In Sermon Illustrations: "Preacher Bloopers"

A News Story From Wales Told Of A Feud In A ...

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on May 20, 2008

A news story from Wales told of a feud in a church looking for a new pastor. It read: "Yesterday the two opposition groups both sent ministers to the pulpit. Both spoke simultaneously, each trying to shout above the others. Both called for hymns, and the congregation sang two--each trying to ...read more

Tags: Divisions

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Original Swedish Text Was A Poem Entitled "O ...

Contributed by Brian Harvison on May 29, 2008

The original Swedish text was a poem entitled “O Store Gud”, written in 1886 by a Swedish preacher Carl Boberg. Boberg’s inspiration for “How Great Thou Art” came from a visit to a beautiful country estate on the southeast coast of Sweden He got caught up in a midday thunderstorm with awe-inspiring ...read more

Tags: Books And Literature

Denomination: Baptist

D ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 11, 2008

DISMOUNT The famed preacher of the 19th Century, Charles Spurgeon, used to tell of a road which had been cut in red marble. It was so smoothly polished that, even when it was free of its usual thin coating of snow, it was dangerous in the extreme. Even though steps were hewn and rough marks made ...read more

Tags: Humility

The Mission Is Worth ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 11, 2008

THE MISSION IS WORTH IT "If God gives me another life, may I give it to him as a missionary." –Samuel Kang, executive head of the Korean World Missions Association. “If I am a Christian, I am not set on saving my own skin, but on seeing that the salvation of God comes through me to others.” ...read more

Tags: Missions

Charles Stanley On The Difference Between ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 26, 2010

Charles Stanley on the Difference Between Decision and Commitment Charles Stanley says in his book, Confronting Casual Christianity, in answer to that question, “because these couples made a decision but did not make a commitment. Every person who married made a decision! They stood before the ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 13:4

Tags: Commitment, Marriage Commitment

Truth Of Resurrection Grips 19th Century ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 30, 2010

Truth of Resurrection Grips 19th Century Preacher R. W. Dale preached in England in the late 1800s. One day, as he was writing an Easter sermon, a light went on for him as it did for John here in verse 8. He described the event: “‘Christ is alive,’ I said to myself; ‘alive!’ and then I ...read more

Scripture: John 20:1-18

Tags: Easter Resurrection

Mark Twain On Heaven And Hell

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 20, 2010

MARK TWAIN ON HEAVEN AND HELL Mark Twain gave some interesting quotes during his lifetime. One such amusing statement was, "Go to heaven for the climate, hell for the company." He along with others, do not realize how horrible hell will be. We do not hear much about hell these days from the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:21-30

Tags: Hell

How Did You Become A Christian?  PRO

Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Dec 21, 2011

HOW DID YOU BECOME A CHRISTIAN? A couple of years ago a 22-year-old woman spent the night at our house before flying out of San Antonio to return to her country of China. She was a Chinese Christian who had come to America to translate some Christian literature into Chinese for the house churches ...read more

Tags: Salvation

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Too Wicked For Ministry

Contributed by Keith Foskey on Apr 16, 2014

Paul Washer is a powerful preacher and evangelist. He once had a seminary student send him a message. He was afraid that he was too bad to enter the ministry. He sent him a message that simply said, "I think I am too wicked to be in the ministry." And Paul Washer wrote him back and said, "You are ...read more

Scripture: Romans 3:19-26

Tags: Assurance, Confidence, Reliance On God

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Don't Wait For A Cyclone To Preach The Word!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 25, 2021

A.W. Tozer once said, "I heard of one graduate of a theological school who determined to follow his old professor’s advice and preach the Word only. His crowds were average. Then one day a cyclone hit the little town and he yielded to the temptation to preach on the topic, “Why God Sent A ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Timothy 4:1-3

Tags: Preaching, Pastors, Churches, The Word Of God

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Gossip Test

Contributed by John Bright on Jun 1, 2021

Another basic concept – sin creates spiritual blindness. Let me illustrate with my favorite sin to talk about… GOSSIP. I’ll stop right here and make sure you know how I define gossip. Before you tell someone a story about another person (even disguised as a prayer request), it needs to pass all ...read more

Scripture: Luke 6:37-45

Tags: Sin, Gossip, Spiritual Blindness

Denomination: Methodist

The Last Sermon D.l. Moody Preached

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Apr 4, 2022

D.L. Moody was one of the greatest preachers in American history. On November 23, 1899 in the Civic Auditorium in Kansas City, Moody became very sick as he preached. “I must have souls in Kansas City,” he had told the students at his school in Chicago. “Never have I wanted so much to lead men and ...read more

Tags: Moody, Preach The Word, Great Supper, Evangelism, Faithfulness, Parables  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Ted Turner Turned Away From God

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Nov 20, 2022

Cable television mogul Ted Turner criticized conservative Christianity and said, "Jesus probably would be sick at his stomach" over the way his ideas have been "twisted" by today's preachers, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Turner made his remarks at a ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 4:1, 2 Timothy 4:1-3

Tags: False Professors, Deception, Bitterness, Last Days, Unbelief, Apostasy, Denying The Truth  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

He's A Liar!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jul 2, 2023

A missionary to the American Indians was in Los Angeles with an Indian friend who was a new Christian. As they walked down the street, they passed a man on the corner who was preaching with a Bible in his hand. The missionary knew the man represented a cult, but the Indian saw only the Bible. He ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 4:1-5, John 17:17, 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Tags: Spirit Of Error, Satan, Discernment, Truth, False Teachers, False Teaching, Spirits, Holy Spirit  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Are We Hypocrites?

Contributed by John Bright on Feb 13, 2025

I once saw a video of a pastor who had figures, covered with sheets, up in the front of the church. As he started to preach, they were uncovered and you could see monsters and scary characters related to Halloween. The preacher kept asking, “Should these be in the House of God?” The congregation ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:11-12

Tags: Holiness, Halloween, Hypocrite

Denomination: Methodist

God Reaches Out To Find Us  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 3, 2002

God Reaches Out to Find Us During an Aug. 4 Sunday school class at National Presbyterian Church, National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice described how she had drifted from her Christian faith -- and how God reached out and brought her back: "I was a preacher’s kid, so Sundays were church, no ...read more

Tags: Evangelism The Lost, Promises Of God

He Was Raised In The Church Of Christ. Early In ...

Contributed by Sherm Nichols on Nov 17, 2006

He was raised in the Church of Christ. Early in his life, he developed faith, but at one point his parents split up. He ended up with his grandmother and abandoned what faith he may have had. He later said that accepting the theory of evolution enabled him to pursue his twisted urges. He ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Do We Know The Pessimist's Creed?

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Feb 9, 2007

DO WE KNOW THE PESSIMIST’S CREED? THINK, IF THE PESSIMIST HAD A CREED WHAT WOULD IT BE? ALL BUT ME AND THEE! THE PESSIMIST CREED! By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Why rejoice in sunshine? It will just turn to dark clouds and much rain! Besides that, the sunshine can hurt your eyes, More than that it ...read more

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Baptism Of Paul ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 21, 2010

Baptism of Paul Harvey Paul Harvey wrote about his own baptism. He said that even though he had received almost every reward for his broadcasting ability that he still felt empty inside. One summer, however, he and his wife were vacationing in a place called Cave Creek, AZ. Sunday morning came and ...read more

Scripture: Luke 3:21-22

Tags: Baptism

I Prayed Her Home  PRO

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Dec 10, 2011

I PRAYED HER HOME Praying in Tongues From August 2002 to December 2010 my family suffered the affliction of brain cancer which was placed by Satan (2 Corinthians 12:7; Luke 13:10-17) upon my “helpmate,” (Genesis 2:18-25) Bonnie K. Laughlin. Just like many conservative preachers of the Word of ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 14:18

Tags: Gifts Tongues

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational