In Sermon Illustrations: "Profitable Old Testament"

One Of My Favorite Christmas Stories Is ...  PRO

Contributed by Melvin Newland on Nov 6, 2001

ILL. One of my favorite Christmas stories is about the old shoe cobbler who dreamed one Christmas Eve that Jesus would come to visit him the next day. The dream was so real that he was convinced it would come true. So the next morning he got up & went out & cut green boughs & decorated his ...read more

Tags: Christmas Advent, Christian Disciplines, Love Of The Disciples

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Stranger Came By The Other Day With An Offer ...  PRO

Contributed by Larry Brincefield on Aug 21, 2003

A stranger came by the other day with an offer that set me to thinking. He wanted to buy the old barn that sits out by the highway. I told him right off that he was crazy. He was a city type. You could tell by his clothes, his car, his hands, and the way he talked. He said he was driving by and saw ...read more

Tags: Fulfillment, God In The Hardships

Denomination: Nazarene

Don't Look Back  PRO

Contributed by Tylor Cates on Jan 24, 2004

DON'T LOOK BACK And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. - Luke 9:62 Text: Genesis 19:26; Luke 17:32,33 Summary: Once we start to follow Jesus we must never look back. We must give up our old way of life to find new life ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 19:26, Luke 17:32-33, Luke 9:62

Tags: Call Of The Disciples, Desire

Denomination: Baptist

Built By Grace  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 19, 2004

BUILT BY GRACE Years ago, late on a stormy night in Philadelphia, an elderly couple walked wearily into a hotel. They approached the night clerk at the desk and practically begged him for a room. Apparently there were three conventions in town, and every hotel was filled to capacity. "Are there ...read more

Scripture: Luke 14:12-24, Luke 19:11-26

Tags: Parable Great Banquet, Grace

Johnny Fulton Was Run Over By A Car At The Age Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 21, 2005

Johnny Fulton was run over by a car at the age of three. He suffered crushed hips, broken ribs, a fractured skull, and compound fractures in his legs. It did not look as if he would live. But he would not give up. In fact, he later ran the half-mile in less than two minutes. Walt Davis was totally ...read more

Tags: Endurance

Unusual People, Unexpected Places

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 8, 2011

UNUSUAL PEOPLE, UNEXPECTED PLACES Akiane Kramarik is only 12 years old, but she has abilities far beyond her years. Her mother chose to give birth to her underwater at the family home on July 9, 1994 in Mount Morris, Illinois. The family now lives in Idaho. Akiane speaks four languages, writes ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:14-16

Tags: Christian Witness

Appreciation: Better Than A Paycheck

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 8, 2011

APPRECIATION: BETTER THAN A PAYCHECK You don't have to teach people to complain, criticize, or be selfish. We're naturals at it. But we do have to learn to express appreciation. People need to be appreciated. A businessman went downtown to his office one morning, a couple of hours earlier than ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5

Tags: Praise, Encouragement, Gratitude, Compliment

Public Opinion

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 23, 2008

PUBLIC OPINION Some of you may have seen the joke that circulated this week on e-mail that tries to explain why Moses and the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for forty years. The punch line of the e-mail read, "Even then, men would not stop for directions." While this may not really explain ...read more

Tags: God Brings Purpose

Hannah And Michael: Finding What Was Lost  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 1, 2011

HANNAH AND MICHAEL: FINDING WHAT WAS LOST Let me tell you what happened to Ted Forbes back in 1984. While walking down a street in Chicago...Ted found a wallet. Being an honest Christian man he wanted to return it to its owner. So he opened it to look for identification. The wallet contained just ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:8-10, Luke 15:11-32, 1 Corinthians 13:8, John 17:1-26

Tags: Love, Parable Lost Coin

My Body, My Swat

Contributed by James Snyder on Nov 6, 2021

Usually, I am not easily offended, nor do I easily lose my temper. I did lose my temper when I was six years old but have not been able to find it since. Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage is trying to find it but so far, she has not found it. Many people are ticked off by some minor little thing ...read more

Scripture: Song of Songs 2:15

Tags: Patience, Temper, Offended

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Letting Go Of Treasures  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 12, 2002

LETTING GO OF TREASURES Giving with a glad and generous heart has a way of routing out the tough old miser within us. Even the poor need to know that they can give. Just the very act of letting go of money or some other treasure does something ...read more

Tags: Envy, Giving General, Money

Robert Louis Stevenson, Author Of Books Such As ...  PRO

Contributed by Lanny Carpenter on Oct 20, 2003

Robert Louis Stevenson, author of books such as Treasure Island, when young child, one evening was looking out front window of house fascinated by lamplighter coming down street, lighting old fashion gas street lamps. Called to nana, "Nana! ...read more

Tags: Assurance Of Salvation, Basics Of Christianity, Love Of The Disciples

Denomination: Methodist

John Wesley Declared, ". . .it Was Not Merely By ...  PRO

Contributed by Chip Monck on Mar 1, 2005

John Wesley declared, “. . .it was not merely by the light of reason that the people of God have been, in all ages, directed to use fasting as a means, but they have been taught it of God Himself, by clear and open revelations of His will. . .Now, whatever reasons there were to quicken those of ...read more

Tags: Disciplines Fasting

Denomination: Wesleyan

33% Of Christians Shop Christian Stores: This Is ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 6, 2006

33% of Christians Shop Christian Stores: This is up from only 10% just 19 years ago. Unfortunately, many people in the Christian product industry still believe the 19-year-old number is correct. In fact 1 out of 14 customers in a Christian retail ...read more

Tags: Character

Church Planting Prompts Evangelism Dr. Greg Fell, ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 10, 2006

Church Planting Prompts Evangelism Dr. Greg Fell, Rocky Mountain District Superintendent of the Evangelical Free Churches of America reports “Churches in their infancy have a 1 to 3 ratio of commitments to Christ per church member. By the time a church is 10 ...read more

Tags: What Is Evangelism?

Pricey Proms Almost 20 Million Students Attended ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 3, 2006

Pricey Proms Almost 20 million students attended proms this year, with the average 17-year old spending $638, or more than $1,200 per couple, according to research by Conde Nast, which publishes Your Prom and Modern Bride ...read more

Tags: Children

The Great Preacher Alexander White, When He Was ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 17, 2006

The great preacher Alexander White, when he was too old to mount the pulpit, would rise every morning to prepare a sermon, even though he never preached them. He did so until the day he died. He was convinced that study of ...read more

Tags: Bible Study

Congregation Finances 57% Of U.s. Congregations ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 17, 2006

Congregation Finances 57% of U.S. congregations report their financial situation is good or excellent vs. 66% in ’00. Financial health of congregations varies by faith community. 48% of Old-line Protestant congregations report their financial situation is good or ...read more

Tags: Church General

Out Of Bounds

Contributed by Bill Butsko on Nov 18, 2006

“Out of Bounds” The old shepherd who offered prayer in a Welsh revival meeting put it exactly right when he expressed grief for his backsliding in these words: “Lord, I got among the thorns and briars, and was scratched and torn and bleeding; but, Lord, it is only ...read more

Tags: Character

Denomination: Christian Church

Congregation Finances 57% Of U.s. Congregations ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 19, 2007

Congregation Finances 57% of U.S. congregations report their financial situation is good or excellent vs. 66% in ’00. Financial health of congregations varies by faith community. 48% of Old-line Protestant congregations report their financial situation is good or ...read more