In Sermon Illustrations: "Retired People"

It Seems To Me That It Is Accurate To Say Our ...

Contributed by Ed Sasnett on May 27, 2010

It seems to me that it is accurate to say our generation is in a relationship crisis. We have the highest divorce rate in the Western hemisphere, more couples live together than are married, absentee fathers or mothers are common, abortions that number into the hundreds of thousands ...read more

Tags: Unity, Immorality

Denomination: Baptist

A Good Example Of A Bad Example  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 6, 2010

A GOOD EXAMPLE OF A BAD EXAMPLE In 1989 the unthinkable happened. After seventy years of communism and forty years of the Cold War, the Iron Curtain fell and the brutal, sadistic power of the U.S.S.R. began to disintegrate. Russia for seven decades had been repressed, murdered, and brutalized by ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 50:1-23

Tags: America

History Of Spam  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 30, 2010

HISTORY OF SPAM In the 1930s, Jay Hormel noticed that there was some perfectly good, though not necessarily desirable, pork-shoulder meat going to waste in his meat-packing plant. So he, being the entrepreneur that he was, came up with the idea of processing that meat with a little ham and ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 17:1-24

Tags: God's Provision

The Golden ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 15, 2010

The Golden Rule Four men sit down together. In the discussion they start to speak about what is called “the Golden Rule,” and how it is understood. The first speaks. “Leviticus 19 says, “Love your neighbour as yourself.” But who is my neighbour? The great rabbi Hillel, who is one of the main ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:12

Tags: World Religions

Cargar La Bateria — Charge The Batteries

Contributed by Kenton Wood on Jan 1, 2011

CARGAR LA BATERIA CHARGE THE BATTERIES (TRANSLATION FOLLOWS) Tengo en mi mano un taladro inalámbrico. Es relativamente nuevo. Pero, al apretar el botón, apenas da vuelta. ¿Qué necesito hacer? Cargar la batería. ¿Conoces a personas Cristianas que sus vidas apenas dan vuelta? Claro. Hasta ...read more

Tags: Holy Spirit Attributes

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Subway Superhero

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 22, 2011

SUBWAY SUPERHERO Just a few years ago, an astonishing thing happened in New York City. A construction worker named Wesley Autrey was standing on a subway platform with his two young daughters waiting on a train. Suddenly another man on the platform, apparently suffering from a seizure, stumbled ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:25-37

Tags: Heroism

Crashing Through  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 9, 2011

CRASHING THROUGH At three years old, Mike Mays was accidentally blinded by a chemical explosion when he and his 4-year-old sister were playing in the garage. He lived his entire life until he was well into his forties before having his eyesight was restored by a pioneering ophthalmologist. But ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:9-10

Tags: Endurance

The Eagle And The Mouse  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 1, 2011

THE EAGLE AND THE MOUSE There is an old story of an eagle who, on an early morning during the spring thaw, soared high above the forest looking for something to eat. As he followed the course of a river he looked down and spied a small rodent, trapped on a piece of ice that had broken free and was ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Tags: Temptation Power

The Day You Enlisted

Contributed by Andy Grossman on Jun 7, 2011

THE DAY YOU ENLISTED I remember when I enlisted in the U.S. Army. It was at the height of the Viet Nam War. The year was 1967. I had a draft number and was probably going to be drafted – so I went down to the army recruiter and enlisted for three years. I signed on the dotted line, and before ...read more

Tags: Discipleship

Denomination: Holiness

Blind But Now I See  PRO

Contributed by Michael Buckingham on Jul 8, 2011

BLIND BUT NOW I SEE Peter spent a few years trying to cope with his blindness, learning ways of looking after himself so that he wasn’t so much a burden upon his family, although they still continued to visit on the odd occasion. He also learned how to read Braille. Then one day he was informed ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:13

Tags: Beauty

Denomination: Baptist

When Do We Worship

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 7, 2011

WHEN DO WE WORSHIP Author Douglas J. Moo: "Worship is not merely, or even mainly, what we do on Sunday morning. Worship is a 24/7 matter. We worship God when we give ourselves to him in service. We worship God when we show love to others, when we do our jobs faithfully and with integrity, when we ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:1

Tags: Worship Definition

Running The Race God's Way

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 16, 2011

RUNNING THE RACE GOD'S WAY Joni Eareckson Tada recently told a story commenting on Romans 15:1-2: "We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up." She writes, "My husband, Ken, serves ...read more

Scripture: Romans 15:1-2

Tags: Compassion

Leaders At The Poles

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 7, 2011

LEADERS AT THE POLES In his book, Leading at the Edge, Dennis Perkins contrasts the leadership values of two different explorers: Earnest Shackleton and Vilhjalmur Stefansson. In 1914, Shackleton led a daring expedition to reach Antarctica in the South. A year earlier, Stefansson led an expedition ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:1-4

Tags: Leadership General

He Cried For Me  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 14, 2011

HE CRIED FOR ME Jan, who was a young mother in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, 20 years ago, tells a remarkable story from that time in her life. In a note to her pastor, she wrote: It was the end. I knew it. I could no longer fight. I sat here emotionless. I was totally alone. Others had tried to ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 62:5-8

Tags: Suffering Loneliness

Are You Doing What You Are Called To Do?  PRO

Contributed by Brad Henry on Sep 19, 2011

ARE YOU DOING WHAT YOU ARE CALLED TO DO? Last week was a very interesting week. About a year ago, when our finances started to dwindle, I sent my resume out to an Executive Search Group (Headhunter). Now that’s a unique name! Last week, I got a call that there was a possibility of an awesome ...read more

Tags: God's Sovereign Will

Nolan Ryan Didn't Change Me  PRO

Contributed by Tim White on Feb 1, 2012

NOLAN RYAN DIDN'T CHANGE ME In 1991, Ryan, our son, age 6 at the time, played Challenger Baseball, a modified version of the game for disabled children. At the end of the season, each child received an official Challenger baseball for his or her participation. We asked Ryan what he wanted to do ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 1:6-7

Tags: Sanctification

Denomination: Baptist

When One Is Threatened  PRO

Contributed by Pramod Kumar Eleti on Feb 12, 2012

WHEN ONE IS THREATENED A Mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package. "What food might this contain?" The mouse wondered. He was devastated to discover it was a Mouse-Trap Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning. "There is a ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:4, 1 Corinthians 12:26

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Repentance Is Not A One-Time Event

Contributed by Tim Smith on Feb 19, 2012

REPENTANCE IS NOT A ONE-TIME EVENT Doug Tegner tells the story of attending a one-day leadership retreat called to deal with his church's current crisis. Redwood Chapel was founded in 1962 and has since hosted the Bay Area Sunday School convention (BASS), had strong music programs, planted vibrant ...read more

Tags: Repentance

Denomination: Methodist

A Timely Testimony

Contributed by Tim Hinrichs on Feb 23, 2012

A TIMELY TESTIMONY Jim Cymbala tells an amazing story of one Sunday in his church: (Fresh Faith pp. 78-82) During the choir anthem, Pastor Jim was touched by the words of one of the young men who was featured as a soloist during the song. As the song concluded, Pastor Jim was strongly prompted ...read more

Tags: Testimonies About Jesus

Denomination: Lutheran

The Unending Wish

Contributed by Tim White on Mar 5, 2012

THE UNENDING WISH When I was a boy, my dad asked me if I could have one wish be granted, what would it be? We played that game as a family, and every time my brother or one of my sisters thought of a better wish than I thought about, I would change my wish. Then my dad unplugged all the fun by ...read more

Tags: Wisdom

Denomination: Baptist