In Sermon Illustrations: "Saying Grace"

The Life Of The Early Church Didn't Spring Up ...

Contributed by Aubrey Vaughan on Dec 30, 2008

THE LIFE OF THE EARLY CHURCH DIDN’T SPRING UP FROM THE BOTTOM UP, NOR FROM THE TOP DOWN. PAUL SCANLON WRITES OF MEETING A BAPTIST PASTOR WHO FOR TWENTY YEARS HAD BEEN IN MINISTRY AT THE SAME CHURCH. HE AND HIS WIFE HAD A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN AND FINISHED UP VERY ILL ON MEDICATION. I WAS SPEAKING TO ...read more

Tags: Zeal

Denomination: Baptist

Let The Dead Bury Their Dead

Contributed by John Tung on Feb 12, 2009

LET THE DEAD BURY THEIR DEAD To one person who wanted to bury his father before following Jesus, Jesus said, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God." (Lk. 9:60) Doesn’t that sound harsh? Someone’s father just died, and the man can’t even go back to bury his ...read more

Tags: Discipleship

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

There Was A Time When My Folks Visited Me And Saw ...

Contributed by Johnny Wilson on Feb 13, 2009

There was a time when my folks visited me and saw a bizarre arrangement in my living room. I had a nice sofa, but I couldn’t afford end tables. So, I’d taken cardboard boxes and covered them with blankets to hold lamps and magazines. It was clever, but it didn’t look nice. Frankly, it looked pretty ...read more

Tags: Sanctification

Denomination: *other

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

Being Right Is More Important, ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 27, 2009

BEING RIGHT IS MORE IMPORTANT, RIGHT? Two Malaysian farmers had a dispute over a calf. 37-year-old Zulkifli said it was his, and 44-year-old Isa said it was his. Zulkifli just went out to tether the calf in a field to graze, when Isa stopped him and claimed the calf was his, claiming that Zulkifli ...read more

Tags: Pride

Temple Of Greed

Contributed by Russell Brownworth on Mar 12, 2009

TEMPLE OF GREED Stanford Kurland ran Countrywide Mortgage through 2006. Then after the mortgage crisis began (for which Kurland may be partially responsible) he opened up PennyMac, a company that says they will help bail out the mortgage industry by buying the troubled mortgages at a reduced rate ...read more

Tags: Greed

Denomination: United Methodist

Changing The Label On ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 13, 2009

CHANGING THE LABEL ON SIN Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman told of a distinguished minister, Dr. Howard, from Australia who preached very strongly on the subject of sin. After the service, one of the church deacons came to counsel with him in the study. "Dr. Howard," he said, "we don’t want you to talk as ...read more

Tags: Sin General

A Study In ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 17, 2009

A STUDY IN SERVICE As a student in seminary, my roommate had a job as a custodian with the school. After the first day on the job, he told he had been assigned to work on the first floor of a four-story building. "Basically there are four guys responsible for their own floors. I take care of the ...read more

Tags: Servanthood

Christmas Humor

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Dec 21, 2020

A Sunday School was putting on a Christmas pageant which included the story of Mary and Joseph coming to the inn. One boy wanted so very much to be Joseph, but when the parts were handed out, a boy he didn’t like was given that part, and he was assigned to be the inn-keeper instead. He was pretty ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1-12

Tags: Christ, Manger, Birth Of Christ, Mary And Joseph, Coming Of Christ, Christmas  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Get Back In The Game!

Contributed by John Bright on Mar 19, 2021

What if God started telling your church to do something we had never done before? How hard would you work against it - unwilling to change? There is an old saying – do you know what they put on the tombstone in front of a closed church? “WE NEVER DID IT THAT WAY BEFORE” If that’s the case, we ...read more

Scripture: Luke 5:12-26, Ephesians 4:11-12

Tags: Sports, Pastor, Basketball, Laity

Denomination: Methodist

You Must Choose

Contributed by Shawn Drake on Apr 10, 2021

I went to my Acupuncturist this week, like I do every other week. She was busier than usual and so she put my ears seeds in before the acupuncture. (The ear seeds help with different types of problems.) As I was sitting there, she put the ear seed on a place that she has never placed it ...read more

Scripture: Acts 17:1-9

Tags: Easter, Choose

Denomination: Baptist

How Are You Doing?

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Jul 2, 2021

There's a story about a little girl who came home from school one day, and her mother met her at the door: Hi! How was school today? How are you doing? With the honesty of little people, the girl replied, Oh, not so well, mommy. My tummy hurts! Mothers know everything, and this mommy had ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 16:5-6

Tags: Joke, Child Misunderstanding

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

I Got You

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Oct 2, 2021

I like to take my dogs places with me. They have their own seats in the back seat of my pickup. I have a small elderly dog named Bambi who has always had anxiety, I think from having to survive on her own when she lived in the streets as a tiny little thing with no one to feed or care for her. A ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 54:4, 1 Peter 5:7

Tags: Adversity, Assurance, Anxious

Denomination: Charismatic

Obstacles To The Goal

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Oct 29, 2021

COLLEGE: WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU ARE HIT REAL HARD. ROY RIEGELS WILL FOREVER BE KNOWN AS “WRONG WAY ROY.” Roy played for the University of California from 1927 to 1929. Back then freshmen and sophomores never played on varsity. On January 1, 1929 Roy played in the ROSE BOWL. The GOLDEN ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:12-15, Matthew 13:45

Tags: Goal, Obstacle

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Like A Glove

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 23, 2022

Here’s a story of how I explain the Holy Spirit in us to children. I take an empty glove and tell the kids that it's a magic glove. I tell them it is amazing because it can pick things up. Then, I drop it on a hymn book or Bible and tell it to pick up the book. When it doesn't move, I ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:8

Tags: Holy Spirit, Abiding

Why Do So Few Christians Share Their Faith?

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Apr 4, 2022

What makes people hesitate to share their faith? Here are some of the fears that have been mentioned to me: "I am afraid I might do more harm than good." "I don't know what to say." "I may not be able to give snappy answers to tricky questions." "I may ...read more

Tags: Great Commission, Fear Of Man, Great Supper, Man Pleasing, Evangelism, Fear, Gospel, Parables, Excuses, Witnessing  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Powerful Illustration For A Funeral

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Dec 13, 2022

There is an old story of a king and his clown or “jester” who sometimes said very foolish things. One day the jester had said something so foolish that the king handing him a staff, said to him: “Take this, and keep it till you find a bigger fool than yourself.” “Some years later, the king lay on ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 14:1

Tags: Evangelism, Death, Salvation, Lost, Time, Fools, Funerals  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Hilarious Christmas Story!!!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Dec 19, 2022

• A Sunday School was putting on a Christmas pageant which included the story of Mary and Joseph coming to the inn. One boy wanted so very much to be Joseph, but when the parts were handed out, a boy he didn’t like was given that part, and he was assigned to be the inn-keeper instead. He was ...read more

Tags: Mary, Nativity, Christmas, Bethlehem, Children, Joseph, Pageants  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

What Percentage Will Go To Heaven?

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Apr 21, 2023

[Pastor Clendennen speaking:] For many years, in the church I pastored, we had an all-night prayer meeting the last Friday night of every month. One such Friday night, out of four-hundred members, there were forty-one of us present. As I was praying, I heard this Word from the Lord: “You are ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 24:40-42, 1 Corinthians 15:52, Revelation 1:7

Tags: Rapture, Bride Of Christ, Return Of Jesus

Denomination: Charismatic

Everybody Ought To Know!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jul 17, 2023

I had a friend who pastored in Texas years ago who was going door-to-door to invite people to church and to know Christ. The pastor knocked on one door and an elderly woman answered. He said, “I am here to invite you to our church and to tell you about Jesus Christ. “ The woman said ...read more

Tags: Demons, Rebellion, Lucifer, Spirits, Hell, Satan, Devil, Spiritual Warfare, Angels  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational