In Sermon Illustrations: "Pastors Appreciation Day"

I Read A Book Some Time Ago Entitled Wisdom ...  PRO

Contributed by Martin Wiles on May 8, 2002

I read a book some time ago entitled Wisdom Hunter. Randal Arthur, a missionary, wrote it. It told of a pastor who was involved in a denomination that controlled its people with traditions and their interpretations of God’s Word. He became disgusted with that and even turned away from God. Finally, ...read more

Tags: Church Practices, Church Purpose Of

Denomination: Baptist

Leighton Farrell Was The Minister Of Highland ...  PRO

Contributed by Joel Vicente on Feb 14, 2005

Leighton Farrell was the minister of Highland Park Church in Dallas for many years. He tells of a man in the church who once made a covenant with a former pastor to tithe ten percent of their income every year. They were both young and neither of them had much money. But things changed. The layman ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:14-30, Matthew 25:14-30

Tags: Gifts Giving, Giving General

Denomination: Baptist

A Woman Was Diagnosed With A Terminal Illness And ...

Contributed by Sylvester Fergusson on Dec 23, 2007

A woman was diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. As she was getting her things in order, she contacted her pastor and asked him to come to her house to discuss some of her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at her funeral service, what ...read more

Denomination: Adventist

After The Collapse Of The Berlin Wall In 1989, No ...  PRO

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Feb 16, 2008

After the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989, no person in all of East Germany was more despised than the former Communist dictator Erich Honecher. He had been stripped of all his offices. Even the Communist Party rejected him. Kicked out of his villa, the new government refused him and his wife ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:20, 1 Peter 3:9

Tags: Divisions

Denomination: Other

What God Can Do For Us  PRO

Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Apr 22, 2008

WHAT GOD CAN DO FOR US A young pastor in another church told about an experience he had with a family who tended to be the "Easter and Christmas" variety of church attendees. A young woman in the family became critically ill. The prognosis was bad. In fact, doctors expected she might die within ...read more

Tags: Hardship Of Life

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Stranger Than Fiction: A True Story

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 31, 2008

STRANGER THAN FICTION: A TRUE STORY A young couple from another church came to one of our assistant pastors for counseling about marital problems they started having soon after their wedding. After just a few minutes of interviewing the two, he could see they were miles apart in tastes, ideas, and ...read more

Tags: Bible Study

Sign Your Name Or Forget It

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 8, 2011

SIGN YOUR NAME OR FORGET IT J. Vernon McGee tells of an incident that happened in one of his pastorates. A man came to him and said, "I want to tell you about a certain situation." He told him about a certain man who was involved in a particular sin. The man wanted to do something about it. He ...read more

Scripture: James 3:1-12

Tags: Tongue

The Heizer Creek Baptism

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Apr 11, 2018

Note: this story happened to me - Jim Butcher of Madison WV. One of my favorite baptism stories comes from a friend of mine who owns a house on Heizer Creek. He had a nice spot on his property to do baptisms and told the nearby country churches they were welcome to use it anytime, which a few of ...read more

Tags: Change, Transformation, Cursing, Baptism

Denomination: Baptist

Genuine Praise

Contributed by David Dunn on Oct 6, 2025

A little old saint who came to church every Sabbath and sat right down front. The preacher was predictable. The sermons were steady, maybe a bit too steady. But every week, that dear lady found something to say “Amen!” about. Every time she did, it startled the whole congregation — because nobody ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 34:1, Philippians 4:4, Hebrews 13:15, Luke 19:37-40

Tags: Worship, Praise, Revival, Gratitude, Testimony  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

And, Finally, We Are To Apply Christ In ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 8, 2003

And, finally, we are to apply Christ in everything we do and say so that others will be pointed to the first part of the resolution and come to know Christ as their Savior. Your witness is more far reaching than you will ever know. This past week on Dr. Dobson’s Focus On The Family I heard this ...read more

Tags: Faith, Sharing My Testimony

Raising The Dead

Contributed by Rick Boyne on Apr 12, 2012

RAISING THE DEAD Easter Services are supposed to be focused on Jesus and the power of His resurrection. Yesterday, the members of Immanuel Southern Baptist Church in Wagoner, OK, got an object lesson to go along with the sermon. Just before the services were to begin, the Sunday School Director, ...read more

Scripture: John 20:1-8

Tags: Easter Resurrection

Denomination: Baptist

Wee Bobby Moffett, Missionary

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Aug 6, 2021

HAVE YOU HEARD OF WEE BOBBY MOFFETT? There was a small village church in Scotland that did not seem to be growing. The deacons cornered the pastor and had serious questions about the church. The deacons asked WHY HAS THERE BEEN NO GROWTH IN THE CHURCH THIS YEAR? We have not had one new ...read more

Scripture: Ezekiel 37:1-5, John 6:5-9

Tags: Failure, Possibilities, Attitudes

Denomination: Assembly Of God

One Communion Sunday, The Communion Steward ...  PRO

Contributed by Don Hawks on Aug 20, 2004

One communion Sunday, the communion steward prepared communion with a twist. When it came time to uncover the elements the grape juice looked darker than usual. The pastor thought nothing of it and began to serve the communion. Promptly upon receiving the cup, each recipient’s face had a ...read more

Tags: Lord's Supper

Denomination: Methodist

Unlikely Substance Abuse

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 30, 2008

UNLIKELY SUBSTANCE ABUSE According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, about 3.1 million people ages 12 to 25 have gotten high using cough and cold medicine, about the same number who have used LSD and far more than have used methamphetamines. In addition, mouthwash, ...read more

Tags: Addiction

Just Words

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Nov 21, 2010

JUST WORDS Samuel Clemens (better known by his alias Mark Twain) attended a Sunday morning service. He met the pastor at the door afterward and told him that he had a book at home with every word he had preached that morning. The minister assured him that the sermon was an original. Clemens still ...read more

Tags: Words

Denomination: Brethren

Sales Vs. Management

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 17, 2011

SALES VS. MANAGEMENT A pastor, an avid golfer, was once taking part in a local tournament. As he was preparing to tee off, the organizer of the tournament approached him and pointed to the dark, threatening storm clouds which were gathering. "Preacher," the organizer said, "I trust you’ll see to ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 1:3

Tags: Leadership General

Funnnnnny Story About The Fatted Calf!!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Mar 15, 2022

FUNNNNNNNNNNY!! A Pastor was doing the children’s devotional in the church service one Sunday when he called all of the kids to the front and asked them this question: “Boys and girls, in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, who was the saddest of all to see the younger brother come back home from the ...read more

Tags: Fattened Calf, Humor, Parables, Prodigal Son, Jokes, Older Brother, Luke 15  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Between You And ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 23, 2008

BETWEEN YOU AND GOD I conclude with a story that I heard Pastor Larry Booker tell in a sermon he preached on August 4, 2007 at the First Pentecostal Church of North Little Rock, Arkansas. The title of the message was "Three Attitudes of Jewish Babylon." I understand just as you do that holiness ...read more

Tags: Obedience

Francis Chan: Radical Christian Living

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 1, 2010

FRANCIS CHAN: RADICAL CHRISTIAN LIVING Pastor Francis Chan, the senior pastor of Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, California wrote in his latest book entitled, "Crazy Love". He has already sold one million copies worldwide; a figure he says demonstrates the extent to which he is not alone in ...read more

Scripture: Mark 8:34-38

Tags: Discipleship

Where Is God Working?

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on May 21, 2023

Pastor Henry Blackaby, of Faith Baptist Church in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada began to sense God leading them to an outreach ministry on the college campus. He had never done student work. Their church had never done student work. Their denominational student ministries department recommended ...read more

Scripture: John 5:17-20, Romans 3:10-11, John 6:44

Tags: Evangelism, Holy Spirit, Discipleship, God At Work, Joining God At Work  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed