In Sermon Illustrations: "Running The Race"

A Teenager's Low Popularity Convinced Her That ...  PRO

Contributed by John Shearhart on Feb 24, 2005

A teenager’s low popularity convinced her that she was not attractive. She became a top fashion model, hailed by many as the most beautiful woman in the world. All those who had ignored her are now boasting that they had gone to school with Claudia Schiffer! He was rejected as too awkward and ...read more

Tags: Self Image, Struggles, Endurance, Failure, Encouragement  (view more)  (view less)

It Like The Family That Was Down Fishing At The ...  PRO

Contributed by Jeremy Houck on Jun 18, 2005

It like the family that was down fishing at the pier one day, The dad was busy watching the rods and bobbers while his two sons, a 12-year old and a 3-year old were down playing along the dock. The 12 year old was supposed to be watching his little brother, but he got distracted. The 3 year old, ...read more

Tags: Compassion, Lordship Of Christ

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Use What Is There  PRO

Contributed by Amiri Hooker on Mar 22, 2011

USE WHAT IS THERE My son Omri is large, extremely smart and very active. He has not met a tree or roof that he has not at least mentally pondered climbing. Omri's teacher runs up to me the other day and says, "Your son almost made me lose my mind, my religion and my job." This is not unusual, so I ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 8:8

Tags: Encouragement

Denomination: United Methodist

The Idol Of Sexual ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 27, 2012

THE IDOL OF SEXUAL IMMORALITY -The next idol hasn’t just slipped in the door, it has kicked in the door. It is the Eros problem, our society has overdosed on immoral sexual behavior. Kids in my generation had to seek out things that had sexual overtones and it was usually pretty difficult to find ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 6:9-20

Tags: Immorality

Inescapable Judgment

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 28, 2012

INESCAPABLE JUDGMENT During the winter of 1951, a Montana café owner named Clarence Pellett pulled over to pick up a hitchhiker who appeared cold and frozen while walking during a snowstorm. Once in the car, the hitchhiker Frank Dryman pulled out a gun and ordered Pellett to get out of his ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 16:4-7

Tags: Judgment

Help I Cant Swim!  PRO

Contributed by Ronnie Miller on Nov 27, 2013

Help, I Can't Swim! Several years ago some friends and I would go fishing in the Yadkin River. There were 4 of us and we took 2 flat bottom aluminum boats. One friend of mine had a motor on his, but mine didn't have an engine. We would go after the sun went down and anchor upstream from the rough ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 43:2-3

Tags: God's Help, Divine Help, Enduring Trials, Deep Water

Denomination: Baptist

Mr Jackson Learns To Love

Contributed by John Gullick on Oct 22, 2015

Let me tell you a story. Mr Jackson, everyday, looked angrily towards his neighbours. Fushia and Watt. What kind of names were they? It made him angry. Tattoos, and, she had a nose piercing, and, their dog chased his cat. Mr Jackson sighed. Parties sometimes, well barbeques, cars parked on his ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 20:1-22

Tags: Murder In The Heart

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Second Coming Of Jesus

Contributed by Tim Smith on Aug 13, 2017

In the 19th century, there was a wave of enthusiasm for prophecies predicting the actual date for the Second Coming of Christ. One such prophecy was an Adventist leader name William Miller. After studying Daniel 8, Miller predicted that Christ would return on March 21, 1842, but then revised the ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:1

Tags: Second Coming, Jesus Return

Denomination: Methodist

Callous, Cold And Conniving Or Restored, Revived And Redeemed?

Contributed by Davon Huss on Jan 23, 2021

(Presented on weekend of Martin Luther King Jr. Day before the invitation hymn, hymn of decision) Unlike Jesus, David was not sinless on his way to the wilderness or in the wilderness but he is described as a man after God’s own heart. Something David did that was good is that he attended a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:19

Tags: Prophetic Zeal, Culture, Racism, Civil Rights

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Close: (The Following Illustration Can Be Found ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

CLOSE: (the following illustration can be found on the internet – the event occurred April 25, 2003) Maurice Cheeks is the retired All Star point guard who at one time coached the Portland Trail Blazers. His team had just finished warming up for a playoff game against the Dallas Mavericks. The ...read more

Tags: Faith General

Pastor Mark Buchanan Speaks Of Going To Uganda, ...

Contributed by Bob Joyce on Oct 10, 2007

Pastor Mark Buchanan speaks of going to Uganda, Africa. He went to a little township called Wairacka. On Sunday evening, about 100 Christians from neighboring areas would gather to worship. They met under a tin roof lean-to that was set at the edge of a corn-field. They sat (when they did sit) on ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Jonah Jones - From Cocaine Trafficker To Christian Counselor

Contributed by Rick Crandall on Mar 27, 2009

*The closer we get to Jesus, the more we will see a change in our lives. *Jonah Jones had a terrible childhood. Jonah’s parents were drug traffickers who introduced him to cocaine when he was 8-years-old. Unbelievable! -- but true. Worse than that, Jonah’s stepfather raped him. His mother abused ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 4:18-22, Matthew 16:20-25

Tags: Testimonies About Jesus, Testimonies, Changed By Christ

Denomination: Baptist

Forgiveness On A Kid's First Job

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 9, 2009

FORGIVENESS ON A KID’S FIRST JOB Forgiveness was the most important lesson best-selling author Tony Hillerman learned as a kid on his first job. His story goes... "I was 14 when Mr. Ingram knocked on our farmhouse door in Sacred Heart, Oklahoma (pop. 38). The old sharecropper lived about a mile ...read more

Scripture: Luke 6:27-36

Tags: Forgiveness For Others

Grace At ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 20, 2009

Grace At Bat I read this week about a baseball game that one day took place. It seems that the Lord’s team was playing Satan’s team. The Lord’s team was at bat, the score was zero to zero, and it was in the bottom of the 9th inning with two outs. The Coach and the Lord stood by observing the game. ...read more

Scripture: Romans 3:21-26

Tags: Grace, God's Grace, E

Sometimes, The Right Name Will Accomplish ...

Contributed by Johnny Wilson on Nov 23, 2009

Sometimes, the right name will accomplish something for you that you can’t accomplish yourself. I’m reminded of the time I was Editor-in-Chief of Computer Gaming World and we were attending a big convention. Sony’s Psygnosis division was having a big party at a nightclub and my technical editor ...read more

Tags: Grace

Denomination: *other

Early Strategy Will Win The Game

Contributed by Jerry Blaxton on Feb 14, 2010

EARLY STRATEGY WILL WIN THE GAME I’ve never been much on sports. When I was in the 10th grade, some of the older students started a chess club, and I joined it. I had learned how to play chess in the 5th grade. I would play at lunch time, and any other spare few minutes I could find. I checked out ...read more

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Denomination: Baptist

How Many Of You, As Parents, Asked Your Kids To ...

Contributed by Jerry Blaxton on Mar 25, 2010

How many of you, as parents, asked your kids to go get you something--a glass of water, a towel, shoes, or something like that--and you spend the next 5 or 10 minutes dealing with their whining, or pouting, or tantrum, or just plain stubbornness? When I was between about 8-12 years old, many of ...read more

Tags: Obedience

Denomination: Baptist

Learning To Get Up Quickly  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 4, 2010

LEARNING TO GET UP QUICKLY In the book A View From the Zoo, Gary Richmond tells about the birth of a giraffe: The first thing top emerge are the baby giraffe's front hooves and head. A few minutes later, the little newborn is hurled forth, falls ten feet, and lands on its back. Within seconds, ...read more

Scripture: James 1:2-4

Tags: Hardship Of Life

The Coat Of Christ  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 23, 2010

THE COAT OF CHRIST Many years ago, an evangelist by the name of Jakov arrived at a village in Serbia. He met an elderly man there named Cimmerman, and Jakov began to talk to him of the love of Christ. Cimmerman abruptly interrupted Jakov and told him that he wished to have nothing to do with ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:14-16, Romans 5:5-11

Tags: Christian Witness

Demolition Derby And The Surrender Stick

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 27, 2011

DEMOLITION DERBY AND THE SURRENDER STICK Lydia and I went to the Demolition Derby at the 4-H Fair this past week and had a blast. I loved watching drivers take aim at each other with the attempt to demolish or disable one another. We saw some great smash ups and did a lot of laughing. I don't know ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Tags: Trials And Difficulties