In Sermon Illustrations: "Parents"

Charles Swindoll Says That Competitive ...

Contributed by Richard Wafford on Nov 24, 2004

Charles Swindoll says that competitive excellence requires one hundred percent all of the time. If you doubt that, try maintaining excellence by setting your standards at 92 percent. Or even 95 percent. People figure they’re doing fine so long as they get somewhat near it. Excellence gets reduced ...read more

Tags: Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Baptist

Halfway Through The Second Grade, Mrs. Sergeant, ...

Contributed by Ric Feeney on Jun 7, 2004

Halfway through the second grade, Mrs. Sergeant, who lived up to her name, sent a note home to the young boy’s parents. It was added onto his report card and therefore entered into his permanent record. It said, “Your son day dreams too much. He is always looking out the window and his mind ...read more

Tags: Character

Denomination: Brethren

I Attended A Small Country School In Southern ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 17, 2005

I attended a small country school in southern New Mexico. When I was in the third grade the circus came to the large town a few miles from to us. One afternoon the school principal came to our class and asked us to raise our hand if our parents were going to take us to the circus. Not wanting to ...read more

Tags: Second Coming

In 1904 William Borden, Heir To The Borden Dairy ...  PRO

Contributed by Donnie Martin on Feb 16, 2003

In 1904 William Borden, heir to the Borden Dairy Estate, graduated from a Chicago high school a millionaire. His parents gave him a trip around the world. Traveling through Asia, the Middle East, and Europe gave Borden a burden for the world’s hurting people. Writing home, he said, “I’m going to ...read more

Tags: Christian Disciplines, Faith

Denomination: Baptist

A Girl Said, "My Mother And I Returned To My ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

A girl said, “My mother and I returned to my parents’ house late one evening to find my father, my college-age brother, Steven, and my ten-year-old sister fast asleep. “Mom had forgotten her house keys, so we knocked loudly, first at the back door and then the front and side doors. We yelled my ...read more

Tags: Second Coming

In 1904 William Borden, Heir To The Borden Dairy ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

In 1904 William Borden, heir to the Borden dairy estate, graduated from a Chicago high school a millionaire. His parents gave him a trip around the world. Travelling through Asia, the Middle East, and Europe gave Borden a burden for the world’s hurting people. Writing home, he said, "I’m going to ...read more

Tags: Faith

The Longest 24 Hours  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Author Zig Ziglar writes: The longest 24 hours of my life were those after my daughter’s death. When making the funeral arrangements with her husband and his parents, I had to listen to a salesman who was an incessant talker and who told us 30 times he wasn’t a salesman. Twice while we were making ...read more

Tags: Death

Men Happier

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 14, 2008

MEN HAPPIER Last year, a team of researchers added a novel twist to something known as a time-use survey. Instead of simply asking people what they had done over the course of their day, as pollsters have been doing since the 1960s, the researchers also asked how people felt during each activity. ...read more

Tags: Men And Women

There Are Certain Truths We Hold As Basic. These ...

Contributed by Ronnie Knight on May 9, 2008

There are certain truths we hold as basic. These basic truths are accepted universally with little or no proof. For instance, through out the world 2 + 2 = 4 is accepted as a universal truth. Apart from those who are color blind the color of the words of this sentence would be accepted universally ...read more

Tags: Wisdom

Denomination: Baptist

I Can Swim!

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Aug 12, 2008

I CAN SWIM! Some of the richest times of my childhood are memories of my parents' interaction with us. Dad could kick a soccer ball in the air straight as an arrow, and my youthful mind remembered it becoming so small that it disappeared from view. Or the time he rode a bicycle and seem much too ...read more

Tags: Call Of The Disciples

Denomination: Salvation Army

Smoking Stats

Contributed by Ryan Yandris on Jan 8, 2009

SMOKING STATS Did you know that one out of five deaths are contributed to tobacco products? Every 8 seconds someone in the world dies of tobacco. Cigarette smoke contains 69 chemicals that are known to cause cancer. 1 out of 3 smokers will die from a tobacco related disease. 400,040 smokers die ...read more

Tags: Addiction

Denomination: Pentecostal

Never Mind ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 8, 2009

NEVER MIND ME A good many years ago, during a Massachusetts winter, a brother and sister were walking on the ice. He was 9 and she was 11. They hit a thin patch and fell through. Kicking to the surface, they yelled for help. Summoned by their screams, a man came running, dived into the icy water ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:6-8

Tags: Sacrifices

Same Old Story...?  PRO

Contributed by Scott Nichols on Apr 17, 2009

SAME OLD STORY...? The little boy was not exactly happy about going to church on Easter Sunday morning. His new shoes were to tight, his tie pinched his neck and the weather outside was just too beautiful to be cooped up inside...so as he sulked in the pew his parents heard him mutter to no one in ...read more

Tags: Easter Resurrection

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

God's Jealous Nature Illustrated

Contributed by Christopher Lanham on Jul 21, 2009

GOD'S JEALOUS NATURE ILLUSTRATED Let’s say you come home one day to find a stranger in your living room talking to your teenage daughter. He informs you that he has been chatting with your daughter online and says that he and your fourteen year-old are madly in love. He looks to be about forty. He ...read more

Tags: God's Love

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Only One In Thirty-Five Years

Contributed by Bill Butsko on Aug 5, 2009

THE ONLY ONE IN THIRTY-FIVE YEARS A soldier in the American Third Army was sent to a rest camp after a period of active service. When he returned to his outfit, he wrote a letter to General George Patton and thanked him for the splendid care he had received. General Patton wrote back that for ...read more

Tags: Gratitude

Denomination: Christian Church

I Recently Read Of A Teenager In Florida In ...

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on May 22, 2010

I recently read of a teenager in Florida in America who fled for her life from her Muslim family after she converted to Christianity. Fathima Rifqa Bary says her family will murder her in what is known as an "HONOUR KILLING" because of her profession of faith in Christ. In Islamic tradition, an ...read more

Tags: Persecution, Islam

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Dianne Odell's Attitude Remained Positive, Even ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 7, 2010

Dianne Odell’s Attitude Remained Positive, Even in an Iron Lung I read once of Dianne Odell of Jackson, Tennessee. She was quite a lady. Her life story received nation-wide attention. Dianne graduated from high school and college, she was involved with her church, and wrote her autobiography. ...read more

Scripture: John 8:34-36

Tags: Disability

On 10th May 2003, Through The Post I Received Six ...

Contributed by Warner Pidgeon on Oct 20, 2010

On 10th May 2003, through the post I received six letters concerning my claim for Tax Credits - much to my annoyance, since I made my application quite some time before. Back in 2003 the Tax Credit Office were singled out for a lot of criticism, and every day there seemed to be a story of a ...read more

Tags: Prayer Persistence

Denomination: Anglican

Joy In The Midst Of Rough Waters

Contributed by Rev. Matthew Parker on Feb 13, 2011

JOY IN THE MIDST OF ROUGH WATERS I’ve spent a fair bit of time in recent weeks doing funeral pre-planning for my parents. Making decisions about final disposition of the remains of people you have loved all your life is not any fun at all. It can be overwhelmingly sad. After spending hours with ...read more

Tags: Joy

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I Was The Lamb

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Apr 1, 2011

I WAS THE LAMB Every summer when I was a child, my family would make the trip from Texas to New Jersey to see my dad’s parents. They lived in a fascinating two-story house in which all the bedrooms were upstairs. The room I slept in had a single bed, and above the bed was a picture of Jesus. You ...read more

Tags: Jesus Christ

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed