In Sermon Illustrations: "Pastor Response"

The Thief On The Cross Didn't Go To Church!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Feb 3, 2024

A pastor saw one of his sheep in the grocery store and got around to asking where they had been lately. Was it something I said? Is it another church?" The man laughed and said, "Oh, no, we love you and the people of our church." The pastor was left to his own curiosity. He then ...read more

Scripture: James 2:14-26

Tags: Work, Excuses, Tithing, Thief On The Cross, Faith, Grace, Service, Baptism, Church, Salvation  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Selfishness Is A Personal Thing. This Is The ...  PRO

Contributed by Russell Brownworth on Jul 5, 2001

Selfishness is a personal thing. This is the self-contained life lived without Christ. That’s the attitude that hears a sermon and thinks, Wow, the preacher really told ‘em that time! A preacher once had a member who was like that. He always had the same comment after the sermon, You sure ...read more

Tags: Political Freedom

Denomination: United Methodist

The Lord Is Your Shepherd, And That's Enough  PRO

Contributed by Larry Moyer on Aug 5, 2009

THE LORD IS YOUR SHEPHERD, AND THAT’S ENOUGH One time there was a newspaper office in that always had a practice that if the pastors in that city would call in and give them texts and titles to their messages, they would print them in the paper so all the people in the city would know on what ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 23:1

Tags: God Brings Hope

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Young Couple Very Much In Love Were Getting ...  PRO

Contributed by Brian Harvison on Apr 5, 2008

A young couple very much in love were getting married in church. However, Sue the wife was very nervous about the big occasion and so the Pastor chose one verse that he felt would be a great encouragement to them. 1 John 4:18 which says “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear” ...read more

Tags: Fear

Denomination: Baptist

Cast Your Bread

Contributed by Rev. Dr. Andrew B Natarajan on Feb 1, 2021

True Story: There was a boy who lost his parents when he was about thirteen years old. He has left an Orphan without hope of continuing his education. He was brought to a care home run by a Pastor. He was given food and education. The Pastor who believed in investing in young boys and girls, ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 11:1-2

Tags: Care For Poor, Give Gospel

Denomination: Methodist

H.b. London, Jr. And Neil B. Wiseman, In Their ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 19, 2002

H.B. London, Jr. and Neil B. Wiseman, in their book Pastors at Risk, present some statistics on risk factors related to ministers today. Some of these statistics are as follows: Ninety percent of pastors work more than forty-six hours a week. Eighty percent believed that pastoral ministry ...read more

Tags: Gifts General, Church Body Of Christ, Leadership General

Children Living In Married-Couple Families Had ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 20, 2006

Children living in married-couple families had the lowest poverty rate, far less than the children living in homes headed only by one parent, according to a U.S. Census Bureau study titled Children and the Household ...read more

Tags: Children

The Porn Industry Won A Major Victory In A ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 27, 2006

The Porn Industry won a major victory in a federal court in Pittsburgh recently when a judge ruled that no restrictions should be placed on the distribution of pornography. Since it is legal to possess, its distribution channels are also beyond ...read more

Tags: Addiction

Late-Age Divorce Is A Growing Trend In The U.s., ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 3, 2006

Late-Age Divorce is a growing trend in the U.S., according to U.S. Census Bureau’s statistics. The number of senior citizens getting a divorce has risen 34%--the equivalent of 2.2 million people--from ...read more

Tags: Divorce

Slippery Slope: World Net Daily Reports That, In ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 3, 2006

Slippery Slope: World Net Daily reports that, in a survey taken between June 24 and July 8, 53% of respondents said they opposed “gay” marriages and 38% approved. In ‘96, the same survey found 65% opposed and 27% ...read more

I Must Not Hate  PRO

Contributed by Russell Brownworth on Oct 26, 2001

I MUST NOT HATE In October of 2001, on the ABC network morning show, Diane Sawyer interviewed the sister-in-law of Osamma Bin Laden. She has been estranged from one of Bin Laden’s 23 brothers, Yeslam, and is seeking a divorce. For 27 years she put up with abuse – and she wants out! Diane ...read more

Tags: Compassion

Denomination: United Methodist

Daniel Webster's Greatest Thought  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 5, 2011

DANIEL WEBSTER'S GREATEST THOUGHT At one time, Daniel Webster was considered the greatest of all living Americans. He was outstanding as a statesman, lawyer, orator, and leader of men. Twenty-five national leaders attended a select banquet in his honor. One man at the banquet asked Mr. Webster, ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1

Tags: Obedience

Not A Role Model...?

Contributed by Jehu Hernandez on Aug 12, 2011

NOT A ROLE MODEL...? Former NBA star Charles Barkley, the Round Mound of Rebound, as he was called, is famous for saying, "I'm not a role model." In spite of the fact that young kids wanted to imitate him, he didn't want that responsibility. He ignored the fact that his high visibility made it ...read more

Tags: Christian Witness

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Be More Active In Knowing What You Are Buying And ...

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Oct 23, 2008

Be more active in knowing what you are buying and who you are buying it from. For example, fair trade is a designation used for coffee and tea to not only make sure that justice is done by paying farmers fair wages but they also make sure that these farmers farm responsibly: they take care of the ...read more

Tags: Money

Denomination: Church Of God

Would That There Were An Award For People Who ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"Would that there were an award for people who come to understand the concept of enough. Good enough. Successful enough. Thin enough. Rich enough. Socially ...read more

Tags: Becoming A Christian

Have You Stopped Listening To God?

Contributed by Roy Fowler on Dec 14, 2020

Speaking of Jesus the Christ: "What is uncertain is not the “coming” of Christ but our own reception of him, our own response to him, our own readiness and ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 64:1-9, Luke 2:8, Luke 2:14

Tags: Coming Of Christ, Go Forth Meeting Christ

Denomination: Independent/Bible

According To The Latest Survey From Gallup, The ...

Contributed by Bumble Ho on Sep 26, 2005

According to the latest survey from Gallup, the number one reason for people joining a church is because “they like the pastor” (55%). The number one reason for leaving a church other than relocation is “disappointment with the pastor” D. Michael Lindsay, ...read more

Tags: Church General, Church Body Of Christ

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Barna Research Group Reports That More Than 1 Out ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 6, 2006

Barna Research Group reports that more than 1 out of 7 adults change their church each year, and another 1 out of 6 attend a carefully chosen handful of selected churches on a rotating basis rather than sticking with the same ...read more

Tags: Church General

The Bible Is Being Used As A Textbook In Classes ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 27, 2006

The Bible is being used as a textbook in classes taught in 300 school districts nationwide, according to the National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools. 93% of all the school boards it has approached to implement the curriculum have accepted it, ...read more

Tags: Bible Influence

Where Grace And Sin Collide

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

A pastor wrote: The Cross is the place where grace and sin collide with a crash, but the wreckage is suffered on the heart of God. The sinner walks away free - free from sin’s penalty, free to walk with God, free to live in His Heaven for ...read more

Tags: Servanthood