In Sermon Illustrations: "Poor Man"

I Was A Senior In High School When One Of My ...

Contributed by Ovidiu Radulescu on Jun 18, 2009

I was a senior in high school when one of my neighbors, George, committed suicide. He was 19 the only son his mother, a poor widow, Mrs. Maria. He hung himself because some friends made fun of him… Mrs. Maria mourned over the terrible loss of her only son was not her only pain. She felt the ...read more

Tags: Misconceptions, Suicide

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Lighthouse Laws

Contributed by Doyle Hayes on Jul 7, 2009

LIGHTHOUSE LAWS In U.S. Navel Institute Proceedings, the magazine of the Naval Institute, Frank Koch illustrates the importance of obeying the Laws of the Lighthouse. Two battleships assigned to the training squadron had been at sea on maneuvers in heavy weather for several days. I was serving on ...read more

Tags: Authority

Denomination: Baptist

An Old Sailor Repeatedly Got Lost At Sea, So His ...

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Sep 29, 2009

An old sailor repeatedly got lost at sea, so his friends gave him a compass and urged him to use it. The next time he went out in his boat, he followed their advice and took the compass with him. But as usual he became hopelessly confused and was unable to find land. Finally he was rescued by ...read more

Tags: Self

Denomination: Pentecostal

Prejudiced Toward Attractive People

Contributed by Nathan Ingram on Nov 30, 2009

PREJUDICED TOWARD ATTRACTIVE PEOPLE In her book Better Than Ever, Dr. Joyce Brothers, popular psych, shows we are prejudiced toward attractive people. We consistently judge beautiful people to be more sensitive, kind, intelligent, interesting, sociable, and exciting than less attractive people." ...read more

Tags: Judgment

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Roots: Freedom From Your Slavery

Contributed by Gregg Bitter on Jan 25, 2010

Roots: Freedom From Your Slavery Kunta Kinte lived free among the Mandinka people of West Africa, becoming a Mandinka warrior at fifteen. But then as he gathered wood for a drum outside his village, slavers captured him. Stacked away on a slave ship piled up with a hundred seventy other slaves, he ...read more

Tags: Guilt

Denomination: Lutheran

How To Build A Ladder To Your ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 1, 2010

How To Build A Ladder To Your Dreams Years ago a young African-American child was growing up in Cleveland, in a home which he later described as "materially poor but spiritually rich." One day a famous athlete, Charlie Paddock, came to his school to speak to the students. At the time Paddock was ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-3

Tags: Sports

I Was Invited To Compete In The Howard Wood ...

Contributed by Kerry O'neill on Feb 2, 2010

I was invited to compete in the Howard Wood Relays while running track in high school. It was time for the 110 meter high hurdles. I had set my blocks and the starter called "Runners, come to your marks." I was so nervous and decided to look to my left and right to see that I was lined up like ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-3

Tags: Sports

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Our Best – Nothing, Without ...

Contributed by Bill Butsko on May 22, 2010

“Our Best – Nothing, Without Him” Mr. Spurgeon once preached what in his judgment was one of his poorest sermons. He stammered and floundered, and when he got through he felt that it had been a complete failure. He was greatly humiliated, and when he got home he fell on his knees and said, ...read more

Tags: Preaching, Holy Spirit General

Denomination: Christian Church

Fake Gems

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 23, 2010

FAKE GEMS Anything that is extremely valuable will be counterfeited. Fake gems have been around for thousands of years, but as the technology for making them has advanced, fakes are now harder to detect with the naked eye. Gem buyers today must be aware of three types of gems that are made to ...read more

Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12

Tags: False Teaching

Loved, To Be Love

Contributed by Jason Bonnicksen on Apr 22, 2011

LOVED, TO BE LOVE One of the neatest gifts I've ever received was this little, hand towel. I was given this during my seminary commencement, and have cherished it ever since. The towel has a little saying on it: "Blessed to be a blessing" Isaiah 61:1. Isaiah 61:1-2 says: "The Spirit of the ...read more

Tags: Easter Maundy Thursday

Denomination: Lutheran

The Selfish King  PRO

Contributed by James Lloyd on Dec 4, 2011

THE SELFISH KING Once upon a time there was a king who lived in a beautiful kingdom. He was happy and so were his people. They worked together to improve the kingdom and brought the king many gifts. The king, in turn, was generous to his people. People all over the world heard of this kingdom and ...read more

Tags: Kingdom Of God

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Abraham Lincoln: Merit Your Freedom  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 8, 2013

ABRAHAM LINCOLN: MERIT YOUR FREEDOM In the last days of the Civil War, the Confederate capital, Richmond, Virginia, fell to the Union army. Abraham Lincoln insisted on visiting the city. Even though no one knew he was coming, slaves recognized him immediately and thronged around him. He had ...read more

Scripture: John 21:3-14, Romans 6:1-23, Galatians 5:13-15

Tags: Christian Liberty

A Surprise Visit From Abraham Lincoln

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 9, 2013

A SURPRISE VISIT FROM ABRAHAM LINCOLN In the last days of the Civil War, the Confederate capital, Richmond, Virginia, fell to the Union army. Abraham Lincoln insisted on visiting the city. Even though no one knew he was coming, slaves recognized him immediately and thronged around him. He had ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:13-14

Tags: Freedom, Christian Liberty

Christmas Humor

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Dec 21, 2020

A Sunday School was putting on a Christmas pageant which included the story of Mary and Joseph coming to the inn. One boy wanted so very much to be Joseph, but when the parts were handed out, a boy he didn’t like was given that part, and he was assigned to be the inn-keeper instead. He was pretty ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1-12

Tags: Christ, Manger, Birth Of Christ, Mary And Joseph, Coming Of Christ, Christmas  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Hilarious Christmas Story!!!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Dec 19, 2022

• A Sunday School was putting on a Christmas pageant which included the story of Mary and Joseph coming to the inn. One boy wanted so very much to be Joseph, but when the parts were handed out, a boy he didn’t like was given that part, and he was assigned to be the inn-keeper instead. He was ...read more

Tags: Mary, Nativity, Christmas, Bethlehem, Children, Joseph, Pageants  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Church That Voted God Out!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 28, 2024

The story is told about a poor woman who lived across the tracks and wanted to join a very fashionable church. She talked to the pastor about it, but he sought to discourage her. He suggested she go home and think about it carefully for a week. At the end of the week she came back. He said, “Go ...read more

Scripture: James 2:1-12

Tags: Church, Revival, Favoritism, Pastors, Membership, Partiality  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Knowing Scripture

Contributed by Andrew Moffatt on Sep 11, 2024

A bit of an aside, when we were in Sri Lanka, I had the opportunity to attend the opening of one of the well projects in the east. Rochelle went to all of them because she ran the projects. The reason these wells were being placed in villages was because many people in the East didn’t have a good ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 10:17

Tags: Scripture, Belief, Support, Encouragement, Life Change, Opportunity, Eternal Change, Disease, Drought, Projects, Good Water, Bad Water, The Afflicted  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Salvation Army

Holy Communion

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Oct 30, 2025

Hugh Price Hughes (9 February 1847 – 17 November 1902), was a Welsh Methodist clergyman and he wrote this: I was struck even then at the way in which the most exalted were reduced to their simple humanity. Then, again, at the Holy Communion, all men are absolutely equal. One table for rich ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:16-17, 1 Corinthians 11:24-26

Tags: Holy Communion, Equal, Iron Duke

Denomination: Anglican

Great Christmas Illustration

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Dec 19, 2022

Jesus came to offer Himself for the sins of the world. o He was born in another man’s stable. o He was laid in another man’s manger. o He would preach in another man’s boat. o He would ride into Jerusalem on another man’s colt. o He would eat His last supper in another man’s upper room. o He ...read more

Tags: Messiah, Christmas, Sacrifice, Jesus, Birth Of Christ, Others, One Another  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Unconditional Acceptance  PRO

Contributed by Tim Zingale on Jan 19, 2004

A lady says: I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, 3) and have recently completed my college degree.  The last class I had to take was Sociology. The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that I  wish every human being had been graced with. Her last project of the term was called ...read more

Scripture: John 5:27-31

Tags: Unconditional Love

Denomination: Lutheran