like a ride from some amusement park. The device takes up an entire huge room, and has individual containers attached to a larger wheel, allowing the person inside to be spun in multiple directions as the main wheel spins ...read more

Tags: Big, Large, Larger

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican