In Sermon Illustrations: "Seeking The Kingdom First"

Perseverance And Poise In The Midst Of Pain--The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 8, 2012

PERSEVERANCE AND POISE IN THE MIDST OF PAIN--THE EXAMPLE OF KERRI STRUG When the Olympic Games were in Atlanta, Georgia, the whole world knew the name and fame of young Kerri Strug. Kerri became the key to the American women’s gymnastic team receiving the gold medal. If she could ace her turn to ...read more

Scripture: James 1:2-4

Tags: Endurance

A Salesman Meets The Inventor

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 17, 2012

A SALESMAN MEETS THE INVENTOR In 1969, in a science lab in New Jersey, Canadian physicist Willard Boyle and his colleagues invented the concept of an electronic eye. Using their knowledge of mathematics and the behavior of light, they provided the science behind digital cameras known as a ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:3

Tags: Arrogance

Don't Worry Be ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 8, 2012

DON’T WORRY BE HAPPY The song Don’t Worry Be Happy was a late 80’s chart buster as it gained phenomenal success for such a simple song. The lyrics written by Bobby McFerrin were copied from original Indian sage from the late 1800’s whose mantra was one of peace. I remember the first time I heard ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:25-34

Tags: Worry

You Follow What You're Tied To  PRO

Contributed by Rick Pendleton on Oct 31, 2012

YOU FOLLOW WHAT YOU'RE TIED TO Two hunters were out hunting and come upon what appeared at first as an abandoned farm. The barn was sagging, the house was in disrepair, and there were junk cars and car parts lying around. The only thing that made it a working farm were a few chickens pecking away ...read more

Scripture: John 5:1-5, Luke 21:5-35, Ecclesiastes 3:1-15

Tags: Fear, Marriage, Sin Bondage To, Sidetracked

Denomination: Baptist

Joanne Shetler Spent Years In The Philippines ...

Contributed by Tim Spear on Dec 3, 2012

Joanne Shetler spent years in the Philippines with the Balangao people, translating the Bible into their language and trying to tell them the good news of the Savior. But it was slow going. One day Ama, a man who had “adopted” her as his Balangao daughter, picked up an English New Testament from ...read more

Tags: Missions

Denomination: Baptist

Death And Resurrection

Contributed by David Simpson on Jan 15, 2013

Our son, John learned a valuable lesson about death when he was a child. One day he took aim with his new BB gun at a little bird sitting on a limb near our back deck. He aimed and fired and hit his target and the bird collapsed to the ground. Dead. At first there was the excitement of being a ...read more

Scripture: John 14:19

Tags: Death, Resurrection

Denomination: Christian Church

The Boat Is On Fire

Contributed by Jerry Thorpe on Mar 8, 2013

THE BOAT IS ON FIRE Robert E. Lee pleasure boat. Steamed out of Vicksburg. Hundreds of people were aboard. After midnight the boat caught fire. The captain discovered it and told his first mate to rush down through the saloon and down every corridor to wake everyone up. He didn't have time to ...read more

Tags: Rapture, Evangelism Urgency

Denomination: Church Of God

Remove The Hate — Be Pure  PRO

Contributed by Ken Pell on Mar 30, 2013

REMOVE THE HATE -- BE PURE "And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood (Hebrews 13:2)." Three years ago, Chris Simpson led a white pride march. Two years ago, he abandoned the white supremacist movement. This past April (2012), he was ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 13:2

Tags: Holiness

Denomination: Nazarene

Surrendering To God

Contributed by Tim Smith on May 28, 2015

Ravi Zacharias tells the amazing story of a young Christian, Hien Pham, whom he met in Vietnam who served as an interpreter with the American forces. Shortly after Vietnam fell, Hien was imprisoned on accusations of helping the Americans. His jailers tried to indoctrinate him against democratic ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:13-16

Tags: Grace, Persecution, Prayer, Surrender, Standing On Promises  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Methodist

Recognising Conflict, Where An Enemy Sowing Bad Seed

Contributed by Gordon Mcculloch on Jul 24, 2017

1. Be Perceptive to the enemy. The first way to deal with conflict is to be perceptive to the enemy. Verse 25 “but while everybody was asleep, an enemy, (that is Satan), came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away”. Notice he went away, he was sly; he did not stay to watch, or say, “I ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:25

Tags: Satan's Deception, Bad Seed, Satans Tactics

Denomination: Episcopal

Consecrated To Do God's Will

Contributed by Richard Tow on Jul 25, 2017

Years ago a young girl entered a little Presbyterian Church out of curiosity. There she heard the gospel for the first time and was converted. She later heard God’s call on her life to go to China as a missionary. She was the only daughter of a multi-millionaire. She was socially prominent and ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 16:24

Tags: Sacrifice, Consecrated Life

Denomination: Charismatic

Inspired To Share Your Faith

Contributed by Tim Smith on Aug 13, 2017

Tom Mercer writes, “Years ago, I heard an incredible story about a guy who, while walking through an intersection in a large city, noticed a police officer directing traffic in the middle of the street. As he walked by, the man sensed the Holy Spirit prompting him to go up to the officer and tell ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 1:4

Tags: Witnessing, Sharing Your Faith, Evangelism

Denomination: Methodist

How To Finish A Great Book

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Apr 11, 2018

There are a lot of books that are great and unread. You know, those books that everyone says are great: “it’s a classic,” “one of the best books of all-time,” “a masterpiece.” But almost no one reads them. Jordan Ellenberg, a University of Wisconsin professor, used Amazon’s Kindle to do an ...read more

Tags: Perseverance, Bible, Scripture

Denomination: Baptist

The Deadly Hand

Contributed by Steve Kinnard on Feb 7, 2019

It was the nearly dark as James entered the room , over in the corner a poker game was getting ready to start. James joined in the poker game looking to beat the other players out of their hard-earned money. In this worldly realm it was just another poker game, with only money at stake, but in ...read more

Scripture: James 1:5

Tags: Sin, Temptation

Denomination: Pentecostal

Forgive Us Our Debts

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on May 20, 2019

The debt has been paid… (forgive us our debts…) The graduating class of Morehouse College got a surprise gift on Sunday (May 19, 2019) when billionaire Robert F. Smith announced during his commencement speech that he would pay off the entire student debt of the graduating class. Student loans in ...read more

Scripture: John 8:36

Tags: Forgiveness, Freedom, Generosity

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Lego Theology

Contributed by Davon Huss on Nov 23, 2019

Matt Proctor- Several years ago, two of my nephews accompanied their mom on a visit to a friend’s house. Ben was 8, Brian was 6. Their mother’s friend was a very neat lady- a place for everything and everything in its place. Though childless, she did have a few toys and handed Ben and Brian a ...read more

Tags: Church, Relationships, Synergy

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Mercy In A World War 2 Battle

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 1, 2020

Here is a unique, moving story about "MERCY" from the Second World War: The American pilot glanced outside his cockpit and froze. He blinked hard and looked again, hoping it was just a mirage. But his co-pilot stared at the same horrible vision. “Dear God, this is a nightmare,” the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-12

Tags: Hate, Ww2, Mercy, Beatitudes, War  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Helping Others

Contributed by Roy Fowler on Jun 19, 2020

Years ago, my father coached a team of eight-year-olds. He had a few excellent players, and some who just couldn't get the hang of the game. Dad's team didn't win once all season. But in the last inning of the last game, his team was only down by a run. There was one boy who had never ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:2

Tags: Supporting Others, Supporting Each Other

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Give God A Blank Check!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 4, 2021

I read once about a family that put their elderly grandmother on a plane for her first flight. She wasn’t too sure about this mode of transportation, but she grudgingly went along with it. When she returned, some of the family members couldn’t help playfully asking, “Grannie, did the plane hold you ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 3:5-6

Tags: Faith, Commitment, Trust, Will Of God, Believing God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

It's Aweful When You Do Not Know Something Is ...  PRO

Contributed by Rick Doucette on Apr 18, 2007

It’s aweful when you do not know something is happening! At the end of their first date, a young man takes the young lady back to her house and they are standing on the front porch! Feeling the night went well, with an air of confidence, he leans with his hand against the wall and smiling, he says ...read more

Denomination: Calvary Chapel