In Sermon Illustrations: "Old Christians"

How Most Fairy Tales Begin

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Nov 5, 2010

HOW MOST FAIRY TALES BEGIN There's the story of a four-year-old who tugged on her dad who had been watching political ads and begged him to stop and read her a fairy tale. Weary of watching the ads, he agreed and began reading the fairy tale. No sooner had he begun, however, than she interrupted ...read more

Tags: Politics

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Whose Jeans?  PRO

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Nov 9, 2010

WHOSE JEANS? After going on a diet, a woman was really feeling good about herself, especially when she was able to fit into a pair of jeans she had outgrown long ago. "Look, look!" she shouted while running downstairs to show her husband. "I can wear my old jeans again!" Her husband looked at her ...read more

Tags: Pride

Denomination: Brethren

Child Slaves

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Jul 2, 2011

CHILD SLAVES Over two hundred million children around the world, some as young as four and five years old, are slaves. A majority of the children work in Asia, especially in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Indonesia--slaving away to make goods for us to buy in K-Mart and Wal-Mart... "Child slave ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 18:9-13

Tags: Greed

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Baseball Justice

Contributed by Brad Henry on Jul 25, 2011

BASEBALL JUSTICE When I was 8 years old my parents took me to see the Pittsburgh Pirates play in Forbes Field. As you know with me nothing is normal. Well a foul ball came and hit me in the leg. I went down to pick it up and a big guy cam over and wrestled the ball from me. OK, there wasn’t much ...read more

Tags: Justice

I Don't Want To Be One!

Contributed by Christopher Gregas on Sep 8, 2012

I DON'T WANT TO BE ONE! There was a pastor that was giving a "children’s sermon" to all the young children. And as they sate before him, a bright-eyed three-year-old girl listened intently as he explained that God wanted them all to get along and love each other. "God wants us all to be one," he ...read more

Tags: Unity

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Just Like Marriage

Contributed by Davon Huss on Apr 9, 2013

JUST LIKE MARRIAGE My 7-year-old daughter wanted to take violin lessons, so I took her to a music store to rent an instrument. Hoping she would understand the importance of practicing, I explained that violin lessons were expensive so she would have to work hard. "There may be times when you ...read more

Tags: Marriage Struggle

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Painless Way To Give In Church

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Nov 20, 2019

Having a little trouble with giving at the church? Maybe we could all learn a little lesson from the old country preacher who told everyone to stand up at the beginning of the offering. He then instructed everyone to lean forward to the person standing in front of them and grab their purse or ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 8:9

Tags: Stewardship, Tithing, Offerings, Money, Giving  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Palm Sunday Funny

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Mar 29, 2021

It was Palm Sunday but because of a sore throat, 5 year old Sammy stayed home from church with a babysitter. When the family returned home, they were carrying several palm fronds. Sammy inquired as to what they were for. 'People held them over Jesus' head as he walked by,' his father ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 21:1-11

Tags: Palm Sunday, Seeing Jesus, Jesus The King, Jesus' Presence

Denomination: Independent/Bible

A Teacher Asked The Children In Her Sunday ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

A teacher asked the children in her Sunday school class, "If I sold my house and my car, had a big garage sale and gave all my money to the church, would I get into Heaven?" "NO" The children all answered. "If I cleaned the church every day, mowed the yard, and kept everything neat and tidy, would ...read more

Tags: Faith

Buying A New Chandelier

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Buying A New Chandelier The pastor called a special meeting of the congregation to approve the purchase of a brand new chandelier. After some discussion pro and con, an old farmer stood up and said, "Buying a new chandelier may seem like a good idea to you, but I’m against it for three ...read more

Tags: Unity

Monastery

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Monastery The story is told of a monastery in Portugal, perched high on a 3,000 foot cliff and accessible only by a terrifying ride in a swaying basket. The basket is pulled with a single rope by several strong men, perspiring under the strain of the fully loaded basket. One American tourist who ...read more

Tags: God's Provision

As A Young Boy, I Can Remember Am Radio, And How ...

Contributed by Jason Duhon on Nov 5, 2007

As a young boy, I can remember AM radio, and how few stations we could receive back then. Tuning in usually required a good antenna, a good radio, and a steady hand. Our ears were anticipating the music, as we carefully turn the knob in hopes of a good reception. When we await the voice of ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Not Too Many Years Ago Newspapers Carried The ...

Contributed by Ajai Prakash on May 9, 2008

Not too many years ago newspapers carried the story of Al Johnson, a Kansas man who came to faith in Jesus Christ. What made his story remarkable was not his conversion, but the fact that as a result of his newfound faith in Christ, he confessed to a bank robbery he had participated in when he was ...read more

Tags: Change

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Family Celebrated Christmas Every Year With A ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2008

A family celebrated Christmas every year with a birthday party for Jesus. An extra chair of honor at the table became the family’s reminder of Jesus’ presence. A cake with candles, along with the singing of "Happy Birthday" expressed the family’s joy in Jesus’ presence. One year on ...read more

Tags: Worship General

Depressed ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 16, 2009

DEPRESSED TEENS More than two million U.S. teens have suffered a serious bout of depression in the past year, including nearly 13% of girls, finds a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration report. On average, 8.5% of youth 12-17 admit to having a major depressive episode in the ...read more

Tags: Youth

Come As You Are

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Nov 21, 2024

A friend of mine in Louisiana had his 11 year old nephew for the weekend just after the uncle had had a close call with death and gotten released from the hospital. On Sunday morning, his nephew approached him. “Come on, Uncle, let’s go to church!” “But Dom, you don’t have any church clothes ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 1:18, Matthew 11:27, Romans 5:8

Tags: Come As You Are, God Loves All People

Denomination: Charismatic

Christ Died For You!

Contributed by John Bright on Apr 6, 2025

There’s an old saying: If you were the only one, Jesus would have still died on that cross. Here’s how a couple of folks put it: “God loves each of us as if there were only one of us.” St. Augustine of Hippo(354-430 AD) “When He died in the Wounded World He died not for men, but for each man. If ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:8

Tags: Salvation, Personal

Denomination: Methodist

Modern Day Idols

Contributed by John Bright on Apr 6, 2025

Iniquities are on the inside. They are driving forces that manifest as sins and transgressions. In the Old Testament, idolatry was connected to the gods of those folks around Israel. Those gods had names like Baal and Asherah. These gods were worshiped by temple prostitutes and through the ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 44:9-20, Jeremiah 10:1-16

Tags: Football, Idols, Ji Packer

Denomination: Methodist

Compassion

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Dec 27, 2014

“You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson She was a nurse employed at a residential care home in Western Oklahoma. It was a muggy summer night and many of the residents seemed more restless than usual. One of the patients, an ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:1

Tags: Compassion, Acts Of Kindness, Kind To The Unkind, Showing God's Love

Denomination: Charismatic

Back In The 1880's Nietzsche Declared That "God ...  PRO

Contributed by James Wilson on Nov 23, 2000

Back in the 1880’s Nietzsche declared that "God is dead," and before the turn of the Twentieth Century, Shaw and Wells chimed in saying the 20th Century would mark the end of the world’s "religious phase." Yet, today a church now meets in Russia’s Museum of Religion and Atheism-the former center ...read more

Tags: What Is Evangelism?

Denomination: Baptist