In Sermon Illustrations: "Second Chair"

The Golden ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 15, 2010

The Golden Rule Four men sit down together. In the discussion they start to speak about what is called “the Golden Rule,” and how it is understood. The first speaks. “Leviticus 19 says, “Love your neighbour as yourself.” But who is my neighbour? The great rabbi Hillel, who is one of the main ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:12

Tags: World Religions

Identity

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 1, 2011

IDENTITY Nicolas Sarkozy, President of France has proposed a decree that would ban anyone from wearing religious symbols of any kind. The decree is aimed particularly at forbidding Muslim women from wearing their traditional burqa with a full-faced veil. However the decree is broad enough that it ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 3:26-28

Tags: Religion

A Cub Scout's Father

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 9, 2011

A CUB SCOUT'S FATHER Gilbert was an eight year old in Cub Scouts. Each member of the club had to build a wooden car. It could only be 20cm long. Everyone was given a block of wood, some wheels and some instructions. Gilbert didn't have a dad to help him. So mum read the instructions and Gilbert ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 68:5

Tags: God The Father

Never Give Up  PRO

Contributed by Mark Stepherson on Oct 27, 2011

NEVER GIVE UP Have you seen that cartoon with the pelican having a frog for dinner? His dinner is not agreeing with him. The frog’s head, shoulders, and most of his body are in the pelican’s beak. His back legs are outside, kicking for all they’re worth. His front legs stick out from both sides ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:1-8, 1 Peter 1:6-7, Luke 11:5-13

Tags: Perseverance, Prayer, Prayer Persistence

Denomination: Baptist

Repentance Is Not A One-Time Event

Contributed by Tim Smith on Feb 19, 2012

REPENTANCE IS NOT A ONE-TIME EVENT Doug Tegner tells the story of attending a one-day leadership retreat called to deal with his church's current crisis. Redwood Chapel was founded in 1962 and has since hosted the Bay Area Sunday School convention (BASS), had strong music programs, planted vibrant ...read more

Tags: Repentance

Denomination: Methodist

Divorce Rate Myth Among Christians

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 30, 2012

DIVORCE RATE MYTH AMONG CHRISTIANS A common myth going around is that the divorce rate is the same among Christians as it is among non-Christians. But such just isn't the case, when you take a closer look. According to the "Americans for Divorce Reform," the divorce rate among the general ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 19:1-12

Tags: Divorce

Free For The Taking: Grace

Contributed by Richard Tow on Jul 18, 2017

Joseph Cooke was a missionary to Thailand a generation ago. He illustrated grace this way. Picture a happily married couple in which both husband and wife are all that either could ever wish the other to be. The husband always respects his wife’s feelings, always treasures her individuality, is ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 1:8-9, Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 5:8

Tags: Grace, Love Of God

Denomination: Charismatic

The Marks Of A Christian

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Nov 6, 2022

Galatians 2:1-10 THE MARKS OF A CHRISTIAN BY THEODORE EPP Four marks of a Christian are set forth in Galatians 2:20: First, a Christian is one who has the living Christ living in him. "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 2:20

Tags: Christ, Holy Spirit, Resurrection, Discipleship, Christian Life  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Each Child Is Different - I Learned That The Hard Way

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Mar 13, 2023

God the Father Loves His Children ... and He is also quick to .... encourage His children. (Long Pause) I learned that ...as a parent ... the hard way. As a father ... you want the best for your children ... you want them to succeed. To succeed ... at everything they do. Kristin ... our first ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Colossians 4:8, Proverbs 8:31, Proverbs 4:1

Tags: Example, Relationship, Fathers, Parent, Children, Father's Day, Encouragement, Parenting  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Anglican

The Business Executive

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Oct 25, 2025

Story: A business manager went on holiday to an island in Greece. One day, while he was on the beach, he was called up on his mobile phone by his secretary, wanting some help. He gave her some instructions and told her to call him back when she had finished. As he was pacing up and down ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:16-20

Tags: Fisherman, Business Manager

Denomination: Anglican

The One Question I Didn't Want To Hear

Contributed by Austin W. Duncan on Apr 18, 2026

Before my second senior year at Texas Tech I interned as a graphic designer at a church in Las Vegas. A close family friend named Jud Wilhite was the senior pastor there, and he had offered me an internship during a family trip. Well, several years after that internship, I had kept in touch with ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 4:19, Luke 14:23

Tags: Evangelism, Calling

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Prayer For Those In ...

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

“Prayer for Those In Authority” 1 Timothy 2:1-4, “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone -- for kings and all those in authority… This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 2:1-4

Tags: Patriotism

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Thanks Offering For Heaven  PRO

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

A Thanks Offering For Heaven Philippians 3:20 says, "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:20

Tags: Thanksgiving Holiday

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

War Is ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 2, 2008

WAR IS HELL War is defined as “a state of usually open and declared armed hostile conflict between states or nations,” or more generally, as “a state of hostility, conflict, or antagonism.” About 15 years ago a group of academics and historians compiled some startling information. Since 3600 BC, ...read more

Scripture: Mark 13:1-8

Tags: War

Taken With The Giver

Contributed by Donnie Martin on Jan 19, 2009

Taken with the Giver When I used to call home after being gone for seven weeks, my two youngest children would say, "Daddy, what are you going to bring me?" My two older children would say, "Daddy, when are you coming home?" Then when I would get home, these two young ones would give me a peck on ...read more

Tags: Giving General, Dog

Denomination: Baptist

Knowledge And Discipline Win The Game

Contributed by Paul Carlson on Feb 17, 2009

KNOWLEDGE AND DISCIPLINE WIN THE GAME Did you watch the Illinois vs. Arizona basketball game of the 2005 NCAA tournament in March 2005? Illinois was losing by fifteen points with only 2:50 seconds left. The coach had a meeting with the players to pump them up to continue to contend for the ...read more

Tags: Disciplines General

Denomination: Baptist

Qualifications For Ministry  PRO

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Mar 15, 2009

QUALIFICATIONS FOR MINISTRY What qualifies someone for a task? There is a story of the testing of a candidate for missions work: One snowy morning at 5:00 A.M., a missionary candidate rang the bell at a missionary examiner’s home. Ushered into the office, he sat three hours past his appointment ...read more

Tags: Humility, Fruit Of The Spirit

Denomination: Other

Elizabeth Griscom: Freedom Creates Courage  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 13, 2009

ELIZABETH GRISCOM: FREEDOM CREATES COURAGE On January 1, 1752, Samuel and Rebecca Griscom gave birth to a baby girl they named Elizabeth. Elizabeth grew up a Quaker in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After completing her formal education, Elizabeth went on to work as an apprentice to John Webster, a ...read more

Scripture: Luke 4:18-19

Tags: Independence Day

[088]. A Poem Message – Specific – For Young Christians - The Three Ls

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Apr 24, 2025

[088]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – SPECIFIC – FOR YOUNG CHRISTIANS - THE THREE Ls There are 9 poems in this Trilogy series. This poem is part of a Trilogy - three sets of three. The first set is addressed to MEN, the second to ALL CHRISTIANS and the third is SPECIFIC. This is the first one in ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 3:14, 1 John 4:19, 1 John 5:2, Matthew 11:28-29, Proverbs 1:33  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Love, Listen, Learn

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Complete Silence  PRO

Contributed by Peter Loughman on Dec 29, 2008

COMPLETE SILENCE In college, one of the jobs I had was working in a medical file warehouse. Talk about mundane, boring, monotonous. These were huge warehouses that contained millions of files from hospitals all over the San Francisco Bay Area. I did one of three things: I pulled a file for a ...read more

Tags: Disciplines Silence

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational