In Sermon Illustrations: "Rock Bottom"

No Rest For The Unforgiving

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Mar 19, 2010

NO REST FOR THE UNFORGIVING Somewhere in the recesses of my memory is the recollection of a movie. It’s a Western; I know that much. I can’t remember the title of the movie, but I remember the story line. The hero is a law man, and he is transporting a convicted murderer across the treacherous ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness For Others

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Real Tonic Of Life

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Apr 26, 2010

THE REAL TONIC OF LIFE Lee Garfunkal's Pepsi versus Coke commercial is too funny. Pepsi is delivered to the Shady Acres Senior’s Retirement Home. The residents are talking rap over rock while Grandma zips by on a skateboard. Hi-fives are going around. One old guy loves the music pumping through ...read more

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Salvation Army

Crooked On The Lot  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 28, 2010

CROOKED ON THE LOT The Jewish leaders had rejected salvation. The builders had rejected the very cornerstone of the temple, and stumbled over the rock. Growing up, there was a vacant lot next to our house. One day, a bunch of equipment and workers from Philyaw Construction showed up—and built a ...read more

Scripture: Acts 8:4-12

Tags: Jesus Christ

We Need Help To Get Out

Contributed by Bret Toman on Mar 14, 2013

We Need Help to Get Out Follow the example of the Chilean miners. Trapped beneath two thousand feet of solid rock, the thirty-three men were desperate. The collapse of a main tunnel had sealed their exit and thrust them into survival mode. They ate two spoonfuls of tuna, a sip of milk, and a ...read more

Tags: Faith Vs. Works

Denomination: Baptist

Almost

Contributed by Steve Kinnard on Feb 15, 2019

Almost Story It started out with a low rumbling; then there was the sound of the explosion. It seemed like the whole world was rocking and reeling under the blow of Mother Nature. The sky was filled with smoke as dark as a midnight; the ashes from the eruption were falling like snow in a winter ...read more

Scripture: Mark 4:17

Tags: Delay, Almost

Denomination: Pentecostal

Leaning Over A ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 28, 2012

LEANING OVER A CLIFF Writer Parker Palmer tells of his first experience on an Outward Bound course in his book, The Active Life. He says, "I took the course in my early forties, and in the middle of that course I was asked to confront the thing I had fears about since I had first heard about ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1:8-11

Tags: Trust

Don't Ever Tell John "Tex" Teixeria That Prayer ...  PRO

Contributed by Dana Visneskie on Feb 13, 2004

Don’t ever tell John “Tex” Teixeria that prayer doesn’t work. Tex spent his life as a fisherman in the channels of the Hawaiian Islands. On a deceptively calm night in 1967, Tex guided his 40-foot fishing boat toward the beach of an otherwise inaccessible canyon on the north side of Molokai. He had ...read more

Tags: Prayer Adoration

Denomination: Pentecostal

Remaining Thankful  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 16, 2004

REMAINING THANKFUL Boyce Mouton wrote this story when he ministered in California many years ago: “In 1954, a young missionary recruit to Alaska was stricken with a paralytic disease which left her bedfast for the last 10 years of her life. Her name was Marie Napier. The first time I met ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Tags: Thanksgiving Holiday, Peace

There Is An Old Story Of An Eagle Who, On An ...  PRO

Contributed by Clark Tanner on Nov 7, 2000

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 floating down stream. ...read more

Tags: Temptation Pride, Sin Deceptive, Temptation Resisting

Denomination: Orthodox

Dr. Barnhouse Used This Illustration To Portray ...  PRO

Contributed by Lynell Friesen on May 24, 2001

Dr. Barnhouse used this illustration to portray this simple truth to his congregation and I would like to share it with you. A young man, suffering from amnesia, lived a new life amid his old surroundings; he could remember nothing that had happened before he fell off a haywagon. As he fell, ...read more

Tags: Assurance Of Salvation, Sin Fall Of Man

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Many Years Ago There Was A Lonely Woman Walking ...  PRO

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Nov 28, 2001

Many years ago there was a lonely woman walking home in a cold snow storm. The storm became so intense that the woman decided to lay down in the hollow of a rock. There she covered her tiny baby boy with every ounce of clothing she had on. When the rescuers found the mother she had died from ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8

Tags: Compassion, Christian Disciplines, Forgiveness In Jesus

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

What Prayer Is…  PRO

Contributed by Steve Malone on Jun 6, 2002

What Prayer Is… Prayer is coming into the presence of God… Prayer is entering the throne room of the KING of kings and LORD of lords… Prayer is taking our concerns to the one who cares for me Prayer is to stand on holy ground… Prayer is communicating with the creator of the world…(the one spoke ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Yielded Life  PRO

Contributed by John White on Aug 15, 2005

The Yeilded Life Sometimes we allow sin to come into our lives and hinder the work of grace.  Paul cautions that the blessings of grace upon a yielded life can be hindered by sin.    "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof." (Ro. 6:12)  Our ...read more

Scripture: Luke 5:6, Luke 5:1-11

Tags: Fulfillment

Denomination: Baptist

Several Years Ago, My Wife Was Going To Take Our ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 12, 2005

Several years ago, my wife was going to take our son, Ben, to the park. As with most children, Ben simply loved the park. But in order to get to the park, they would have to drive and Ben would need to be placed in his car seat. Ben was a stubborn two year old who was going through a phase in ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ

It's Official. Rospa - The Royal Society For The ...

Contributed by Paul Stokes on Dec 20, 2005

It’s official. RoSPA - The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents - has issued regular warnings about a whole range of hazards just waiting to happen... all of them arising from what you thought were innocent, Christmas-related activities or accessories. On Christmas Day in 2003 more than ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

In 1899, Two Men B.p. Grenfell And A.s. Hunt ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

In 1899, two men B.P. Grenfell and A.S. Hunt were excavating in Ancient Tebtunis (southern Egypt). They discovered a crocodile cemetery. In disgust, a workman flung a mummified crocodile against a rock. Out popped some papyrus. Other crocodiles were opened, and it was discovered that they had ...read more

Tags: Bible Study

I Heard A Story Once About A Rebellious Little ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

I heard a story once about a rebellious little boy in school. He was always causing trouble. He’d throw rocks on the playground. He’d disrupt class and just generally drive his teacher nuts. His biggest problem is that he would never sit down. Well, one day, the teacher couldn’t stand it any ...read more

Tags: Apologetics General

Circus At The Cross: The Nature Of Executions

Contributed by Davon Huss on Mar 10, 2010

CIRCUS AT THE CROSS: THE NATURE OF EXECUTIONS During his 21 years on the bench at Fort Smith, Arkansas, Judge Parker sentenced 160 men to die and hanged 79 of them. It didn't take Parker long to get going. On May 10, 1875 -- only 8 days after he arrived at Fort Smith -- he opened his first term of ...read more

Tags: Cross

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Let Me Show You A Man Called Peter. The Pebble ...

Contributed by Pastor Gbenga Shadare on May 4, 2010

Let me show you a man called Peter. The pebble that became the ROCK. How he failed and then got back up. Failure is going to put you in good company friends. Winston Churchill – the wartime British Prime Minister - failed the 6th grade and was not elected into office till he was 62. Yet he went on ...read more

Tags: Change

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Wandering Sheep

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Nov 23, 2010

THE WANDERING SHEEP Dr. Andrew Bonar tells of how in the Highlands of Scotland, a sheep would often wander off into the rocks and get into places that they can't get out of. The grass on these mountains is very sweet and the sheep like it, and they will jump down ten or twelve feet, and then ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:6

Tags: Parable Lost Sheep

Denomination: Brethren