In Sermon Illustrations: "Over Thinking"

Stain Removal: Homeboy Industries

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Sep 9, 2011

STAIN REMOVAL: HOMEBOY INDUSTRIES Father Greg Boyle is in the business of erasing the past. A Jesuit priest, he is the founder and director of Homeboy Industries in East Los Angeles. Father Boyle put together a team of physicians trained in the laser technology of tattoo removal. The team is ...read more

Tags: Blood Of Christ

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

When We Have Nowhere Else To Go  PRO

Contributed by Brad Henry on Sep 28, 2011

WHEN WE HAVE NOWHERE ELSE TO GO Over the years we have had many gut wrenching stores of families killed in an accident only to leave a mother or father behind. To wake up in a hospital bed hurting physically then realize that your entire family is gone would be unfathomable. Now none of us are ...read more

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Arthur's Envy

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 8, 2011

ARTHUR'S ENVY When I served on staff at Rayne Memorial UMC on St. Charles Avenue, a young man named Arthur began attending. Arthur was a nice guy but was different, both in appearance and in personality. Arthur got involved in the young adult ministry I had started at the church and was accepted ...read more

Tags: Envy

Denomination: Methodist

Expectations And Reality

Contributed by Tim Hinrichs on Nov 29, 2011

EXPECTATIONS AND REALITY I had arrived only a couple weeks before in the Czech Republic and was living with a retired Czech couple in a small village. Being the only American in the area I was somewhat a celebrity. One day a couple elders from a local church visited me to ask if I would preach in ...read more

Tags: Disappointment

Denomination: Lutheran

The Selfish King  PRO

Contributed by James Lloyd on Dec 4, 2011

THE SELFISH KING Once upon a time there was a king who lived in a beautiful kingdom. He was happy and so were his people. They worked together to improve the kingdom and brought the king many gifts. The king, in turn, was generous to his people. People all over the world heard of this kingdom and ...read more

Tags: Kingdom Of God

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Tempered For Christ

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Apr 4, 2012

TEMPERED FOR CHRIST A blacksmith, about 8 years after his conversion to Christ, was asked by an unbeliever, "Why is it you have so much trouble? I have been watching you since you trusted Christ as your Savior and began to 'walk square' and seem to love everybody, and you seem to have twice as ...read more

Tags: Holiness

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Straightest Path  PRO

Contributed by Perry Greene on Apr 12, 2012

THE STRAIGHTEST PATH Two boys were playing in the snow one day, when one said to the other, "Let us see who can make the straightest path in the snow." His companion readily accepted the proposition, and they started. One boy fixed his eyes on a tree, and walked along without taking his eyes off ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:13-15

Tags: Jesus Christ

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Return To The Right Path

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 8, 2012

RETURN TO THE RIGHT PATH In one section of John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, Christian and Hopeful are walking the King's Highway to the Celestial City. The path, once smooth and easy, becomes rough and hard. Then they come to an attractive place called Bypath Meadow. They climb over a fence into ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 4:20-28

Tags: Doubt

Alcohol Statistics

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 12, 2012

ALCOHOL STATISTICS "By the time they are high school seniors, 80% have used alcohol and 62% have been drunk. In the United States, roughly 50,000 cases of alcohol poisoning are reported each year and approximately once every week, someone dies from this preventable condition. Approximately 14 ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:15-21

Tags: Alcohol

Michael Jordan: Persevere

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 17, 2012

MICHAEL JORDAN: PERSEVERE In the fall of 1978, fifteen-year-old Michael Jordan tried out for the varsity basketball team at Emsley A. Laney High School in Wilmington, North Carolina. The sophomore was 5 feet 11 inches and with his skills, the coach told him that he was not good enough, and Michael ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-12

Tags: Endurance

Mark Of The Beast

Contributed by Bruce Ball on Oct 9, 2012

In verse 15, it tells us what will happen to those people who do not accept the Evil One’s mark: “15 … and all who refuse to worship the image or take his mark will be killed.” I saw recently where Motorola has developed an all inclusive data chip that is no larger than a grain of rice. It ...read more

Tags: Second Coming

Denomination: *other

Resolution Statistics

Contributed by Paul Barreca on Jan 6, 2013

RESOLUTION STATISTICS Today is the first Sunday of a New Year! Perhaps you made a New Years resolution. Many of us do. Here is some interesting information about New Years resolutions from thee University of Scranton. Journal of Clinical Psychology, (Published: 12.13.2012) The Top 10 New Years ...read more

Tags: New Year's Day

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Few More Hours

Contributed by Jerry Cosper on Jan 23, 2013

A FEW MORE HOURS A young lady busied herself getting ready for a blind date. He had promised dinner at an exclusive downtown restaurant with live music and dancing. Wanting to make a good first impression she had taken the day off work. She cleaned her apartment; she went out that afternoon to ...read more

Tags: Second Coming

Denomination: Baptist

The Red Baron And Temptation  PRO

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Feb 16, 2013

THE RED BARON AND TEMPTATION Manfred, Freiherr von Richthofen was a famous German First World War fighter pilot. He was better known as the Red Baron because he flew a distinctive a red Fokker aircraft. He shot down more combat planes than any one else on either side in the first World war ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:12-14, Daniel 1:5-16, Matthew 25:1-13, Matthew 4:1-11

Tags: Temptation General

Denomination: Anglican

Christ Is The Wind, Christianity Is The Sail  PRO

Contributed by Ken Pell on Mar 2, 2013

CHRIST IS THE WIND, CHRISTIANITY IS THE SAIL Does the practice of our religion reflect the God we serve? In Shane Hipps' book, "Selling Water by the River: A Book about the Life Jesus Promised and the Religion that Gets in the Way," he uses an analogy from sailing to express what has happened in ...read more

Scripture: James 1:26-27

Tags: Religion

Denomination: Nazarene

The Umpire's Revenge  PRO

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Mar 6, 2013

THE UMPIRE'S REVENGE Forgiveness begins when we give up the quest to get even. This is difficult, because getting even is the natural obsession of the wounded soul. Stories about getting even always capture our attention. It wouldn’t surprise me if revenge is the theme of as many as half the ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:32

Tags: Forgiveness General

Denomination: Baptist

Renewal And New Life

Contributed by Perry Greene on Apr 1, 2013

RENEWAL AND NEW LIFE Henry David Thoreau, in his classic book, Walden, told of a powerful custom of the Mucclasse Indians. Once each year, they had a village clean up called a "busk." First they would make new clothes for themselves as well as furniture and cooking utensils. They would keep all ...read more

Tags: God Brings Hope

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Humorous Hospital Charts

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 23, 2013

HUMOROUS HOSPITAL CHARTS I came across some notes supposedly found on hospital charts, and I thought you might enjoy them as I did: • The patient refused autopsy. • Note: Patient recovering from forehead cut. Patient became very angry when given an enema by mistake. • Patient has chest pain if she ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 18:1-27

Tags: Leadership General

Where The Pharisees Went Wrong

Contributed by Davon Huss on Jul 9, 2013

WHERE THE PHARISEES WENT WRONG Robert Coleman talks about where the Pharisees went wrong: "The Pharisees had so much respect for the original set of scriptures and wanted to protect them so desperately that they started adding to them. Then, after a while, it not only seemed helpful to make ...read more

Scripture: Mark 7:1-23

Tags: Tradition, Man Made Rules, Pharisees, Fast

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Unchristian

Contributed by Davon Huss on May 21, 2014

In unChristian, David Kinnaman, president of the Barna Group, discusses some disheartening research concerning the failure of Christians in our day to remain distinct: "In virtually every study we conduct, representing thousands of interviews every year, born again Christians (talking about people ...read more

Scripture: Malachi 3:18

Tags: Transform, Holiness, Distinctiveness, Moral Living

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ