In Sermon Illustrations: "Outward Appearances"

Who Do Your Kids Look Up To?

Contributed by Bruce Rzengota on Feb 2, 2009

WHO DO YOUR KIDS LOOK UP TO? In 2003, two very interesting quotes were in the newspapers. Parents had been polled and asked who they thought the most influential role-models were in the lives of their preteen sons. The answer: bad boy Bart Simpson was named the top-role model. Parents of children ...read more

Tags: Character

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Short-Term Solutions

Contributed by Johnny Wilson on Mar 2, 2009

SHORT-TERM SOLUTIONS In Chicago’s elevated train stations, they hung phony owls from the ceilings of some of the stations to discourage the pigeons. I can remember seeing pigeons right up next to the owls, blithely ignoring them. Now, there are wire spikes everywhere the pigeons might roost up ...read more

Tags: Idolatry

Denomination: *other

A Little Boy, Who Wanted $100.00 Very Badly, ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

A little boy, who wanted $100.00 very badly, prayed for two weeks but nothing happened. Then he decided to write GOD a letter requesting $100.00. When the postal authorities received the letter to GOD, U.S.A., they decided to send it to the President. The President was so impressed, touched, and ...read more

Tags: Easter Resurrection

Haman Is A Type Of The Antichrist

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Aug 28, 2023

Some Bible students have seen in Haman an illustration of the “man of sin”, or the Antichrist, who will one day appear and ruthlessly rule over humanity (2 Thess. 2; Rev. 13). Haman was given great authority from the king, and Satan will give great power to this wicked world ruler we call the ...read more

Tags: Tribulation, Haman, Man Of Sin, Esther, End Times, Prophecy, Second Coming, Antichrist, Rapture  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Hanukkah Vs. Christmas  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 11, 2009

HANUKKAH VS. CHRISTMAS In his book The Jesus I Never Knew, Philip Yancey recounts an episode of the TV show Thirtysomething in which Hope, a Christian, argues with her husband Michael, a Jew, about the holidays. "Why do you even bother with Hanukkah?" she asks. "Do you really believe a handful of ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 1:17-25, Luke 2:7

Tags: Birth Of Jesus

Crimean War Heroes Honored By Queen ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2009

Crimean War Heroes Honored by Queen Victoria After the Crimean War, a great celebration was held in London to honor the heroes wounded in battle. Queen Victoria was present to give out the medals. Some of the soldiers appeared with empty sleeves, some came on crutches, and some had bandaged ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 21:7

Tags: Battle, War

A Man Found A Cocoon Of The ...

Contributed by Timothy Brown on Feb 7, 2010

Illustration: A man found a cocoon of the emperor moth and took it home to watch it emerge. One day a small opening appeared, and for several hours the moth struggled but couldn't seem to force its body past a certain point. Deciding something was wrong, the man took scissors and snipped the ...read more

Tags: Suffering Joy In

Denomination: Baptist

Gollum And The Ring

Contributed by Davon Huss on Feb 15, 2010

GOLLUM AND THE RING Many of us are familiar with the Lord of the Rings trilogy. We cannot help but remember the character named Gollum. He was a hideous, pathetic creature who was possessed by the power of the ring. In fact, the ring was the reason for his hideous appearance. His obsession ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:25

Tags: Immortality

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Healing Power Of Laughter

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 21, 2010

THE HEALING POWER OF LAUGHTER Norman Cousins tells of being hospitalized with a rare, crippling disease. When he was diagnosed as incurable, Cousins checked out of the hospital. Aware of the harmful effects that negative emotions can have on the body, Cousins reasoned the reverse was true. So he ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 17:22

Tags: Joy

Feeling A Tug  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 3, 2011

FEELING A TUG A small boy was flying a kite one April afternoon when a low drifting cloud encircled the kite and hid it from view. A man passing by asked the little boy what he was doing with that string in his hand. "I’m flying my kite," the child responded. The man, looking up and seeing ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 11:1

Tags: Faith, Real Faith, Better Faith, Feeling Faith

Disposable Guilt Bags

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 12, 2011

DISPOSABLE GUILT BAGS Several years ago a new product called "Disposable Guilt Bags" appeared in the supermarkets. It consisted of a set of ten ordinary brown bags on which were printed the following instructions: "Place the bag securely over your mouth, take a deep breath and blow all your guilt ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 32:1-5

Tags: Guilt

A.w. Tozer: The Position Of Christ In The Church  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 1, 2012

A.W. TOZER: THE POSITION OF CHRIST IN THE CHURCH The present position of Christ in the gospel churches may be likened to that of a king in a limited constitutional monarchy. The king is in such a country no more than a traditional rallying point, a pleasant symbol of unity and loyalty much like a ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 1:15-20, Matthew 6:10

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Singing

Contributed by Davon Huss on Aug 18, 2014

Do not neglect your gift. Susan Boyle, age 48, of Blackburn, West Lothian, Scotland. REMEMBER HER? She thrilled England and the world when she stood on that stage competing in the Britain’s Got Talent contest on April 11, 2009, and sang, “I Dreamed A Dream.” That was the most watched youtube clip ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 4:14

Tags: Spiritual Gifts, Using Talents, Gifts Talents

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Poinsettia

Contributed by David Simpson on Dec 19, 2014

There are a lot of symbols at the Christmas season. All represent something. Santa Claus, mistletoe, wreaths, candles, etc. I’ve always admired the beauty of poinsettias, and decided to do a little research on them. You may know that they were named after Joel Poinsett, who happened to be the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12

Tags: Christmas, Wise Men, Star Of Christmas, Poinsettia

Denomination: Christian Church

Good Won’t Get You There, Feda H. ...  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Oct 11, 2001

[Good Won’t Get You There, Feda H. Babinski] I’m standing there in front of gates like none I’ve ever found They shine like golden ribbons as they glide across the ground I see the stairs that never end how brilliantly they glow I start to climb and realize there’s nothing down below Then ...read more

Tags: Faith Vs. Works, Judgment

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Dna And Stained Glass

Contributed by Dr. Bradford Reaves on Sep 2, 2021

Dr. Francis Collins’s credentials are impeccable: he is a physical chemist, a medical geneticist, and the former head of the Human Genome Project. He is also, by his own account, living proof that there is no conflict between science and religion.” “In 2006, he published ‘The Language of God,’ in ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 1:27

Tags: Creation, Dna

Denomination: Brethren

Mark Buchanan's Shares An Illustration From ...  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Sep 25, 2005

Mark Buchanan’s shares an illustration from Leadership magazine in its Fall 2004 edition on pages 52, 53: General Maximus comes to Rome dirty and shackled. This is not the way it’s suppose to be. Where’s Rome’s legendary pageantry to greet one of her heroes-the heraldry, the burnished armor, the ...read more

Tags: Church Discipline, Church Purpose Of

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Importance Of Refuge

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 13, 2009

THE IMPORTANCE OF REFUGE When conducting fire inspections two important things that I look for are AREAS OF REFUGE (protected area in a bldg., such as mall/hospital halls, wings, sectioned off) and MEANS OF EGRESS (clearly marked, unobstructed, visible path, door width, adequate ...read more

Tags: God In The Hardships

Prejudice Comes From An Unclean ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 18, 2009

Prejudice Comes from an Unclean Heart I like this thought posted by Mike Atkinson in his daily email humor list some time ago. If you can start the day without caffeine; if you can get going without pep pills; if you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains; if you can resist complaining ...read more

Scripture: Mark 7:14-15

Tags: Racism

Stay The Course  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Jun 28, 2001

STAY THE COURSE The 2000 movie, The Patriot starred Mel Gibson as Benjamin Martin, a reluctant Revolutionary War hero. Martin has an 18-year-old son named Gabriel who is eager to join the conflict. Gabriel’s sentiments for his country are revealed by one pastime: throughout the first half of the ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 13:17

Tags: Leadership General, Parenting, Endurance

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational