In Sermon Illustrations: "Prayer How To"

Luther On Sweeping Streets Like Michelangelo

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 20, 2011

LUTHER ON SWEEPING STREETS LIKE MICHELANGELO Martin Luther was approached by a working man who wanted to know how he could serve God. Luther asked him, "What is your work now?" The man said, "I’m a shoemaker." Much to the cobbler’s surprise, Luther replied, "Then make good shoes and sell them at ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:31

Tags: Servanthood

What A 95-Year-Old Woman Worries About  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 20, 2011

WHAT A 95-YEAR-OLD WOMAN WORRIES ABOUT A ninety-five year old woman at the nursing home received a visit from one of her fellow church members. "How are you feeling?" the visitor asked. "Oh," said the lady, "I'm just worried sick!" "What are you worried about, dear?" her friend asked. "You look ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:6-8, Philippians 4:5-7

Tags: Worry

Memory And Truth

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 27, 2011

MEMORY AND TRUTH Two middle-aged couples were enjoying friendly conversation when one of the men asked the other, "Fred, how was the memory clinic you went to last month?" "Outstanding," Fred replied. "They taught us all the latest psychological techniques, such as visualization, association and ...read more

Scripture: John 8:31-32, John 8:51-59

Tags: Truth

Which House Would You Rather Live In?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 5, 2011

WHICH HOUSE WOULD YOU RATHER LIVE IN? On October 19, 2010, a test was conducted at the Institute for Business and Home Safety in Richburg, South Carolina. Researchers constructed two 1,300-square-foot houses inside a $40 million laboratory and then observed how a simulated hurricane would impact ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:24-27

When Everything Crumbles

Contributed by David Dewitt on Sep 22, 2011

WHEN EVERYTHING CRUMBLES September 11th is one of those moments frozen in time. It is one of those moments that everyone remembers where they were and what they were doing when they heard the news. When the first plane struck the tower at 8:45am, it was a moment that would reshape the fabric of ...read more

Tags: God Brings Hope

Denomination: Church Of God

Pet Beliefs

Contributed by Robert Sickler on Nov 15, 2011

PET BELIEFS The two professors stood nose to nose as they shouted at one another. "The craters on the moon are the result of volcanism," cried one. "You are an idiot," screamed the other, "the craters on the moon are the result of meteor impact." This scene played itself out all across ...read more

Tags: Arrogance

Denomination: Christian Church

Luther's Confessions

Contributed by Mark Stepherson on Dec 8, 2011

LUTHER'S CONFESSIONS Before writing, "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God," before becoming a leader of the Reformation, before his 95 Theses, Martin Luther was a Catholic priest. One thing that did not change for him was a passionate conviction that Christians must repent and confess their sins. As a ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 1:9, Psalm 66:18

Tags: Confession, Repentance, Confession Of Sin

Denomination: Baptist

Confined Christians

Contributed by Rodelio Mallari on Jan 10, 2012

CONFINED CHRISTIANS I met a young man not long ago who dives for exotic fish for aquariums. He told me that one of the most popular aquarium fish is the shark. He explained that if you catch a small shark and confine it, it will stay a size proportionate to the aquarium you put it in. Sharks can ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ

Denomination: *other

Hiding The Word Of God

Contributed by Perry Greene on Jan 10, 2012

HIDING THE WORD OF GOD During World War II, Jewish inmates of the Yanov labor camp in occupied Poland defied their Nazi guards, secretly conducting religious services inside their darkened barracks. To observe their ritual, the Jews had cut religious scrolls into sections, bound the parchment ...read more

Tags: Bible Influence

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Fixing The Fence At The White House  PRO

Contributed by J.d. Tutell on Jan 23, 2012

FIXING THE FENCE AT THE WHITE HOUSE Three contractors were on a tour of the White House. One is from Minnesota, another is from Tennessee, and the third is from Chicago. As they are walking through they notice a broken fence and ask if it would be possible to submit a bid to fix it. They are ...read more

Tags: Money, Separation, Salvation, Bribery, Thief  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

The Importance Of Focus

Contributed by Mark Tonkery on Feb 3, 2012

THE IMPORTANCE OF FOCUS When the Alaskan Pipeline was being built, there were many Texans who went to Alaska and found work on the pipeline. The Texans could only work a few hours in the frigid weather, yet the Eskimos, the native Alaskans, could work indefinitely in the cold. They decided to ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 13:4-8

Tags: Affliction

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Mother's Arms

Contributed by Eugene Morell on Feb 24, 2012

MOTHER'S ARMS There was a teenager who didn’t want to be seen in public with her mother, because her mother’s arms were terribly disfigured. One day when her mother took her shopping and reached out her hand, a clerk looked horrified. Later, crying, the girl told her how embarrassed she was. ...read more

Tags: Love Of The Disciples

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Avoid ...

Contributed by Joe Bertone on Aug 1, 2012

AVOID TRAGEDY David Bloom, Today show co-host on weekends, died on April 6, 2003, while covering Operation Iraqi Freedom. Ironically, Bloom did not die from injuries sustained in conflict, but rather of a pulmonary embolism. Pulmonary emboli occur among those who sit for long periods of time, and ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 4:7

Tags: Tragedy, Ignorance, Counsel, Precautions, Parable Ten Virgins  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Know The Problem

Contributed by Ronald Franklin on Dec 28, 2012

Dr. Herbert Jackson was a missionary to the Philippines. He tells a story about something that happened to him when he was just getting started on the mission field. He was given a car that wouldn't start without a push, so he quickly devised different ways of getting that car started without him ...read more

Tags: Sanctification

Denomination: Baptist

Substitute Soldiers

Contributed by David Simpson on Jan 15, 2013

Here in the South, there are memorials in most towns to the bloodiest war fought on American soil – the Civil War. Over 600,000 died in that conflict. What is often not known is that both the North and the South allowed “substitute soldiers.” A man drafted for military service could literally ...read more

Tags: Substitute, Memorial Day, Sacrifices

Denomination: Christian Church

Spiritual Gambling

Contributed by Ajai Prakash on May 30, 2013

SPIRITUAL GAMBLING The problem of compulsive gambling may seem foreign to most of us. Yet experts believe that millions of Americans are psychologically addicted to gambling. It gives them the excitement of hope and risk, but it usually ends in defeat. It is indeed a temporary pleasure. For those ...read more

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Pastor In Disguise

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 9, 2013

A Pastor in Disguise A few years ago at a Methodist Church in North Wales, as worshippers arrived at the church, they were distressed to see a dirty, drunk, smelly homeless man on the front steps. They didn't realize this bum was actually their pastor, Derek Rigby, who had disguised himself as a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:31-46

Tags: Compassion, Homeless

The Power Of Silence

Contributed by Michael Deutsch on Jun 4, 2016

They say silence is golden – but is it possible that too much silence is not such a good thing? There’s a room in the United States that’s so quiet it becomes unbearable after a short time. The longest anyone has survived in the ‘anechoic chamber’ at Orfield Laboratories in South Minneapolis is ...read more

Scripture: John 10:4-5

Tags: Silence, Listening To God

Denomination: Baptist

Clean Conscience

Contributed by Shine Thomas on Aug 2, 2017

Martin Luther who brought the protestant reformation out of the Catholic church questioned the doctrine and practices of the Catholic church in a thesis called ‘The Ninety-Five Theses’ in October of 1517. The Roman Catholic church wanted Martin Luther to recant his view. The Diet of Worms of 1521 ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 119:11

Tags: Conscience, Clean Conscience, Pure Conscience

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Asking The Visitor To Leave

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Apr 11, 2018

Note: This story is told from my perspective - Jim Butcher of Madison WV. I was visiting with one of our long-time members a few months ago and she related an interesting story about her visit to Madison Baptist decades ago. Rosemary was sitting along the aisle, waiting on the service to begin, ...read more

Tags: Church, Worship, Welcome, Greeting, Welcoming  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist