In Sermon Illustrations: "Preaching Tips"

Changing The Label On ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 13, 2009

CHANGING THE LABEL ON SIN Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman told of a distinguished minister, Dr. Howard, from Australia who preached very strongly on the subject of sin. After the service, one of the church deacons came to counsel with him in the study. "Dr. Howard," he said, "we don’t want you to talk as ...read more

Tags: Sin General

How To Get To Heaven

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 9, 2009

HOW TO GET TO HEAVEN Bishop Fulton Sheen, in his autobiography "Treasure in Clay," wrote about an experience he had when he was traveling around preaching: I stopped to ask a few boys for directions to the Town Hall where I was giving a lecture. They told me where the Town Hall was and then ...read more

Tags: Heaven

Honor Your Mother And Father

Contributed by Jim Blevins on May 15, 2009

HONOR YOUR MOTHER AND FATHER One Mother's Day I was preaching in another state and during the Sunday School class I told about one of the two times that I sassed my mother. Now my mom is about 4 foot 11 inches tall and I was approaching 6 feet so I towered over her. She had told me to do something ...read more

Tags: Commandments Parents

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Honesty Matters  PRO

Contributed by Michael Deutsch on Jul 6, 2009

HONESTY MATTERS I read about a high school golfer, Chelsee Richard, of Bloomingdale High School in Brandon, Florida. She lost her chance to win the 2004 state championship — by being honest. In the qualifier for the state finals, Chelsee hit her tee shot on the second hole into the rough. Without ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1:1-4, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-14

Tags: Commandments Testimony

Denomination: Baptist

Rare Copy Of Declaration Of Independence ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 28, 2009

Rare Copy of Declaration of Independence Discovered at Garage Sale As Stan Caffy and his fiancé prepared to get married, they cleaned out their respective garages and sold everything to Goodwill. Between the two of them, they sold an assortment of clothes, bicycles, tools, computer parts, and a ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 2:3

Tags: Discovery

Medical Terminology Play On ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 7, 2009

Medical Terminology Play on Words Sandy has seen a lot of doctors this last year, and as I’ve tagged along, I have learned a lot of medical terminology. I’m sure many of you, as you’ve had medical issues, have learned some interesting terminology, as well. It’s a strange language, isn’t it, because ...read more

Scripture: 3 John 1:2

Tags: Words

I Once Took A Graduate Level Class On The ...

Contributed by Ken Mckinley on Jan 10, 2010

I once took a graduate level class on the psychology of learning, and in that class we talked about the way people learn. And I remember one time we were talking about babies and how they perceive certain things. It was kind of amusing actually, but they did a study where they would sit a baby ...read more

Tags: Ignorance

Denomination: Independent/Bible

It Is Well With My Soul  PRO

Contributed by Thomas Cash on Mar 1, 2010

IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL Horatio Gates Spafford, a 43-year-old Chicago Businessman, suffered financial disaster in the great Chicago fire of 1871. He and his wife were still grieving over the death of their son shortly before the fire, and he realized they needed to get away for a vacation. Knowing ...read more

Tags: Anxiety

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

At The Bottom Of Many Of His Musical Manuscripts, ...

Contributed by Bobby Mcdaniel on Apr 17, 2010

At the bottom of many of his musical manuscripts, the great organist and composer Johann Sebastian Bach often wrote the letters "INDNJC." Those letters stood for "In Nomine Domini Nostri Jesu Christi" — in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. INDNJC. They did not appear on Bach's manuscripts by ...read more

Tags: Music

A Young Boy Gets A Driving ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 6, 2010

A Young Boy Gets A Driving Permit A young boy had just gotten his driving permit. He asked his father if they could discuss his use of the family car. His father took him into his study and said, “I’ll make a deal with you. You bring your grades up, study the Bible a little, get your hair cut, ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:4-5

Tags: Parenting

Waiting Vs. Watching For Him

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 23, 2011

WAITING VS. WATCHING FOR HIM The Lord told us not only to wait for him but to watch for him, and he has pronounced a special blessing on those who watch. The difference between waiting and watching is illustrated in a story told of a Scotch fishing village. After days at sea, the skipper of a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:1-13

Tags: Second Coming

Wahlstrom's Wonder  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 17, 2011

WAHLSTROM'S WONDER I once read about a certain Mr. Wahlstrom who purchased an old bombsight and took it apart to see what made it work. As he began to put it back together, he decided to add to it some spare parts he had from other projects. Over time, friends and neighbors took an interest in the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:18-20, John 1:14-18, Jonah 3:1-10

Tags: Church Purpose Of

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

Repentance And Baptism  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on May 11, 2011

REPENTANCE AND BAPTISM Steve Atkerson states: "John the Baptist explicitly stated the purpose of his baptism when he said, 'I baptize you with water for repentance' (Mt 3:11). Did John baptize them so that they could repent or because they already had repented? That is, was John's baptism a means ...read more

Tags: Baptism

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Buried Treasure

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 25, 2011

BURIED TREASURE In 1992 volunteers from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, excavating in Caesarea dug up 99 gold coins that had been stashed in a makeshift safe beneath the floor of what was once a private dwelling. Caesarea is considered one of Israel’s richest archaeological sites in that ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:44-46

Tags: Parable Treasure

Prevailing Prayer  PRO

Contributed by Scott Spencer on Oct 7, 2011

PREVAILING PRAYER Daniel Nash and Charles Finney were great evangelists in the early 1800s. On one occasion, when meetings had begun in a particular city, a group of young men confronted Charles Finney, openly announcing that they were going to break up the meetings. Finney and Nash decided this ...read more

Tags: Prayer General

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

A Few More Hours

Contributed by Jerry Cosper on Jan 23, 2013

A FEW MORE HOURS A young lady busied herself getting ready for a blind date. He had promised dinner at an exclusive downtown restaurant with live music and dancing. Wanting to make a good first impression she had taken the day off work. She cleaned her apartment; she went out that afternoon to ...read more

Tags: Second Coming

Denomination: Baptist

Humorous Hospital Charts

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 23, 2013

HUMOROUS HOSPITAL CHARTS I came across some notes supposedly found on hospital charts, and I thought you might enjoy them as I did: • The patient refused autopsy. • Note: Patient recovering from forehead cut. Patient became very angry when given an enema by mistake. • Patient has chest pain if she ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 18:1-27

Tags: Leadership General

Wife Died

Contributed by Davon Huss on Jul 3, 2015

Booth-Tucker preached in Chicago one day, and out from the throng a burdened laborer came and said to him, before all the audience, "You can talk like that about how Christ is dear to you, and helps you; but if your wife was dead, as my wife is, and you had some babies crying for their mother who ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:10

Tags: Grief, God's Comfort, Christ's Sufficiency, The Comforter

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Cross Is The Attraction

Contributed by Andrew Moffatt on Sep 8, 2016

The famous first national Salvationist here in Sri Lanka, Arnolis Weerasooriya whose picture we all walk past every day said something about the cross. Can you remember reading it, it is on his picture. That’s right he said, “Cross is the attraction.” He died from cholera some years later on the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 20:20-28

Tags: Suffering, Enduring Suffering, Proclaiming

Denomination: Salvation Army