In Sermon Illustrations: "Old Life"

Ravi Zacharias: A Lecherous Heart

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Nov 27, 2010

RAVI ZACHARIAS: A LECHEROUS HEART One of the most powerful stories I have ever heard on the nature of the human heart is told by Malcolm Muggeridge. Working as a journalist in India, he left his residence one evening to go to a nearby river for a swim. As he entered the water, across the river he ...read more

Tags: Sin General

Denomination: Brethren

Bees That Sting Also Bring Honey

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 1, 2011

BEES THAT STING ALSO BRING HONEY One Saturday morning, a seven-year-old boy was playing in their front-yard garden in the middle of flowers in bloom. He was trying to catch butterflies with his torn net. Suddenly a bee flew to his position buzzing straightway landing on the back of his palm. The ...read more

Scripture: James 1:2-4

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Bob Johnson From: ...

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Mar 25, 2011

Bob Johnson from: http://tabernacle-of-david.com/catechism.html states: The majority of the Psalms were originally sung as prophetic songs in David's Tabernacle. They account in detail the expressions of worship offered by the Israelites before the Ark of the Covenant. In addition, they describe ...read more

Tags: Worship Benefits

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Learned Helplessness

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 5, 2011

LEARNED HELPLESSNESS Learned Helplessness is a term I came across in my reading this week. It is a technical term originally used in reference to animal psychology but is also appropriately applied to human behavior as well. Learned helplessness describes an animal or a person who has learned to ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 29:10-14

Tags: Attitude General

Miracle Mandy

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Mar 5, 2012

MIRACLE MANDY The doctor told Marsha Mark and her husband they would never have biological children. In their disappointment, Marsha clung to a friend's words: "Somehow, God is going to use your struggle with infertility for his glory." Marsha began to pray for a glimpse of that glory. "I asked ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 1:1-20

Tags: Prayer Answered

Denomination: Baptist

On Habits

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Mar 7, 2012

ON HABITS Someone Once Said... * Thoughts produce acts, acts produce habits, and habits produce character.--Anonymous * If we realize the extent to which we are mere walking bundles of habits, we would give more heed to their own formation.--William James* * First we ...read more

Scripture: Acts 17:2

Tags: Disciplines General

Denomination: Baptist

What Happens At Home

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 2, 2012

WHAT HAPPENS AT HOME Howard Hendricks used to say to us men in seminary preparing to lead churches, "If your Christianity isn't working at home, don't export it." It was his way of saying, "If you can't make your faith work in your own family, then please don't try to make it work in the family of ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:4-5

Tags: Parenting

The Master And The Child  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 17, 2012

THE MASTER AND THE CHILD The folklore surrounding Poland's famous concert pianist and prime minister, Ignace Paderewski, includes a story, which though fictional, provides a true picture of what God can do with us: A mother, wishing to encourage her young son's progress at the piano, bought ...read more

Scripture: James 1:2-4

Tags: God In The Hardships

Humorous Definitions  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 2, 2012

HUMOROUS DEFINITIONS Definitions matter. Do you know what these words mean? ABDICATE: To give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach. ADULT: A person who has stopped growing at both ends and is now growing in the middle. ANTIQUE: An item your grandparents bought, your parents got rid of, and ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 17:22

Tags: Words

Ten Dollars Is Ten Dollars  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 6, 2012

TEN DOLLARS IS TEN DOLLARS A man named Stumpy and his wife Martha went to the state fair every year and every year when Stumpy saw the antique bi-plane he would say, "Martha, I'd like to ride in that airplane." Martha always replied, "I know Stumpy, but that airplane ride costs 10 dollars, and ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:1-7

Tags: Marriage Struggle

False Messiah—rev. Sun Myung Moon

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 10, 2012

FALSE MESSIAH—REV. SUN MYUNG MOON It amazes me how many religions are in stark opposition to Christianity; and they do not even have God as their leader. In fact, they are just empty philosophies being advanced by empty followers. While members of Congress looked on, Rev. Sun Myung Moon declared ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 2:18-29

Tags: Antichrist

Just Didn't Work Right  PRO

Contributed by Rick Boyne on Aug 13, 2012

JUST DIDN'T WORK RIGHT My parents bought my 16 year old daughter her first car, a 1970 VW Beetle. While it was cute and a collector car, it wouldn’t run right. Even though it had been a gift from her grandparents, it cost as much in repairs as a new car would have cost in payments. While it had ...read more

Tags: Dealing With Conflicts

Denomination: Baptist

Given The Farm  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 10, 2014

The story is told of a farmhand who had worked for a married couple for several years. As time went on, the couple grew older and older and they couldn't do as much they had and the farm was beginning to look a little shabby. The paint on the barn was peeling. The fences had holes in them and slats ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:14-17, Romans 8:14

Tags: Servanthood, Attitude General, Heirs Of God, Co-Heirs With Christ

Encountering Angels

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Dec 8, 2014

Some years ago, I had occasion to read Madeleine L’Engle’s book, A Wind in the Door. It’s about a young girl named Meg and her brother Charles Wallace. One day, Charles Wallace tells Meg that he has seen a drive of dragons in the broccoli patch. Meg goes with her brother to check it out, but all ...read more

Scripture: Luke 1:5-20

Tags: Books And Literature, Fear, Angels

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Take It First To The Lord In Prayer  PRO

Contributed by Palitha Jayasooriya on Apr 3, 2017

Take it to the Lord in prayer My mobile phone crashed a few months ago and I had to switch to my wife's old one as a temporary measure. On the first day of using the phone, there was one particularly important feature that neither I nor my wife could grasp, though we tried to figure it out for a ...read more

Scripture: John 16:24

Tags: Prayer, Trusting God, Trusting Christ

Denomination: Assembly Of God

The Great Need For A Savior

Contributed by Daniel King, D. Min. on Jul 25, 2018

Main Idea: Sin is a big problem and that is why we need a great Savior. Verse: “We all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath…” (Ephesians 2:3 NKJV). Illustration: How often do you sin in your ...read more

Tags: Savior, Sin, Salvation

Denomination: Charismatic

Propitiation Is Important

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Sep 30, 2019

“In 2012, Getty's hymn "In Christ Alone" was involved in a controversy with the Presbyterian Church (USA) hymnal committee in the creation of their new hymnal "Glory to God". The committee requested permission from Getty and Stuart Townend to use an alternative lyric to the ...read more

Scripture: Romans 3:21-31

Tags: Atonement, Propitiation, Penal, Death Of Christ, Penal Atonement, Solid Doctrine, Standing For Truth  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Gift Of Us

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

The Gift of Us Marjorie Tallcott was married and had one child during the Great Depression. The family managed to scrape their way through, but as Christmas approached one year Marjorie and her husband were disappointed that they would not be able to buy any presents. A week before Christmas they ...read more

Tags: Promises Of God

Years Ago A Newly Constructed Bank Building In ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Years ago a newly constructed bank building in Sao Paulo, Brazil, burned to the ground. Forty-six stories high, burned all the way to the ground. Several of the air-conditioners on the 12th floor had not been wired properly. 600 employees were in the building at the time. 188 died. One-third died ...read more

Tags: Faith

Dr. Anthony T. Evans, Guiding Your Family In A ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Dr. Anthony T. Evans, Guiding Your Family in a Misguided World. One day, two monks were walking through the countryside. They were on their way to another village to help bring in the crops. As they walked, they spied an old woman sitting at the edge of a river. She was upset because there was no ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness General