In Sermon Illustrations: "Only"

And Then It All Came To An End

Contributed by James Snyder on Dec 28, 2024

Time has a way of getting ahead of me. Just when I think I’ve caught up, I find out I was wrong. The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage and I were sitting down, relaxing after a wonderful Christmas activity with all the kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids. It was a wonderful time, but with my ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 1:9

Tags: Christmas, Time, New Years

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Unwanted Items—the Ark Of The Covenant

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Jul 16, 2025

Unwanted Items—The Ark of the Covenant Introduction: To “frame” this illustration, we’d need to look at a couple of chapters in 1 Samuel. In chapter 4, the writer tells us of Israel’s decision, foolish as it was, to bring the Ark of the Covenant out of the Tabernacle and down to the battlefield. ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 5:1-12

Tags: Philistines, Ark Of The Covenant, Unwanted Items

Denomination: Baptist

One More Candle On Another Cake

Contributed by James Snyder on Jul 19, 2025

The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage and I were finishing our supper. If anyone can put together a marvelous supper, it is she. If anybody can eat a marvelous supper, it is me. As we were finishing, she looked over at me and said, "My dear, do you know what we will be celebrating next ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 118:24

Tags: Celebration, Aging, Birthday

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

The Human Fly  PRO

Contributed by Ted Sutherland on Sep 4, 2001

Evangelish Robert Sumner told the story: When George Gibson Polley was a boy in Richmond, he hit a baseball onto the roof of a six-story building. Since with most sandlot games, it was the only ball the boys had, George promptly climbed up the outside of the building and retrieved it. This was the ...read more

Tags: Bible Truth, Faith, Truth Absolute

Denomination: Baptist

Q: How Many Lawyers Does It Take To Change A ...  PRO

Contributed by Ted Sutherland on Oct 1, 2001

Q: How many lawyers does it take to change a light bulb? A: How many can you afford? Q: How many evolutionists does it take to change a light bulb? A: Just one but it will take a million years. Q: How many Psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb? A: Only one, but the bulb has got to ...read more

Tags: Love Of The Disciples

Denomination: Baptist

Pete O'brien Played First Base For The Texas ...  PRO

Contributed by Melvin Newland on Nov 6, 2001

Pete O’Brien played first base for the Texas Rangers for several years & did so well that he was given a contract with the Seattle Mariners for multi-million dollars. He now plays first base in Seattle, but still lives in the Arlington area. Dennis Slaughter, minister of the Valley View Christian ...read more

Tags: Humility, What Is Evangelism?

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Bill Hybels Recalls A Time When Dr. Gilbert ...  PRO

Contributed by Matthew Rogers on Feb 21, 2002

Bill Hybels recalls a time when Dr. Gilbert Bilezikian was speaking for a leadership conference at Willow Creek Community Church. He writes about it like this… “Dr. Bilezikian said there’s life-changing fellowship in biblically functioning community. That was a far cry from the childhood ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 17:17

Tags: Church Body Of Christ, Church Small Groups, Community, Friendship General, Money  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

True Or False?  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 20, 2002

TRUE OR FALSE? Palm Sunday celebrates the day Jesus made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Test your knowledge of that day’s events, recorded in all four Gospels, with these true or false statements. 1. According to the Gospels, the people waved palm branches when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 23:5-10

Tags: Easter Palm Sunday

There Was Once A Governor Of Pennsylvania Who ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 18, 2002

There was once a Governor of Pennsylvania who was known as a hard man when it came to offering pardons to people on death row. He had never granted a stay of execution and had never pardoned anyone. One day, a woman came to his office and was able to persuade the secretary to let her in to see the ...read more

Love Letter Ignored—communion Meditation  PRO

Contributed by Melvin Newland on Jul 17, 2002

LOVE LETTER IGNORED- COMMUNION MEDITATION When Robert Browning came into her life, Elizabeth Barrett was a 39-year-old invalid. Daughter of a jealous & dominating father, her first 4 books of poetry had been published when she was just 12 years old. At 15 she injured her spine, & the resulting ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Light Named Al  PRO

Contributed by Ken Sauer on Sep 2, 2002

A LIGHT NAMED AL On the morning of September 11, Jeannie Braca switched on the television to check the weather report, only to hear that a plane had just hit the World Trade Center. Jeannie’s husband, Al, worked as a corporate bond trader for Cantor Fitzgerald. His office was on the 105th ...read more

Scripture: Romans 1:16-17, Mark 8:34-37

Tags: Sermon On The Mount, Sharing Your Faith, Evangelism Urgency

Denomination: United Methodist

For Years I Have Seen And Heard About The ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 12, 2002

For years I have seen and heard about the division in churches over "correct" and "incorrect" forms of worship. I have seen it all from "you shouldn’t smile in church because you should fear the Lord" to the Ringling Brothers Circus service. Each group seems to think the other has missed the mark ...read more

Tags: Church Practices, Worship Definition

Here's The Story Of Rusty Woomer. Rusty Was Also ...  PRO

Contributed by Timothy Smith on Sep 24, 2002

Here’s the story of Rusty Woomer. Rusty was also a cold blooded killer. In one of South Carolina’s most notorious murder sprees he killed four innocent people and sat on death row for them. In 1990 Bob McAlister, a Christian and Prison Fellowship volunteer met Rusty. What happened between them ...read more

Tags: Evangelism Fear Of

Denomination: Christian Church

Recently There Was An Article In The September 19 ...  PRO

Contributed by Roger Nix on Jan 11, 2003

Recently there was an article in the September 19 edition of the Washington Times entitled Aboard Flight 564. It reads: As it was at most US Airports, last Saturday was the first near normal day at Denver International since the terrorist attacks. On United Flight 564, the door had just been ...read more

Tags: Church Small Groups, Family, Friendship New Friends

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Fact That Our Good Deeds Are Not Good Enough ...  PRO

Contributed by David Yarbrough on Apr 14, 2003

The fact that our good deeds are not good enough to get us into heaven is no more cruel than it’s cruel for you to tell the fish in the water (I hope your not talking to the fish in the water) “I just can’t breath in your environment.” To say that, is not a cruel statement it is just a statement ...read more

Scripture: Romans 6:1-18, Romans 6:23, Romans 6:2-7, Romans 6:6

Tags: Apologetics General, Apologetics Jesus

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

His Last Convert  PRO

Contributed by David Yarbrough on Apr 21, 2003

HIS LAST CONVERT There where a lot of notable wealthy people on the Titanic in 1912. But the most notable passenger on the Titanic was someone that most of the world has never heard of before. He was a man by the name of John Harper. He was a plan ordinary Pastor from the city of Glasgow, ...read more

Tags: Evangelism How To, Evangelism Urgency, Sharing My Testimony

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

In A Back Yard There Once Lived An Apple Tree ...  PRO

Contributed by Joel Pankow on Jun 25, 2004

In a back yard there once lived an apple tree and a thorn bush. The apple tree produced nice juicy apples that everyone liked to eat. Kids would climb up the tree and pluck the apples. Worms would eat the ones that fell on the ground. Birds would peck away at the fruit from the top. The owner ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:22-24

Tags: Faith, Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Lutheran

Passing The Torch  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 16, 2004

PASSING THE TORCH On August the 13th, the Summer Olympics begin 16 jam pack days of competition at the site of the original Olympic Games, Athens, Greece. This month we have watched American athletes compete for a spot on the team in track and field and swimming and if their times carry over to ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 19:19

Tags: Sharing Your Faith, Evangelism How To

There Are Going To Be Things Happen To You In ...  PRO

Contributed by Timothy Smith on Jul 19, 2004

There are going to be things happen to you in this life that will make you cling to that eternal hope because there is no other. Wally and Barbara Rendel know that’s true. Wally is the minister at the Southern Acres Christian Church in Lexington and has been for over 20 years. But five years ago ...read more

Tags: Easter Resurrection

Denomination: Christian Church

Curious About Trouble!" Exodus 14: 10-15 Key ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Jul 28, 2004

“Curious About Trouble!” Exodus 14: 10-15 Key verse(s): 11 “As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, ‘Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 14:10-15

Tags: God's Provision

Denomination: Lutheran