In Sermon Illustrations: "Point Of Death"

Last Lecture

Contributed by Don Hawks on Aug 2, 2008

LAST LECTURE You may have heard about the death of 47 year old Carnegie Mellon University computer-science professor Randy Pausch last week from pancreatic cancer. Pausch was most famous for his "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams" speech made last fall just after he learned he had months to ...read more

Tags: Death Nearness

Denomination: Methodist

Bud's Last Chance

Contributed by Brian Matherlee on Sep 4, 2008

Bud's Last Chance Bud wasn't a church-going man. His wife was. She was panicked when she called me one day. "Pastor Brian, please come quickly, Bud's in trouble." Now, I had been visiting Bud in the hospital for some time and he had never shown any desire for the Lord…but he did now. I was ...read more

Tags: Death Nearness

Denomination: Wesleyan

Meaningless Life

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 6, 2008

Meaningless Life Mark Twain expressed thoughts about the meaningless of life in view of man’s inevitable death. Shortly before his death, he wrote, "A myriad of men are born; they labor and sweat and struggle;...they squabble and scold and fight; they scramble for little mean advantages over each ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 1:1-18

Tags: Death Nearness

The Last Invitation

Contributed by Donnie Martin on Feb 14, 2009

THE LAST INVITATION While pastoring at the FBC of Cherryville, North Carolina, a disturbance was observed, and shortly afterward a man was taken from the balcony of the church [and placed] in an ambulance. He was dead before they got him to the hospital. He died before the invitation could be ...read more

Tags: Death Nearness

Denomination: Baptist

Over The Past Few Years The Bbc Have Run A ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Over the past few years the BBC have run a number of series called the 101 things before you die. 101 places to visit before you die, 101 things to do before you die and 101 things to eat before you die. What they do is get people to write in and suggest their favourite and then they put them ...read more

Tags: Death Nearness

Joke: Doctor: I Have Some Good News And I Have ...

Contributed by Rev Dr Randall M Deal Sr on Mar 29, 2009

JOKE: Doctor: I have some good news and I have some bad news. Patient: What’s the good news? Doctor: The good news is that the tests you took showed that you have 24 hours to live. Patient: That’s the good news? What’s ...read more

Tags: Death, News

Denomination: Baptist

Table Prepared On 9/11

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Mar 23, 2010

TABLE PREPARED ON 9/11 Will and John were firefighters called in to do battle with the Twin Towers on that terrible day we call 9-11. They were in one of the towers when it collapsed. After being buried alive under debris all day and into the night, Will had a vision. He saw a bright light and a ...read more

Tags: Death Nearness

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Parental Challenge Of Helping Teenagers

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 30, 2010

The Parental Challenge of Helping Teenagers Face Their World And I wanna share a story with you. It’s a traumatic one and one that actually happened. I did a funeral about four or five years ago and in this funeral it was really bizarre, because as the high schoolers came in about a third of them ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12

Tags: Death, Parenting

What Occupies Your Heart?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 12, 2011

WHAT OCCUPIES YOUR HEART? I squirmed a bit as I forced myself to listen to my friend cataloging her problems. After three hours, I interrupted her gently to ask, "If you were to draw a circle to represent your life, what would be in the center?" She thought a moment, then said, "My problems." My ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 26:3

Tags: Death Nearness

John Quincy Adams: The Decayed Tenement

Contributed by Jon Lipka on Mar 4, 2012

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS: THE DECAYED TENEMENT In 1846, former president John Quincy Adams had a stroke. Upon his return to Congress the following year, it was apparent that his health was failing. When asked about his health Adams replied, "I inhabit a weak, frail, decayed tenement battered by the winds ...read more

Tags: Death Nearness

Denomination: Anglican

The Next One

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Aug 16, 2013

THE NEXT ONE Eugene Peterson wrote about visiting a monastery. While on the way to the refectory for lunch, he and the monks he was visiting walked past a graveyard with an open grave. He asked one of the monks which member of the community had died recently, and he was told, "Nobody. That grave ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 90:12

Tags: Death, Time

Denomination: Baptist

Casualties Of War

Contributed by Davon Huss on Jan 13, 2014

In the movie Casualties of War, Michael J. Fox plays Private Erikson, a soldier in Vietnam who is part of a squad that abuses a young Vietnamese girl. Though Private Erikson doesn’t participate in the crime, he still struggles with what has happened. He tells "Just because each of us might at any ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 12:14

Tags: Death, Judgment

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Man Who Made A Pet Out Of A Rattlesnake

Contributed by David Goering on Nov 2, 2019

ILLUSTRATION: the story of the man who made a pet out of a rattlesnake. The "Memphis Commercial-Appeal" tells of a man across the river in Arkansas who had a pet rattlesnake. He had found it as a baby snake, taking it, fed it, and made a pet of it. The reptile would come when he ...read more

Scripture: Romans 6:23

Tags: Death, Sin

As She Awoke This Day, Thoughts Of Sunday Danced ...  PRO

Contributed by Ian Biss on Sep 30, 2001

As she awoke this day, thoughts of Sunday danced through her mind, Nancy was looking forward to Easter, the whole family would be coming over to visit this year because they were all close to home. Now that the grandchildren were getting older, the Easter egg hunts became more lively with all the ...read more

Tags: Death, Death Nearness, Easter Resurrection

Denomination: Grace Brethren

An Old Preacher Was Dying. He Sent A Message For ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 8, 2005

An old preacher was dying. He sent a message for his doctor and his lawyer, both church members, to come to his home. When they arrived, they were ushered up to his bedroom. As they entered the room the preacher held out his hands and motioned for them to sit, one on each side of his bed. The ...read more

Tags: Jesus, Crucifixion, Death, Death Nearness

The Gravedigger's Cough

Contributed by Ed Sasnett on Nov 29, 2012

English writer F.W. Boreham tells a story about an old gravedigger who had a terrible cough. A visitor to the cemetery expressed sympathy to the old man and his cough. The gravedigger motioned to the graves around him and said, “There’s plenty here who would be glad of my cough.” His point being ...read more

Tags: Conscience, Death And Life

Denomination: Baptist

Let Me Close With This Story, At First You May ...  PRO

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Oct 31, 2002

Let me close with this story, at first you may not catch my point, but hang in there, when I land you will see a wonderful point. I had been teaching in Virginia, and I resigned my position and accepted a pastorate of a mission work in eastern Kentucky. The area was very poor, and the little church ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:42-44

Tags: Funerals Christian, Death

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Dostoevsky And The Firing Squad  PRO

Contributed by David Simmons on Feb 22, 2002

DOSTOEVSKY AND THE FIRING SQUAD The famous Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky told the story of the time he was arrested by the czar and sentenced to die. The czar, though, liked to play cruel psychological tricks on the people who rebelled against him by blindfolding them and standing them in ...read more

Scripture: Romans 6:23

Tags: Death Nearness, Fulfillment

Denomination: Baptist

We Should Be Like Little Johnny. After Church, ...  PRO

Contributed by Rich Young on Jan 17, 2001

We should be like little Johnny. After church, Johnny tells his parents he has to go and talk to the minister right away. They agree and the pastor greets the family. "Pastor," Johnny says, "I heard you say today that our bodies came from the dust & when we die our bodies go back to dust.” "Yes, ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 2:7, Genesis 3:19

Tags: Death, Death Nearness, Creation, Adam, Dust  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Keep Your Fork  PRO

Contributed by Dennis Jones on Feb 15, 2005

KEEP YOUR FORK There was a young woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. So as she was getting her things "in order," she contacted her pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes. She told him which songs ...read more

Tags: Death Nearness, Death, Knowledge, Funerals Christian

Denomination: Pentecostal