In Sermon Illustrations: "Pastoring"

Trading Places

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 7, 2014

Several years ago, a Baptist camp in Texas was having the annual softball game between counselors and campers on the last day of church camp. The teams divided up and went at each other. After the game started, a teenager in center field chased a long fly ball and hurt his ankle. His pastor was ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

Tags: Atonement, Forgiveness, Cross, Blood Of Christ

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Who Is Praying For Me?

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 31, 2022

Pastor Jim Cymbala's daughter had been running from God for a long time. Chrissy had rebelled against her family, had left home, and was living as far from God as she could. But one night, this teenager awoke with the distinct feeling that someone was praying for her. And someone was. The ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 33:3, James 4:1-2

Tags: Petition, Intercessory Prayer, Interceding For Sinners, Prayer

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Tithe Belongs To God!

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 13, 2022

You don’t give the tithe, you return it back to God. It belongs to Him! There is a cartoon that shows four frames! 1. In the first frame a man looks at a new car! The salesman says, "10% down and low, low payments for 48 months." The man asks, "Where do I sign?" 2. In the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 16:1-2

Tags: Giving, Tithing

What Percentage Will Go To Heaven?

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Apr 21, 2023

[Pastor Clendennen speaking:] For many years, in the church I pastored, we had an all-night prayer meeting the last Friday night of every month. One such Friday night, out of four-hundred members, there were forty-one of us present. As I was praying, I heard this Word from the Lord: “You are ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 24:40-42, 1 Corinthians 15:52, Revelation 1:7

Tags: Rapture, Bride Of Christ, Return Of Jesus

Denomination: Charismatic

Live What You Believe  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 8, 2009

LIVE WHAT YOU BELIEVE 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 Honniker. He had been stripped of all his offices. Even the Communist Party rejected him. Kicked out of his villa, the new government ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:13-14

Tags: Christian Love

The Beginning Of Marilyn Manson

Contributed by Derrick Tuper on Feb 27, 2012

THE BEGINNING OF MARILYN MANSON Brian Warner started going to church with a friend years ago. Brian was a skinny pizza faced nerdy looking kid that nobody liked. He was also a loner who looked out of place most of the time. The youth group took a trip to an amusement park one weekend and when ...read more

Tags: Judgment

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Soul Food

Contributed by David Dunn on Oct 8, 2025

A certain man who had been absent from church for a long time received an inquiring visit from the Pastor. The man told the Pastor, "I've attended nearly every Sunday for 30 years. In that time, I have heard something like 1,500 sermons. In all of those years, people were shouting ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 103:1-5, Isaiah 40:31, John 6:35

Tags: Worship, Faithfulness, Nourishment

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Leadership Journal Recently Had A Cartoon Of A ...  PRO

Contributed by Jim Kane on Mar 10, 2002

Leadership journal recently had a cartoon of a young skateboarder who greats the Pastor after the service with skateboard in hand. "Church was cool! Especially ...read more

Tags: Giving General, Church Practices, Money

Denomination: Church Of God

95% Of Churches Offer A Sunday School Program. ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 27, 2006

95% of churches offer a Sunday school program. But just 5% of pastors consider it to be the church’s highest priority compared to 22% in ’02. ...read more

Tags: Church General

Power Of Holy Spirit In You

Contributed by John Bright on May 24, 2022

There is NO COMPARISON between the power of satan and the power of the HOLY SPRIT IN YOU. The power of satan is like a little firecracker while the power of the Holy ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 3:20, 2 Timothy 1:7, Acts 1:8

Tags: Holy Spirit, Satan, Power

Denomination: Methodist

America's 25 Most Influential Evangelicals ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 27, 2006

America’s 25 Most Influential Evangelicals according to Time magazine are: Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life, and pastor of the 22,000-member Saddleback church. Howard & Roberta Ahmanson, financiers, founders of Fieldstead & Co., a private philanthropic organization. David Barton, ...read more

Tags: What Is Evangelism?

I Am Only Vaguely Aware Of How God Fits ...

Contributed by Russell Brownworth on Nov 27, 2006

I am only vaguely aware of how God fits everything together. But, often looking back we see more clearly. I was searching through some old papers and came across a note from Sarah Hollis. Sarah was Carrie’s age (10) when we went to Jacksonville, Florida. She rode our van to church each week – ...read more

Denomination: United Methodist

Paul Never Stopped Being A Ring Leader For Jesus ...

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Jan 25, 2007

Paul never stopped being a ring leader for Jesus and as I have been reading about the founding of this nation in America neither did the Colonial pastor’s in America and the majority of its government leaders. These ring leaders for Jesus paid the price for their faithfulness to the Gospel and the ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Why Be Buried With A Fork In Your ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 4, 2010

Why Be Buried With a Fork in Your Hand There was a woman who had been told she only had 3 months to live. Her doctor recommended that she start making preparations to die. And so, she contacted her Pastor to talk about her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at her funeral, what ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Tags: Heaven

Temporal Vs Eternal

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Jan 21, 2021

I HAVE BEEN WITH MANY DYING PEOPLE AND LISTENED CLOSELY TO “THE REGRETS.” I was driving an elderly lady to a doctor’s appointment in Lexington. It was a four hour trip. The doctor did not have real good news. Her days were limited. On the way home we stopped and ate. Then we headed home. ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:9-14, Malachi 3:8-11

Tags: Eternity, Temporal Vision

Denomination: Assembly Of God

The Ideal ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 9, 2008

THE IDEAL PASTOR The ideal pastor is difficult to find. But if your church is fortunate, you may be able to secure his services. Since he is the ideal pastor, it won’t cost very much - he lives by faith. Yet he can be counted upon to tithe heavily and still be able to afford a large house in which ...read more

Tags: Preaching

There Are More Than 1 Million Full-Time Christian ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 20, 2006

There are more than 1 million full-time Christian ministry workers in the U.S. (including 350,000 se4nior pastors). ...read more

The Major Factor Contributing To Extramarital ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 10, 2006

The major factor contributing to extramarital relationships is physical and emotional attraction (78 percent), far outdistancing marital dissatisfaction (41 percent). How Common ...read more

Tags: Marriage Commitment

African Commentary Zondervan Has Released The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 17, 2006

African Commentary Zondervan has released the Africa Bible Commentary, the “first-ever one-volume commentary produced in Africa by African theologians to meet the needs of ...read more

Tags: Bible Influence

It Is Not Peter's Faith That Fails, But His ...

Contributed by Tim Spear on Dec 6, 2012

It is not Peter's faith that fails, but his courage. After his failure he weeps bitterly, because he really does love his Lord. --David ...read more

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Baptist