In Sermon Illustrations: "Not Enough Time"

On March 5, 1987, An Irish World Record Holder In ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 8, 2008

On March 5, 1987, an Irish world record holder in the 1500 meter dash was running a qualifying heat at the world indoor track championships in Indianapolis, Indiana. With just 2 _ laps to go, he tripped and fell. But he got up and with great effort managed to catch the leaders of the race once ...read more

America Split Into Three Financial Camps Last ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 15, 2008

America split into three financial camps last year that came sharply into focus at Christmas. 1-The Hunker-Down crowd cut back their purchases, uneasy about dwindling dollars and rising debt. Traffic in non-discount retail stores was sluggish as a result. 2-The Full-Speed-Ahead crowd did business ...read more

Tags: Money

A Young Woman In China Had Been Invited To A ...

Contributed by Bruce Ball on Jul 14, 2008

A young woman in China had been invited to a church and had gone just to please her friend. While she was there, she received Jesus Christ and began attending regularly. She did that because she found pure joy in her soul while she was at church. That was the one place in her life she could ...read more

Tags: Church General

Denomination: *other

Scientists Were Studying The Impact Of A ...

Contributed by Dennis Selfridge on Sep 5, 2008

Scientists were studying the impact of a high-cholesterol diet on heart disease. To measure this effect, they fed a group of genetically similar rabbits the same high-cholesterol diet. To their amazement, half the rabbits developed heart troubles, while the others were normal, with no noticeable ...read more

Tags: Unconditional Love

Denomination: Wesleyan

God Blesses Christian Parents

Contributed by Eric Hanson on Nov 17, 2008

GOD BLESSES CHRISTIAN PARENTS How wonderful for children to have parents who are truly "in the Lord." They will be able to honor such men and women, thus activating the promise mentioned in verse 3. Nancy’s Grandparents took her Grandfather’s mother into their home and cared for her when she ...read more

Tags: Home

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Light Of Hope  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 5, 2009

A Light of Hope There is a story about how the caverns north of Yellowstone National Park were discovered. As the story goes, one of the original explorers was walking along the top of that mountain and fell through a hole, and he dropped down several hundred feet into this cavern and was stuck in ...read more

Scripture: John 8:12, Isaiah 9:1-2, Matthew 4:14-16

Tags: Evangelism The Lost

Real ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 5, 2009

REAL LISTENING The story is told of a grandmother, a mother and a little boy--three generations--who went into a restaurant and sat down to order. The waitress took the grandmother’s order, the mother’s order, then turned to the little boy and said, "What would you like?" The mother immediately ...read more

Tags: Leadership Listening

Hide And Seek With God  PRO

Contributed by Johnny Wilson on Mar 7, 2009

HIDE AND SEEK WITH GOD This week I have been hammered by the immensity of what it means to "abandon," "forsake," or "leave alone" the omnipresent God, God who is everywhere. How is that possible? It is ONLY possible if God allows us to leave, allows us to turn our back upon God Himself. Yes, it ...read more

Tags: God's Omniscience

Denomination: *other

Obedience

Contributed by Anitha Jabastion on Jan 2, 2021

There was a boy who went trekking on the mountain. He reached a great height when he realized that it was getting dark and he had to reach the bottom soon. He began climbing down. It was getting darker and darker, so dark that he could barely see. He was somehow managing to get down the mountain ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 15:22

Tags: Obedience, Listening To God

Love Is Like Candy

Contributed by John Bright on May 22, 2021

I’m talking about love that is a real, tangible – like candy! Since you are watching on video (or reading this at home), you will have to imagine I have a big bag of Hershey Kisses right here. I have LOTS OF CANDY! So - I can claim to be full of candy. What if this candy is the love we have to ...read more

Scripture: Luke 6:27-36

Tags: Love, Enemies

Denomination: Methodist

How Are You Doing?

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Jul 2, 2021

There's a story about a little girl who came home from school one day, and her mother met her at the door: Hi! How was school today? How are you doing? With the honesty of little people, the girl replied, Oh, not so well, mommy. My tummy hurts! Mothers know everything, and this mommy had ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 16:5-6

Tags: Joke, Child Misunderstanding

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

When God Opened An Unexpected Door For Cliff Barrows

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Nov 10, 2024

Dr. James Dobson wrote a book entitled When God Doesn’t Make Sense, and, in his book, he shared an illustration that is very applicable to the point being drawn from this particular verse. Take a moment and reflect upon the following story: In 1945, a young associate pastor named Cliff married his ...read more

Tags: Will Of God, Call To Ministry, Open Doors, Sovereignty Of God

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Cork And The Whale

Contributed by Joshua Blackmon on Jul 6, 2025

2 Corinthians 4:7-18 offers a portrait of spiritual buoyancy. Paul, in other places, invites us to follow him as he follows Christ (1 Cor 11:1). His spiritual practices caused him to float above the difficulties that he faced over and over again in his life and ministry. One of the greatest things ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 11:1, 2 Corinthians 4:7-18

Tags: Poem, Buoyancy

Denomination: Pentecostal

Holy Communion

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Oct 30, 2025

Hugh Price Hughes (9 February 1847 – 17 November 1902), was a Welsh Methodist clergyman and he wrote this: I was struck even then at the way in which the most exalted were reduced to their simple humanity. Then, again, at the Holy Communion, all men are absolutely equal. One table for rich ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:16-17, 1 Corinthians 11:24-26

Tags: Holy Communion, Equal, Iron Duke

Denomination: Anglican

The Discipline Of Delay!" 1 John 5:13-14 Key ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Feb 13, 2005

“The Discipline of Delay!” 1 John 5:13-14 Key verse(s): 14:“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will he hear us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of him.” I don’t have time for this now! There is not a day in my life when ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 5:13-14, Job 15:1-5

Tags: Peace

Denomination: Lutheran

Think About People Who Find Themselves In ...

Contributed by Richard Mcnair on Oct 27, 2004

Think about people who find themselves in religious ruts. They discover a number of things about themselves. They will find that they are getting older but not getting any holier. Time is their enemy, not their friend. The time they trusted and looked to is betraying them, for they often said to ...read more

Tags: Disciplines General

Denomination: Baptist

Alone On Christmas  PRO

Contributed by Bernard Dawson on Dec 14, 2002

ALONE ON CHRISTMAS George Mason’s life was centered in his business. He lived alone and refused all invitations to socialize. His brother’s family had urged him to visit but the children always made too much noise. Besides, he didn’t want to buy presents for his nephews and nieces. Instead he ...read more

Tags: Christmas, Fulfillment

Denomination: Holiness

As Disciples Of Jesus, We Are To Become By The ...  PRO

Contributed by R. David Reynolds on Nov 27, 2004

As disciples of Jesus, we are to become by the Holy Spirit like our Master as He Himself tells us in Matthew 10:25, “It is enough for the student to be like His Teacher, and the servant like His master.” By the power of the Holy Spirit working in us, may we this Advent become more like Jesus who ...read more

Scripture: James 2:1-10

Tags: Evangelism How To, Sharing My Testimony

Denomination: Methodist

A Click And A Pop-Up Menu! ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Jun 28, 2005

A Click and a Pop-Up Menu! (06.30.05--Direction--John 21:15-19 ) Just being in love is not enough especially when you are considering spending the rest of your life in that condition. Internet romance is on a real boom swing around the world. Only a few short years ago anyone who “dated” on ...read more

Scripture: John 21:15-19

Tags: Romantic Love

Denomination: Lutheran

Alone On ...

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Dec 28, 2009

ALONE ON CHRISTMAS George Mason’s life was centered in his business. He lived alone and refused all invitations to socialize. His brother’s family had urged him to visit but the children always made too much noise. Besides, he didn’t want to buy presents for his nephews and nieces. Instead he ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational