In Sermon Illustrations: "Sacrificial Giving"

Knee Work! Knee Work! (09.29.05--Teach Me To ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Sep 26, 2005

Knee Work! Knee Work! (09.29.05--Teach Me to Pray!--Luke 6:17-19) When it comes to some things in life, I’m pretty dedicated. Take mornings for instance. I am dedicated to my morning time to such an extant that even when I’ve had a difficult night with little sleep, when 4:45 comes around, I’m up ...read more

Scripture: Luke 6:19

Tags: Prayer Persistence, Prayer Adoration

Denomination: Lutheran

Leveling The Ground! (10.21.05--That ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Oct 19, 2005

Leveling the Ground! (10.21.05--That Person!--Genesis 5:3-5) As I paid for my fuel purchase in he came. Everyone in town knew him as just plain Frank. He was dirty, loud and smelly. Most people avoided him because he was just different from most other folks. He didn’t bath or shower but once in a ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 5:3-5

Tags: Racism

Denomination: Lutheran

Strange Bedfellows! (11.14.05--Christian ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Nov 10, 2005

Strange Bedfellows! (11.14.05--Christian Soldiers!--Exodus 8:25-29) Many years ago I was an avid smoker. I smoked a pipe, cigarettes and cigars. Anything that had nicotine in it, I was putting a match to. Then I decided to quit. I threw away the cigarettes and cigars and put my pipes in their ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 8:25-29

Tags: Call Of The Disciples

Denomination: Lutheran

A Mom's View Of Herself: A Confirmed ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 12, 2009

A MOM’S VIEW OF HERSELF: A CONFIRMED SHOUTER (from Forever Erma By Erma Bombeck, March 5, 1969) Ever since President Nixon’s inaugural plea to "speak quietly enough so that our words can be heard as well as our voices," I’ve had misgivings about my big mouth. I’ve always admired parents who ...read more

Tags: Mothers

Why We Celebrate The 4th  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 24, 2009

WHY WE CELEBRATE THE 4TH But there is a reason why we celebrate on the 4th and we can’t forget that! It was the day the day the colonies declared their independence from England. Freedom was declared in some famous words of the Declaration of Independence, which starts: We hold these truths to be ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 11:1-40

Tags: 4th Of July, Independence Day

Shepherdless Sheep

Contributed by Gregg Bitter on Aug 2, 2009

SHEPHERDLESS SHEEP How pitiful shepherdless sheep are! Shepherdless sheep become easy prey for wolves, coyotes, and other predators. They can’t outrun them. They can’t outfight them. And what wolf would be scared off by a bleating: baaa? Sheep are left torn and bloodied and dead without a ...read more

Tags: Jesus Christ

Denomination: Lutheran

The Lady Or The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 19, 2009

The Lady or the Lion By Frank Stockton (edited and revised) In the very olden time there lived a semi-barbaric king, whose ideas were indeed semi-barbaric. The king had a daughter, beautiful and fair… the envy of every woman in the nation. She could have any man in the kingdom… but her heart was ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:19-21

Tags: Jealousy

Airplane Traveler Who Knows His Bible Well, ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 23, 2009

Airplane Traveler Who Knows His Bible Well, Finally Understands the Goal of the Gospel--To Know Christ And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” *There is no eternal life in trying to keep God’s rules, because you can’t keep them ...read more

Scripture: John 17:3

Tags: Evangelism, Christian Witness

My Dad Wasn’t A Very Good Father To Me Or ...

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Jan 25, 2010

My Dad wasn’t a very good father to me or my sisters. He drank too much and got angry at our Mum far too often. At 5 years old while my Dad had a roaring argument with my Mum, I decided to swing my fists at him and tell him I hated him and tried to push him away from my Mum. As a kid, I remember ...read more

Tags: Father's Day

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Christina Recently Gave Birth To Our First ...

Contributed by Chris Surber on Jun 17, 2010

Christina recently gave birth to our first daughter. After three sons I am very pleased to have a little girl. Recently I was speaking to the academic dean of the seminary where I am pursuing doctoral studies. The school had asked for individual and family photos of students like me who are ...read more

Tags: Suffering Joy In

Denomination: Christian Church

A Pitcher Of Grace

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 28, 2010

A PITCHER OF GRACE This past week I read this story about grace that I would like to share with you all this morning. This story is about a man named Henry Moorehouse One evening as Henry was walking along the street he saw a little girl coming out of a basement store carrying a pitcher of milk. ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-9

Tags: Grace

Ultra-Marathoner, Dean Karnazes, Is A Modern Day Superman

Contributed by Tobin Crenshaw on Aug 15, 2010

Dean Karnazes is a modern day Superman. He has run fifty marathons in fifty days in fifty states, and runs ultra marathons of over 200 miles. He details his amazing accomplishments in his book Ultramarathon Man. After one particularly grueling 200 mile marathon he shared the following contents of ...read more

Tags: Endurance, Sports

Denomination: Brethren

Truth In Chemistry

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 23, 2010

TRUTH IN CHEMISTRY Theologian, writer, speaker R. C. Sproul: "Truth is that which accurately describes reality." Hold with reality; hold with the truth. Let me give you a couple of examples. Jesus often took something that was material to explain something spiritual. He took the ordinary to ...read more

Scripture: John 8:31-47

Tags: Bible Truth

When We Truly Are The Church

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Feb 6, 2011

WHEN WE TRULY ARE THE CHURCH Chuck Colson tells this story: "My mind goes back to a Christmas 20 years ago in Romania, when the country was still in the grip of communist tyranny. The story begins with Laszlo Tokes, pastor of a fast-growing reformed church in the city of Timisoara. His ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Denomination: Methodist

Dream-Stealers

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 19, 2011

DREAM-STEALERS Years ago, I heard Pastor Anthony Mangun tell a story at Because of the Times that I have never forgotten. . . . The story is told of a young man by the name of Monty, who was the son of an itinerant horse trainer, who would go from stable to stable, race track to race track, farm ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:14

Tags: Goals

Gift Of Honor  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 12, 2011

GIFT OF HONOR Football practice was over, and Denny was sore from head to toe. Slowly he climbed the graffiti-laden stairway of the aging apartment building. Suddenly, his mother’s chilling screams pierced the cold, still air. He had heard the sound many times before. Still, a sickening knot ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 20:12

Tags: Power Source, Forgiveness For Others

The Story Of The Teacup

Contributed by Derrick Tuper on Dec 5, 2011

THE STORY OF THE TEACUP There was a couple who used to go to England to shop in the beautiful stores. They both liked antiques and pottery, especially teacups. This was their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. They were in this one shop when they saw a beautiful teacup. They said, "We’ve never ...read more

Tags: Change

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Grace And George Williams

Contributed by Tim Smith on Feb 19, 2012

GRACE AND GEORGE WILLIAMS Max Ellerbusch tells the story of the Friday six days before Christmas. He was working feverishly in his instrument repair shop so he could have all of the Christmas holiday at home with the family when the call came. His 5-year-old Craig had been fatally struck by a car. ...read more

Tags: Grace

Denomination: Methodist

Howard Hughes Vs. Jim Elliot

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 8, 2012

HOWARD HUGHES VS. JIM ELLIOT Howard Hughes' last years were spent in isolation, hidden on the top floor of the Xanadu Hotel in the Bahamas. One biographer wrote about Hughes' appearance before he died: "He was emaciated, practically skeletal, with only 120 pounds stretched over his six-foot, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 16:24-28

Tags: Discipleship

Testimony About God's Comfort After A Suicide

Contributed by Rick Crandall on Jun 26, 2012

Mot Richey was one of the precious senior adults at McClendon Baptist Church in West Monroe. She went home to be with the Lord in 2006. Mot was a lovely Christian lady. She was also a wonderful singer, wife and cook. In my whole life, I never met a more loving couple than Jack and Mot Richey. ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1:1-4, John 16:33, John 14:1-6

Tags: Grief, Suicide, God's Comfort

Denomination: Baptist