In Sermon Illustrations: "Saw"

Make Sure We Were Abiding

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 13, 2009

MAKE SURE WE WERE ABIDING Stuart Briscoe, author and long-time pastor of Elmbrook Church in Brookfield, Wisconsin, tells about the time he traveled to Poland during the cold war. He was involved in several weeks of itinerant ministry, and one winter day his sponsors drove him in the dead of night ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:13

Tags: Jesus Teachings

Looks Great, But Where's ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 13, 2009

LOOKS GREAT, BUT WHERE’S GOD? I am reminded of the story about how a cowboy ventured right off the range one Sunday and attended church. This was a fine church; one of the town’s best and most influential. And the people wore suits that even Armani couldn’t afford. The problem is the cowboy ...read more

Tags: Worship General

Paul And Kelly ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 11, 2009

PAUL AND KELLY BENITEZ In 1967, Paul Benitez and his fiancée Debra were married. In 1968, they had a baby boy and named him Kelly. Paul was drafted into the Army in 1969. While he was overseas, Debra moved away and changed her name. Paul was never able to find his wife nor his baby boy. He would ...read more

Tags: Sin Separates From God

Why Did Jesus Have To Die For Us?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 11, 2009

WHY DID JESUS HAVE TO DIE FOR US? Perhaps this story can illustrate this for us: There was an engineer who operated a drawbridge across a mighty river. With a control panel of levers and switches, he set into motion a monstrous set of gears that either lifted the bridge for river traffic or ...read more

Tags: Atonement

Answered Prayer On A ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 12, 2009

ANSWERED PRAYER ON A PLANE WELLINGTON, New Zealand--Grant Stubbs and Owen Wilson were flying up the sloping valley of Pelorus Sound in New Zealand, admiring the beautiful panoramic view. Then there was a cough. "Bless you, Owen." "For what, Grant?" "Your cough." "I didn’t cough." "Oh." Then ...read more

Tags: Prayer Answered

Despite His Busy Schedule During The Civil War, ...

Contributed by Bruce Howell on Feb 26, 2009

Despite his busy schedule during the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln often visited the hospitals to cheer the wounded. On one occasion he saw a young fellow who was near death. “Is there anything I can do for you?” asked the compassionate President. “Please write a letter to my mother,” came the reply. ...read more

Tags: Compassion

Denomination: Wesleyan

You Think He Was ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 12, 2009

"YOU THINK HE WAS MAD?..." An important business executive boarded the New-Orleans-to-Washington train. He was a heavy sleeper, and he needed to be awakened in order to get off the train in Atlanta about five o’clock in the morning. He found a porter and told him, "I want you to awaken me in order ...read more

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

The Message Never Got ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 17, 2009

THE MESSAGE NEVER GOT DELIVERED George Sweeting, in his book, The No-Guilt Guide for Witnessing, tells of a man by the name of John Currier who in 1949 was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison. Later he was transferred and paroled to work on a farm near Nashville, Tennessee. In ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 10:25

Tags: Evangelism Urgency

Trust Issues

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Jul 18, 2022

John 2:23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. 24 But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, 25 and needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man. As I ...read more

Scripture: John 2:23-25

Tags: Trust, Opposition, Betrayal, Brethren, Opposers  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Preaching, Power And Persecution

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Jul 20, 2022

John Hus: 1369-1415 John Hus of Prague was burned at the stake at age 46. His crime was an uncompromising preaching of the gospel and calling for church reform in pre-reformation Europe. His Sunday pulpit was the Bethlehem Chapel adjacent to the University of Prague. Czech nobles had built the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, 2 Timothy 4:1-4, Romans 1:16-17, Galatians 1:1-10

Tags: Persecution, Gospel, Power, Preaching, Renewal, Culture  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Daniel In The Lion's Den

Contributed by Davon Huss on Sep 13, 2022

Need this picture displayed for illustration: https://www.freebibleimages.org/illustrations/moody-daniel-lions/ Charles Stanley tells of a time when he was struggling with much opposition. In the midst of the turmoil, an elderly member of his church invited him to her apartment for lunch. He ...read more

Tags: Fear, Almighty, Powerful

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Brooklyn Bridge Scam

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Nov 13, 2022

The greatest con artist in American history was George C. Parker. After the Brooklyn Bridge opened in NYC in 1883, George C. Parker saw a tourist admiring it, so he decided to try selling it to him. It was so easy, he decided to sell it again. Over a period of years he averaged selling the Brooklyn ...read more

Tags: Sin, Deception, Cheating, Fraud, Liars, Bewitched  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Gift That Goes From Zero To 200 In Six Seconds!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Oct 29, 2023

Here’s a funny story for a sermon introduction when you are preaching to your men about remembering special days for the wife and family. Bob forgot his wedding anniversary and his wife was really upset. She told him, “Tomorrow morning, I expect to find a gift in the driveway that goes from 0 to ...read more

Tags: Jews, Holy Days, Husbands, Wives, Israel, Humor, Passover  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

George W. Bush Meets Moses!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Feb 22, 2024

George W. Bush was walking through an airport last week, when he saw an old man with white hair, a long white beard, wearing a long white robe and holding a staff. He walked up to the man, who was staring at the ceiling, and "Excuse me sir, aren't you Moses?" The man stood perfectly ...read more

Tags: Moses, Wilderness, Miracles, Voice Of God, Burning Bush  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Trapped

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Mar 15, 2024

Luke 21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. When my son was practicing with his little league baseball team there was a practice field. The practice field was ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 15:18, Galatians 5:7

Tags: Change, Trapped

Denomination: Assembly Of God

The Golden Calf

Contributed by John Bright on Apr 6, 2025

In Exodus 32, the people are complaining that Moses has been gone for too long. They go to Aaron and say, “Make us a god.” To this, Aaron replies, “NO WAY!” Not really, that’s what he should have told them. What really happened: Exodus 32:2 “ And Aaron said to them, “Break off the golden ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 32:2-6

Tags: Idol, Golden Calf, Fertility Idol

Denomination: Methodist

Where Will You Be?

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Sep 23, 2019

Where Will You Be? When the clouds burst open where will you be? Will there be joy in your heart when Jesus you see? Will you be running to hide from His face Or standing there with your head hanging in disgrace/ It surely is coming and the time is near at hand When Jesus comes to take his ...read more

Scripture: Romans 14:10, 2 Corinthians 5:10, Revelation 20:12

Tags: Death, Rapture, Great White Throne, Bema

Denomination: Baptist

Obedience

Contributed by Anitha Jabastion on Jan 2, 2021

There was a boy who went trekking on the mountain. He reached a great height when he realized that it was getting dark and he had to reach the bottom soon. He began climbing down. It was getting darker and darker, so dark that he could barely see. He was somehow managing to get down the mountain ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 15:22

Tags: Obedience, Listening To God

[097]. A Message From A Poem – Gates Of Hesitation

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on May 3, 2025

[097]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – GATES OF HESITATION This poem tells a story. Jesus told His listeners something – {{Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter by the narrow gate for THE GATE IS WIDE and the way is broad that leads to destruction and many are those who enter by it, for THE GATE IS SMALL and the way ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 18:21, Matthew 12:30, Psalm 1:1-6, Matthew 7:13-14

Tags: Destruction, Hesitation, Narrow Gate, Two Ways, Broad Gate, Gates  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Ride Home From Coco Beach

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Jun 10, 2009

THE RIDE HOME FROM COCO BEACH We were driving back to the hotel at 70 miles an hour on the interstate when a major rain storm hit, we could hardly see and then it happened. It was like something right out of Nascar - cars going airborne spinning and crashing into each other. I watched cars right ...read more

Tags: God's Provision

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational