In Sermon Illustrations: "Not Hearers Only"

Watches Over Us

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 24, 2009

WATCHES OVER US An engineer, after doing his internship with NASA in Houston, made a startling decision to change course and study medicine. Two decades removed from college, he shared his testimony in our church thanksgiving service: "Passing the Oral Board is the culmination of 10 years of ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:28

Tags: God's Provision

A Lady In The North Of England Said That Every ...

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Aug 6, 2009

A lady in the north of England said that every time she got down before God to pray, five bottles of wine came up before her mind. She had taken them wrongfully one time when she was a housekeeper, and had not been able to pray since. She was advised to make restitution. "But the person is dead," ...read more

Tags: Repentance

Denomination: Pentecostal

Company Changes Cake Mix Recipe That Was Too Easy ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 29, 2009

Company Changes Cake Mix Recipe That Was too Easy in order to Increase Sales Years ago a cake mix company put together a cake mix that was a big flop. The instructions said all you had to do was add water and bake. The company couldn’t understand why it didn’t sell, until their research discovered ...read more

Scripture: 2 Kings 5:1-15

Tags: Business, Business And Marketplace

People Who Claim To Have Faith And Yet Are Simply ...

Contributed by Aubrey Vaughan on Dec 3, 2009

PEOPLE WHO CLAIM TO HAVE FAITH AND YET ARE SIMPLY FILLED WITH PIOUS GOOD WISHES TO THOSE IN NEED (CHRISTIAN BROTHER) WITHOUT GOOD ACTIONS GIVE TO THE LIE OF PIOUS WORDS. THE THOUGHT ONLY COUNTS IF SOMETHING TANGIBLE IS DONE TO HELP THE INDIVIDUAL. OUR FAITH BECOMES AN ACT MAKE PRETEND. IT SPEAKS ...read more

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Baptist

I ...

Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Dec 14, 2009

Illustration: J. H. Crowell went to work on a sailing vessel at the age of 16. He was the only Christian among a crew of 12. Before leaving home, he had promised his mother he would continue his devotions and pray three times a day. When the other sailors discovered his piety, they taunted him and ...read more

Tags: Persecution

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Prophecy In The Bible

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 15, 2010

PROPHECY IN THE BIBLE Hundreds of Bible prophecies have been fulfilled, specifically and meticulously, often long after the prophetic writer had passed away. For example, Daniel the prophet predicted in about 538 BC (Daniel 9:24-27) that Christ would come as Israel's promised Savior and Prince 483 ...read more

Tags: Apologetics General

Denomination: Independent/Bible

John W. Gardner, Founding Chairman Of Common ...

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Feb 22, 2010

John W. Gardner, founding chairman of Common Cause, said it's a rare and high privilege to help people understand the difference they can make -- not only in their own lives, but also in the lives of others, simply by giving of themselves. Gardner tells of a cheerful old man who asked the same ...read more

Tags: Pride

Denomination: Pentecostal

In Disney's Animated Movie Toy Story, Woody (...

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on May 11, 2010

In Disney's animated movie Toy Story, Woody (a plush toy cowboy) confronts Buzz Lightyear (a toy astronaut) with the fact that he is only an action figure and not really a space hero. Early in the movie Woody shouts, "You're not a space ranger! You're an action figure—a child's plaything." After ...read more

Tags: Security

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Crashed And Burned

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Jul 13, 2010

CRASHED AND BURNED CRASHED AND BURNED! All my computer files from the last 10 years gone! No full back-ups so no way of retrieving it all. It seems I have lived the last 10 years on the ASSUMPTION that computers last forever, just keep adding data to them. Not so! Happened to me once before and I ...read more

Tags: Judgment

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

An Angel Story

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Aug 3, 2010

AN ANGEL STORY Julie and the kids were on their way home from the park when it happened. Ben was only about 5 years old and happily walking and running ahead on the edge of the road. There was no footpath beside the road, but he was still on the grassy area. Then he must have seen our house on the ...read more

Tags: Angels

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Prayer: Form Vs. ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 3, 2010

Prayer: Form vs. Substance There was a man who would start his day by kneeling beside his bed and spending an hour or so in prayer. But he had a cat that would disturb him and would nuzzle up against him. So to keep his cat from disturbing his prayer time, he would tie the cat to his bedpost. His ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:1-18

Tags: Prayer General

A Beautiful ...

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Aug 26, 2010

A Beautiful Prayer “I asked God to take away my pain. God said, ‘No. It is not for me to take away, but for you to give it up.’ I asked God to make my handicapped child whole. God said, ‘No. His spirit is whole, his body is only temporary.’ I asked God to grant me patience. God said, ‘No. Patience ...read more

Tags: Trust

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

In The Story Of Pollyanna, There Is A Woman Who ...

Contributed by C. Philip Green on Sep 23, 2010

In the story of Pollyanna, there is a woman who runs the town. She’s not the mayor and doesn’t even sit on the city council. It’s just that she has inherited a tremendous amount of money from her father, and she has a controlling interest in all the major businesses in town. As a result, no one ...read more

Tags: Money

Denomination: Evangelical Free

Disciplines: The Decathlon

Contributed by Rodelio Mallari on Dec 12, 2010

DISCIPLINES: THE DECATHLON The Olympic decathlon is internationally recognized as the most demanding test of individual athletic ability there is. It is the event that determines the world's greatest all-around athlete. Originating in a contest held at the 708 B.C. Olympiad to single out Greece's ...read more

Tags: Christian Disciplines

Denomination: *other

Surprise With Joy And Delight

Contributed by Jason Bonnicksen on Mar 15, 2011

SURPRISE WITH JOY AND DELIGHT She squealed with joy – I just know she would. She grinned and chuckled while dashing from room to room as she gazed at all the balloons, streamers and other decorations scattered about. Her little fingers mined through the candy, presents, and other trinkets of fun ...read more

Scripture: Luke 1:11-17

Tags: Joy

Denomination: Lutheran

We Need Christ In Good Times And Bad

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 24, 2011

WE NEED CHRIST IN GOOD TIMES AND BAD Presbyterian minister of the 19th century, J. R. Miller, once wrote that "We need Christ just as much in our bright, prosperous, exalted hours as in the days of darkness, adversity, and depression. We are quite in danger of thinking that religion is only for ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1:18-22

Tags: Jesus Christ

The Church As A China Cabinet

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 7, 2011

THE CHURCH AS A CHINA CABINET Bryan Wilkerson talks about a sterling silver tea set that a family member gave him and his wife as a reminder of her love for them. It’s quite old and beautifully made, and it sits on a stand in their dining room. There's only one problem: they can’t use it. The ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:14-15

Tags: Church Purpose Of

Not Much Of A Man...?

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Jun 11, 2011

NOT MUCH OF A MAN...? A weary truck driver who pulled his rig into an all-night truck stop late one summer evening in Broken Bow, NE. He was tired and hungry. The waitress had just served him when three tough looking, leather-jacketed bikers of the Hell's Angels type decided to give him a hard ...read more

Tags: Justice

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Which House Would You Rather Live In?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 5, 2011

WHICH HOUSE WOULD YOU RATHER LIVE IN? On October 19, 2010, a test was conducted at the Institute for Business and Home Safety in Richburg, South Carolina. Researchers constructed two 1,300-square-foot houses inside a $40 million laboratory and then observed how a simulated hurricane would impact ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:24-27

Persistent Sowers

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 15, 2011

PERSISTENT SOWERS During a particular drought several years ago, much of the seed that had been planted did not come up. The seed that did produced runty plants that promised a scanty yield, if any at all. Grass burned up in the intense heat, and the cattle nearly starved. Many farmers were forced ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:1-23

Tags: Parable Sower And Seed