In Sermon Illustrations: "Pulpit"

I Don't Understand The ...

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

“I Don’t Understand the Bible...” Three types of people are described in 1 Corinthians 2 and 3: the natural man, the spiritual man, and the carnal man. The natural or unsaved person is spiritually dead and blind. He cannot understand the things of God. “The god of this age has blinded the minds ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:4

Tags: Satan

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

On ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 13, 2009

ON PRAYER Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer told a story on the subject of prayer. A certain minister was in the habit of profound prayers, oftentimes resorting to words beyond the understanding of his simple flock. This went on week after week, to the dismay and frustration of the congregation. At last, a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:5-15

Tags: Prayer How To

Chrysostom On Ecclesiastes  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 21, 2011

CHRYSOSTOM ON ECCLESIASTES Eutropius had fallen into disgrace. As the highest-ranking official in the Byzantine Empire (late fourth century), he served as the closest adviser to the emperor Arcadius, then ruling in Constantinople. But Eutropius abused his imperial power and aroused the anger of ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 1:2, 2 Kings 16:10-16

Tags: Evangelism How To

Bishop Lindsey's Story  PRO

Contributed by Sheila Crowe on Sep 26, 2002

Bishop Lindsey’s Story I recently had the opportunity to hear our Bishop, Lindsey Davis, speak. He is an avid golfer, so much so in fact that when we went to Augusta for the North Ga Conference meeting they gave him a green jacket – I’m not sure why – I’m kidding I do know the significance of a ...read more

Tags: Church Purpose Of, Sharing Your Faith, What Is Evangelism?

Denomination: United Methodist

I'll Get Back To You! (08.04.05--Boldness ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Aug 2, 2005

I’ll Get Back to You! (08.04.05--Boldness Too!--Acts 3:11) “Let me think about it and I’ll get back to you.” How often have you heard that said in your life. If we could count the number of times action has been spared by inaction due to the “thought process” necessary beforehand, we’d probably ...read more

Scripture: Acts 3:11

Tags: Love Of The Disciples

Denomination: Lutheran

Disunity Stories  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 26, 2011

DISUNITY STORIES A man was stranded on an island. Alone for a number of years. Finally he was located and some people came ashore to rescue him. Before they took him off the island, he wanted to show them around. He took them to his hut and said "This is the home I built with my own 2 hands." Then ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-6

Tags: Divisions

My Penance  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 17, 2002

MY PENANCE The story of George C. Wallace sounds like something from Paul Harvey’s “the Rest of the Story.” It comes in two parts: the sad, earlier life and the hard but hopeful remainder. Even more dramatic is a tragic event in the middle that brought life-changing consequences for the man ...read more

A Prayer Nag! (09.28.05--Teach Me To ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Sep 26, 2005

A Prayer Nag! (09.28.05--Teach Me to Pray!--Colossians 1:9) Does god ever weary of hearing our prayers? I mean, it’s the same old, same old–day in and day out. Does He really need to hear the same things over and over again? Being a “broken record,” the one that just can’t get over the rut in ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 1:9

Tags: Prayer Persistence

Denomination: Lutheran

The Story Of George C. Wallace Sounds Like ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 31, 2008

The story of George C. Wallace sounds like something from Paul Harvey’s "The Rest of the Story." It comes in two parts: the sad, earlier life and the hard but hopeful latter life. A dramatic and tragic event in the middle brought life-changing consequences for the man from Alabama. In 1962, ...read more

Tags: Repentance

All In

Contributed by Tom Feola on Feb 6, 2012

ALL IN The New York Giants were just a handful of days from the Week 16 game against the New York Jets, with the Giants stuck at 7-7 and their season fast slipping away. Losers of four of their previous five games, it seemed as if the Giants were destined to finish second or even third in the NFC ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 16:24-27, Matthew 16:13-20

Tags: Sports

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Parson's Got Converted (By His Own Sermon)

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Oct 24, 2025

William Haslam was a high church Anglican vicar in Cornwall in the 19th Century. In 1851, he had gone to stay with a friend, Mr, Aitken who had challenged Haslam that he wasn’t converted. During that week, Haslam was shocked that he had nothing to offer his congregation as they were dying. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 22:42

Tags: Revival, Corn, 19th Century

Denomination: Anglican

Bob Russell Shared That Several Months Before ...  PRO

Contributed by Michael Demastus on Oct 22, 2001

*Bob Russell shared that several months before they moved into their new church building in 1998, their ministry staff met at the new site for a special staff meeting. Most of the building still wasn’t carpeted, and some of the rooms still had no drywall. They handed out hard hats, magic markers, ...read more

Scripture: Nehemiah 1:1-11

Tags: Bible Influence

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Best Christmas Illustration Ever!  PRO

Contributed by Tim Smith on Aug 13, 2017

The brand new pastor and his wife were assigned to their first church in Brooklyn and were to reopen it. They arrived in early October excited about their opportunities. When they saw the church, it was run down and needed a lot of work. They set a goal to have everything done in time to have their ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 3:1

Tags: Christmas Reunion, Christmas, Advent

Denomination: Methodist

Newton's Story

Contributed by David Dunn on Nov 21, 2025

The story of John Newton and the hymn Amazing Grace. Newton’s hymn has grown so familiar to us that we sometimes forget the depth of the testimony behind it. Those lines were not crafted by a saint who lived an unblemished life. They were written by a man who walked through the same spiritual ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 33:12, Ephesians 2:8

Tags: Grace, Redemption

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

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

The Tablecloth  PRO

Contributed by Tim Smith on Feb 19, 2012

THE TABLECLOTH The brand new pastor and his wife were assigned to their first church in Brooklyn and were to reopen it. They arrived in early October excited about their opportunities. When they saw the church, it was run down and needed a lot of work. They set a goal to have everything done in ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Methodist

Charlie's Thanksgiving List

Contributed by Perry Hancock on Nov 22, 2022

Charlie’s Thanksgiving List The pastor at the downtown men’s shelter was ready to begin the Thanksgiving service. Everyone was ready for him to begin and finish since the service was before the meal. After a few hymns were sung, it was time for the pastor’s Thanksgiving sermon. This year he had ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 103:2

Tags: Thanksgiving, God's Blessings

Denomination: Baptist

I Want To Close With A Real Life Story. It Is ...  PRO

Contributed by Tom Mccrossan on Oct 17, 2004

I want to close with a real life story. It is about missionary John Hyde who went to India a little over a hundred years ago. John felt a strong calling to the nation of India and began to spend hours in an attempt to learn the local language. Then the day came. It was in 1892 that he boarded a ...read more

Tags: Holy Spirit Attributes, Holy Spirit In Believers

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Just This Past Thursday We Learned The Results Of ...

Contributed by Mike Rexroat on Dec 16, 2007

Just this past Thursday we learned the results of what is being called the "Mitchell" report. For those of us who are baseball fans it was a pretty dark day. Former Senator George Mitchell concluded his almost two year investigation into the game and released his conclusions and one of those ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Don't Let The Good Christian Life Of The Past ...

Contributed by Brian Matherlee on Jul 14, 2008

Don't let the good Christian life of the past interfere with the new work God wants to do in your life. Missionary John Hyde went to India a little over a hundred years ago. John felt a strong calling to the nation of India and began to spend hours in an attempt to learn the local language. Then ...read more

Tags: Holy Spirit In Believers

Denomination: Wesleyan