In Sermon Illustrations: "Paying Attention"

Red Herring  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 21, 2008

RED HERRING You’ve probably heard the expression "red herring." This term was coined from a method of training hunting dogs to follow the scent of their prey. Once the dogs were following the proper scent, their trainers would drag red herrings (a stinky fish) across their paths. Initially, the ...read more

Tags: Discipleship

Worship As ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 2, 2008

WORSHIP AS MOTIVATION Several years ago, while serving in Northport, I attended a University of Alabama football game. As we were nearing the stadium a group of young men caught my attention. There were four of them walking toward the stadium. They were Alabama fans. The four young men were ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 10:24-25

Tags: Worship Purpose

Who Do Your Kids Look Up To?

Contributed by Bruce Rzengota on Feb 2, 2009

WHO DO YOUR KIDS LOOK UP TO? In 2003, two very interesting quotes were in the newspapers. Parents had been polled and asked who they thought the most influential role-models were in the lives of their preteen sons. The answer: bad boy Bart Simpson was named the top-role model. Parents of children ...read more

Tags: Character

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

John R. Brokhoff, Preaching The Miracles) When ...

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on May 22, 2009

(John R. Brokhoff, Preaching the Miracles) When the Statue of Liberty was remodeled, it was discovered that the entire inside support system had to be replaced. The outside copper skin of the statue was okay; workers cleaned that and it was fine. The inner iron supports were corroded and rusting ...read more

Tags: Morality, Miscellaneous

Denomination: Salvation Army

I Get A Cut On My Hand And I Put A Band-Aid On It ...

Contributed by Ovidiu Radulescu on Sep 8, 2009

I get a cut on my hand and I put a band-aid on it and show it to my wife. And she says, "It’s OK, don’t worry. It’s just a little cut." The next day I take the band-aide off and show it to her and she says, "Yes, it’s really healing. It looks good." But I say, "No, it’s not." And so I pop it open ...read more

Tags: Pride, Wounds

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Flag Folding & The Meaning Of Each Fold!  PRO

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Oct 9, 2002

Flag Folding & The Meaning of Each Fold! Unknown I guess this settles the "One Nation Under God" debate once and for all. Do you know that at military funerals, the 21 gun salute stands for the sum of the numbers in the year 1776? Have you ever noticed the honor guard pays meticulous attention ...read more

Tags: Funeral, Appearance, Motives, Holidays Civic

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Grading Papers  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Mar 21, 2006

On the Lighter Side of life: Can you imagine yourself to being the nun that is sitting at her desk grading these papers all the while trying to keep a straight face and trying to maintain her calm and posture! PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE WORDING AND SPELLING. IF YOU KNOW THE BIBLE EVEN A LITTLE, ...read more

Tags: Church General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

It's Better Higher Up! (08.31.05--Sickness!--John ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Aug 30, 2005

It’s Better Higher Up! (08.31.05--Sickness!--John 16:32) Webley our oldest dachshund has a thing about long walks. Simply, he doesn’t like them very much. Webley is eight and getting up there in years. Anything over a mile or so can be grueling for him. And, because of this the pads of his paws ...read more

Scripture: John 16:32

Tags: Hardship Of Life

Denomination: Lutheran

This Is A Fictional Christmas Correspondence ...

Contributed by Paul Wallace on Feb 20, 2008

This is a fictional Christmas correspondence between Martha Stewart and Erma Bombeck to remind us that Christmas isn’t always picture perfect. Hi Erma, This perfectly delightful note is being sent on paper I made myself to tell you what I have been up to. Since it snowed last night, I got up ...read more

Denomination: Wesleyan

This Is A Fictional Christmas Correspondence ...  PRO

Contributed by Paul Wallace on Feb 20, 2008

This is a fictional Christmas correspondence between Martha Stewart and Erma Bombeck to remind us that Christmas isn’t always picture perfect. Hi Erma, This perfectly delightful note is being sent on paper I made myself to tell you what I have been up to. Since it snowed last night, I got up ...read more

Denomination: Wesleyan

Brownies Teach Stewardship

Contributed by Michael Otterstatter on Nov 26, 2024

A 6th grade Sunday school teacher was struggling with a lesson. She was preparing to teach a lesson on how Christians manage their material blessings. She knew that when her students were in confirmation class the pastor would share what the Bible says about stewardship of time, talents, ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 8:1-9

Tags: Offerings, Giving, Stewardship, Tithing

Denomination: Lutheran

65279;a Young Man Grew Up In A Rough Boston ...

Contributed by Craige Lebreton on Dec 5, 2003

A young man grew up in a rough Boston housing project called Columbia Point in a family of nine children. Although he’d been a hardworking student, paying for college seemed impossible. But his mother’s favorite expression was. "Pray, and the Lord will make a way somehow." He viewed that as ...read more

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Baptist

Best Lawyer Story Of The Year, Decade And ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 7, 2007

BEST LAWYER STORY OF THE YEAR, DECADE AND PROBABLY THE CENTURY. Charlotte, North Carolina. A lawyer purchased a box of very rare and expensive cigars, and then insured them against, among other things, fire. Within a month, having smoked his entire stockpile of these great cigars and without yet ...read more

Scripture: Romans 3:21-26

Pride Keeps Us As Americans From Taking A Look ...

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Apr 14, 2008

Pride keeps us as Americans from taking a look around this world that we live and realizing that people die every day so that we can enjoy the privileges that we enjoy. Did you know that Americans consume about 80% of the world's coffee supply? And yet, we aren't told a lot about the coffee ...read more

Tags: Politics

Denomination: Church Of God

Leadership ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 23, 2008

LEADERSHIP WISDOM Back in the 90’s there was a president of Harvard University named Neil Rudenstine. Now, one of the major roles of the college president is to raise money for the institution so they can pay the salaries and other financial responsibilities of the organization. And Neil ...read more

Tags: Leadership General

He Didn't Know He Owned It

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2008

HE DIDN'T KNOW HE OWNED IT There was once a sheep ranch owned by a man named Mr. Yates. Mr. Yates wasn't able to make enough on his ranching operation to pay the overheads and the interest on the mortgage, so he was in danger of losing his ranch. With little money for clothes or food, his family ...read more

Tags: Evangelism The Lost

Check-Out Line Deception  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 21, 2009

Check-Out Line Deception And in verse 7, Jeremiah is mad at God! He says "O LORD, you deceived me, and I was deceived; you overpowered me and prevailed. You tricked me!" (From a sermon by Marc Axelrod, When You Are Mad at God, 10/20/2009) This reminds me of the guy who was shopping at WalMart. ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 20:7-8

Tags: Fool

Modern Jericho Road

Contributed by David Dunn on Nov 1, 2025

It was just after noon on a gray Thursday. Rick, a young grocery worker, had finished his shift and was heading home when a customer named Ian asked for a favor. Could Rick drive to Toronto to pick up an auto part? He’d lend him his new car and pay him a hundred dollars. Rick said yes. He ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:33-35, 1 John 3:17

Tags: Compassion, Action

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Blue Jeans Gospel

Contributed by David Dunn on Nov 21, 2025

It was just after noon on a gray Thursday. Rick, a young grocery worker, had finished his shift and was heading home when a customer named Ian asked for a favor. Could Rick drive to Toronto to pick up an auto part? He’d lend him his new car and pay him a hundred dollars. Rick said yes. He ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:33, Micah 6:8

Tags: Love, Compassion

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Garibaldi Had An Incredibly Committed Volunteer ...  PRO

Contributed by Doug Lyon on Jan 9, 2002

Garibaldi had an incredibly committed volunteer army. He would appeal for recruits in these terms: “I offer neither pay, nor quarters, nor provisions; I offer hunger, thirst, forced marches, battles and death. Let him who loves his country with his heart and not with his lips only, follow ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:9-13

Tags: Discipleship, Commitment, Call Of The Disciples

Denomination: Independent/Bible