In Sermon Illustrations: "Parable Prodigal Son"

Grateful Allen, An ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 8, 2009

Grateful Allen, An Outsider We all know about the good Samaritan, but how many of us have heard of the grateful Samaritan? We are going to meet him today, but firstly I want to tell you about my friend Allen. Allen was quite different from most people. To have called him unconventional would have ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:30-37

Tags: Parable Good Samaritan

Minister Runs Ad In Local Paper To Invite ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 8, 2009

Minister Runs Ad in Local Paper to Invite Straying Sheep Back into the Fold A few years ago I was reading a book by Stephen Gaukroger. He tells the story of a New York Methodist minister who saw the need to bring his ‘ninety nine righteous’ sheep back into the fold. He put an advert in the local ...read more

Scripture: John 10:1-18

Tags: Parable Lost Sheep

The Good Outcast: Longhaired Biker

Contributed by Otis Mcmillan on Dec 16, 2009

THE GOOD OUTCAST-LONGHAIR-BIKER Now it came to pass that a certain man was traveling Lonesome Street, a lonely and dark road from Tom's Tavern to Bill's Bar. After many visits to this bar, the consumption of liquor got a hold of him, stripped him of all his goods and left him destitute and dying ...read more

Tags: Parable Good Samaritan

Denomination: Methodist

Successful Businessman--Modern Day Rich ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 30, 2009

Successful Businessman--Modern Day Rich Fool John Ortberg tells the story of a successful businessman. He worked 14 hours a day, even on weekends. He thought the 40 hour work week was such a good idea he would often do it twice a week. His goal was to be the best businessman he could be. Even when ...read more

Scripture: Luke 12:16-19

Tags: Parable Rich Fool

Hillel: "What Is Painful To You, Do Not Do Un...

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Jan 4, 2010

Hillel: "What is painful to you, do not do unto others". (Talmud, tracate Shabbat 31a; Midrash Avot de Rabbi Natan). Akiva states "Whatever you hate to have done unto you, do not do to your neighbor; wherefore do not hurt him; do not speak ill of him; do not reveal his secrets to others; let his ...read more

Tags: Parable Good Samaritan

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Watch Out For The Weeds  PRO

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Feb 23, 2010

WATCH OUT FOR THE WEEDS Watch out for the weeds in your life – the things that come between you and God; between you and serving God. I like the way Rick Warren illustrates weeds. • You don’t have to plan for weeds to grow; it just grows. • The difference between a plant and a weed is this. ...read more

Tags: Parable Sower And Seed

Denomination: Independent/Bible

A Converted Gangster Was Quoted As Saying That ...

Contributed by John Perry on Apr 17, 2010

A converted gangster was quoted as saying that he had “Sown enough wild oats to be able ...read more

Tags: Parable Sower And Seed

Denomination: Pentecostal

Three Philosophies: The Good Samaritan

Contributed by Rodelio Mallari on Nov 10, 2010

THREE PHILOSOPHIES: THE GOOD SAMARITAN The parable of the Good Samaritan gives three philosophies of life— The robber's philosophy was "What you have is mine, and I will take it." The priest and Levite had the philosophy that "What is mine is mine, and I will keep it." The Samaritan's ...read more

Tags: Parable Good Samaritan

Denomination: *other

The Wandering Sheep

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Nov 23, 2010

THE WANDERING SHEEP Dr. Andrew Bonar tells of how in the Highlands of Scotland, a sheep would often wander off into the rocks and get into places that they can't get out of. The grass on these mountains is very sweet and the sheep like it, and they will jump down ten or twelve feet, and then ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:6

Tags: Parable Lost Sheep

Denomination: Brethren

Two Men, Two Soils  PRO

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Jan 28, 2011

TWO MEN, TWO SOILS Two of the men have impacted my life. Both of them died of cancer. For many years one of these men allowed his CIRCUMSTANCES to harden him towards those in his family and towards God. I thought my dad was about as far away from God as he could be. He seemed to be represented ...read more

Tags: Parable Sower And Seed

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Lost And Found

Contributed by Jason Bonnicksen on Mar 15, 2011

LOST AND FOUND Our tummies rumbled --it was time for lunch. "What do ya say we head-in," I asked, as the girls strapped in. We careened down the mountain and caught the chairlift. My baby and I rode on one chair, behind her two, older sisters in another. The view ahead would make a great shot, ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:8-10

Tags: Parable Lost Coin

Denomination: Lutheran

The Voice Of The Shepherd  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 22, 2011

THE VOICE OF THE SHEPHERD There once was a shepherd that lived in the Scottish highlands. This shepherd had a daughter and he would take her with him when he went out on the moors to take care of the sheep. The thing that the little girl liked best was to hear the call of shepherd. His voice ...read more

Scripture: John 10:1-18, Mark 4:26-34

Tags: Parable Lost Sheep

The "Broken" Sheepdog And The Shepherd  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 22, 2011

THE "BROKEN" SHEEPDOG AND THE SHEPHERD Philip Keller tells a story in his book, Lessons from a Sheep Dog, about how a bedraggled collie named Lassie came into his possession. One day he happened to notice an ad in the paper that simply said: "Border collie to good owner. Currently uncontrollable ...read more

Scripture: John 10:1-18

Tags: Parable Lost Sheep

The Sheep Dog  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 9, 2011

THE SHEEP DOG A man by the name of Keith Miller told of the time when his daughters were very young. They’d drop them off at the church’s children’s chapel on Sundays before the 11 am service. But one day Keith chanced to be in the class when the preacher was telling the story for the day to the ...read more

Scripture: John 10:11-18

Tags: Parable Lost Sheep

If You Obey

Contributed by Dr. Nicholas M. Muteti on Jun 15, 2011

IF YOU OBEY Nearly thirty years ago, I was a middle school teacher in Kenya. One day I took 20 students, and I told them: "I will do my best to teach you and train you. If you obey me, you will be the best students of this school." They were excited. In a short time, I realized that only some ...read more

Tags: Parable Sower And Seed

Denomination: Baptist

Lost Alasdair

Contributed by Warner Pidgeon on Jul 10, 2011

LOST ALASDAIR In October 1984 my brother-in-law Alasdair got lost. As a family they had visited Venice – long before I knew them – Sandy and Valerie my in-Laws, Moira my wife who was 14 at the time, and Alasdair who was 11. They were at St. Mark’s square, Venice – at the same time as Queen ...read more

Tags: Parable Lost Sheep

Denomination: Anglican

My Sheep Know My Voice  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 9, 2011

MY SHEEP KNOW MY VOICE Do you all know much about Emperor Penguins? I was not very familiar with these birds until a few years ago when the documentary, March of the Penguins, came out. And as I watched this documentary, I learned many intriguing facts about this largest of the penguin family. ...read more

Scripture: John 10:27-29

Tags: Parable Lost Sheep

Persistent Sowers

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 15, 2011

PERSISTENT SOWERS During a particular drought several years ago, much of the seed that had been planted did not come up. The seed that did produced runty plants that promised a scanty yield, if any at all. Grass burned up in the intense heat, and the cattle nearly starved. Many farmers were forced ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:1-23

Tags: Parable Sower And Seed

The Lukewarm Sheep  PRO

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Aug 29, 2011

THE LUKEWARM SHEEP Now, for the sake of my illustration, I want to break a flock of sheep down into 3 groups. 1. The first group of sheep had DECIDED to look to Shepherd & follow Him wherever He leads. These are the "Good sheep" who follow the "Good Shepherd. Jesus said: "My sheep hear my voice, ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 3:14-22, John 10:4, John 15:1-11

Tags: Parable Lost Sheep

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Shepherd's Voice

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 10, 2012

THE SHEPHERD'S VOICE If you know and follow Jesus as Shepherd you will be able to flee from untruth and ungodly belief systems. D.L. Moody told the following: A friend, who was traveling in the East, heard that there was a shepherd who still kept up the custom of calling his sheep by name. He ...read more

Scripture: John 10:1-18

Tags: Parable Lost Sheep