In Sermon Illustrations: "Not Prepared"

A Young, Awkward Boy Grew Up In Southern ...  PRO

Contributed by John Williams Iii on May 8, 2003

A young, awkward boy grew up in southern California, plagued by a learning disability that in later years would be called dyslexia. But with his mother’s encouragement and admonishment, he became a strong and capable leader. Years later he was commanding thousands of your Americans in war. When ...read more

Tags: Parenting

Denomination: United Methodist

A Missionary On Furlough Told This True Story ...  PRO

Contributed by Richard Crow on Sep 2, 2003

A missionary on furlough told this true story while visiting his home church in Michigan, "While serving at a small field hospital in Africa, every two weeks I traveled by bicycle through the jungle to a nearby city for supplies. It was a journey of two days and required camping overnight at the ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 19:1-10

Tags: Prayer Adoration, Prayer Answered

Denomination: Baptist

Make A Friend, Find A Friend!" Proverbs 18: 24 ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Nov 11, 2004

“Make a Friend, Find a Friend!” Proverbs 18: 24 Key verse(s): 24: “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” I am reminded of the story of the great patriot John Randolph of Virginia. Known for his intelligence and generosity, ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 18:24

Tags: Friendship New Friends

Denomination: Lutheran

A Missionary On Furlough Told This True Story ...

Contributed by Johnny Creasong on May 27, 2005

A missionary on furlough told this true story while visiting his home church in Michigan..... "While serving at a small field hospital in Africa, every two weeks I traveled by bicycle through the jungle to a nearby city for supplies. This was a journey of two days and required camping overnight ...read more

Tags: God's Provision

Denomination: Church Of God

What Child Has Not Watched With Wonder As Mother ...

Contributed by Manuel Amparo on May 10, 2006

What child has not watched with wonder as Mother wielded a needle and thread? But mothers not only make and mend clothes, they make and mend characters! To do this sometimes requires “needling.” The greatest heritage anyone can receive is the influence of a Christian home. But ...read more

Scripture: Acts 11:27-30

Tags: Parenting

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

A Mother's Wardrobe  PRO

Contributed by Brian Bolton on May 11, 2006

A mother’s wardrobe • 1st baby: You begin wearing maternity clothes as soon as your doctor confirms your pregnancy. • 2nd baby: You wear your regular clothes for as long as possible. • 3rd baby: Your maternity clothes ARE your regular clothes. A mom preparing for the Birth • 1st baby: You practice ...read more

Tags: Parenting

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Jenna And I Boarded A -1:00 A.m. Flight In Tel ...

Contributed by Matthew Bushnell on Nov 29, 2006

Jenna and I boarded a -1:00 A.M. flight in Tel Aviv which would carry us back to the States. Travelling is always hectic, but that night it was especially bad. The plane was packed and we were delayed because of extra-tight airport security. As we boarded, I realized that our seats weren’t ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Ode To Mom

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Apr 10, 2007

ODE TO MOM (from Pearl Sewell and Patti Cowell). POSITION: Mother, Mom, Mama JOB DESCRIPTION: Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in an often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work ...read more

Denomination: Pentecostal

Victory Hill

Contributed by Johnny Wilson on Mar 30, 2009

VICTORY HILL Remember, our plotting is unfinished, but God’s training and strength-conditioning is already there for us. I want to talk about this chastising, sometimes translated as punishing, and which I have translated as "training." I have something in mind. The Hebrew verb means to provide ...read more

Tags: God's Judgment

Denomination: *other

I Was Once Preaching In The Chapel Of A ...

Contributed by Chris Surber on Sep 10, 2009

I was once preaching in the chapel of a retirement village in Yuma, Arizona. After delivering the sermon I began chatting with an elderly woman who I later learned was very hard of hearing. We were standing just outside the chapel, near a very beautiful pool table which looked as though it was ...read more

Tags: Tongue

Denomination: Christian Church

Cost Of Discipleship  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 19, 2009

COST OF DISCIPLESHIP I recently read the true story about a preacher who was standing at the door shaking hands as the congregation departed. He grabbed one man by the hand and pulled him aside. The preacher said to him, "You need to join the Army of the Lord!" The man replied, "I’m already in the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 16:24-25

Tags: Discipleship, Follow, Deny, Gross

Here's Some Common Sense That Doesn't Sound ...

Contributed by Terry Barnhill on Oct 24, 2009

Here’s some common sense that doesn’t sound especially biblical, but it has some really good biblical foundations. Consider these quotes from “The Wisdom of Cowboys”: • A cowboy would say, “Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.” Now this is from ...read more

Tags: Wisdom

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Spiderman Pajamas Don't Attract Attention, ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 30, 2009

Spiderman Pajamas Don’t Attract Attention, Disappointing a Little Boy Last January, Kristy and I took the boys up to Big Bear on a little vacation to play in the snow. We had lots of nice snow cloths for the boys, but no thermal underwear. So, we figured their pajamas resemble thermal underwear, ...read more

Tags: Parable Sower And Seed

Tending Your ...

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Jan 9, 2010

TENDING YOUR GARDEN Suppose 2 women were planting a vegetable garden. On the same day, they prepared the earth and planted their seeds. One then neglected her garden and waited for her vegetables to grow. The other woman worked in her garden regularly. She put cages around the young tomato ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Tending Your ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 1, 2010

Tending Your Garden Suppose 2 women were planting a vegetable garden. On the same day, they prepared the earth and planted their seeds. One then neglected her garden and waited for her vegetables to grow. The other woman worked in her garden regularly. She put cages around the young tomato plants, ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 1:5-9

Tags: Disciplines General

Phillip Yancey On Expectations And ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 1, 2010

Phillip Yancey on Expectations and Disappointment Phillip Yancey had this to say about people’s expectations: Daniel Boorstin, former librarian of Congress and director of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, offers this assessment of contemporary culture: When we pick up our ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:25-34

Tags: Disappointment

Mom's Chicken Soup Coupled With Forgiveness Wins ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 10, 2010

Mom’s Chicken Soup Coupled with Forgiveness Wins Over Disgruntled Church Member A lady tells as story that is a real picture of forgiveness. She says my mom, now in heaven, was a good cook. She was a good forgiver too and the combination of these two qualities resulted one day in an incident I love ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:43-48

Tags: Forgiveness For Others

Why Be Buried With A Fork In Your ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 4, 2010

Why Be Buried With a Fork in Your Hand There was a woman who had been told she only had 3 months to live. Her doctor recommended that she start making preparations to die. And so, she contacted her Pastor to talk about her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at her funeral, what ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Tags: Heaven

History Of "The Star Spangled Banner"

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 19, 2011

HISTORY OF "THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER" An American lawyer was dispatched to negotiate for the release of several prisoners, including a civilian named Dr. William Beanes. Although the negotiation for prisoner exchange was initially successful, Francis Scott Key and the American official, Colonel ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:51-58

Tags: Independence Day

The Beatitudes: An Instrument Panel

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Jan 31, 2011

THE BEATITUDES: AN INSTRUMENT PANEL On July 16, 1999, John F. Kennedy, Jr. was killed when the Piper Saratoga light aircraft he was piloting crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. His wife, Carolyn Bessette, and sister-in-law, Lauren Bessette, were also ...read more

Tags: Kingdom Of God

Denomination: Methodist