In Sermon Illustrations: "Pastor Cave"

The Love Of Christ Enables Believers  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 31, 2010

THE LOVE OF CHRIST ENABLES BELIEVERS I like the way one pastor put it years ago (1986) when he became overwhelmed with all the "ideals" he was collecting from church growth seminars and books. He said, "Quite frankly, I'm sick to death of ideals. I have so many ideals and I've been so frustrated ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 4:13-16

Tags: Growth In Christ

Make A Wish

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 10, 2010

MAKE A WISH Have you ever dreamed of finding a genie in a lamp where you could get three wishes? Our Pastor, who is in charge of the prison ministry, always tells the same joke, because the prisoner population has a new turnover each time he visits. He always sets them up by asking if they had ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 13:16

Tags: Fool

Underdoing Personal Responsibility

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 5, 2010

UNDERDOING PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY Craig Groeschel, a well known pastor and author of the "Christian Atheist" says: "As Christians, we can be tempted to 'overdo faith.' I put that in quotes because it would be more accurate to say it's 'underdoing personal responsibility.' There's really no way ...read more

Scripture: James 2:14-26

Tags: Faith Vs. Works

Cruel Grace  PRO

Contributed by Bret Toman on Jan 4, 2011

CRUEL GRACE "Thirty years ago, many people chose churches based on whether the church believed and taught the truth. Today, many choose churches based on whether the church makes them feel comfortable. If a church tells the truth, it will gain some people but lose others. One out of five women ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:6

Tags: Grace

Denomination: Baptist

I Tithe—he'll Find Me.  PRO

Contributed by Denn Guptill on May 1, 2011

"I TITHE--HE'LL FIND ME." Two men have ended up marooned on an island in the South Pacific. You can fill in the blanks as to how they got there. So they are on the clichéic deserted island, one palm tree, nothing to see but the ocean. One guy is in a complete panic, pacing back and forth, ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:5-21, Matthew 23:23

Tags: Offering, Tithe, Tithes

Denomination: Wesleyan

Stop Or Slow Down  PRO

Contributed by Akinsanya Adubi on May 6, 2011

STOP OR SLOW DOWN Pastor John Hagee told us a story of a driver that refused to stop at a STOP sign; he was then pulled over by a cop. The cop told him that the reason he pulled him over was because he refused to stop at a STOP sign. He replied that he slowed down, the cop then explain to him that ...read more

Scripture: Luke 6:38

Tags: Sin Bondage To

Denomination: Pentecostal

God Picks The Unlovable Ones

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 15, 2011

GOD PICKS THE UNLOVABLE ONES Anne Lamott described a time when a fellow church member told about adopting her son through an organization called A.S.K. -- Adopt Special Kids. Part of the adoption process included filling out a questionnaire checking "yes" or "no" for one's willingness to adopt ...read more

Scripture: John 4:1-42

Tags: Adoption

Not If Jesus Is Like Dad  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 21, 2011

NOT IF JESUS IS LIKE DAD Some months ago I heard a touching story about a humble, consecrated pastor whose young son had become very ill. After the boy had undergone an exhaustive series of tests, the father was told the shocking news that his son had a terminal illness. The youngster had accepted ...read more

Scripture: John 14:1-3

Tags: Father's Day

Travelers Vs. Tourists

Contributed by Tim Hinrichs on Mar 29, 2012

TRAVELERS VS. TOURISTS Canadian Pastor Mark Buchanan in his book "Your Church is Too Safe" points out the radical difference between a traveler and a tourist. "A traveler literally means 'one who travails.' He labors, he suffers, endures. A traveler -- travailer - ...immerses himself in a culture, ...read more

Tags: Discipleship

Denomination: Lutheran

God, You're In My Way.  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 28, 2012

"GOD, YOU'RE IN MY WAY." A California pastor, Kyle Idleman, talks about his last move in his book, Not a Fan. In that move, he saved the heaviest piece of furniture for last -- the desk from his office. And as he was pushing and pulling the desk with all his might, his four-year-old son came over ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:6-8, Philippians 4:4-7

Tags: Anxiety

A Story To Tell

Contributed by Bobby Jenkins on Feb 2, 2013

A STORY TO TELL (A poem to honor our military veterans ) By Pastor Bobby W. Jenkins Jr. A story to tell, one we can’t fully understand One of sacrifice and bravery of so many men A story to tell of a perilous fight That cost so many their lives and gathered such might A story to tell of the ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 33:12

Tags: Military, America, Soldier, Veterans, Holidays Civic  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Assembly Of God

God Is Not An Assistant  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 23, 2013

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR AN ASSISTANT? Tim Keller, a pastor in Manhattan, New York, said that in 1970 a Sunday school teacher changed his life with a simple illustration. The teacher said, “Let’s assume the distance between the earth and the sun (92 million miles) was reduced to the thickness of this ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 1:1-3

Tags: God's Omnipotence

Trials

Contributed by Tim Smith on May 28, 2015

Sam Dixon was the General Secretary of the United Methodist Committee on Relief. He died under the rubble in the Montana Hotel of Haiti, serving God while meeting with other relief agencies to work together to better help the Haitian people. When one serves God so faithfully and suddenly is killed, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:13-16

Tags: God's Sovereignty, Serving, Choices, The Price To Follow

Denomination: Methodist

One Day The Reformer Martin Luther Was Feeling ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

One day the reformer Martin Luther was feeling rather down. The Pope was after him. His colleagues were bickering among themselves. He felt the heavy pressure that came with being a professor, pastor, and father. And he was in excruciating pain from kidney stones. As he moped around the house ...read more

Scripture: Numbers 14:27, John 16:32-33

Tags: God's Provision

Once A Man Attended A Fair And Saw Another Man ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Once a man attended a fair and saw another man leading a fine, well-groomed horse. He inquired, "Is that a saddle horse?" The man replied, "No, sir. This horse will buck off a saddle. Nothing can stay on his back." So the man asked again, "Is he a driving horse?" The answer came back from the ...read more

Tags: God Brings Purpose

There Are Those Christians Who Boast That They ...

Contributed by Samson Musyoki on Sep 22, 2007

There are those Christians who boast that they never miss Sunday services while on the other hand fail to attend midweek services or evening fellowships. That is not enough! You are only lying to yourself since we don’t attend church to please the lay leaders or the pastor but to have communion ...read more

Tags: Church Practices, Growth In Christ

Denomination: Pentecostal

I Read Of A Remarkable Story Of God's ...

Contributed by Owen Bourgaize on Oct 18, 2000

I read of a remarkable story of God’s providential care. Police in Nepal saved the lives of Christians by arresting them! A musical team from an Indian church travelled to Tikapur, Nepal, to attend a church conference. Hours before they were scheduled to return to India, police arrested the team ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Ron Mehl: Love Found A Way

Contributed by C Jordan on Dec 7, 2007

QUOTE: By Ron Mehl (Love Found a Way). “Some people think I get a little carried away with Christmas. No, they don’t actually say anything (who wants to offend the pastor?). But I can tell. I’ve caught them rolling their eyes or changing the subject. I know that they’re thinking. They think I’m too ...read more

Tags: Antichrist

Denomination: *other

There Is A Story Of An 8 Year Old Boy Who Was ...

Contributed by Aubrey Vaughan on Dec 13, 2007

There is a story of an 8 year old boy who was learning in school how plants grow, he was intrigued how a tiny seed can germinate in the ground and later burst through the ground, that week he attended a funeral where the pastor talked about the final resurrection of our bodies. Several days ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Star Over Christ's Birthplace

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Dec 29, 2007

Illustration 4300 Star Over Christ’s Birthplace A Silver Star hanging over the birthplace of Jesus in Bethlehem was the cause of a war which involved five world powers, lasted three long years, and caused a million casualties as well as a billion and a half dollars. This was known as the Crimean ...read more

Denomination: Other