In Sermon Illustrations: "Puffed Up"

Defense Lawyer's Final Trick Back ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 19, 2009

Defense Lawyer’s Final Trick Back Fires A defendant was on trial for murder in Oklahoma. There was strong evidence indicating guilt, but there was no body. In the defense’s closing statement the lawyer, knowing that his client would probably be convicted, resorted to a trick. "Ladies and gentlemen ...read more

Tags: Justice

You Have To Love Him Into It

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 1, 2010

"You Have To Love Him Into It"--A Stock Assistant Learns a Big Lesson A stock assistant was working at a grocery store on Christmas Eve. One of the things he was responsible for was the display in one of the aisles which was a pyramid of canned products. He had to rebuild this display many times ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:8-20

Tags: Unconditional Love

And Now, Am Watching Larry King Live! Where There ...

Contributed by Pastor Gbenga Shadare on May 6, 2010

And now, am watching Larry King Live! Where there is an interesting interview with Mrs Cindi Broaddus, the sister to Robin McGraw, Dr Phil McGraw’s wife. She was attacked five years ago by an unknown, hateful bigot who sprayed her with Sulfuric Acid from a highway overpass in the quiet countryside ...read more

Tags: Sharing Your Faith

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Beer Commercials And Community

Contributed by Andrew Chan on Jun 28, 2010

BEER COMMERCIALS AND COMMUNITY Beer commercials do not really sell beer. Have you seen how they really sell "living it up with others" or what Christians call "community"? Do they not sell good looking people partying with other good looking people? Even the losers in those commercials all of a ...read more

Tags: Friendship General

Denomination: Evangelical Free

Who Is The Shepherd?

Contributed by Guy Mcgraw on Apr 6, 2011

WHO IS THE SHEPHERD? Keith Miller writes, "Years ago, when our daughters were very young, we'd drop them off at our church's children's chapel on Sundays before the eleven o'clock service. One Sunday, just as I was about to open the door to the small chapel, the minister came rushing up. He said ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:14-17

Tags: Arrogance

The Lottery  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 20, 2011

THE LOTTERY Did you know that the first modern-day lottery was started in 1963 in the state of New Hampshire? Did you know that the state of Massachusetts, started their lottery in 1972 with 50 cent tickets and a drawing once a week. It now has 33 different games to choose from their sales have ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:6-10, Psalm 37:35

Tags: Money, Contentment

What I Don't Want To Be

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 1, 2011

WHAT I DON'T WANT TO BE I recall a conversation I once had with a precocious little boy we once had in the church I pastored for 10 years in Wiesbaden. I asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. "Well," he replied, "I don't want to be a fireman." I'd never had a kid tell me what he was ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 37:4-5

Tags: Christian Values

My Life Is In His Hands

Contributed by Guy Mcgraw on Dec 12, 2011

MY LIFE IS IN HIS HANDS Chuck Colson tells about going to Salem, OR. & preaching to prisoners there. Kathy Trocoli went with him, sang the song, "My Life is in His Hands." After the service was over, one of the inmates came up to Kathy and said, "I really want to thank you for singing that song. ...read more

Tags: God Brings Hope

Light In The Darkness  PRO

Contributed by Steven Angus on May 20, 2013

LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS Some of you may be familiar with the name Catherine Marshall. She was a wonderful Christian author who wrote such classics as Christy, which became a television series. There was an occasion in her life when she felt as if the flame of God’s love had gone out. It started ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 23:4, Psalm 22:1-31

Tags: God In The Hardships

Denomination: United Methodist

A Pastor's Dream Of His Own Worship Service  PRO

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 28, 2014

A PASTOR’S DREAM OF HIS OWN WORSHIP SERVICE The story is told of a pastor of a large church who had a dream one night that really opened his eyes. He dreamed that he could see his own church worship service on Sunday morning. But there was something very strange happening. The choir was ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 16:7

Tags: Church, Worship, Devotion, Intimacy With God

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

What Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes And Lilo And Stitch Tell Us

Contributed by Fr Mund Cargill Thompson on Apr 10, 2015

Two films. The 2014 film “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” and the earlier “Lilo and stitch”. In the Dawn of the Planet of the apes, small groups of human beings and intelligent apes have both survived a deadly plague. A group of humans trying to restart a hydro electric generator stumble across ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 4:18

Tags: Fear, Overcoming Anxiety, Non-Anxious Presence, Ohana

Denomination: Anglican

Commitment

Contributed by Tim Smith on May 28, 2015

Dave Hood tells the story of training to run a 5K run. Every time his wife and he would go running on their favorite trail, they’d walk a little faster, and with a little more gusto. One day, a half mile in and a young lady came at them sprinting towards them. They jumped out of the way so she ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:13-14

Tags: Commitment, Spiritual Growth, Running The Race

Denomination: Methodist

Can You See It?

Contributed by John Bright on Feb 24, 2021

We are surrounded by things we can’t see, so are they real? It was really windy here this week. Did you see it? Of course not! We can’t see the wind. I saw the trees moving. I heard the wind chimes on the porch. I felt it on my skin. I never saw it… so is the wind real? Last week, during ...read more

Scripture: Luke 4:35

Tags: Light, Demons, Wind, Invisible, Gravity, Physics  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Methodist

The Funniest Easter Story Ever!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Mar 25, 2024

The Call to Worship had just been pronounced starting Easter Sunday Morning service in an East Texas church. The choir started its processional, singing "Up from the Grave He Arose" as they marched in perfect step down the center aisle to the front of the church. However, unfortunatley, ...read more

Tags: Resurrection, Miracles, Choir, Church, Easter  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Don't Be Like These Guys!

Contributed by John Bright on Mar 5, 2026

Jude used three examples from the Old Testament to show that these false teachers are not to be trusted or followed. In Genesis 4:1-16, we find the first murder in the Bible when Cain kills his brother Abel. If these false teachers are leading folks back to their former state – being unsaved – ...read more

Scripture: Jude 1:11, 2 Timothy 4:3, Numbers 16:31-35

Tags: Salvation, Heresy, False Teachers, Cain, Korah, Balaam, Jude  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Methodist

If You Look At A Sundial On A Cloudy Day, The ...  PRO

Contributed by Owen Bourgaize on Oct 18, 2000

If you look at a sundial on a cloudy day, the pointer doesn’t leave a shadow to indicate the time, it’s quite ineffective in that state. Without the “sealing of the Spirit” we’re just like that sundial, failing to live up to expectation and realizing ...read more

Tags: Marriage Obligations, Christian Love, Romantic Love

Denomination: Baptist

Under Five  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 11, 2002

Under Five A little child in church for the first time watched as the ushers passed the offering plates. When they neared the pew where he sat, the youngster piped up so that everyone could hear: "Don’t ...read more

Tags: Money, Giving General

A Fellow I Met In Fredericktown Mo. Said To Me ...  PRO

Contributed by Darrell Jones on Feb 21, 2003

A fellow I met in Fredericktown Mo. said to me concerning the use of Marijuana. "Marijuana was made by God, so it must be alright to smoke it." I told him, "God also made rattlesnakes, I sure would ...read more

Tags: Addiction

Denomination: Assembly Of God

General Douglas Macarthur Wrote: People Grow ...  PRO

Contributed by Davon Huss on Oct 11, 2004

General Douglas MacArthur wrote: People grow old by deserting their ideas. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up interest, wrinkles the soul. You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubts; as young as your ...read more

Tags: Faith General

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Gambling Online: This Year More Than 2,000 ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 27, 2006

Gambling Online: This year more than 2,000 gambling Web sites will take in nearly $10 billion. That’s up 40% from ‘04 making gambling one of the Internet’s largest moneymakers, even though ...read more

Tags: Addiction