In Sermon Illustrations: "Saying Grace"

Dick Alexander, Raw  PRO

Contributed by Steve Malone on Apr 15, 2004

Dick Alexander, Raw It’s a word I never liked Raw carrots are too hard Raw oysters too slimy Raw humor is too dirty Raw skin is too painful In fact raw applied to anything human sounds painful But we live in a world of raw human need It’s all around us Do you ever wonder how many people struggle ...read more

Tags: Church Purpose Of

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Late Dr. A. J. Gordon Concluded His Last ...  PRO

Contributed by Charles R. Swindoll on Dec 13, 2004

The late Dr. A. J. Gordon concluded his last pastoral letter to his church (Clarendon Street, Boston), with these words: "Forget not that your first and principal business as a disciple of Christ is to give the gospel to those who have it not. He who is not a missionary Christian will be a missing ...read more

Tags: Evangelism Urgency, Evangelism How To

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Many Years Ago, A Man Was Hired An Experienced ...  PRO

Contributed by Joel Santos on Dec 26, 2004

Many years ago, a man was hired an experienced guide to lead him on a hike into the Swiss Alps. After many hours, they came to a high and remote mountain pass. To the man’s dismayed, he saw the path had almost been washed out. What could he do? To the left was a sheer rock cliff, to his right, a ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:2, Matthew 6:33-38

Tags: New Year's Day

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

One Day A Young Minister In West Virginia Was ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 10, 2005

One day a young minister in West Virginia was being escorted through a coal mine. At the entrance to one of the dim passageways, he noticed a beautiful white flower growing out of all the black dust that invaded this flowers environment. Pointing at the flower “How can it blossom in such color and ...read more

Scripture: Luke 21:34-36

Tags: Joy, God's Will, Mountain, Christian Love

According To James Hamilton, There Are Two Kinds ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 12, 2005

According to James Hamilton, there are two kinds of Bible readers—those who skim the surface and those who dig deep. He describes them by comparing them to two common insects. He writes, “One is remarkable for its imposing plumage, which shows in the sunbeams like the dust of gems; as you watch ...read more

Tags: Bible Study

Jesus Was Crucified, Not In A Cathedral Between ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 20, 2005

Jesus was crucified, not in a cathedral between two candles, but on a cross between two thieves. - George F. MacLeod The cross cannot be defeated, for it is defeat. - Gilbert K. Chesterton There are no crown-wearers in heaven who were not cross-bearers here below. - Charles Haddon Spurgeon We ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:5

Tags: Lordship Of Christ

A Friend Of Mine Visited Portugal Some Years Ago ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 20, 2005

A friend of mine visited Portugal some years ago on an evangelistic tour. He was delighted to find many believers who were “spiritual giants,” among them a missionary from Great Britain named Eric Barker. He had spent over 50 years in Portugal preaching the gospel, often under adverse conditions. ...read more

Tags: Death

Loss  PRO

Contributed by Timothy Liang on Jan 21, 2006

Loss After William Carey (1761-1834) was well established in his pioneer missionary work in India, his supporters in England sent a printer to assist him. Soon the two men were turning out portions of the Bible for distribution. Carey had spent many years learning the language so that he could ...read more

Tags: Endurance

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

In Evil Long I Took Delight

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 10, 2006

In evil long I took delight, Unawed by shame or fear, Till a new object struck my sight, And stopp’d my wild career: I saw One hanging on a Tree In agonies and blood, Who fix’d His languid eyes on me. As near His Cross I stood. Sure never till my latest breath, Can I forget that look: It ...read more

Tags: Cross Agony

Calvin Coolidge Was The 30th President Of The ...

Contributed by Doug Lyon on Jul 28, 2006

Calvin Coolidge was the 30th president of the United States. He was born in Plymouth, Vermont, on July 4, 1872. And he served as President from 1923-1929. Both his dry wit and brevity with words became legendary. His wife, Grace, told of the time when a young woman was sitting next to Coolidge at ...read more

Denomination: Independent/Bible

I Close With A Story With A Story From The Life ...

Contributed by Jimmy Chapman on Feb 23, 2007

I close with a story with a story from the life of the great British preacher, Brownlow North. He had lived a wicked life before he was saved. One evening as he entered a church where he was to preach, a stranger walked up to him in a hurried manner, and said, "Here is a letter for you of great ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

I Close With A Story With A Story From The Life ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 26, 2007

I close with a story with a story from the life of the great British preacher, Brownlow North. He had lived a wicked life before he was saved. One evening as he entered a church where he was to preach, a stranger walked up to him in a hurried manner, and said, "Here is a letter for you of great ...read more

Tags: Jesus Christ

I Read This Story In A Max Lucado Book. He ...

Contributed by Ronnie Knight on May 1, 2007

I read this story in a Max Lucado book. He called it “Groceries and Grace.” Apparently a middle aged man had gone to the Grocery Store to pickup some bread and cheese. After he found the items he got in line at the check out and he noticed that a lady with a full buggy pulled in behind him. When he ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

A Story From Scotland Tells Of A Mother's ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

A story from Scotland tells of a mother’s dramatic rescue of her child. Workmen were blasting rock in a quarry. One day after they had attached the fuse and retired to a safe place and gave the alarm they saw a three year old child wandering across the open space where danger threatened. Every ...read more

Tags: Servanthood

A Squirrel In The Road

Contributed by Jim Heidebrecht on Jul 2, 2007

A Squirrel in the road: This week as I was thinking about roads and signposts and choices, I was on our road right out here and as I turned the corner, I saw a squirrel He was halfway across when he noticed me I didn’t have room to stop He froze in the middle, he started across, started back, ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

By Life Or By Death

Contributed by Steve Smith on Jul 16, 2007

ILLUSTRATION: BY LIFE OR BY DEATH John Piper, in his book, “Future Grace”, reprinted a letter by Carl Lundquist, former president of Bethel College and Seminary. In 1988, the doctors told him he had a rare form of cancer which invaded the skin over his entire body and ended his life three years ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

In 1936 Revival Fires Broke Out On The Campus Of ...

Contributed by Ajai Prakash on Apr 9, 2008

In 1936 revival fires broke out on the campus of Wheaton College west of Chicago. A senior named Don Hillis arose in chapel to voice a plea for revival. Students responded with an all-day prayer meeting on Saturday. Both faculty and students confessed sin and made things right with one another. ...read more

Tags: Acting

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

God's 'glory' Is How We Describe The Sum Effect ...  PRO

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Jun 2, 2008

"God's 'glory' is how we describe the sum effect of all of his attributes: grace, truth, goodness, mercy, justice, knowledge, power, eternality--all that He is. Therefore, the glory of God is intrinsic; it is as essential to God as light is to the sun and as wet is to water. You don't make the sun ...read more

Tags: Glory

Denomination: Other

In The 1500s, Martin Luther Wrote "The Bondage Of ...

Contributed by Glenn Durham on Sep 30, 2008

In the 1500s, Martin Luther wrote "The Bondage of the Will" to defend the Biblical teaching of the depravity of our nature and our slavery to sin. Luther's work was in answer to the writings of Erasmus on free will. Of Erasmus' defense of free will, Luther wrote: "Your book struck me as so ...read more

Tags: Calvinism

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Ignoring The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 25, 2009

IGNORING THE WARNINGS On Sep. 28, 1986 heavy rains flooded many low-lying areas of the Midwest. Two years before, there was a flood that many remember as the "Memorial Day Massacre" that claimed the lives of twenty people in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as small creeks and drainage ditches became killer ...read more

Scripture: Ezekiel 18:30-32

Tags: Evangelism, Evangelism Urgency