In Sermon Illustrations: "Real Estate"

An Afflicted Life Can Save

Contributed by Gregg Bitter on Jul 22, 2009

AN AFFLICTED LIFE CAN SAVE Or consider the young lady suffering with terminal cancer. It’s a painful and hopeless disease. But instead of complaints and self-pity, she openly talked about her hope of eternal life in Jesus, about the inheritance in heaven Jesus won for her by dying on the cross, ...read more

Tags: Affliction

Denomination: Lutheran

A Snake Is A Snake

Contributed by John Petty on Nov 2, 2009

A SNAKE IS A SNAKE There was a tragedy in Florida not too long ago. I am unsure if the baby Burmese python came with a warning. If not, it should have. The Oxford, Florida family that brought the serpent home as a pet would live to regret allowing such a creature in the house. Earlier this year ...read more

Tags: Satan

Denomination: Church Of God

Years Ago, When I Was A Youth Minister, We ...

Contributed by Mike Gilbert on Jan 12, 2008

Years ago, when I was a youth minister, we offered a free trip to youth camp to any teenager who could decipher the new name of the Youth Newsletter: The W.E.E.L.Y.D.O.T.L.I.S.T. -- We got all kinds of guesses, but out of several hundred teenagers who tried, no one figured it out. Sure enough, on ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

The Guardian" Is A Powerful Movie Depicting The ...  PRO

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Jan 14, 2008

“The Guardian” is a powerful movie depicting the life and risks of Search and Rescue teams. A trainee is intent on breaking the swim records and rescue stats of the legendary Master-chief Ben Randall (Kevin Costner). Ben laments quietly to himself “records” because young Jake Fischer is missing the ...read more

Denomination: Salvation Army

We Must Not Be Troubled By Unbelievers When They ...

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Feb 16, 2008

“We must not be troubled by unbelievers when they say that this promise of reward makes the Christian life a mercenary affair. There are different kinds of reward. There is the reward which has no natural connection with the things you do to earn it, and is quite foreign to the desires that ought ...read more

Denomination: Other

There Is A Story Of A Farm Boy Who Accidentally ...

Contributed by Andy Beech on Mar 29, 2008

There is a story of a farm boy who accidentally overturned his wagonload of Corn in the road. The farmer who lived nearby came to investigate. "Hey, Willis," he called out, "forget your troubles for a spell and come on in and have dinner with us. Then I’ll help you get the wagon up." "That’s ...read more

Denomination: Methodist

An Example From Montana. Seniors Saying That ...

Contributed by Todd Brock on Nov 13, 2008

An example from Montana. Seniors saying that they want to reach families – so they were willing to bend so that our style of worship and our way of doing things would attract those we were trying to reach. And God blessed that group abundantly. Our Sr. Adult group grew faster than the rest of ...read more

Tags: Love For God

Denomination: Baptist

He's Alive!

Contributed by Todd Catteau on Dec 21, 2008

He's Alive! One church I read about put on a Christmas program that included a manger scene with their children. There was a little 5-year-old boy on the drama team, I think he was a shepherd that year. He was energetic to say the least! This little boy was a handful. During rehearsals he was all ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

In December 1903, After A Series Of Failed ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2008

In December 1903, after a series of failed attempts, the Wright brothers were finally successful in getting their "flying machine" off the ground. Thrilled by the feat, they sent this telegraph to their sister: "We have actually flown 120 feet. We'll be home for Christmas." Katherine hurried to ...read more

Tags: Giving General

Short-Term Solutions

Contributed by Johnny Wilson on Mar 2, 2009

SHORT-TERM SOLUTIONS In Chicago’s elevated train stations, they hung phony owls from the ceilings of some of the stations to discourage the pigeons. I can remember seeing pigeons right up next to the owls, blithely ignoring them. Now, there are wire spikes everywhere the pigeons might roost up ...read more

Tags: Idolatry

Denomination: *other

Changing Your Mind About Seatbelts

Contributed by Hugh W. Davidson on Mar 13, 2009

CHANGING YOUR MIND ABOUT SEATBELTS I remember when the seatbelt laws came into effect. People had all kinds of excuses for why they weren’t going to wear one. Some said they felt constrained, and some were afraid they’d have an accident because they thought the strap would somehow stop them from ...read more

Tags: God In The Hardships

Denomination: Baptist

Boy Eating Apple

Contributed by John Bright on Jan 17, 2021

A four-year-old boy was eating an apple in the back seat of the car, when he asked, "Daddy, why is my apple turning brown?" "Because," his dad explained, "after you ate the skin off, the meat of the apple came into contact with the air, which caused it to oxidize, thus ...read more

Scripture: Luke 11:28

Tags: Bible, Understanding

Denomination: Methodist

A Tale Of Two Artists

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Mar 4, 2023

The great Danish theologian Soren Kierkegaard told a parable of 2 artists: One bragged, “I have travelled much and seen much in the world, but I have sought in vain to find anyone worth painting. In every face I have seen one or another fault. Therefore I seek in vain.” The second one, on the other ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 1:26-31, Matthew 25:40-46

Tags: Art, Creativity, Attitude, Kierkegaard

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

From Storm To Peaceful Scene.

Contributed by Andrew Moffatt on Jun 6, 2024

Another little me story, I went through a real struggle, mainly of my own making, thinking and due to anger and too much caffeine in Sri Lanka, where I was awake all night and ended up in hospital due to an atrial fibrillation that took 4 days to come right. Why do I share this with you, you are ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 32:22-32

Tags: Salvation, Anger, Awareness, Stupidity, Ill Health  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Salvation Army

Keep It Between The Lines  PRO

Contributed by John Williams Iii on Aug 29, 2002

Keep It Between The Lines. He was a sitting beside me in the passenger seat. As I looked through the window at the quiet little street. He was a smiling so proud as he gave me the key. But inside I knew he was as nervous as me. I said “Daddy, oh Daddy are you sure I know how? Are you sure that I ...read more

Tags: Parenting, Children

Denomination: United Methodist

Seems There Was A Talented Young Man In The ...

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Jul 19, 2003

Seems there was a talented young man in the Midwest. There were terrible fires in Yellowsont National Park burning thousands of acres. This young man was gifted with the camera and could capture the heart of crisis on film. So a well known national magazine hired the young man to picture this ...read more

Tags: Leadership General

Denomination: Assembly Of God

I Was On My Honeymoon In The Bahama's When A Man ...  PRO

Contributed by John Mayes on Nov 1, 2005

I was on my honeymoon in the Bahama’s when a man walked up to me and said, "Would you like to buy some cocaine? You can tell everyone how much you really enjoyed the Bahama’s." After I said "No!" and got over the shock of that man’s boldness, I wondered how Jesus would have responded if someone ...read more

Scripture: John 4:7-15

Tags: Evangelism How To, Evangelism Fear Of, Evangelism, Salvation, Witness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Pentecostal

22 Percent Of Married Men And 14 Percent Of ...

Contributed by John Shearhart on Mar 30, 2006

22 percent of married men and 14 percent of married women have strayed at least once during their married lives. -Source: Associated Press According to a 2005 study by Keynote, an Internet industry research firm 30 percent of online daters are married or live with a significant other. In 2002, ...read more

Tags: Marriage Commitment

I Am Reminded Of Herman Melville's Description Of ...

Contributed by Johnny Wilson on Feb 27, 2009

I am reminded of Herman Melville’s description of the pulpit in Moby Dick. It’s actually a description of a real pulpit in the Whaler’s Chapel that a Jewish friend went out of his way to show me in New Bedford, Massachusetts. It reads: Its paneled front was in the likeness of a ship’s bluff bows, ...read more

Tags: Preaching

Denomination: *other

Free For The Taking: Grace

Contributed by Richard Tow on Jul 18, 2017

Joseph Cooke was a missionary to Thailand a generation ago. He illustrated grace this way. Picture a happily married couple in which both husband and wife are all that either could ever wish the other to be. The husband always respects his wife’s feelings, always treasures her individuality, is ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 1:8-9, Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 5:8

Tags: Grace, Love Of God

Denomination: Charismatic