In Sermon Illustrations: "Read Well" showing 5,961-5,980 of 8,594

On Profanity And Ungodly Language

Contributed by Bobby Mcdaniel on Apr 17, 2010

ON PROFANITY AND UNGODLY LANGUAGE Profanity and crude language are becoming more common on prime-time television programs. Many writers and producers seem to be intent on pushing the limits of how much immoral and offensive speech the public will allow. Profane and vulgar language is noise ...read more

Tags: Communication Speech

In Disney's Animated Movie Toy Story, Woody (...

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on May 11, 2010

In Disney's animated movie Toy Story, Woody (a plush toy cowboy) confronts Buzz Lightyear (a toy astronaut) with the fact that he is only an action figure and not really a space hero. Early in the movie Woody shouts, "You're not a space ranger! You're an action figure—a child's plaything." After ...read more

Tags: Security

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Pull Up The Roots Of Bad Habits Early  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 2, 2010

PULL UP THE ROOTS OF BAD HABITS EARLY A wise old tutor was once taking a stroll through a forest with a curious youth. The tutor suddenly stopped and pointed to four plants close by. The first was a tiny sprout, just coming out of the earth. The second had rooted itself quite firmly in the fertile ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 15:7-20

Tags: Character

In The Story Of Pollyanna, There Is A Woman Who ...

Contributed by C. Philip Green on Sep 23, 2010

In the story of Pollyanna, there is a woman who runs the town. She’s not the mayor and doesn’t even sit on the city council. It’s just that she has inherited a tremendous amount of money from her father, and she has a controlling interest in all the major businesses in town. As a result, no one ...read more

Tags: Money

Denomination: Evangelical Free

Overcoming Evil With Good  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 18, 2010

OVERCOMING EVIL WITH GOOD Watchman Nee, the Chinese evangelist, tells this true story. A poor, Christian Chinese farmer had rice fields high in the mountain. Every day he spent hours pumping water into the rice paddies; but when he returned to the fields the next morning, he would find that his ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:1-5

Tags: Christian Witness

Leave The Bones  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 23, 2010

LEAVE THE BONES A clergyman took a seat in a dining car on a train traveling along the Hudson River. Opposite him was an atheist who, seeing his clerical collar, started a discussion. "I see you are a clergyman." "Yes," came the reply. "I am a minister of the gospel." "I suppose you believe the ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:15

Tags: Bible Study

Disciplines: The Decathlon

Contributed by Rodelio Mallari on Dec 12, 2010

DISCIPLINES: THE DECATHLON The Olympic decathlon is internationally recognized as the most demanding test of individual athletic ability there is. It is the event that determines the world's greatest all-around athlete. Originating in a contest held at the 708 B.C. Olympiad to single out Greece's ...read more

Tags: Christian Disciplines

Denomination: *other

We Need Christ In Good Times And Bad

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 24, 2011

WE NEED CHRIST IN GOOD TIMES AND BAD Presbyterian minister of the 19th century, J. R. Miller, once wrote that "We need Christ just as much in our bright, prosperous, exalted hours as in the days of darkness, adversity, and depression. We are quite in danger of thinking that religion is only for ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1:18-22

Tags: Jesus Christ

Covering Your Own Sin

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 30, 2011

COVERING YOUR OWN SIN "Adam, where are you?" God cried as a now sin-tainted Adam and Eve vainly attempted to hide from Him. Adam had a plan: The fig leaves-an easy quick fix, a cover-up. They represent man fixing his sin on his own terms, the quick and easy way. Grab some leaves, cover it quickly. ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 3:6-13

Tags: Sin Exposed

The Church As A China Cabinet

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 7, 2011

THE CHURCH AS A CHINA CABINET Bryan Wilkerson talks about a sterling silver tea set that a family member gave him and his wife as a reminder of her love for them. It’s quite old and beautifully made, and it sits on a stand in their dining room. There's only one problem: they can’t use it. The ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:14-15

Tags: Church Purpose Of

Crossing Hypocrisy

Contributed by Jason Bonnicksen on May 15, 2011

CROSSING HYPOCRISY I remember one holiday sitting in the living room chatting with my in-laws, when the subject of high school reunions and old classmates came up. In the course of our conversation, my brother-in-law started laughing when he proceeded to tell us a story about one of his ...read more

Tags: Hypocrisy

Denomination: Lutheran

I'm Not Brave, He's Not Tame

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 26, 2011

I'M NOT BRAVE, HE'S NOT TAME Writing in Moody Monthly, Carl Armerding recounted his experience of watching a wildcat in a zoo. "As I stood there," he said, "an attendant entered the cage through a door on the opposite side. He had nothing in his hands but a broom. Carefully closing the door, he ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:1-3, Luke 10:1-20

Tags: Confidence

Not Much Of A Man...?

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Jun 11, 2011

NOT MUCH OF A MAN...? A weary truck driver who pulled his rig into an all-night truck stop late one summer evening in Broken Bow, NE. He was tired and hungry. The waitress had just served him when three tough looking, leather-jacketed bikers of the Hell's Angels type decided to give him a hard ...read more

Tags: Justice

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Saved Based On The Name

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 3, 2011

SAVED BASED ON THE NAME There was a lawyer in a metropolitan city that was leaving his firm one night and as he was walking ot his car he saw a dirty bum on the sidewalk leaned up against a building. He had pity on the bum and told him that he wanted to help him out. He took put a pen and began to ...read more

Scripture: John 3:14

Tags: Grace

Why Should I Let You Into Heaven?

Contributed by Brad Henry on Aug 5, 2011

WHY SHOULD I LET YOU INTO HEAVEN? If you were to die today and God were to ask you, 'Why should I let you into my heaven?' what would you say?" Over the years I would have to say that 85% of the answers I get are "I have tried to be a good person, I have tried to be a good parent, I have tried to ...read more

Tags: Evangelism The Lost

Bryon's Story

Contributed by Arron Chambers on Dec 21, 2011

BRYON'S STORY Do you know that Jesus is still in the life-changing business? Bryon Widner does. Bryon used to be one of the leaders of the white power movement as the found of the Vinlanders gang of skinheads. He’d covered his body and face with tattoos that were designed to communicate hate and ...read more

Tags: Change

Denomination: Christian Church

Stepping In His Big Tracks

Contributed by Chuck Sligh on Jan 4, 2012

STEPPING IN HIS BIG TRACKS I remember once when we had a two-foot snow in Smyrna, Tennessee— something rare even then. I’d gone out into the snow early that morning and it was really futile, because the snow was so deep and so soft that when I stepped down into the snow, the snow went so far up my ...read more

Tags: Parenting

Denomination: Baptist

Fixing The Fence At The White House  PRO

Contributed by J.d. Tutell on Jan 23, 2012

FIXING THE FENCE AT THE WHITE HOUSE Three contractors were on a tour of the White House. One is from Minnesota, another is from Tennessee, and the third is from Chicago. As they are walking through they notice a broken fence and ask if it would be possible to submit a bid to fix it. They are ...read more

Tags: Money, Separation, Salvation, Bribery, Thief  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Standard Of Comparison  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 27, 2012

STANDARD OF COMPARISON Michael Green, in his book Illustrations for Biblical Preaching, shares a good lesson which I think is appropriate for beginning our message this evening. He states: All of us frequently compare ourselves favorably with someone else. We all think of someone whom we ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:13-16, Exodus 7:8-23

Tags: Holiness

Sabbath Sympathy

Contributed by Nickolas Kooi on Jun 1, 2018

Never one to back down from a fight, Jesus takes the bait, and summons the man. He literally says, “Rise in the midst of the group.” And there are two reasons for this request. He wants everyone to see and witness this event. He wants him up and in the middle. The second is this. As a ...read more

Scripture: Mark 3:3-5

Tags: Sabbath, Pharisees, Sympathy, Sabbath Controversy, Healing By Jesus  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Lutheran