In Sermon Illustrations: "Power Source"

God Knows His Own

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 30, 2008

GOD KNOWS HIS OWN The guillemot is a small arctic sea bird that lives on the rocky cliffs of northern coastal regions. These birds flock together by the thousands in comparatively small areas. Because of the crowded conditions, hundreds of females lay their pear-shaped eggs side by side on a ...read more

Tags: God's Omniscience

He Took The Lashes

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 31, 2008

HE TOOK THE LASHES Cliff Barrows tells of the time his two young children did something wrong. Although they were gently warned, they repeated the offense and needed to be disciplined. Cliff's tender heart was pained at the thought of having to punish the ones he loved. So he called Bobby and ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:24

Tags: Atonement

That's Grace

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 31, 2008

THAT’S GRACE Spurgeon illustrated grace with this story in his book, All of Grace. A man visited a woman he knew to be in great financial need. He visited with a generous gift to help her with her expenses. He knocked at the door. She heard the knock, panicked and hid so no one would know she was ...read more

Tags: Grace

Jehovah-Shalom: The Lord Send Peace (Judges ...

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Aug 9, 2008

Jehovah-Shalom: The Lord Send Peace (Judges 6:24) Jesus! whose blood so freely stream'd To satisfy the law's demand; By Thee from guilt and wrath redeem'd, Before the Father's face I stand. To reconcile offending man, Make Justice drop her angry rod; What creature could have form'd the plan, Or ...read more

Tags: Peace

Denomination: Other

What If...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 11, 2008

WHAT IF... Some storms can't be avoided, no matter what we do. Sometimes we are in trouble because of somebody else's mistake. That's what happened here to Paul. But God's Word teaches us to take action. Strive to survive. Take stock in the storm. It may not be as bad as you think it is. Erma ...read more

Tags: Fear And Worry

My ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 2, 2008

My Friend My friend, I stand in judgment now. And I feel that you are to blame somehow. On earth I walked with you day by day. But never did you point the way. You knew the Lord, In His truth and His glory. But never did you share the story! My knowledge then was very dim. You could have ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 6:1-8

Tags: Evangelism Urgency

Radio Personality Paul Harvey Tells The Story Of ...

Contributed by Ajai Prakash on Feb 25, 2009

Radio personality Paul Harvey tells the story of how an Eskimo kills a wolf. The account is grisly, yet it offers fresh insight into the consuming, self-destructive nature of sin. "First, the Eskimo coats his knife blade with animal blood and allows it to freeze. Then he adds another layer of ...read more

Tags: Sin Wages Of

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Persistent Sowers

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 15, 2011

PERSISTENT SOWERS During a particular drought several years ago, much of the seed that had been planted did not come up. The seed that did produced runty plants that promised a scanty yield, if any at all. Grass burned up in the intense heat, and the cattle nearly starved. Many farmers were forced ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:1-23

Tags: Parable Sower And Seed

Strange Inside And Out

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 17, 2009

STRANGE INSIDE AND OUT In May 2008, scientists finally completed analyzing the DNA of the platypus, a creature native to Australia that defies categorization under bird, reptile or mammal. The platypus is so odd that when the first specimens were sent to Europe in the 19th century, scientists ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 2:1-16, 1 Peter 2:11

Tags: God's Sovereign Will

What's Up With Jesus?  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 17, 2009

WHAT’S UP WITH JESUS? Renowned theologian Karl Barth was lecturing to a group of students at Princeton when a student asked him, "Sir, don’t you think that God has revealed himself in other religions and not only in Christianity?" With a modest thunder he stunned the crowd, replying, "No, God has ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 16:13-20

Tags: Jesus Christ

Study Shows Divorce Won't Make You Happier

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 25, 2009

STUDY SHOWS DIVORCE WON’T MAKE YOU HAPPIER One research team studied the responses of over 5,000 married adults who were first interviewed in the 1980s. Five years later, the survey re-contacted those people. Even though the study really wasn’t centered on divorce, they found that some of the ...read more

Scripture: Malachi 2:16

Tags: Divorce

Graham: I Would Read The Bible More

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 13, 2009

GRAHAM: I WOULD READ THE BIBLE MORE In an interview with Newsweek on 14 Aug 2006, Billy Graham, then aged 88, was asked what would he do if he could live his life over again. The article writes: If he had his life to live over again, Graham says he would spend more time immersed in Scripture and ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 4:3-13

Tags: Bible Study

Because You're My ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 13, 2009

"BECAUSE YOU’RE MY DAD!" Author Tim Hansel writes: One day, while my son Zac and I were out in the country, climbing around in some cliffs, I heard a voice from above me yell, "Hey Dad! Catch me!" I turned around to see Zac joyfully jumping off a rock straight at me. He had jumped and then yelled ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 20:7

Tags: Trust

The Rich Man And The Poor Carpenter

Contributed by John Williams Iii on Aug 24, 2009

THE RICH MAN AND THE POOR CARPENTER One day a good, rich man noticed the miserable conditions in which a certain poor carpenter lived. He decided to help the poor man and commissioned him to build a beautiful house. He told the carpenter, "I want this house to be ideal. Use only the best ...read more

Tags: Character

Denomination: United Methodist

Why So ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 15, 2009

“Why so Cheerful?” On a train to Liverpool a Christian worker found himself in a crowded compartment seated near two soldiers, one a private, and the other a sergeant in his middle thirties. The private was a young lad, ruddy and open of countenance. The Christian worker’s heart went out to the ...read more

Scripture: Habakkuk 3:18

Tags: Joy

George Santayana On Faith

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 15, 2009

GEORGE SANTAYANA ON FAITH The late great Spanish philosopher, essayist, poet, and novelist, Jorge Augustin Nicolas Ruiz Santayana y Borras (1863 - 1952), better known as "George Santayana" once said: "O world, thou choosest not the better part! It is not wisdom to be only wise, And on the inward ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 11:1

Tags: Faith

We Always Turn To Something

Contributed by Aubrey Vaughan on Jan 30, 2010

We Always Turn to Something In Thessalonica, notice those who heard the gospel responded by 1Thes1:9 turning to God from idols to serve the true and living God. In our 21st century western society there has been a huge paradigm shift, a turning away from Judea/Christian God centred worldview, ...read more

Tags: Idolatry

Denomination: Baptist

Prophecy In The Bible

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 15, 2010

PROPHECY IN THE BIBLE Hundreds of Bible prophecies have been fulfilled, specifically and meticulously, often long after the prophetic writer had passed away. For example, Daniel the prophet predicted in about 538 BC (Daniel 9:24-27) that Christ would come as Israel's promised Savior and Prince 483 ...read more

Tags: Apologetics General

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Hanging Onto The "Bomb"

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 13, 2010

HANGING ONTO THE "BOMB" For four hours he held the cylinder, waiting for rescue or an immediate death. After digging up what appeared to be an unexploded WWI bomb, David Page held on to it, afraid that letting go would detonate the device. While holding the bomb, the terrified 40-year-old from ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:6-7

Tags: Anxiety

A Beautiful ...

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Aug 26, 2010

A Beautiful Prayer “I asked God to take away my pain. God said, ‘No. It is not for me to take away, but for you to give it up.’ I asked God to make my handicapped child whole. God said, ‘No. His spirit is whole, his body is only temporary.’ I asked God to grant me patience. God said, ‘No. Patience ...read more

Tags: Trust

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed