In Sermon Illustrations: "Parable Great Banquet"

Billy Graham: Growing Old Has Been A Surprise  PRO

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Feb 7, 2012

BILLY GRAHAM: GROWING OLD HAS BEEN A SURPRISE Billy Graham, in his book "Nearing Home: Life, Faith, and Finishing Well" (pp. 1-2, Thomas Nelson), he writes: Growing old has been the greatest surprise of my life. The young live for the here and now. Thinking ahead seems to be in the form of dreams ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 16:31

Tags: Aging

Denomination: Baptist

Worship At A Garbage Dump

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 21, 2012

WORSHIP AT A GARBAGE DUMP Imagine a town built atop an active landfill. That is "Garbage City" in Cairo, Egypt, longtime home to an impoverished, marginalized community of Coptic Christians for whom life is only going to get harder. The so-called Zabbaleen have been the trash collectors of Cairo ...read more

Scripture: John 4:24

Tags: Worship General

Finish Strong

Contributed by Jeffrey Rowe on Dec 29, 2012

In 2 Tim 4:7 Paul said that death was like finishing the race. Like crossing the finish line. That all of life is really about one thing – finishing well. Accomplishing the dreams and goals that God has for your life. I ran cross country in high school. We’d go out to these golf courses and ...read more

Tags: Death, Running The Race

Denomination: Holiness

Pax Romana  PRO

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Dec 30, 2012

PAX ROMANA About 27 years before Jesus was born Rome experienced something unique that history has called Pax Romana = the peace of Rome. Beginning with the reign of Augustine, Emperor of Rome and lasting till about 180 A.D. (a period of 200 years) Rome was at peace. They had few internal ...read more

Tags: Peace

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Boost For Not Boasting!!!

Contributed by Suresh Manoharan on Oct 21, 2016

A Boost for not Boasting!!! Probably you have heard this story before but here it goes again...a tale involving a frog prone to self-boasting and his two crane friends who planned to “live happily together ever after” inhabiting as they were a pond overflowing with rich flora and fauna but that ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 9:23-24

Tags: Power, Prudence, Boasting In Christ

Denomination: *other

Judging God's Mirror

Contributed by David Goering on Sep 1, 2018

Suppose a young couple woke up in the morning after a good night sleep and the husband looked in the mirror on the dresser and became very angry at the reflection because of what he saw... his hair was disheveled and he had a sleep wrinkle that ran down the one side of his face, so he took his ...read more

Scripture: James 1:23-25

Tags: Character, Reflection, Mirror, Gods Word

Mountain Stream

Contributed by Roy Fowler on Sep 30, 2021

Where I was Pastoring at the time I got 5th Sunday off. I had a favorite fishing hole. The water wasn’t very deep so I could wade in the water. That was fun for me. It had big trees that hung over the water and the sun would shine through them and made it look beautiful. It was great, this river ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 1:1-6

Tags: Becoming Finished, Facing Storms

Denomination: Independent/Bible

God With Us - Immanuel (Charles Spurgeon)

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Dec 5, 2021

(Charles Spurgeon December 24, 1854) Do you know the full meaning of that name Immanuel, “God with us”? No, he who knows it best knows little of it. Alas, he who knows it not at all is ignorant indeed, so ignorant that his ignorance is not bliss, but will be his damnation. Oh! may God teach you the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 1:23, Isaiah 7:10-15

Tags: Heaven's Hallelujah, Sufferer's Comfort, Christmas, Immanuel, God With Us, Charles Spurgeon  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Living Or Dead

Contributed by Max Furman on Dec 24, 2021

On Easter Sunday, religious leaders and the disciples had all witnessed the same event. However, both saw something differently. A few years ago, I was getting ready to leave the house for a run and as my wife and I talked, I learned that she was soon going to run an errand. Jokingly, I told her ...read more

Scripture: Luke 24:8-11

Tags: Easter, Resurrection

"grudgitis" Killer Disease

Contributed by David Parks on Jan 14, 2022

"GRUDGITIS" ... KILLER DISEASE "Fret not thyself because of evildoers..." (Psalm 37:1). A grizzly bear lumbered into a clearing where garbage had been dumped. Tourists noticed that there was only one animal the grizzly would permit to eat with him - a skunk. Doubtless he ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 37:1, Colossians 3:12

Tags: Forgiveness, Revenge, Malice, Grudges

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Marathon

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Oct 17, 2022

On Sunday, October 16, 2022 my daughter, aged 25, ran her first marathon – the Toronto Waterfront marathon. Though I’m currently living 3000 kms away in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada – I was there at the race to cheer her on. I was not prepared for the emotional intensity of the ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-2, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Philippians 3:14

Tags: Salvation, Perseverance, Gospel, Discipleship, The Cross  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Joy Of Hearing Your Name

Contributed by Todd Catteau on Apr 26, 2023

This week is the National Football League Draft, a day that thousands of young men have been anticipating for years. I love to watch as the player hears his name called. The smiles. The hugs. Going to the platform and being congratulated by the commissioner. And then donning the jersey and cap of ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:18

Tags: Heaven, Reward

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Bridge Operator

Contributed by David Dunn on Oct 5, 2025

There was once a man whose job was to operate a drawbridge for passing trains. Most of the time the bridge stayed raised to allow ships to move freely along the busy waterway. But when a train was scheduled to cross, he would lower the bridge, lock it in place, and signal that the way was ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16, Romans 5:8

Tags: Grace, Atonement, Sacrifice, Redemption

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Soul Food

Contributed by David Dunn on Oct 8, 2025

A certain man who had been absent from church for a long time received an inquiring visit from the Pastor. The man told the Pastor, "I've attended nearly every Sunday for 30 years. In that time, I have heard something like 1,500 sermons. In all of those years, people were shouting ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 103:1-5, Isaiah 40:31, John 6:35

Tags: Worship, Faithfulness, Nourishment

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

[238]. A Message From A Poem – See Him Now

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Dec 17, 2025

[238]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – SEE HIM NOW This is a simple poem. It covers salvation and service. When Jesus was here people saw Him and heard Him as He spoke the eternal message but eyes were closed and ears were shut. The response to Jesus was the same response to Stephen – {{Acts 7:51 ...read more

Scripture: Acts 7:51, Acts 7:57, John 5:24

Tags: Hear, Serve, See, Christian Poems, Praise, Take  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Today Is Super Bowl Sunday, The Most Ballyhooed ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Today is Super Bowl Sunday, the most ballyhooed and widely watched pro football game of all. Someone defined a football game as 75,000 people sitting in a stadium, although they desperately need exercise, watching twenty-two people on the field who desperately need rest. Pastor Bob Schmidgall said ...read more

Tags: Faith

Spurgeon Quote

Contributed by Ken Mckinley on Aug 16, 2022

I want to read something to you. It’s from a sermon preached by Charles Spurgeon… listen to what he says here… it’s kind of a long quote, but man it’s good. “Everybody admires Luther! Yes, yes, but you do not want anyone else to do the same today. When you go to the Zoological Gardens you all ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-3

Tags: Perseverance, Faithfulness

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Charlie's Thanksgiving List

Contributed by Perry Hancock on Nov 22, 2022

Charlie’s Thanksgiving List The pastor at the downtown men’s shelter was ready to begin the Thanksgiving service. Everyone was ready for him to begin and finish since the service was before the meal. After a few hymns were sung, it was time for the pastor’s Thanksgiving sermon. This year he had ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 103:2

Tags: Thanksgiving, God's Blessings

Denomination: Baptist

The Difference Christmas Makes

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Dec 24, 2023

At Christmastime, we set up our Christmas trees and toy trains. We may even walk along singing carols, or we may preach a sermon, but these bits and pieces are barren if we are thinking only of them or even thinking only of being in heaven, and are not stopping to ask ourselves, “What difference ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:8-20

Tags: Shepherds, Christmas, Glory, God's Glory, Ordinary People, Making A Difference  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

[043] A Message From A Poem – Christ Upholds The Battling One

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 3, 2025

[043] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – CHRIST UPHOLDS THE BATTLING ONE (Longer Introduction) Do you face battles? Do trials and opposition buffet you and make the way ahead very hard? This poem partly addresses that. Well there is good news for you. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Your Saviour goes with you all ...read more

Scripture: John 10:2, John 10:11, John 10:14, 2 Timothy 3:12

Tags: Battling, Mary Stevenson, Comfort, Dreams, Poetry, Burdens, Footprints In The Sand, I Had A Dream, Grace  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational