In Sermon Illustrations: "Only"

What Is ...

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

WHAT IS TRUTH? There was a man nearly two millennia ago who asked this lofty philosophical question. His name was Pontius Pilate. God’s Word records this dramatic interchange in the book of John, Chapters 18 and 19. Jesus, speaking to Pilate, said “For this I have come into the world, to bear ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 29:13

Tags: Truth

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Everybody's Doing ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 9, 2008

“Everybody’s doing it.” This is a common phrase used today to excuse our behavior, but it is no excuse. We were shocked a decade ago when youth ministries guru Josh McDowell did an extensive survey of Bible-believing church teens that showed that more than half of them were sexually active, even ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 20:14

Tags: Purity

Dad-Isms

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Jun 24, 2009

DAD-ISMS Here are a few dad-isms from a recent website I visited - "Get in and get out." This applied to an open back door or refrigerator. Just because you don’t pay the gas and electric bills, that doesn’t mean you should waste energy, he’d tell us as we alternately let the cold air into the ...read more

Tags: Father's Day

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Why Am I So Exhausted?

Contributed by Nigel Heath on Sep 15, 2009

WHY AM I SO EXHAUSTED? I decide to water my garden. As I turn on the hose in the driveway, I look over at my car and decide it needs washing. As I start toward the garage, I notice mail on the porch table that I brought up from the mail box earlier. I decide to go through the mail before I wash ...read more

Tags: Goals

Denomination: Baptist

Stealing

Contributed by Akinsanya Adubi on Sep 28, 2009

STEALING People have also used their own hands to take what does not belong to them. I told you the story of a politician whose mandate was taken away from him after winning the presidential elections, somebody was given the presidency, where is he today?, He even died before the politician ...read more

Tags: Commandments Steal

Denomination: Pentecostal

In The Early 1930s A Man By The Name Of Peter ...

Contributed by Johnny Creasong on Sep 29, 2009

In the early 1930s a man by the name of Peter Strudwick was born in what was quickly becoming known as Deutsches Reich ("German Reich.") During her pregnancy Peter’s mother contracted Rubella. As a result, Peter was born with legs that ended in stumps just past the ankles, a left arm that only had ...read more

Tags: Trials And Difficulties, Trials Of Life

Denomination: Church Of God

God Answers Persistent ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 19, 2009

God Answers Persistent Prayer Sharon Atwell tells the story of her daughter Kate in June of 2000 having a backache and diagnosed with leukemia. She went through chemo but by August she had a seizure and was unconscious. While getting treated at St. Jude an infection attacked her brain. Only six ...read more

Scripture: James 5:16

Tags: Prayer Persistence

Two Sons And What They Did With Their ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 11, 2009

Two Sons and What They Did With Their Marbles Once upon a time, a mother gave each of her sons two dollars and took them to a toy store to buy the beautiful, shiny marbles they had been asking for. The older son quickly figured out how many marbles he could get with his two dollars, chose the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:14-30

Tags: Stewardship

Recently My Family And I Were Traveling North On ...

Contributed by Chris Surber on Jan 19, 2010

Recently my family and I were traveling north on 251 to visit a local retail store. While we drove we noticed a huge plume of smoke in the air. As it turns out, we were not the only people in town who had gathered to witness the blaze at Crafter’s Village. Upon pulling into a nearby parking lot ...read more

Tags: God's Love, Purification

Denomination: Christian Church

Defining Moments Of Faith

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Aug 11, 2010

DEFINING MOMENTS OF FAITH Several years ago Jeff Strueker was a US Army Ranger posted in Mogadishu, Somalia. Today he is a master of divinity student at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. For him Oct 3-4, 1993 were the defining moments of his life. He was one of the ...read more

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Chrysostom On Ecclesiastes  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 21, 2011

CHRYSOSTOM ON ECCLESIASTES Eutropius had fallen into disgrace. As the highest-ranking official in the Byzantine Empire (late fourth century), he served as the closest adviser to the emperor Arcadius, then ruling in Constantinople. But Eutropius abused his imperial power and aroused the anger of ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 1:2, 2 Kings 16:10-16

Tags: Evangelism How To

Cheering For The Other Team

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 9, 2011

CHEERING FOR THE OTHER TEAM I heard about an unusual high school football game played in Grapevine, Texas recently between Grapevine Faith Academy and the Gainesville State School. Faith Academy is a Christian school and Gainesville is located within a high-security youth correctional facility. ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 3:27

Tags: Christian Witness

He Wants To Be With His Master

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 29, 2011

HE WANTS TO BE WITH HIS MASTER Today’s story is about an old country doctor that dates back to the late 1930s when doctors made house calls. Isaac Pender was his name. Everyone in the area for two reasons respected him. First, he was an excellent doctor who provided compassion care for his ...read more

Scripture: John 14:1-4

Tags: Heaven

God Bless America: Be Specific

Contributed by Mark Stepherson on Oct 13, 2011

GOD BLESS AMERICA: BE SPECIFIC The blind man's first request is for Jesus to have mercy on him. Jesus asks him specifically, "What do you want me to do for you?" He answers specifically, "Lord, I want to see." "God bless America," is a very general prayer. It may be as specific a prayer as ...read more

Tags: Prayer How To

Denomination: Baptist

Was Jesus Married?

Contributed by Mark Stepherson on Sep 22, 2012

WAS JESUS MARRIED? “Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.” 1 Timothy 4:7 “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” 1 Peter 3:15 Popular characters tend to be used, ...read more

Tags: Apologetics Jesus

Denomination: Baptist

Letter Home From A W Va Farm Kid Enduring Marine ...  PRO

Contributed by C. Scott Ghan on Aug 5, 2013

Letter home from a W VA farm kid enduring Marine Basic Training on Paris Island. Dear Ma and Pa, I am well. Hope you are. Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer the Marine Corps beats working for old man Minch by a mile. Tell them to join up quick before all of the places are filled. // I was ...read more

Scripture: Ezra 3:1-13, Hebrews 12:7-11

Tags: Restoration, Rebuild

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Evangelism Through Fellowship

Contributed by Tim Smith on Feb 11, 2015

Charles Moore writes, “Alan and I met 20 years ago. We were both students at Cal Poly. I was a freshman and he was a junior. As a physics major, Alan was both intelligent and articulate. How Alan got on with his studies, however, is still a mystery to me. Alan was vritually blind. He could not see ...read more

Scripture: Luke 23:33-38

Tags: Evangelism, Fellowship, Community

Denomination: Methodist

False Converts

Contributed by Rick Palmer on Oct 5, 2018

As an archery deer hunter I walk a lot out in nature. Yesterday as I was walking across a corn field I found a small branch of pretty colored leaves. My wife loves collecting leaves and doing crafts with them. I looked around and there were no trees with in a great distance from the leaves. How ...read more

Scripture: John 14:6, Matthew 4:17, John 3:16-18

Tags: Grace, Believe, Salvation, Repentance

Friends And Acquaintances?

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Jan 26, 2020

Junior high/middle school basketball is always fun to play, and more fun to watch. These youngsters have acquired some skill—more or less—and it’s still more for fun than for competition. Oh, sure, we wanted to win, and few athletes that don’t want to win will ever get very far in any kind of ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:3

Tags: Youth, Book Of Life, Athletics, Friends, Relationship  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Unsung Heroes: Nabal's Servant

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Apr 10, 2022

Introduction: David was God’s choice to be king over Israel, but that wasn’t going to happen as long as Saul was ruling as Israel’s first king. David had done some unusual, some might say questionable, things but at this time he and his men were protecting a large flock of sheep and goats. David ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 25:14-17

Tags: David, Nabal, Abigail, Unsung Heroes

Denomination: Baptist