In Sermon Illustrations: "Old"

The Richest Man On The Island

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 4, 2011

THE RICHEST MAN ON THE ISLAND In his autobiography Just As I Am, Billy Graham recalls a story demonstrating that apart from God, we will not gain anything from living wisely. He said: Some years ago Ruth and I had a vivid illustration of this on an island in the Caribbean. One of the wealthiest ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:6-10

Tags: Money

The Lottery  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 20, 2011

THE LOTTERY Did you know that the first modern-day lottery was started in 1963 in the state of New Hampshire? Did you know that the state of Massachusetts, started their lottery in 1972 with 50 cent tickets and a drawing once a week. It now has 33 different games to choose from their sales have ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:6-10, Psalm 37:35

Tags: Money, Contentment

Do You Have The Nerve Of A Squirrel?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 12, 2011

DO YOU HAVE THE NERVE OF A SQUIRREL? A young writer with a very uncertain income went into a quiet park to contemplate a serious problem. For four years he had been engaged, but felt he did not have enough money to get married. He wanted to live and write in Paris, Rome, Vienna, ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 3:5-6

Tags: Trust

The Hard Work Of Farming

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 9, 2011

THE HARD WORK OF FARMING I was raised in town and not on a farm. However, in 1969 I moved to a small farming town in Iowa called Bayard. It’s about 65 miles northeast of Des Moines, IA. And that’s where I began to learn a little about farming and harder work than I was used to! I had some grain ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:6

Tags: Hardship Of Life

A Desire To Know Him More

Contributed by Paul Barreca on Aug 20, 2011

A DESIRE TO KNOW HIM MORE Just imagine how wonderful it would be if our greatest desire was to know God more! Dennis Wise really loved Elvis Presley--so much so that not long after Presley died, Dennis had his face lifted by a plastic surgeon and his hair contoured so that he took on an ...read more

Tags: Worship General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

We Don't Know Her Story

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 22, 2011

WE DON'T KNOW HER STORY They called her their troubled one, or their feisty one. She had wild flyaway hair much like that of a punk rocker, but jet-black. And she was only, at the oldest, a couple of weeks old. So small, she looked as if she could fit in one hand. The ICU nurses all took turns ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 19:13-15

Tags: Prayer Supplication

Rubbing Shoulders With God

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Sep 5, 2011

RUBBING SHOULDERS WITH GOD We visited Our Lady of Quebec, the Cathedral Basilica in old Quebec City. I had a plethora of emotions upon entering this bastion of structures, dating back 365 years, having been built in 1647. It continues its stately gaze as the oldest parish church in North America. ...read more

Tags: God's Omnipotence

Denomination: Salvation Army

What Will You Need?

Contributed by Rick Gillespie- Mobley on Sep 25, 2011

WHAT WILL YOU NEED? Let's suppose for a moment you are in a place you have never been before. You have no idea how you got there. A person comes out and tells you, "You must go into that room and choose one of four things to take with you on your journey when you leave this place. You may not ask ...read more

Tags: Knowing God's Will

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

We Know Our Future Includes A Promise. But We Do ...  PRO

Contributed by Ed Lu on Nov 26, 2011

We know our future includes a promise. But we do not know how to transition into that promise. Maybe ’not knowing’ is just an excuse – we just straight out refuse to take that next step. That’s because while we are in the present, we often permit the past to occupy and govern our emotions. We drag ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 32:17-21, 2 Kings 5:1-14

Tags: Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Baptist

Bad Blood

Contributed by Antonio Silveira on Mar 25, 2012

"BAD BLOOD" "Bad blood" is an English phrase referring to enmity between two (or more) people or groups. This is a reference to the breaking of military covenants. Not too long ago in the 19th century leeches were enjoying a golden age. Millions were raised for medical use as their fame as a ...read more

Tags: Blood Of Christ

Denomination: Baptist

The Heritage Tree  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 11, 2012

THE HERITAGE TREE The Heritage Tree, Cape Perpetua, Central Oregon coast. This giant spruce is called The Heritage Tree because it stands almost 200 feet tall and because it started to grow as a seedling about the same time Martin Luther was pounding his theses on the church door at Wittenberg. ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:1-2

Tags: Discipleship

It's What's Under The Hood That Counts  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 25, 2012

IT'S WHAT'S UNDER THE HOOD THAT COUNTS Harry Reider tells a story about the first car that he ever owned. He was sixteen years old and his father took him to a car auction and bought a pink car for $75. It was a 1957 Ford that his dad insisted that the color was really "coral." "I can't drive a ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:8

Tags: Holy Spirit In Believers

God's Banana Stalk

Contributed by Hal Seed on Nov 9, 2012

GOD'S BANANA STALK One of my favorite stories in The Bible Questions is the story of the Motilone (Mow-til-oh-ee) Indians of Columbia, South America. In the 1960s, the Motilones were Stone Age headhunters feared by all their neighboring tribes. They had killed every white man who trespassed into ...read more

Tags: Bible Influence

Denomination: Baptist

The Orange Blessing

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Feb 2, 2013

THE ORANGE BLESSING In the late 1800’s while crossing the Atlantic on an ocean-liner, the English Baptist pastor and evangelist F.B. Meyer was asked to preach to the first class passengers. At the captain's request he spoke on "Answered Prayer." An agnostic who was present at the service was ...read more

Tags: Prayer Answered

Denomination: Brethren

The Recycled ...

Contributed by Ken Pell on Mar 23, 2013

THE RECYCLED ORCHESTRA In December of last year (2012) NPR told the story of a poor community in Paraguay has formed an amazing orchestra that plays instruments created from recycled trash. The young musicians in a slum that's built on a landfill. More than 1500 tons of trash gets dumped into the ...read more

Tags: Grace

Denomination: Nazarene

I Think It's Jesus In The Liimo

Contributed by Joe Tilton on Jun 4, 2013

I THINK IT'S JESUS IN THE LIMO The Oklahoma Conference Leader Bishop Hayes is returning home after a speaking engagement. When his plane arrives, there is a limousine there to transport him to his home in Oklahoma City. As he prepares to get into the limo, he stops and speaks to the driver. "You ...read more

Tags: Jesus Christ

Denomination: *other

Trust God He Knows The Future!

Contributed by Roger Whipp on Dec 29, 2014

Testimony: When I was in the Police one of my note books containing vital evidence went missing. I started to panic as in the UK any verbal evidence written down must be shown, if requested in it’s original form at court. The small voice of God prompted me to look in the confidential waste sack. ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 2:1-10

Tags: Trust God, God Knows The Future

Denomination: *other

Astray

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Sep 23, 2019

Astray They sing, Farther along we'll understand. Oh, how I wish I'd been a holy man, But I wandered so far astray Now all I can see is Judgment Day. I fell on my knees and begged for Your grace, Then turned around and spat in Your face. I walked along in my foolish will, Now I fear ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 14:14

Tags: Sin, Repentance, Backsliding

Denomination: Baptist

Open: According To Jeff Foxworthy, You Might Be ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

OPEN: According to Jeff Foxworthy, you Might Be A Nascar Redneck if: • Your favorite NASCAR souvenir was a direct result of a crash in turn three.... • You can remember every NASCAR driver and their car number but you can’t remember how old your children are... • Your pet nickname for your wife is ...read more

Tags: God's Provision

Look At The List: Bitterness, Rage, Anger, ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Look at the list: bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, slander, malice, unforgiveness. Traveling light, Paul says, is letting God begin to deal with the hurts, the slights, the anger and unforgiveness that burdens us down. If we want to travel light, we have to unpack the donkey of all the baggage we ...read more

Tags: Faithfulness, Guilt