In Sermon Illustrations: "Parable Talents"

A Thanks Offering

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

A Thanks Offering 1 Chronicles 29:16, "O LORD our God, as for all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name, it comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you." Christians are the temple that God cares about today, for 1 Corinthians 3:16 and 17 ...read more

Scripture: 1 Chronicles 29:16

Tags: Thanksgiving Holiday

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Walt Disney's Leadership  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 30, 2011

WALT DISNEY'S LEADERSHIP Walt Disney was a remarkable man of vision. He never gave up. Early in his career a newspaper fired him because they thought he had "no good ideas". That just made Disney try harder. When he was starting out in Kansas City he couldn't sell his cartoons. Some hinted that he ...read more

Scripture: Ezekiel 37:1-14

Tags: Faith, Vision, Perseverance, Leadership General

Phil Sheldrake's Story

Contributed by Warner Pidgeon on Apr 10, 2011

PHIL SHELDRAKE'S STORY At the age of 14 Phil Sheldrake was invited by a school friend to attend an event called Festival ’89. The event was being held on Sun Corner in Billericay and hosted by the preacher J. John. That night, Phil came to find a personal faith in Jesus. With his best friend, ...read more

Tags: Youth

Denomination: Anglican

Fix The Dishwasher

Contributed by Roy Fowler on Sep 13, 2020

A Mother and her son were talking. His mother lived for nearly 94 years. One day around her 90th year she said something like, "If I had known I would live this long, I would have fixed the dishwasher." It had stopped working. So there it sat quietly waiting to be fixed. She thought it ...read more

Scripture: James 5:7, Isaiah 64:4, Exodus 14:15

Tags: Fix Our Problem, Now Is The Time

Denomination: Independent/Bible

A Good Illustration Of This Comes From An Old ...  PRO

Contributed by Dennis Selfridge on Feb 26, 2003

A good illustration of this comes from an old parable of the end time judgment with all the people who have ever lived being brought before God. Not submitting to God they come with a complaint. One group made the claim that they suffered persecution. They had died in gas chambers and concentration ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 37:1-36, Genesis 50:20

Tags: Humanity Of Christ

Denomination: Wesleyan

The Importance Of Public Confession

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 5, 2011

THE IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC CONFESSION There's a parable about an ancient philosopher who came to a city to save its people from its sins. The inhabitants of the city, who at first listened to the philosopher, gradually turned away. One day a child asked the learned man why he went on - did he not ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 10:32-33

Tags: Evangelism Urgency

Grant And Custer  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Ball on Apr 21, 2011

GRANT AND CUSTER There is a story of two Civil War Generals: George A. Custer and Ulysses S. Grant. Both graduated from West Point -- Gen. Grant, being the oldest, graduated in the 1840's and Gen. Custer in 1861. Grant fought in several wars and was a field General in every sense of the word. ...read more

Tags: Humility, God's Humility

Denomination: *other

Actions Of The Common Day! (08.08.05--Character ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Aug 4, 2005

Actions of the Common Day! (08.08.05--Character Counts!--Gen. 27: 11-13) “It’s the little things that count!” Growing up, this phrase had special meaning in my life. No, not because I enjoyed hearing it or, for that matter, even putting it to good use in my life. Rather, it was one of what I ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 2:1-10, Genesis 27:11-13

Tags: Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Lutheran

Life-Saving Stations  PRO

Contributed by C Jordan on Mar 16, 2008

ILLUSTRATION: On a dangerous seacoast where shipwrecks often occur, there was once a little life-saving station. The building was primitive, and there was just one boat, but the members of the life-saving station were committed and kept a constant watch over the sea. When a ship went down, they ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 9:37-38

Tags: Service, Church, Outreach, Salvation, Business, Labourers, Volunteer, Employed  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: *other

The Power In Touching The Untouchable  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 14, 2009

THE POWER IN TOUCHING THE UNTOUCHABLE Jesus, the Christ, is still in the business of touching the untouchable! You may feel like you are too dirty or too wicked for Jesus, the Christ, to touch you with His forgiveness today! As an illustration, you may remember the move enitled "The Elephant ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:8

Tags: Grace

Soul Surfer: Fulfill God's Destiny

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Jul 19, 2011

* SOUL SURFER: FULFILL GOD'S DESTINY Soul Surfer is the inspiring true story of teen surfer Bethany Hamilton. Bethany lost her left arm in a shark attack and courageously overcame all odds to become a champion again, through her sheer determination and unwavering faith in Jesus Christ. Bethany ...read more

Tags: Fulfillment

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

In The Recent Summer Games (2012), Kim Rhode Won ...  PRO

Contributed by Kelly Mitchell on Aug 11, 2012

In the recent Summer Games (2012), Kim Rhode won the gold medal in skeet shooting making her the first American to win 5 olympic medals in 5 consecutive olympic games. That’s a span of 20 years and not her only distinction. In the 2012 games, she hit 99 out of 100 skeet setting a new Olympic ...read more

Scripture: 1 Chronicles 9:24-27

Tags: Preparation, Commitment To Christ, Disciplines General, Growth In Christ

Denomination: Baptist

Musician Learns A Lesson By Following A Band ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 1, 2010

Musician Learns a Lesson by Following A Band Director’s Advice I would like to begin by sharing with you today an event in my life that at the time felt like the worst thing that had ever happened to me, but which in retrospect has proven to be a significant and defining point of my life. This ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 4:10

Back In The Fifteenth Century, In A Tiny Village ...  PRO

Contributed by Dave Mcfadden on Oct 20, 2004

Back in the fifteenth century, in a tiny village near Nuremberg, lived a family with eighteen children. To keep food on the table the father, a goldsmith by profession, worked almost eighteen hours a day at his trade and any other paying chore he could find in the neighborhood. Despite their ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 4:12

Tags: Christian Love

Denomination: Baptist

Entranced  PRO

Contributed by Cajun Pauley on Jun 23, 2007

Entranced <i> By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and went out to a place he was going to receive as an inheritance; he went out, not knowing where he was going.– Hebrews 11:8 HCSB </i> There once was an old Christian who was often entranced by his love for the Lord. One summer evening, ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 11:8

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Can't Miss

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 20, 2011

CAN'T MISS Every so often, in the world of high school boys' basketball, there comes a player with incredible talent and skill. He and his team become the focus of a lot of media attention. That player becomes one of the most talked about high school athletes in the nation. Recruiters from the ...read more

Scripture: Haggai 1:9

Tags: Humility

What Will Follow You When You're Gone?

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Aug 17, 2020

You make a choice of which will one you leave behind to others - Blessings or Curses. Jonathan Edwards, was a Puritan Preacher in the 1700s. He was one of the most respected preachers in his day. He attended Yale at the age of thirteen and later went on to become the president of Princeton ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 23:1-6

Tags: Blessings, Curses, Generational Sins

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Grant Vs. Custer  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 2, 2011

GRANT VS. CUSTER There is a story of two Civil War Generals: George A. Custer and Ulysses S. Grant. Both graduated from West Point--Gen. Grant, being the oldest, graduated in the 1840's and Gen. Custer in 1861. Grant fought in several wars and was a field General in every sense of the word. In ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 23:1-11, Matthew 23:23-24

Tags: Humility, Pride, Show Off, Comparison

The World's Most Unwanted Ship

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Jul 2, 2021

The Pellicano is the world's most unwanted ship. Since 1986 she has been the hobo of the high seas. No one wants her. Sri Lanka doesn't. Bermuda doesn't. The Dominican Republic turned her away. So did the Netherlands, the Antilles, and Honduras. The problem is not the boat. Though ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:5, 2 Corinthians 10:5, Philippians 4:8

Tags: Guilt, Pessimism, Deceit, Sin, Anxiety, Transformation, Bitterness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

When Close Enough—isn’t!

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Nov 23, 2022

Introduction: Sometimes, close enough just isn't! Text, Matthew 13:25, KJV: 25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. Thoughts: Have you ever heard the phrase, “Oh, that’ s close enough” or “that’s good enough”? Sometimes, it’s true but there ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:25-30

Tags: Holy Spirit, Wheat, Tares, Close Enough

Denomination: Baptist