In Sermon Illustrations: "Requests"

Forgive And Forget

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Feb 15, 2012

FORGIVE AND FORGET There's a wonderful story about the cardinal of the Philippines, named, oddly enough, Cardinal Sin. When Cardinal Sin was a bishop, a young woman in his parish claimed that she had visions of Jesus. Bishop Sin was given the task of determining if these visions were authentic. He ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 1:9

Tags: Forgiveness General

Denomination: Baptist

"Barbarians" And The Gospel

Contributed by Bret Toman on Mar 14, 2013

"BARBARIANS" AND THE GOSPEL It is said that one of the greatest disasters in the history of Christianity took place in 1271. Nichelo and and Matteo Polo, the father and the uncle of Marco Polo, were visiting the Kubla Kahn. At that time, Kubla Kahn was a world ruler. He ruled all of China, all of ...read more

Tags: Evangelism The Lost

Denomination: Baptist

God Is Looking For People With Conviciton

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 11, 2008

GOD IS LOOKING FOR PEOPLE WITH CONVICITON DEF: an unshakable belief in something without need for proof or evidence In the events of the bridge collaple here in Minneapolis this past week, you have probably heard of countless examples of people acting with conviction. * Ed Nelson M.P.D. - when you ...read more

Tags: Becoming A Christian

Funny Prayers

Contributed by John Bright on Feb 2, 2025

I found this collection of funny prayers on-line: • Lord, I ask that you give me the superpower to eat as much pizza as I want without gaining any weight. It would truly be a miracle and make my life complete. Amen. • Lord, I ask that you make all the calories in donuts and ice cream disappear, ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:5

Tags: Holy Spirit, Food, Prayer, Flesh

Denomination: Methodist

Tomorrow's Trivia! (02.24.06--Do Not Worry!--Luke ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Feb 22, 2006

Tomorrow’s Trivia! (02.24.06--Do Not Worry!--Luke 22:24) An average person’s anxiety is focused on: 40% -- things that will never happen, 30% -- things about the past that can’t be changed, 12% -- things about criticism by others, mostly untrue, 10% -- about health, which gets worse with ...read more

Scripture: Luke 22:24

Tags: Fear And Worry

Denomination: Lutheran

No Record

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 28, 2009

"NO RECORD" Several years ago Bob Sheffield of the Navigators told a moving story picturing the essence of what it means to receive God’s forgiveness. Before he became a Christian, Bob played professional hockey in Canada. He was tough, loved to fight and found himself in jail one night after a ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 103:1-22

Tags: Atonement

Man Learns To Forgive His ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 14, 2009

Man Learns to Forgive His Enemy The apostle Paul said, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32). We don’t serve in order to merit God’s forgiveness. We serve because we have already received God’s forgiveness. And our service is ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:32

Tags: Forgiveness, Forgiveness For Others

Unsung Heroes: He Helped David With The Sheep

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Nov 14, 2020

Text, 1 Samuel 17:20-21, KJV: 20And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle. 21For Israel and the Philistines had put the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 17:20-21

Tags: David, Sheep, Shepherding

Denomination: Baptist

Always Pray And Don't Give Up  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 11, 2004

ALWAYS PRAY AND DON’T GIVE UP Jesus taught that we should “always pray and not give up” · Not because God is hard of hearing · Not because God needs to be pestered into answering our requests · Not because God doesn’t want to answer us NO… Jesus taught us always pray and not give up because, ...read more

Scripture: Luke 11:1-18, 2 Kings 2:9, 1 Samuel 12:23-24, 1 Samuel 12:23-24, 1 Samuel 12:23  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Parable General, Prayer General, Prayer Persistence

In All Of Sports, There Is Perhaps No Basketball ...

Contributed by Kent Kessler on Apr 8, 2007

In all of sports, there is perhaps no basketball rivalry quite as intense as that between the Universities of Duke and North Carolina. The campuses are only eight miles apart. Both teams have different shades of blue for their primary color, so North Carolinians are told, "Choose Your Blue!" Duke ...read more

Denomination: Methodist

Stop Being Everybody's Victim By John ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 10, 2010

Stop Being Everybody’s Victim by John Powell, The late US syndicated columnist Sydney J. Harris accompanied his friend George to his favorite newsstand. George greeted the man selling the newspapers courteously, but in return he received gruff service. He barely acknowledged his customer and never ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:43-48

Tags: Christian Witness

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

Do You Know And Love The Author?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Do you know and love the author? The story was told about a young college woman who read a book that she found to be extremely boring. Reading each page of the book was cumbersome and difficult. Yet, because reading the book was required for her education, she forced herself to move through its ...read more

Tags: Paul

Max Lucado In His Book 3:16 Notes The Following ...

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Jan 15, 2008

Max Lucado in his book 3:16 notes the following about those living in the dead zone: a. “He, at this very moment, issues invitations by the millions. He whispers through the kindness of a grandparent, shouts through the tempest of a tsunami. Through the funeral he cautions, ‘Life is fragile.’ ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Prayer Is The Strongest Form Of Abiding That ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 1, 2008

Prayer is the strongest form of abiding that there is. A retired teacher was giving her little nephew some help with his schoolwork. He was normally a good, attentive child, but on this occasion he could not fix his mind on his work. Suddenly he said, "Aunt Sally, may I kneel down and ask God to ...read more

Tags: Faith

Payer Is The Strongest Form Of Abiding That There ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 12, 2008

Payer is the strongest form of abiding that there is. -- A retired teacher was giving her little nephew some help with his schools work. He was normally a good, attentive child, but on this occasion he could not fix his mind on his work. Suddenly he said, "Aunt Sally, may I kneel down and ask God ...read more

Tags: Prayer General

God Is Looking For People With ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2008

GOD IS LOOKING FOR PEOPLE WITH CONVICITON DEF: an unshakable belief in something without need for proof or evidence In the events of the bridge collapse here in Minneapolis this past week, you have probably heard of countless examples of people acting with conviction. • Ed Nelson M.P.D. - when ...read more

Tags: Christian Values

Prayer Is The Strongest Form Of Abiding That ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 27, 2008

Prayer is the strongest form of abiding that there is. -- A retired teacher was giving her little nephew some help with his schools work. He was normally a good, attentive child, but on this occasion he could not fix his mind on his work. Suddenly he said, "Aunt Sally, may I kneel down and ask God ...read more

Tags: Prayer General

Many Years Ago A Man Conned His Way Into The ...  PRO

Contributed by David Yarbrough on Jun 5, 2001

Many years ago a man conned his way into the orchestra of the emperor of China although he could not play a note. Whenever the group practiced or performed, he would hold his flute against his lips, pretending to play but not making a sound. He received a modest salary an enjoyed a comfortable ...read more

Tags: Judgment, Jesus Teachings, Second Coming

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Christian Grocer Was In Financial Difficulties ...  PRO

Contributed by Davon Huss on Aug 13, 2001

A Christian grocer was in financial difficulties because his customers thought they could run up their bills indefinitely. They felt that such a saintly man would never press them for payment or take them to court. Their ready excuse was, “We don’t have money to pay our bills.” “How can I pay my ...read more

Tags: Christian Values, Giving General, Money

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ