In Sermon Illustrations: "Raised Hands"

Bought To Be Freed

Contributed by Bill Butsko on Jul 27, 2008

BOUGHT TO BE FREED A young girl was being sold at auction one day. She was a beautiful girl, tall and slender. The bidding was keen, and quickly mounted higher and higher until at last only two men were left bidding for her ownership: the one a low, uncouth foul-mouthed fellow who raised his bid ...read more

Tags: Christian Love

Denomination: Christian Church

The Lord's Will

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 31, 2008

THE LORD'S WILL A farmer is out working his fence line near the road when he sees a neighbor from a few farms down walking toward him with a cow. "Where are you headed with that cow?" the farmer asks. "I'm heading into town to sell it," comes the neighbor's reply. "You mean, if it's the Lord's ...read more

Tags: God's Sovereign Will

Possibilities

Contributed by Bobby Bodenhamer on Oct 17, 2008

Possibilities He was born into wealth and was raised in a mansion. Today he wears prison gray after being convicted of planting a car bomb that took the lives of two members of his family. His almost unbelievable reversal of circumstances came after he tried to get control of a $10-million family ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness In Jesus

Denomination: *other

The Big Question "What Things Are Important And ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 12, 2008

The BIG question “What things are important and what things are trivial?” Illus. Christmas night 2002, Jack Whittaker had five out of five numbers in the West Virginia Power ball drawing. Jack Whittaker had just won $314 million, the largest undivided lottery jackpot in history. He took the one ...read more

Tags: Money

Who Is God The Father?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 10, 2009

WHO IS GOD THE FATHER? In 2006, a sociologist at Baylor University released a study done by the Gallup organization that identified four views people had of God. 31.4 percent believe in an "Authoritarian God," a God who is angry at humanity’s sins. 23 percent believe in a "Benevolent God" who is ...read more

Tags: God The Father

All Part Of God's Plan  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 28, 2009

ALL PART OF GOD’S PLAN In the opening pages of his autobiography, "An American Life," Ronald Reagan writes, I was raised to believe that God had a plan for everyone and that seemingly random twists of fate are all a part of His plan. My mother - a small woman with auburn hair and a sense of ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 29:11

Tags: God In The Hardships

In 1918, Inspired By The Poem,

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Jun 16, 2009

In 1918, inspired by the poem,"In Flanders Fields," an American teacher named Moina Michael, who was working with the Overseas YMCA, wrote her own poem entitled “We Shall Keep The Faith.” We cherish too, the Poppy red That grows on fields where valor led, It seems to signal to the skies That ...read more

Tags: Patriotism

Denomination: Pentecostal

Smallpox Is An Infectious Disease Unique To ...

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Jul 8, 2009

Smallpox is an infectious disease unique to humans. It raises fluid-filled blisters in the skin. How many remember the smallpox vaccination? Do you remember that one big blister on your arm? A person with smallpox has them all over his skin. The image on Google was too hideous to show you. It ...read more

Tags: Religion

Denomination: Pentecostal

The Only Thing About Christmas That Bothers Me Is ...

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Dec 22, 2009

The only thing about Christmas that bothers me is that people see Jesus as a baby, meek and mild but they don’t see Him for all that He really is. It always used to bother me that I was called a gentle man. I longed to be seen as strong and courageous and visionary, but people mainly see me as ...read more

Tags: Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Evans On The Virgin Birth

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2009

EVANS ON THE VIRGIN BIRTH Dr. William Evans, who pastored College Church from 1906-1909, was an unusually accomplished man. He had the entire King James Version of the Bible memorized as well as the New Testament of the American Standard Version. Dr. Evans also authored over fifty books. His son, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 1:18-25

Tags: Birth Of Jesus

To Many Professing Christians Leave Christ And ...

Contributed by Aubrey Vaughan on Jan 24, 2010

TO MANY PROFESSING CHRISTIANS LEAVE CHRIST AND OUR CHURCHES FOR WHAT? FOR ANYTHING AT ALL THAT THIS WORLD HAS TO OFFER? IS LIKE BEING DUPED BY A DODGY CAR SALESMAN INTO TRADING IN YOUR TOP OF THE RANGE ROLLS ROYCE FOR A CLAPPED OUT ROBIN RELIANT, YOU WERE PROMISED SO MUCH FROM THE ...read more

Tags: Christian Liberty

Denomination: Baptist

This Doesn't Mean That We Do Not Feel The Brunt ...

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Sep 6, 2010

This doesn't mean that we do not feel the brunt of bad news, trials, or miseries. It means he helps us gain our composure. Judy Ackerman Link wrote: After my doctor announced that I had cancer, I tried to listen to what he said, but I couldn’t. I went home, pulled a blanket over my head, and fell ...read more

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Story Of Faith Hope

Contributed by Tim Smith on Mar 17, 2011

THE STORY OF FAITH HOPE Myah Hope was given the news that she was pregnant. Like most mothers to be, she dreamed of what giving birth to a child and raising them would be like. But when she was 19 weeks pregnant, she was told that something was wrong with her baby's head. The doctor said that ...read more

Tags: Miracles General

Denomination: Methodist

Who Will Do The Need-Meeting?

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 11, 2011

WHO WILL DO THE NEED-MEETING? One preacher told of shopping at the supermarket when a lady came down the aisle heading straight for him. She screeched to a halt within a few feet of him, wagged her finger, and said, "I left your church. I left your church". So I said, "Well, if it’s my church, I ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:1-5

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

The Shepherd's Voice

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 10, 2012

THE SHEPHERD'S VOICE If you know and follow Jesus as Shepherd you will be able to flee from untruth and ungodly belief systems. D.L. Moody told the following: A friend, who was traveling in the East, heard that there was a shepherd who still kept up the custom of calling his sheep by name. He ...read more

Scripture: John 10:1-18

Tags: Parable Lost Sheep

Where Are The Men?

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Mar 1, 2016

WHERE ARE THE MEN? Churches in America are needing more than just a few good men. Here are the statistics from God Facts: *** The typical U.S. Congregation draws an adult crowd that’s 61% female, 39% male. *** On any given Sunday, there are 13 million more adult women than men in America’s ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:1-10

Tags: Men, Church Attendance, Ministry To Men

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Heizer Creek Baptism

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Apr 11, 2018

Note: this story happened to me - Jim Butcher of Madison WV. One of my favorite baptism stories comes from a friend of mine who owns a house on Heizer Creek. He had a nice spot on his property to do baptisms and told the nearby country churches they were welcome to use it anytime, which a few of ...read more

Tags: Change, Transformation, Cursing, Baptism

Denomination: Baptist

Dealing With Stress

Contributed by Richard Tow on Oct 19, 2020

When I was a kid, we raised chicken for our food. At first, we only had a few in a large pen. It was a fairly natural environment for them with lots of grass to scratch around in for insects and seeds. Those chickens were very healthy in that environment. Then we dramatically increased their ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:6, Jeremiah 2:13, 1 Peter 5:7

Tags: Healing, Sin, Addiction, Habits

Denomination: Charismatic

A Good Race

Contributed by Shawn Drake on Mar 7, 2021

Many years ago, I coached the High School Swimming team. I had several athletes that went to College on scholarships; but the athlete I was thinking about while I was preparing this sermon, went on to compete in Triathlons. A Triathlon is a 1 mile swim, 25 mile bike ride, and a 6 mile run. ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:7

Tags: Freedom, Endurance

Denomination: Baptist

Please Be My Guest

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Aug 29, 2024

My son and I visited Honduras several years ago, just before the pandemic. Compassion Canada workers escorted us to the home of a family that was receiving some of the funds we had raised for our sponsored children. The idea was to see how those gifts had been able to change dramatically the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:7, Matthew 25:38, Romans 12:13, 1 Corinthians 10:27

Tags: Guest, Hospitality, Receiving

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed