In Sermon Illustrations: "One Line Sermons"

A Saint

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Oct 27, 2025

Story: In a small country village in Sicily, there were two brothers, renown members of the local Mafia. They were mean, bad and very rich. No one had a good word to say about them. Indeed, everyone seemed to have a story about how they had either been cheated or maligned by the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-14, Hebrews 12:18-24

Tags: Saint, Mafia

Denomination: Anglican

Giovanni Was A Saint

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Jun 24, 2011

GIOVANNI WAS A SAINT In a small country village in Sicily, there were two brothers, renowned members of the local Mafia. They were mean, bad and very rich. No one had a good word to say about them. Indeed, everyone seemed to have a story about how they had either been cheated or maligned by the ...read more

Tags: Disciples

Denomination: Anglican

Since God Is Good, Can I Have His Name?  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 4, 2003

SINCE GOD IS GOOD, CAN I HAVE HIS NAME? If you’re in Lake City, Fla., one of these days and happen to run into a 50-something fellow with a sandy moustache, a receding hairline, and aviator glasses, you may be in the presence of I Am Who I Am. Really. But that’s because Columbia County Court ...read more

Tags: God's Provision

John Wesley, The Founder Of The Methodist ...  PRO

Contributed by Don Hawks on Feb 28, 2002

John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement in 18th Century England presents this perspective on prayer in his sermon “On Prayer”: When we say our prayers… if we do it for any selfish reason, it is not acceptable to God. The purpose of your praying is not to inform God, as though he didn’t ...read more

Tags: Prayer Adoration, Prayer General

Denomination: Methodist

Long-Winded Driving  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Mar 19, 2003

[Long-Winded Driving] A pastor and his wife were driving to visit Grandma and Grandpa for Christmas. Their daughter asked the inevitable question, “Are we almost there?” The father said, “No, we are still 150 miles away.” She asked, “Well, how long is that?” “Well, honey, it’s about three more ...read more

Tags: Communication General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I Think Christians Need To Wake Up. Story: Larry ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 8, 2008

I think Christians need to wake up. Story: Larry Burkett hosted a radio broadcast teaching Christian financial principles. In one program he spoke about the value of hiring Christian employees. He received a letter from a listener that said: “I heard your program and decided to hire all ...read more

Lay Down The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 11, 2008

LAY DOWN THE LOAD The army of Alexander the Great was advancing on Persia. At one critical point, it appeared that his troops might be defeated. The soldiers had taken so much plunder from their previous campaigns that they had become weighted down and were losing their effectiveness in ...read more

Tags: Sanctification

True Peace And Joy

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 9, 2008

True Peace and Joy As a third-century man was anticipating death, he penned these last words to a friend: "It’s a bad world, an incredibly bad world. But I have discovered in the midst of it a quiet and holy people who have learned a great secret. They have found a joy which is a thousand times ...read more

Scripture: John 16:33

Tags: Joy

Putting Up A Fight

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 9, 2008

Putting Up a Fight Charles Spurgeon may have been the most evangelistic preacher to ever walk the earth. His heart hurt for lost people like no other preacher that I have read. Listen to what said about hell: "If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. And if they ...read more

Tags: Evangelism The Lost

How Spiritual Are You

Contributed by Hugh Laing on Jan 19, 2010

HOW SPIRITUAL ARE YOU Tell me how much time you spend alone with God...I will tell you how spiritual you are..and I mean really alone. Not how many meetings you go to...not how many gifts or talents you have...not how many sermons you preach...not how many records you’ve recorded or produced...not ...read more

Tags: Disciplines General

Denomination: Baptist

Elie Wiesel Asks,

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 29, 2010

Elie Wiesel Asks, "Where Is God?" Elie Wiesel, a Nobel Prize winner and survivor of the Holocaust, tells of his time in the concentration camp. He and a few others were forced to witness the hanging of two Jewish men and one Jewish boy. The two men died right away, but the young boy struggled on ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:28-30

Tags: God In The Hardships

Faith And Icebergs

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 26, 2010

FAITH AND ICEBERGS Sailors in the northern oceans have frequently observed icebergs traveling in one direction in spite of strong winds blowing in the opposite direction. The icebergs were moving against the winds, but how? The explanation is that the icebergs, with eight-ninths of their bulk ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:9-11

Tags: Grace

Who Needs Your Help?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 17, 2011

WHO NEEDS YOUR HELP? Of the 2,000 passengers on the Titanic, 1517 were lost. At the time the Titanic went down, another ship, the California was only 30 miles away. The Titanic’s operator frantically sent out SOS repeatedly; but the wireless set on the California was closed because there was only ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:18-20

Tags: Evangelism Urgency

Beware Of Attachments

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 21, 2011

BEWARE OF ATTACHMENTS Felipe Massa of Brazil should have won the Formula One Grand Prix in Singapore in September 2008. But as he drove off from a refueling stop while in the lead, the fuel hose was still attached. By the time his team removed the hose, he had lost so much time that he finished ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-3

Tags: Sin Bondage To

Mysterious Life Principle

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 28, 2011

MYSTERIOUS LIFE PRINCIPLE A wise old professor of biology stood before his class of eager students. The Professor held a little brown seed in his hand. Quietly he spoke to his class. "I know just the composition of this seed. It has nitrogen, hydrogen, and carbon. I know the exact proportions. I ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:22-25

Tags: Creation

Our Chains--His Slavery!" Matthew 20: 20-28 Key ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Dec 2, 2004

“Our Chains--His Slavery!” Matthew 20: 20-28 Key verse(s): 28: “. . . just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” “Just sign here on the dotted line here Mr. Brunner and we will be done.” As I lifted my hand, grip on pen, ready to ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 20:20-28

Tags: Sin Bondage To

Denomination: Lutheran

Selfishness

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Apr 12, 2024

A while back I was in store getting some groceries as I observed a mother battling with her child. He was screaming at the top of his lungs and lying on the floor kicking and lashing out at his mother. The mother was really embarrassed by the child’s behavior, and she seemed overwhelmed and shocked ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:3-4

Tags: Selfish, Me Focused

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Christ: An All-Access Pass

Contributed by Hal Seed on Aug 21, 2008

CHRIST: AN ALL-ACCESS PASS Mark and Susie Alderson have been attending New Song since what we call our "portable days." In the early days of the church, we would pack a trailer full of equipment, unload it at a local school, hold church there, and then pack up and put the trailer away. Mark is ...read more

Tags: Grace

Denomination: Baptist

Do I Need To File A Missing Persons Report?

Contributed by James Snyder on Dec 10, 2022

Every week comes and goes, and some go faster than others. Such was last week. It started pretty well, but then everything went downhill. I had my semiannual doctor's visit. After all, he has kids that need to go to college. After his complete examination of me, he said, "You're ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 41:10

Tags: Police, Thrift Store

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

When The United States Women's Softball Team Won ...  PRO

Contributed by Mitchell Skelton on Oct 21, 2003

When the United States Women’s Softball team won the gold medal in Atlanta’s 1996 Olympic games, they lost only one game, but from that loss came a remarkable story about perseverance. In the fifth inning against Australia, Danielle Tyler hit a home run over the center-field fence. The American ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ, Basics Of Christianity

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ