In Sermon Illustrations: "Preacher Bloopers"

The Wisdom Of William Jennings Bryan

Contributed by Dennis Davidson on May 30, 2011

THE WISDOM OF WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN was a U.S. Congressman, 3-time Democratic presidential nominee, and Secretary of State who served this country for three decades. He is probably best remembered for the famous Scopes Trial in 1925 at Dayton TN. This man's far reaching ...read more

Tags: Wisdom

Denomination: Baptist

Are You Seaworthy?  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 3, 2011

ARE YOU SEAWORTHY? In his book, Life before Death, Ian Leitch, a Scottish preacher, talks about three luxury ocean liners, the Queen Mary, the Queen Elizabeth, and the QE2. He says, "When they built [these ocean liners], they did not test them in dry dock. They didn’t leave them in dry dock and ...read more

Scripture: James 1:1-15, James 1:2-4

Tags: Faith

The Impact Of A Mother's Prayer

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 6, 2011

THE IMPACT OF A MOTHER’S PRAYER Picture an old woman with a halo of silvered hair--the hot tears flowing down her furrowed cheeks--her worn hands busy over a washboard in a room of poverty--praying--for her son John--John who ran away from home in his teens to become a sailor--John of whom it was ...read more

Scripture: James 5:16-20

Tags: Die, Mother's Day

Stabilizing The Leaning Tower Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 5, 2012

STABILIZING THE LEANING TOWER OF PISA In the early nineties, the leaning Tower of Pisa began to lean too far. Seeing that the 180-foot-high tower would soon become dangerous, engineers designed a system to salvage the twelfth-century landmark by holding the lean constant. First the engineers ...read more

Scripture: Romans 13:1-7

Tags: Government

Reflecting The Light  PRO

Contributed by Everette Pafford on Feb 27, 2014

REFLECTING THE LIGHT A well-known Bible teacher has just finished speaking to a large class of business people on the Christians' responsibility to be light in the world. He had emphasized the as believers we all have the obligation to reflect the Light in the world, the Lord Jesus. After the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:14-16

Tags: Evangelism, Living As Light

Denomination: Assembly Of God

I Was At Calvary 2000 Years Ago

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Nov 6, 2022

Once during a trip to Israel, Dr. R.G. Lee visited the site where many believe Jesus Christ was crucified. He told his Arab guide that he wanted to walk to the top of the hill, but the guide tried to discourage him. The preacher was determined to climb the hill, so the guide accompanied him. When ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 2:20, Romans 5:8

Tags: Cross, Calvary, Golgotha, Identification With Christ

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

How A Pastor Loved His Enemy

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 2, 2023

In The Grace of Giving, Stephen Olford tells of a Baptist pastor during the American Revolution, Peter Miller, who lived in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, and enjoyed the friendship of George Washington. In Ephrata also lived Michael Wittman, an evil-minded sort who did all he could to oppose and ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:19-23

Tags: Love, Forgiveness, Hate, Pastors, Churches, Enemies, Division  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

President Andrew Jackson Is Going To Hell

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Oct 25, 2025

There was a fiery old revival preacher named Peter Cartwright who was famous for telling it like it is. He was preaching near Washington D.C. And the people of the church heard that President Andrew Jackson was coming to visit them. So, they pulled Cartwright aside and said: "Listen Peter, ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 9:17

Tags: Hell, President Jackson, Peter Cartright

Denomination: Anglican

The Cane Ridge Revival

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 23, 2011

THE CANE RIDGE REVIVAL One of those great revivals of the American past took place in the late spring and early summer of 1801 at Cane Ridge in central Kentucky. A pastor named Barton Stone, who had been called to serve this little Methodist church by Daniel Boone, decided to call a four-day ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 7:14

Tags: Revival

Remission

Contributed by Lou Butterfield on Sep 5, 2011

REMISSION While a graduate student at Indiana University and also serving as youth minister at the North Central church in Bloomington, I had an experience I will never forget. I woke up early on this particular Sunday morning to get to the building in time to drive one of the church buses to ...read more

Tags: Born Again

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Misapplied Scriptures: "Be Sure, Your Sin Will Find You Out.”

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Sep 19, 2023

Introduction: Some ministers have used this verse as a way to make people think. Admittedly, sin is not a very popular topic for many people but it’s real and part of any good minister’s job is to point out sins and the potential for sin. It’s good, to make people think, but sometimes a verse can ...read more

Scripture: Numbers 32:20-24

Tags: Moses, Sin, Israel, Misapplied Scriptures

Denomination: Baptist

The Story Of Bertha Smith

Contributed by Davon Huss on May 27, 2013

Bertha Smith is a name that we are not familiar with. Bertha Smith was a missionary many years ago in China. There was an uprising throughout China at that time and the Christian missionaries were forced to leave their congregations and flee to coastal cities for safety. Many of them, while ...read more

Tags: Repentance

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Division In The Church

Contributed by Davon Huss on Sep 6, 2014

Daniel Overdorf- A few years ago I visited a couple in their home. Both husband and wife had lived most of their lives apart from Christ and His church. Their marriage- a second marriage for both- had grown rocky. The 50 year old husband faced a frightening battle with cancer, and neither ...read more

Scripture: John 17:20-23

Tags: Argue, Church Unity, Disunity

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Gift Of Grace And Forgiveness In Our Time Of Greatest Need

Contributed by Tim Smith on Aug 13, 2017

Julian Silva tells the story of working in a Volunteer Corp’s Chaplain Office in Frankfurt, Germany where he met a German named, Carl Scholtz. During WW II, Carl served as a Nazi soldier but not believing in what he was doing, he tried to desert. He failed in his attempt, was captured and thrown ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-10

Tags: Grace, Forgiveness

Denomination: Methodist

What Will Follow You When You're Gone?

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Aug 17, 2020

You make a choice of which will one you leave behind to others - Blessings or Curses. Jonathan Edwards, was a Puritan Preacher in the 1700s. He was one of the most respected preachers in his day. He attended Yale at the age of thirteen and later went on to become the president of Princeton ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 23:1-6

Tags: Blessings, Curses, Generational Sins

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

65279;a Minister Named Russ Blowers Was Once ...  PRO

Contributed by Dennis Selfridge on Feb 27, 2002

A minister named Russ Blowers was once asked to speak at Rotary Club about his profession. He wanted to say more than “I’m a preacher.” So this was his talk, “Hi, I’m Russ Blowers. I’m with a global enterprise. We have branches in every country in the world. We have representatives in ...read more

Scripture: Luke 6:27-36

Tags: Church Body Of Christ, Call Of The Disciples, Misconceptions

Denomination: Wesleyan

In 1973 Gary Kildall Wrote The First Popular ...  PRO

Contributed by John Williams Iii on Jan 14, 2003

“In 1973 Gary Kildall wrote the first popular operating system for personal computers, named CP/M. According to writer Philip Fiorini, IBM approached Kildall in 1980 about developing the operating system for IBM PCs. But Kildall snubbed IBM officials at a crucial meeting, according to another ...read more

Tags: Kingdom Of God, Fulfillment

Denomination: United Methodist

The Perfect Church  PRO

Contributed by Keith Davis on May 5, 2003

The Perfect Church I think that I shall never see A church that’s all it ought to be; A church that has no empty pews, Whose preacher never has the blues; A church whose deacons always “deke” And none is proud but all are meek; Where gossips never peddle lies Or make complaints or ...read more

Tags: Church General, Unity

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Dawn Of Goodness

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 28, 2003

THE DAWN OF GOODNESS There is the story of a young lady who was a bright student. Unfortunately, she did not have assurance. Her name was Marian. She was working her way through college by cleaning the dorm rooms of her fellow students. She was often annoyed by their in ability to say “thank you” ...read more

Tags: Christian Love

Paul Dickson Has Written A Book Entitled, What's ...  PRO

Contributed by Timothy Smith on Aug 2, 2004

Paul Dickson has written a book entitled, What’s In A Name? In that book he shares some of the most unusual names he’s come across. How would you like to have any of these for your name? Cletus Clodfelter, Rotten Earp, Jinglebells Kaplan, and Boomfa Umfumpa. Can you imagine? "Hey Boomfa!" I could ...read more

Tags: Descriptions Of God

Denomination: Christian Church