In Sermon Illustrations: "Old Christians"

Kentucky Thunderstorm Wipes Out Historic Family ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 12, 2009

Kentucky Thunderstorm Wipes Out Historic Family Pear Tree John Claypool tells the story of a thunderstorm years ago that swept through Southern Kentucky at the farm where his ancestors had lived for 6 generations. There was an old pear tree that had been there for about as long as anyone could ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:13-14

Tags: Hardship Of Life, Enduring Hardship

Prior To Rodger Bannister Running The Mile In ...

Contributed by Andrew Moffatt on Jan 17, 2010

Prior to Rodger Bannister running the mile in 3’59.4" in 1954 it was believed to be impossible, and that athletes would die in the attempt. The ’four minute barrier’ has since been broken by many athletes, and is now the standard of all professional middle distance runners. In the last 50 years ...read more

Tags: Truth Of Christ

Denomination: Salvation Army

Michael Had Been Pinching Pennies For 3 Months ...

Contributed by Davon Huss on Jan 18, 2010

Michael had been pinching pennies for 3 months since being laid off from his job. He’d promised to take his twin sons to an amusement park for the 10th birthday, and he wasn’t going to let them down. So when the day rolled around, Michael went into the cash reserves and pulled together enough to ...read more

Tags: Children, Honesty

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

I Am

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Mar 10, 2010

“I am” and Yahweh come from the same root word but have different tense references “I am” is 1st person “Yahweh” 3rd Person. Pronunciation of Yahweh The covenant name for the God of Israel in the Old Testament is Yahweh. This name was so sacred that by the second century BC the Jews refused to ...read more

Tags: Lord's Supper, Yhwh

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Looks Great, But What Does It Do?

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Dec 17, 2010

LOOKS GREAT, BUT WHAT DOES IT DO? I once read about a certain Mr. Wahlstrom who purchased an old bombsight and took it apart to see what made it work. As he began to put it back together, he decided to add to it some spare parts he had from other projects. Over time, friends and neighbors took an ...read more

Tags: Church Purpose Of

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Reunited

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Jan 23, 2011

REUNITED This week (1-11) an interesting story hit the presses: A woman who was kidnapped as a newborn 23 years ago says finding her real mother "felt like a dream." Carlina White was just 19 days old when she disappeared from Harlem Hospital in New York. She tells the New York Post that when ...read more

Tags: Salvation

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Raffling A Dead Donkey

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Jun 13, 2011

RAFFLING A DEAD DONKEY Jean Paul, a Cajun, moved to Texas and bought a donkey from an old farmer for $100. The farmer agreed to deliver the donkey the next day. The next day the farmer drove up and said, "Sorry, but I got some bad news. The donkey died." "Well then, just give me my money ...read more

Tags: Hypocrisy

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Everything I Need To Know I Learned From Noah  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 4, 2011

EVERYTHING I NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED FROM NOAH In 1988, Robert Fulghum published his best-selling book, Everything I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. Recently, somebody suggested another book title: Everything I Need to Know I Learned from Noah. For example... * Don't miss the boat. * Plan ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 11:7

Tags: Noah

Because She Is A Mother  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 6, 2011

BECAUSE SHE IS A MOTHER Out of the French Revolution came a story of a mother who wandered through the woods for three days with her two children, trying to survive on roots and leaves. On the third day, she heard some soldiers approaching and quickly hid herself and the children behind some ...read more

Scripture: John 15:12-13

Tags: Mother's Day

If We'd Only Joined Hands Sooner  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 30, 2011

IF WE'D ONLY JOINED HANDS SOONER A number of years ago in Canada, a little two-year-old girl wandered away from her neighborhood. It was a cold, winter day. Her parents alerted the neighbors and they saw some tracks in the snow, but there were a lot of other tracks, so for several hours the ...read more

Scripture: Romans 15:1-7

Tags: Unity

Frenemies

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 7, 2011

FRENEMIES A frenemy is a friend/enemy. You like a frenemy and you hate a frenemy. You work with a frenemy when it is convenient and self-serving, but when it is not, the frenemy becomes a nemesis. The Urban Dictionary states a frenemy is "an enemy disguised as a friend." and twists the old adage ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 37:1-4

Tags: Forgiveness For Others

Shepherds: The Lower Class

Contributed by Timothy Enns on Oct 17, 2011

SHEPHERDS: THE LOWER CLASS For many years I drove truck, hauling produce from California to Canada. I would often cut across the back roads of Idaho instead of staying on the busy interstate. The area I would travel trough on the back roads would take me through deserts and volcanoes, but it would ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Nazarene

The Right Use Of The Eyes  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 28, 2012

THE RIGHT USE OF THE EYES A bishop of the early church, who was a remarkable example of the virtue of contentment, was asked his secret. The venerable old man replied: "It consists in nothing more than making a right use of my eyes. In whatever state I am, I first of all look up to heaven and ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:10-13

Tags: Gratitude

Out Of Ink?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 19, 2012

OUT OF INK? According to MSNBC, The British Medical Journal recently reported the case of a 76-year-old woman who visited her doctor complaining of stomach problems. When the scans came back, doctors were amazed to see a long object in her stomach. It was a pen! The woman remembered having put a ...read more

Scripture: James 1:2-4

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

It Takes Two To Reconcile

Contributed by Davon Huss on Mar 26, 2013

IT TAKES TWO TO RECONCILE "Be reconciled to God" 2 Corinthians 5:20 is necessary part of the process. Let's say that we have had a quarrel between us and a friend. We forsake our pride and do whatever needs to be done to break down the barrier, to make it right. But, when we eat this humble ...read more

Tags: Friendship General

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Knock On The ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 3, 2013

A KNOCK ON THE DOOR An old woman ran out of money, and couldn't pay any of her bills. The landlord was threatening to throw her out if she didn't pay her rent soon. She had only a few candles to keep her warm. And one cold day she was warming her hands over a candle. Just then a knock came at her ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:18-30

Tags: Debt

Where Are You Leading?

Contributed by Davon Huss on Aug 18, 2014

David Wheeler tells of a funeral procession that illustrates a leader’s influence. David officiated at a funeral. In accordance with custom, after the funeral, the attenders filed out of the funeral home and into their waiting cars to form a processional to the cemetery. The hearse led the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:1-13

Tags: Funeral, Role Model, Spiritual Leadership, Outhouse

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Purity

Contributed by Davon Huss on May 1, 2015

A mother was concerned when she heard that her son had a live in girlfriend. She went to his house. Her son was the only one home. The son said, “It’s not what you think, Mom. She needed a place to stay. She has her bedroom and I have mine.” The son then showed his mother the guest bedroom ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8

Tags: Cohabitation, Shacking Up, Sexual Purity, Living Together

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Prayer-Spiritual Defiance

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Apr 19, 2018

Richard Foster in his book "Prayer: Finding the Hearts True Home" describes an aspect of radical prayer as spiritual defiance. He states, "We are subversives in a world of injustice, oppression, and violence. Like Amos of old, we demand that "Justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ...read more

Tags: Prayer, Radical Prayer

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Grandfather And The Dog

Contributed by Dr. David Hallum on Sep 11, 2019

When my grandchildren were young, introduced them to my dog, Chuey. They were not well received by the old Chow. The dog would stalk around and shoot dirty looks when the kids were present. He finally got used to them and now pays them no attention. The other day, we were all in the back yard. ...read more

Scripture: James 3:6, Ephesians 4:14

Tags: Immaturity, Obedience, Selfishness

Denomination: Baptist