In Sermon Illustrations: "Now What"

On Nimrod

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Jul 16, 2012

ON NIMROD Josephus wrote: "Now it was Nimrod who excited them to such an affront and contempt of God. He was the grandson of Ham, the son of Noah, a bold man, and of great strength of hand. He persuaded them not to ascribe it to God, as if it were through his means they were happy, but to believe ...read more

Tags: Apostasy

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Susie The Savior  PRO

Contributed by Ken Pell on Mar 30, 2013

SUSIE THE SAVIOR The story is told of a certain 9-year-old who is sitting at his desk in school when all of a sudden there is a puddle between his feet, and the front of his pants are wet. He thinks his heart is going to stop, because he knows when the boys find out, he'll never hear the end of ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 53:4-5

Tags: Atonement

Denomination: Nazarene

Daddy, Tell Me About The Facts Of Life.

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Apr 18, 2017

Corrie Ten Boom’s father was being pursued by German authorities for housing Jews, which was a punishable crime under Hitler. He had to hurry away from the home one evening after packing his bag for a long, unknown trip to hide away. At the train station and in the middle of a highly tense ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:28

Tags: Father In Heaven, Will Of God, Where Is God, Father God, Waiting On God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

When Your Back Is Against The Wall, Pat Riley, ...  PRO

Contributed by Philip Harrelson on Feb 19, 2005

WHEN YOUR BACK IS AGAINST THE WALL, PAT RILEY, NBA COACH The Los Angeles Lakers were dominating the Boston Celtics in the final round of the 1984 National Basketball Association championship. The Lakers beat Boston on their home floor in Game 1. They beat them by 33 points in Game 3. They were ...read more

Tags: Christian Disciplines, Endurance

Denomination: Pentecostal

In His Book The Renew Mind (Bethany House, ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

In his book The Renew Mind (Bethany House, 1981), Larry Christiansen tells a story that is a perfect illustration for our sermon text for today. I’d like for you to imagine that you live in a run down apartment. As I describe this, I actually picture in my mind my apartment in St. Paul I shared ...read more

Tags: Jesus Temptation

Truly Amazing Grace

Contributed by Tim Smith on Aug 13, 2017

Timothy Paul Jones in his book, Proof writes about his middle daughter who had been previously adopted by another family. He was sure this couple had the best of intentions, but they never quite integrated the adopted child into their family of biological children. For one reason or another, ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 6:1-8

Tags: Grace, Sin, Chosen, Rebellion, Adoption  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Methodist

By Bobby G. Bodenhamer, ...

Contributed by Bobby Bodenhamer on Oct 17, 2008

By Bobby G. Bodenhamer, D.Min. For October 19, 2008 Introduction - A life of "change" Isn’t it remarkable how rapidly things change? In looking at this passage in Jeremiah my mind was drawn back over my life time. I was borne (I think I was born. Dad always told me that he found me in an old ...read more

Tags: Testimonies About Jesus

Denomination: *other

The Insignificant Is Significant

Contributed by Peter Loughman on May 15, 2008

THE INSIGNIFICANT IS SIGNIFICANT To anyone who knows her, Joanne is not a significant person. Honestly, chances are, Joanne will never accomplish anything significant. In the town that she lives in, Joanne is never going to be someone who people in town will see as an important person. Joanne is ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Why Do We Say Merry Christmas But Happy Everything Else?

Contributed by Derrick Tuper on Dec 23, 2019

Why Do We Say “Merry Christmas” but “Happy” Everything Else? by, Meghan Jones. "The word "merry" isn't one we use very often during the months of January through November. But as soon as Thanksgiving passes, you're bound to start hearing and seeing it everywhere—on ...read more

Scripture: Job 21:12, Ecclesiastes 10:19, Isaiah 24:7, Luke 12:19

Tags: Christmas, Merry

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Patrick Henry Quote  PRO

Contributed by Troy Borst on Sep 17, 2001

ILLUSTRATION… Patrick Henry Quote "I have now disposed of all my property to my family. There is one thing more I wish I could give them and that is faith in Jesus Christ. If they had that and I had not given them a single shilling, they would have been rich; ...read more

Tags: Finding Fulfillment, Examples Of Faith, Parenting

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Greg Slayton Is The Ceo Of Clickaction.com. He ...  PRO

Contributed by Jim Luthy on Oct 12, 2001

Greg Slayton is the CEO of ClickAction.com. He says, in the busy dot.com world in which he now succeeds, he is exhausted by the frantic pace. This is how he describes where it has left him in relationship with others: "The sense of isolation is a curse. It is ...read more

Tags: Disappointment, Church Small Groups, Friendship New Friends

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Love Them  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 5, 2002

LOVE THEM Before becoming a mother I had a hundred theories on how to bring up children. Now I have seven children and only one theory: love them, especially when they least deserve to be loved. Kate Samperi, author SOURCE: Celebrating Mothers: A Book ...read more

Tags: Mother's Day, Parenting, Unconditional Love

Goodness Redefined Joan Brumberg, In Her Book The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 10, 2006

Goodness Redefined Joan Brumberg, in her book The Body Project: An Intimate History of African Girls, observes that the teenage girl’s definition of “goodness” has altered radically over the last century. In the 1890’s girls saw goodness largely in terms of moral and emotional ...read more

Tags: Children

Spy Badges Technology

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 16, 2006

Spy Badges Technology now offers employee ID badges that are read by computer-based mapping programs that track employees within a building or business campus every second. Hospitals use them to quickly locate doctors, but they can also reveal who spends too ...read more

Tags: Workplace

The United Methodist Church Is Losing 40,000 ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 18, 2006

The United Methodist Church is losing 40,000 members a year in the U.S. as it gains roughly 100,000 a year in the 13 African nations where it is thriving. There are now 11.2 million Methodists worldwide including 8.3 million in the U.S. Africans are having a growing ...read more

Tags: Church General

Today In Israel, If You Are A Follower Of ...

Contributed by Todd Stiles on Oct 23, 2006

Today in Israel, if you are a follower of Judaism, you must fix all meals in advance of the Sabbath in case of company. You wouldn’t want to work on the Sabbath, would you? There is even a Sabbath elevator that stops on every floor so you don¡¦t have to press ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Thomas Edison Was Said To Have (2) Tried Over ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Thomas Edison was said to have (2) tried over 2,000 different materials in search of a filament for the lightbulb. He assistant remarked "All of our work is in vain, we have learned nothing." To which Edison corrected the assitant, noting the progress they had made ...read more

Tags: Christian Disciplines

A Hobo Knocked On The Door Of An English Pub ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

A hobo knocked on the door of an English pub called "George and the Dragon." A woman opened the door. He asked, "Could I have a bit to eat?" The woman screamed at him and began to curse and malign him. Finally she slammed the door in his face. He knocked ...read more

Tags: God's Omnipotence

I Was The Setup Man And Warehouse Planner Which ...

Contributed by Steven Wunderink on Aug 8, 2007

I was the setup man and warehouse planner which was second to supervisor in my departments. I applied for 22 supervisor positions, interviewed and it was narrowed down to 2 people, me and the other, 22 times the OTHER was picked. The 23rd time I was and finally understood why I was not ready for ...read more

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

An Excited Army Recruit Asked His Company ...

Contributed by Davon Huss on Nov 12, 2007

An excited Army recruit asked his company commander for a furlough. His wife was going to have a baby. Permission was granted, and when the furlough papers were drawn up and the soldier was leaving, the officer asked exactly when the baby was due. “About nine months after ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ