In Sermon Illustrations: "Secret Service"

Cost Of Discipleship  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 19, 2009

COST OF DISCIPLESHIP I recently read the true story about a preacher who was standing at the door shaking hands as the congregation departed. He grabbed one man by the hand and pulled him aside. The preacher said to him, "You need to join the Army of the Lord!" The man replied, "I’m already in the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 16:24-25

Tags: Discipleship, Follow, Deny, Gross

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)  PRO

Contributed by Ken Pell on Jul 3, 2007

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) Johann Sebastian Bach was born into the musical family of Bachs in 1685. By the age of ten, both of his parents were dead. Early in his friction-filled life, young Johann determined he would write music … music for the glory of God … and this he did. Most of ...read more

Scripture: Romans 11:36

Tags: Service, Glory Of God

Denomination: Nazarene

Serving Others

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Dec 27, 2014

“True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever the cost”. - Arthur Ashe In a small, dusty town in western Oklahoma one November there lived a young single mother struggling to make ends meet. ...read more

Scripture: John 13:12-14

Tags: Humility, Christian Service

Denomination: Charismatic

The Houston Hero

Contributed by Nickolas Kooi on Aug 30, 2017

Abe Minor, a man nicknamed “The Houston Hero,” has been rescuing people all week. He started by being sent by his wife to rescue her friend’s family, which included four kids, one of which was an infant. As he was going there, others called out for his help as they saw him with his boat. He said ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:9-13

Tags: Service, Love, Serve

Denomination: Lutheran

Pioneer

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Feb 27, 2020

Time Magazine's obituary - Dr. Wilfred Thomason Grenfell's October 21, 1940. Oct. 21, 1940 - Wilfred Grenfell spent his boyhood on the Sands of Dee near Cheshire, England. He used to filch biscuits and wine from his school larder to give to fishermen as they left at dawn to catch the ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:6-8, Romans 12:1-8

Tags: Service, Sacrifice, Commitment

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Love For Christ And People

Contributed by Roy Fowler on Sep 13, 2020

In the early years, Circuit riders were most often lay preachers without formal education. They were young, poor, and, for the most part, single. Traveling thousands of miles a year. Though circuit riders eventually represented many different denominations but none were more aggressive or ...read more

Scripture: Luke 13:1-5

Tags: Service, Servant, Dedication

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Humility

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Jun 27, 2021

The Western meaning of humility derives from the usage of the Hebrew speaking Jews, Latin speaking Romans and the Greeks, in particular Greek speaking Christians of the first century. In all three languages the word used to describe humility means "low", as in low to the ground: the ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:1-11

Tags: Service, Humility, Power

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Are You Serving Or Souring

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Jun 13, 2022

If you are not serving where you are do not expect to be called to somewhere else to serve. Act 13:2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. Saul/Paul and Barnabas were already serving in the church ...read more

Scripture: Acts 13:2

Tags: Service, Ministry, Call

Denomination: Baptist

Sharing Love

Contributed by Rob Roy on May 22, 2024

In Irving Illinois a group purchased the old school building and made it into a long term alcohol recovery program. Some of those started coming to worship at the Irving church, two had met there, Matt and Kim, I and not using their real names. My favorite wife, Lisa and I got to know them, ...read more

Scripture: John 21:15-19, Mark 12:30-31

Tags: Service, Hope, Blessings

Don't Get Caught  PRO

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Dec 3, 2008

DON'T GET CAUGHT So often people do what is wrong as long as they know they won't get caught. I've seen surveys where people were asked about doing certain things like stealing and having an affair if they were assured they would never get caught. Would they do them? Amazingly, some of the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:1-4, Matthew 6:1, Matthew 6:1-4

Tags: Love, Christian Love, Secrets, Serving

Denomination: Church Of God

I Took A Break In My Naval Service After My First ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 9, 2006

I took a break in my Naval Service after my first enlistment. I came home and my Grand Mother on my Mothers side that I called Granny wanted me to stay with her. I loved my Granny so I moved in with her. It wasn’t long before I had a run in with Rusty. He lived there too. You see I sat down in ...read more

Feed Them

Contributed by Andrew Moffatt on Sep 12, 2016

The thing is that Jesus did perform the miracle, but he didn’t feed the five thousand. You may be thinking here; Andrew you’re just being a bit silly about this. But for Jesus disciples this was one of those great learning moments. The disciples rock up with a problem and Jesus says we'll solve it, ...read more

Scripture: Mark 6:35-44

Tags: Equipped For Service, Miracle, Hands On, Service, Feeding 5000  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Salvation Army

Let Me Tell You The Secret That Has Led Me To My ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal. My strength ...read more

Tags: Emotions

I Shall Tell You A Great Secret, My Friend. Do ...

Contributed by Tony Abram on May 25, 2009

1. I shall tell you a great secret, my friend. Do not wait for the last judgment. It takes place every day. Albert Camus 2. To sensible men, every day is a day of reckoning. John W. Gardner 3. When we come to the end of life, the question ...read more

Tags: Judgment

Obama Is Not The Messiah  PRO

Contributed by Warner Pidgeon on Apr 4, 2009

OBAMA IS NOT THE MESSIAH President Barack Obama arrived at Stansted airport last week from America, complete with armoured limousines, helicopters, 200 US Secret Service staff and a six-doctor medical team. More than 500 officials and staff accompanied Obama, along with a mass of high-tech ...read more

Tags: Easter Palm Sunday

Denomination: Anglican

In C.s. Lewis' The Lion, The Witch And The ...  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Howell on Nov 15, 2005

In C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, we have a story of love–love between four siblings and love for and by Aslan, the Lion-Savior. It is this love that gives these youngsters courage to go on. Legend has it that a wealthy merchant traveling through the Mediterranean world looking ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 3:1

Tags: Narnia, Passion, Love, Secret Of Life, Commitment  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Wesleyan

My Brother Served His First Parish In Massillion, ...  PRO

Contributed by Tim Zingale on Dec 11, 2000

My brother served his first parish in Massillion, Ohio, as an associate pastor, with the late Pastor Maurice "Mo" White. Pastor White was a very large, strong and vibrant man. During one Lenten season, one of the older, but faithful members of the church came with her husband to an evening Lenten ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 23:1-9

Tags: Death, Funerals Christian, Service

Denomination: Lutheran

Brenda Goodine Shares A Story About Her Friend ...  PRO

Contributed by R. Darrel Davis on Nov 7, 2001

Brenda Goodine shares a story about her friend who decided to talk to her bright four-year-old son, Benji, about receiving Christ. “Benji,” she asked quietly, “would you like to have Jesus in your heart?” Benji thought for a few minutes and then rolling his blue eyes answered, “No. I don’t think I ...read more

Tags: Service, Commitment To Christ, Discipleship

Denomination: Baptist

Nothing Disciplines The Inordinate Desires Of The ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 17, 2002

Nothing disciplines the inordinate desires of the flesh like service, and nothing transforms the desires of the flesh like serving in hiddenness. The flesh whines against service but screams against hidden service. It strains and pulls for honor and recognition. It will devise subtle, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:1-4

Tags: Service, Servanthood, Disciplines, World

Buttprints In The Sand  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 22, 2004

Buttprints in the Sand One night, I had a wondrous dream; One set of footprints there was seen. The footprints of my precious Lord, But mine were not along the shore. But then some stranger prints appeared, And I asked the Lord, "What have we here?" "Those prints are large and round and neat, But, ...read more

Tags: Growth, Servanthood, Service, Spiritual