In Sermon Illustrations: "Now What"

Children Have A Great Deal To Say About Love, ...

Contributed by Jim Kane on May 18, 2009

Children have a great deal to say about love, don’t they? We adults have had the experience of “falling in love” and for most, if not all of us, it was a wonderful and overwhelmingly emotional experience. But, not to 7 year old Glenn. He says, "If falling in love is anything like learning how to ...read more

Tags: Love, Marriage Commitment

Denomination: Church Of God

War Stories About Not Giving Up The Fight: ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 12, 2009

War Stories About Not Giving Up the Fight: Battles of Shiloh and Waterloo You and I live in a very complex world. Pressures from every direction. And at times we feel like we cannot take it any more. We just want to be rescued from our problems. We pray to be rescued. We get others to pray for our ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-3

Tags: Endurance

Chaplains Give Their Lives To Save Sailors During ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 26, 2010

Chaplains Give Their Lives to Save Sailors during World War II On February 3, 1943, the USS Dorchester would become another casualty of World War II. But unlike others before it, what would take place on the upper deck of the Dorchester would become a testament of brotherly love and ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 20:28

Tags: Sacrifice, Heroism

Good For Goodness' Sake

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Dec 26, 2010

GOOD FOR GOODNESS' SAKE “You better watch out, you better not cry Better not pout I'm telling you why - Santa Claus is coming to town He's making a list and checking it twice; Gonna find out Who's naughty and nice Santa Claus is coming to town He sees you when you're sleeping - He knows when ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Crashing Through  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 9, 2011

CRASHING THROUGH At three years old, Mike Mays was accidentally blinded by a chemical explosion when he and his 4-year-old sister were playing in the garage. He lived his entire life until he was well into his forties before having his eyesight was restored by a pioneering ophthalmologist. But ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:9-10

Tags: Endurance

The Rise And Fall Of Nine Rich Men  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 6, 2011

THE RISE AND FALL OF NINE RICH MEN A popular story recounts a meeting that may have taken place at the Edgewater Beach Hotel in Chicago in 1923. There is debate whether the meeting in fact occurred, but what is not in question is the actual rise and fall of the men featured in the story, who were ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:6-10

Tags: Money

Giovanni Was A Saint

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Jun 24, 2011

GIOVANNI WAS A SAINT In a small country village in Sicily, there were two brothers, renowned members of the local Mafia. They were mean, bad and very rich. No one had a good word to say about them. Indeed, everyone seemed to have a story about how they had either been cheated or maligned by the ...read more

Tags: Disciples

Denomination: Anglican

Pleading The Blood

Contributed by Mark Stepherson on Aug 24, 2011

"PLEADING THE BLOOD" The singles group at the church I joined in 1978 was fascinated by Mike Warnke's book, The Satan Seller. He wrote about being drawn into Satanism, advancing through the ranks, getting saved, and the struggles he had with other Satanists and even demons after leaving them. It ...read more

Tags: Prayer In The Spirit

Denomination: Baptist

We Need Models

Contributed by Greg Nance on Dec 15, 2011

WE NEED MODELS Peter tells us not only that Jesus Christ is the model but what are the tools and pieces to put together so that this model is complete and working for God's glory and our security in our lives. I remember getting a model car for a birthday present when I was about 12. It was a ...read more

Tags: Discipleship

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Agitator

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 26, 2022

Does anyone know what that piece in the middle of the washer is called? The part in the middle that moves back and forth and shakes the clothes back and forth? What is that called? I’m going to call it an Agitator. What is the purpose of the Agitator? As far as I can tell, its sole purpose is to ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:17-24

Tags: Holy Spirit, Sanctification

Emily's 9-5 Struggle

Contributed by Jung Lee on Jan 19, 2024

Emily, a young woman from the MZ generation, recently started her career with a standard 9-5 job. She quickly finds herself feeling trapped and miserable in this routine. Every morning, the thought of going to work at 9 AM and staying until 5 PM feels unbearable to her. She often voices her ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:17-22

Tags: Letting Go, Spiritual Growth, Comfort, Purpose, Danger  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

The Donkey On The Way To Moriah

Contributed by David Dunn on Oct 24, 2025

My name? Oh, I’m Steady—because that’s what Abraham always called me. I’m not fast, I’m not fancy—but I can walk a long way without complaining. I’ve carried all kinds of things for my master: water, wood, even tents through the desert wind. But one morning, he packed something different—firewood ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 11:17-19, Philippians 4:19, Psalm 37:5

Tags: Faith, Trust, Obedience, Journey, Provision  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

A Saint

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Oct 27, 2025

Story: In a small country village in Sicily, there were two brothers, renown members of the local Mafia. They were mean, bad and very rich. No one had a good word to say about them. Indeed, everyone seemed to have a story about how they had either been cheated or maligned by the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-14, Hebrews 12:18-24

Tags: Saint, Mafia

Denomination: Anglican

The Peter Principle - I Will Change Your Name

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Jan 19, 2026

Back in the 60's ... a man named Laurence J. Peter ... visited several corporations ... and studied some of their management styles ... and characteristics. As a result, ... he came up with a maxim ... which was later named after him ... called ... "The Peter Principle." (Pause) I ...read more

Scripture: John 1:42, Acts 5:29, 1 Samuel 16:7, Philippians 4:13

Tags: Name, Heart, Peter, Change, New Creation, Principle  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Anglican

There Was A Couple Who Were Sitting With A ...  PRO

Contributed by Darren Ethier on Apr 11, 2001

There was a couple who were sitting with a marriage counselor for their first session and the good doctor asked them to identify what seemed to be the root of their problems. The wife responded, "It all started when we thought it would be cute to think up each other’s New Year’s ...read more

Tags: Marriage General, Romantic Love

Denomination: Pentecostal

Hudson Taylor, Missionary To Inland China, Wrote ...  PRO

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Aug 9, 2001

Hudson Taylor, missionary to inland China, wrote this while under intense pressure and difficulty: "It does not matter how great the pressure is. What really matters is where the pressure lies - whether it comes between you and God, or whether it presses you nearer His heart." Dr ...read more

Tags: God's Provision, God In The Hardships, Endurance

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Warmth Rather Than Light, Citation: Jack R. Van ...  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Aug 17, 2001

[Warmth Rather than Light, Citation: Jack R. Van Ens, Leadership, Vol. 8, no. 3.] People join churches more because they want warmth than light. We like to think it’s our stunning proclamation of the truth that keeps them in the pews. Sermons may get them into church the ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ, Church Small Groups, Friendship General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Wise Use Of Tools  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Howell on Oct 11, 2001

Illus.: Wise Use of Tools James S. Hewett tells of a neighbor he had who was trying to put a TV antenna on his roof, but was having a terrible time. Hewett decided to give him a hand. He went over and took with him his best tools and soon had the antenna up. His ...read more

Tags: Servanthood, Friendship General

Denomination: Wesleyan

Here's An Interesting Fact That A Study Revealed ...  PRO

Contributed by Philip Kruis on Dec 17, 2001

Here’s an interesting fact that a study revealed several years ago but I imagine still holds true today: 7% of the impact of a speaker’s message comes through his words, 38% springs from the speaker’s tone of voice, and 55% from non-verbals. If this is true, that only 7% of what we say ...read more

Tags: Communication General, Statistics

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

When God Builds A Church  PRO

Contributed by Dru Ashwell on Dec 19, 2001

“Growing Christians are more evangelistic than evangelistic sermons. Inspire the members of your church—get them on fire for Jesus and excited about growing spiritually—and then they can’t help but tell their friends about it. The best evangelism is that which comes as a natural outpouring ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ, Great Commission, Sharing My Testimony

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ