In Sermon Illustrations: "Retired People"

True Unity  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 26, 2011

TRUE UNITY Unity is not simply an intellectual exercise. We can believe the same things, recite the same creeds, belong to the same denomination, but that does not mean we have unity. In his book Soul Talk, Larry Crabb writes: "Which is worse? A church program to build community that doesn’t ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-16, Ephesians 4:1-22, 1 Samuel 25:14-35

Tags: Unity

Do You Want To Be Right, Or Do You Want To Be ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 11, 2011

DO YOU WANT TO BE RIGHT, OR DO YOU WANT TO BE WELL? Dr. David Seamands tells the story about a young woman he counseled in college several years ago. She had suffered every kind of abuse in her own home--psychological, sexual and physical. The very place that was supposed to be nurturing was ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 18:21-35

Tags: Forgiveness For Others

Greater Things

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Aug 2, 2011

GREATER THINGS You know, for me, one of the most intriguing promises Jesus ever made was this: "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." John 14:12 Jesus said I will be able to do ...read more

Tags: Salvation

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Rejoicing In Pain  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 3, 2011

REJOICING IN PAIN Richard Stearns, the president of World Vision, visited a church in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, nearly a year after the devastating earthquake. The church's building consisted of a tent made from white tarps and duct tape, pitched in the midst of a sprawling camp for thousands of ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Tags: Gratitude

Persecution Of Baptists In The Colonies

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 25, 2011

PERSECUTION OF BAPTISTS IN THE COLONIES Throughout their long history as a people of faith, Baptists have consistently opposed any diminution of the rights of the individual to seek and to pursue their own faith, or for each person to decide to be without faith if that is the choice. Though ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:13-17

Tags: Persecution

A Peacemaking Church  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 25, 2011

A PEACEMAKING CHURCH I can tell this story because one neighbor has died and the other neighbor no longer lives across the street from our church. Our neighbors endured the disruption of their lives as we built on to our church. I'm sure that contributed to their lack of patience with us. We put ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:9, Exodus 32:1-14, Isaiah 32:15-20

Tags: Jesus Teachings

Christian Conviction: Roger Williams

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 30, 2011

CHRISTIAN CONVICTION: ROGER WILLIAMS Roger Williams was a graduate of Cambridge University, where in order to receive his degree he was forced to sign articles declaring that the king was by right the head of the English Church, that worship according to the Book of Common Prayer and church ...read more

Scripture: Romans 13:1-7

Tags: Christian Witness

John Stott, A Humble Man

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 7, 2011

JOHN STOTT, A HUMBLE MAN I like the way Thomas Carlyle put it some time ago. He said, "One example is worth a thousand arguments." (Thomas Carlyle, quoted in Men of Integrity, July/August 2000; www.Preaching Today.com) In difficult times, we don't need dictators and arguments. We need leaders ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:1-4

Tags: Humility

Appreciation: Better Than A Paycheck

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 8, 2011

APPRECIATION: BETTER THAN A PAYCHECK You don't have to teach people to complain, criticize, or be selfish. We're naturals at it. But we do have to learn to express appreciation. People need to be appreciated. A businessman went downtown to his office one morning, a couple of hours earlier than ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5

Tags: Praise, Encouragement, Gratitude, Compliment

We Need To Know Why!

Contributed by Robert Sickler on Dec 8, 2011

WE NEED TO KNOW WHY! As the new plant manager walked through the factory he noticed, in the distance, a worker hit the machine he was at with a large hammer. The manager stopped and watched the worker. It was remarkable, every three minutes the worker would pick up a large ballpeen hammer and ...read more

Tags: Apologetics General

Denomination: Christian Church

A White Man Would Come

Contributed by Davon Huss on Dec 12, 2011

A WHITE MAN WOULD COME At 2006 when the National Missionary Convention was held in Indianapolis, IN, the invited guest for the Bible study was a man named Mont Cox, a professor at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas. He told a story I think I will never forget. As a young man growing up he ...read more

Tags: Prayer In The Spirit

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Follow Instructions: Rafting The Rio Grande

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 5, 2012

FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS: RAFTING THE RIO GRANDE A few years ago, my family climbed aboard a rubber raft for a ride down the rapids of the Rio Grand River. We had never been on such an adventure, but all of us were experienced swimmers, and the river seemed to be fairly shallow. It seemed to be a ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 4:20-27

Tags: Obedience

The Pastor From ...

Contributed by Ken Pell on Mar 23, 2013

THE PASTOR FROM KENYA Ramez Attalah, general director at The Bible Society of Egypt, attended an international conference or Christian leaders in 1974. He was thrilled to be with top-notch leaders from around the globe—sharing and reading interesting papers on important subjects--but the most ...read more

Tags: Humility

Denomination: Nazarene

You Promised Me  PRO

Contributed by Ken Pell on May 6, 2013

"YOU PROMISED ME" Love always perseveres. Love never Fails. In 1989, an 8.2 earthquake almost flattened Armenia, killing over 30,000 people in less than four minutes. Surprisingly, such tragedies often bring out the best in people. Let me show you the loving heart of a father. In the midst of ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, Leviticus 6:12-13

Tags: God's Love, Bearing God's Image

Denomination: Nazarene

Unusual Banquet

Contributed by Davon Huss on Oct 22, 2013

Unusual Banquet Boston Globe's account in June 1990 of a most unusual wedding banquet. Accompanied by her fiance, a woman went to the Hyatt Hotel in downtown Boston and ordered the meal. The two of them poured over the menu, made selections of china and silver, and pointed to pictures of the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 14:12-14

Tags: Feed, Banquet, Repay

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

World Trade Center Hero

Contributed by Tim Smith on Sep 25, 2016

Matt Chandler tells the story of Dave Karnes. When the World Trade Center tumbled to the ground on that dreadfully dark day, more than 3000 people lost their lives. But a few who were buried beneath the rubble miraculously survived. Two of these were Will Jimeno and John McLoughlin, a pair of Port ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:1-10

Tags: Evangelism, 911, Incarnation Of Jesus, Saving Others

Denomination: Methodist

The Power Of Presence

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Sep 7, 2021

The Neil Diamond song, Sweet Caroline” is played at every Red Sox home game in Boston's Fenway Park before the bottom of the 8th inning. The tradition is said to date back to 1997 when the stadium DJ played it in honour of a newborn baby girl born of one of the staff members. The baby was of ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:5-11

Tags: Worship, Incarnation, Singing, Visiting

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Never Quit Growing

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Feb 9, 2022

GROWTH IS ESSENTIAL OR ONE WILL GET STAGNATE AND BEGIN A DECREASE. Growth is essential to long term survival. We must learn to take advantage of opportunities and take risk. GROWTH: improve, increase, develop, mature, progressive development, MATURITY, AGE, SIZE, WEIGHT, HEIGHT. 2 Peter 3:18 ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 3:18, Philippians 1:9

Tags: Plan, Growth

Denomination: Assembly Of God

[006]. A Message From A Poem - A New Creation - From Death Unto Life

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on May 29, 2024

[006]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - A NEW CREATION - FROM DEATH UNTO LIFE This is an unusual poem that may not appeal to everyone, but it is based on emotions experienced by many who don’t know Jesus in their lives. The first, third and fifth stanzas are the viewpoint of one suffering in his/her ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 2:20, Ecclesiastes 12:8, Ecclesiastes 12:13

Tags: Solution, No Hope, No Satisfaction, Salvation, Miserable  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Be Careful What You Imitate

Contributed by Roger Hasselquist on Nov 17, 2024

In the late 1990s, aspiring actor and writer Johnny Knoxville had moved from Knoxville, Tennessee to Los Angeles, California, and landed work in commercials in order to support his wife and infant daughter. Among his ideas was one to produce an article that involved testing various self-defense ...read more

Scripture: 3 John 1:11, Ephesians 5:1-2

Tags: Imitate, Bad Examples, Good Examples, Johnny Knoxville

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ