In Sermon Illustrations: "Oldest Person"

Zorthian's Fear

Contributed by Terry Blankenship on Jan 26, 2009

ZORTHIAN'S FEAR A mural artist named J.H. Zorthian read about a tiny boy who had been killed in traffic. His stomach churned as he thought of that ever happening to one of his three children. His worry became an inescapable anxiety. The more he imagined such a tragedy, the more fearful he became. ...read more

Tags: Anxiety

Denomination: Baptist

The Benefits Of The Repel Tower

Contributed by Chris Surber on Mar 9, 2009

THE BENEFITS OF THE REPEL TOWER I am not a fan of great heights. I have never been able to stand on the edge of a high cliff or at the top of a tall building without a quick heart beat and a dry throat. I have no problem with climbing a high hill or mountain, but to stand on the edge of falling ...read more

Tags: Fear And Worry

Denomination: Christian Church

Brother's Brother

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 17, 2009

BROTHER’S BROTHER Robert Hingson is a physician, an anesthesiologist, working out of Pittsburgh. A Baptist layman, he got interested in the plight of the diseased peoples of the world. He found out that thousands of the world’s children are dying from a host of contagious diseases. So Bob Hingson ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 4:9

Tags: Christian Love

In Whose Presence You Stand  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 13, 2009

IN WHOSE PRESENCE YOU STAND On March 22, 1824 an incident took place in Madison County, Indiana, which came to be known as the Fall Creek Massacre. Six white men murdered nine Seneca and Miami Indians and wounded another. Among the nine dead were three women and four children. The six men were ...read more

Scripture: John 8:1-11

Tags: Forgiveness General

Buying Them Back

Contributed by Johnny Wilson on Aug 11, 2009

BUYING THEM BACK We're told about a gift of grace (singular) and informed that it will help us to build up the church in LOVE. Do you see a pattern, here? Whatever we have to use in God's service comes directly from God. It's a lot like a former colleague experienced at Ziff-Davis Publishing. He ...read more

Tags: Grace

Denomination: *other

The Parent Trap: The Joy Of Having A Dad  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 10, 2009

THE PARENT TRAP: THE JOY OF HAVING A DAD Anyone ever seen the original The Parent Trap with Hayley Mills done in 1961? Have you seen the remake from 1998? In the remake Lindsay Lohan plays the twins and Dennis Quaid is the father. If you know the story then you’ll remember that identical twins, ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 1:8-9

Tags: Father's Day

Man Sentenced To Hang For Indian Massacre ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 14, 2009

Man Sentenced to Hang for Indian Massacre Pardoned On March 22, 1824 an incident took place in Madison County, Indiana, which came to be known as the Fall Creek Massacre. Six white men murdered nine Seneca and Miami Indians and wounded another. Among the nine dead were three women and four ...read more

Scripture: John 8:1-11

Tags: Forgiveness, Forgiveness General

The Tin—untold Riches

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 7, 2009

THE TIN--UNTOLD RICHES In the late nineteenth Century in South Africa, an old man was digging for gold in a river bed. He had been at it for many years. Every now and then he found a little bit of gold, not enough to make him rich – but just enough to maintain his interest. The part of river in ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 2:2-3

Tags: Christmas

A Man, I'll Call Him Ken, Once Wrote Of A ...

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Dec 24, 2009

A man, I’ll call him Ken, once wrote of a ‘chance’ encounter in his life. As a freshman in high school, he saw a boy from his class walking home from school. His name was Kyle. He had an arm full of books. Ken wondered why anyone would carry home so many books on a Friday. He wrote Kyle off as a ...read more

Tags: Compassion, Authentic Love

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Miss Bettye And Her All-Night Prayer Kitchen  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 1, 2010

MISS BETTYE AND HER ALL-NIGHT PRAYER KITCHEN Just this last September (2009), the Chicago Tribune ran a story about Bettye Tucker, a Christian cook who works the night shift at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago. She has been doing her job for 43 years -- 28 of them on the night shift. On ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:14-16

Tags: Christian Witness

There Is Something Convenient About Being A ...

Contributed by Thomas Cash on Mar 9, 2010

There is something convenient about being a fence-straddler. We think we can have the best of both worlds. But in order to make a real commitment to Jesus Christ, we have to weigh our options. Anyone who has ever struggled with their faith will come out stronger. One of my biggest personal ...read more

Tags: Prayer Of Faith

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Missionary Paralyzed Learns How To Thrive In ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 1, 2010

Missionary Paralyzed Learns How To Thrive in Suffering Scott Larson shared a personal encounter. “Annette and her husband were missionaries in Western Europe when she began to have pain in her back. When the pain became so unbearable that she could no longer function, even with muscle relaxants, ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 23:1-6

Tags: Suffering Joy In, Joy In Trials

He Was Nicknamed "The Crocodile ...

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Jun 1, 2010

He was nicknamed “THE CROCODILE HUNTER”, and he was a unique man with a smile as wide as fun itself and Australian to the core. You couldn’t help but remember STEVE IRWIN! He and his wife Terri owned and operated Australia Zoo in a little place called Beerwah on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. ...read more

Tags: John The Baptist

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Truly Thankful: J. B. Fuqua

Contributed by Richard Jumper on Nov 16, 2010

TRULY THANKFUL: J. B. FUQUA When J. B. Fuqua was just a boy, someone lent him a helping hand. And he paid them back millions of times over for their kindness. J. B. grew up in rural Virginia in the years after World War I. Those were lean times for many people. J. B. made up his mind at a young ...read more

Scripture: Luke 17:11-19

Tags: Gratitude

Denomination: Disciples Of Christ

The Faith Of Cecil B. Demille

Contributed by W F on Jan 10, 2011

THE FAITH OF CECIL B. DEMILLE Cecil B DeMille, the famous Hollywood film director was responsible for a number of famous movies with Biblical themes such as: The King of Kings The Sign of the Cross The Crusades Samson and Delilah The Ten Commandments DeMille was once asked what his finest ...read more

Tags: Workplace Evangelism

Denomination: *other

Servanthood And Spiritual Growth  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 16, 2011

SERVANTHOOD AND SPIRITUAL GROWTH I surveyed my church to see if people saw a relationship between ministering to others and spiritual growth. When asked, "To what extent has your ministry or service to others affected your spiritual growth?," 92 percent answered positively. None responded that ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:3-8

Tags: Servanthood

Small Things With Great Love

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 8, 2011

SMALL THINGS WITH GREAT LOVE Gary Morsch is the founder of Heart to Heart in Kansas City. As a physician, he has done magnificient work around the world taking medical supplies to low income people. Several years ago, he took a trip to Calcutta and Mother Teresa's House for the Destitute Dying. He ...read more

Tags: Pride

Denomination: Methodist

Augustine And The Four States Of Man  PRO

Contributed by Terry Barnhill on Mar 5, 2012

AUGUSTINE AND THE FOUR STATES OF MAN In the 5th century AD, St. Augustine wrote about the "4 States of Man": * The first state of man (the haec sunt prima) is "living according to the flesh -- with reason making no resistance." This can be seen in so many ancient cultures and religions (and ...read more

Scripture: John 14:1-15

Tags: Allegory

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Feel Free To Interject Your Own Experience Into ...

Contributed by Kelly Mitchell on Aug 22, 2012

(feel free to interject your own experience into this pattern) One Christmas on a road trip with the my wife and kids to my parent’s home I decided to take them on a "scenic loop" through the Mississippi Delta. Its where I was born and raised and my parents still live there. To me, it is the ...read more

Scripture: Acts 3:19-20

Tags: Repentance, Forgiveness In Jesus, Millenial

Denomination: Baptist

Encouragement From A Friend

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 29, 2012

ENCOURAGEMENT FROM A FRIEND There are times when you will be pushed out or pushed aside. You can be on the right road and still find yourself in a situation that is so severe that you cannot survive it on your own. Mark it down: You are not exempt from times of suffering, rejection, or ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Tags: Friendship General