In Sermon Illustrations: "Paid"

Mama's Prayers  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 9, 2011

MAMA'S PRAYERS E. V. (Ed) Hill, who pastored Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles, tells the story of how "Mama’s" love and prayers changed his life. During the height of the Depression, Hill’s real mother, who had five children of her own, didn’t have enough food to go around, so ...read more

Scripture: Luke 11:1-13

Tags: Mother's Day

Story: Some Years Ago, I Attended Called A ...

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Feb 23, 2013

Story: Some years ago, I attended called a conference called “Spring Harvest at Work” in Sheffield (in November 1998). And what was memorable for me was that the conference organisers sprang a surprise interviewee on us – Jim Bakker- a pariah in the Evangelical community. Indeed he was such an ...read more

Tags: Character

Denomination: Anglican

Servant

Contributed by Ed Sasnett on Mar 27, 2018

Nantucket, Massachusetts is located next to important shipping lanes running along the East Coast. Toward the end of the 1800s, sailing ships were in their heyday. Nantucket Island saw hundreds of vessels passing by each day—all navigating without the advantages of modern technology. Treacherous ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:1-27

Tags: Evangelism, Servant Attitude

Denomination: Baptist

Over The Past Few Years The Bbc Have Run A ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Over the past few years the BBC have run a number of series called the 101 things before you die. 101 places to visit before you die, 101 things to do before you die and 101 things to eat before you die. What they do is get people to write in and suggest their favourite and then they put them ...read more

Tags: Death Nearness

Did You Hear About The Police Chief Who Gave ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Did you hear about the police chief who gave himself a ticket for a traffic violation? Police chief Richard Knoebel issued himself a $235 ticket complete with a four-point penalty against his license after he realized he had failed to stop for a school bus with its lights flashing. Knoebel said ...read more

Tags: Faith

26 Year Old Kyle Macdonald Had A Red Paper Clip ...  PRO

Contributed by W F on Nov 25, 2007

26 year old Kyle MacDonald had a red paper clip and a dream: Could he use the community power of the Internet to barter that paper clip for something better, and trade that thing for something else — and so on and so on until he had a house? He advertised the paperclip on craigslist.com and two ...read more

Denomination: *other

The Gift

Contributed by Peter Loughman on Dec 21, 2007

THE GIFT A professor of mine from seminary told us this story: When he was a young man, all of 23, he had the opportunity to take a summer tour of Europe as a graduation present, he was from a well to do family. He traveled about Europe by train, boat and sometimes by bicycle. Finally he ended up ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Stewarship As ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 23, 2008

STEWARSHIP AS CHARACTER Enter stage right: Ed McMahon and Evander Holyfield. Ed said, "When you spend more than you make, you know what happens." Yes, and a 85-year-old man should know better! He said it was "poor planning." NO, I THINK IT WAS HIGH LIVING! He was living high in a multi-million ...read more

Tags: Money

M ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 6, 2008

Materialism Matthew Sleeth is a medical doctor who wrote a provocative book called "Serve God Save the Planet." Dr. Sleeth was a former emergency room doctor and chief of medical staff at a prominent hospital in the northeast. He writes about a colleague named Todd. I think Todd represents the ...read more

Tags: Materialism

Unsung Heroines-Belshazzar's Grandmother; Daniel 5

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Jun 28, 2022

Introduction: My late uncle preached a sermon on Daniel 5 many years ago. He began by saying, “When the little shot gets about half shot, he really thinks he’s a big shot!” That was certainly true for Belshazzar, who had the honor (??) of being Babylon’s last king. In the context, Belshazzar had ...read more

Scripture: Daniel 5:10-12

Tags: Unsung Heroines, Queens, Belshazzar, Daniel

Denomination: Baptist

Do I Need To Repeat That?

Contributed by James Snyder on Jul 30, 2022

Of all the holidays during the year that I like, my birthday is at the bottom of the list. Now that I'm at my current age, I prefer not to be reminded that I'm getting older. All a birthday does for me is tell me I'm just getting older. Who wants to be reminded of that? Then, the worst ...read more

Scripture: Romans 10:17

Tags: Hearing, Unity

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

How Much Is Laughter Really Worth?

Contributed by James Snyder on Sep 30, 2023

Of all the things I prioritize in my life, laughter is at the top of the list. I appreciate laughter more than any other thing. Some people get paid for their jokes, while others pay mightily. I am in the latter category. I like to make people laugh, but sometimes it costs me. Whenever I see ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 17:22

Tags: Laughter, Medicine

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Moses, Aaron And Hur Went To The Top Of The Hill. ...  PRO

Contributed by Joel Pankow on Aug 14, 2003

Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 5:11

Tags: Jesus Christ, Lordship Of Christ

Denomination: Lutheran

The Land Of Beginning Again!" Philippians 3: ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Jan 24, 2005

“The Land of Beginning Again!” Philippians 3: 12-14 Key verse(s): 13-14:“Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:12-14

Tags: God's Provision

Denomination: Lutheran

Many Years Ago, Al Capone Virtually Owned ...  PRO

Contributed by Jeffrey Dillinger on Jun 21, 2005

Many years ago, Al Capone virtually owned Chicago. He wasn’t famous for anything heroic. He was notorious for filling Chicago with everything evil. How did he keep himself out of jail? That is where his lawyer came into play. Big Al’s lawyer was nicknamed “Easy Eddie.” He was excellent at ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:1-4, Proverbs 22:1

Tags: Parenting, Children, Example, Footsteps, Father  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Sobbing Little Girl Stood Near A Small Church ...  PRO

Contributed by Jim Kane on Jun 4, 2001

A sobbing little girl stood near a small church from which she had been turned away because it ’was too crowded.’ "I can’t go to Sunday School," she sobbed to the pastor as he walked by. Seeing her shabby, unkempt appearance, the pastor guessed the reason and, taking her by the hand, took her ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 90:1

Tags: Giving General, Christian Disciplines, Church Practices

Denomination: Church Of God

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

A Modern Parable Of The Unforgiving Slave  PRO

Contributed by John Shearhart on May 19, 2006

A Modern Parable of the Unforgiving Slave: A bank owner wanted to settle an overdo account with a farmer who owed him several million dollars, so he called him and asked him to come to his office. As the two discussed the situation it became apparent that the farmer couldn’t even meet the monthly ...read more

Tags: Character

Not Long Ago My Family And I Were On Vacation At ...

Contributed by Chris Surber on Mar 14, 2009

Not long ago my family and I were on vacation at Disney World in Florida. Everything at Disney World is of course of a very inflated price and occasionally of an inflated value. One morning we were waiting for a transport shuttle to take us from our Disney resort where we were staying to one of ...read more

Tags: Money

Denomination: Christian Church

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