In Sermon Illustrations: "Self Centered"

Confusing Messages

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Aug 19, 2009

CONFUSING MESSAGES PARIS (AFP) – Heart attack survivors who eat chocolate two or more times per week cut their risk of dying from heart disease about threefold compared to those who never touch the stuff, scientists have reported. ...the new study, led by Imre Janszky of the Karolinska Institute ...read more

Tags: False Teaching

Denomination: Independent/Bible

A Spiritual Rhythm

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Nov 16, 2009

A SPIRITUAL RHYTHM Developing a rhythm in your spiritual life means organizing your life around times of stopping to remember God. What is important is not the length of time but that you regularly stop to refocus on God. It could be five minutes or forty minutes. It could be your break time. ...read more

Tags: Disciplines General

Denomination: Church Of God

A Roman Census And Taxing Forced The Town Of ...

Contributed by Thomas Cash on Dec 10, 2009

A Roman census and taxing forced the town of Bethlehem to burst at its seams. Neither the locals nor the visitors would have been very happy about the decree. Tempers were short, words were spoken in anger, people were taken advantage of, and rooms were at a premium. Mary was obviously in labor ...read more

Tags: Anxiety

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

March Of The Penguins: Fellowship

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Dec 24, 2009

MARCH OF THE PENGUINS: FELLOWSHIP The documentary The March of the Penguins follows the emperor penguins of Antarctica on their incredible journey through ice and snow to mating grounds up to 70 miles inland. Narrated by Morgan Freeman, this beautiful film captures the drama of these ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Flying A Plane ...

Contributed by Paul Carlson on Jan 25, 2010

FLYING A PLANE DOWN Robert and his pilot friend Wesley went for a flying trip from Indianapolis to Muncie, Indiana, in June 1998. During the flight, his pilot had a heart attack and slumped over the controls. He was dead. The Cessna 172 single-engine plane began to nosedive and Robert grabbed the ...read more

Tags: Blessing

Denomination: Baptist

Firm Foundation  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 5, 2011

FIRM FOUNDATION Ravi Zacharias told about doing a lectureship several years ago at the Ohio State University. As he was being driven to the lecture, they passed what was then the "new" Wexner Art Center. The driver commented, "This is a new art building for the university. It is a fascinating ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:24-27

Tags: Foundation

Wishing Vs. Hoping  PRO

Contributed by Thomas Clawser on Dec 3, 2011

WISHING VS. HOPING Eugene Peterson (Living the Message: Daily Help for Living the God-Centered Life) points out that what a lot of people call hope is in reality something different. It's wishing, not hoping: and wishing and hoping are not the same thing. "Wishing," Peterson says, "is something ...read more

Tags: Christmas Advent

Denomination: Other

Toy Story: Friendship

Contributed by Ken Pell on Jun 23, 2012

TOY STORY: FRIENDSHIP "As iron sharpens iron so one man sharpens another." (Proverbs 27:17) Henry Ford said, "My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me." And what's true of a good church is true of a good friend; they love you and they help you aspire to grow and be whole. Have ...read more

Tags: Friendship General

Denomination: Nazarene

Trampled By Shoppers?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 19, 2012

TRAMPLED BY SHOPPERS? In November 2003, a sale on DVD players at a Florida Wal-Mart created a rush of shoppers that apparently resulted in one woman being trampled. Patricia VanLester had her eye on a $29 DVD player, but when the siren blared at 6 a.m. announcing the start to the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 6:9-10

Tags: Greed

Renewal And New Life

Contributed by Perry Greene on Apr 1, 2013

RENEWAL AND NEW LIFE Henry David Thoreau, in his classic book, Walden, told of a powerful custom of the Mucclasse Indians. Once each year, they had a village clean up called a "busk." First they would make new clothes for themselves as well as furniture and cooking utensils. They would keep all ...read more

Tags: God Brings Hope

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Car Keys

Contributed by Nickolas Kooi on Sep 7, 2017

“You shall not steal,” the Seventh Commandment. Not only do we not take what is not ours, we actually help to improve and protect the possessions and income of other people. I had this done to me a few weeks. I was finishing up something at home on a Friday, and Dawn came to pick me up in the ...read more

Tags: Theft, Seventh Commandment

Denomination: Lutheran

Over Your Head

Contributed by Steve Kinnard on Feb 15, 2019

OVER YOUR HEAD I remember struggling in the water and I remember going under. I also remember the distinct feeling that I was going to die. What I learned as a young child was that one should be careful about getting in over one's head. I would like to ask you a question. How many of you can ...read more

Scripture: Ezekiel 47:1-2

Tags: Fear, Commitment

Denomination: Pentecostal

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

Sgt. Juanita Wilson Was On Patrol Outside ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Sgt. Juanita Wilson was on patrol outside Baghdad when a roadside bomb exploded beneath her vehicle. She was trying to help her driver after the explosion when she felt something unusual. When she looked down, her hand was gone. Less than two years after her injury, she is demonstrating her ...read more

Tags: Faith

Being A Parent And A Father Can Be An ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Being a parent and a father can be an interesting and trying experience. Someone said, “Fathers spend the first part of a child’s life urging him to talk and walk, and the rest of his childhood telling him to sit down and keep quiet.” A son who was in college wrote home to his dad. He said, “Dear ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 1:2-21

Tags: Children, Father's Day, Challenge, Parenting

The Simple Story

Contributed by Christopher Kennedy on Jan 22, 2009

THE SIMPLE STORY Last week, I met in the worship center with the four-year-olds from the school and we talked about what pastors do. After I was done showing them my robe and stoles and my private Communion kit and talking about the different places a pastor stands in church to talk about Jesus, I ...read more

Tags: Cross

Denomination: Lutheran

Little Things Can Be Big Problems

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 6, 2024

Richard Conniff writes in National Geographic that on January 12, 1997, two Swiss men, Bertrand Piccard and Wim Verstraeten, set out to be the first to CIRCLE THE EARTH in a balloon. Their aircraft was called the Breitling Orbiter, and it was high-tech masterpiece, complete with solar power panels ...read more

Tags: Words, Tongue, Small Things, Mouth

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Light Named Al  PRO

Contributed by Ken Sauer on Sep 2, 2002

A LIGHT NAMED AL On the morning of September 11, Jeannie Braca switched on the television to check the weather report, only to hear that a plane had just hit the World Trade Center. Jeannie’s husband, Al, worked as a corporate bond trader for Cantor Fitzgerald. His office was on the 105th ...read more

Scripture: Romans 1:16-17, Mark 8:34-37

Tags: Sermon On The Mount, Sharing Your Faith, Evangelism Urgency

Denomination: United Methodist

Church Cake Cover-Up  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 19, 2009

CHURCH CAKE COVER-UP It was time for the annual cake sale at a Presbyterian church not much different than our own. Ms. Billings always made the most beautiful cakes...she was expected to make another one this year. However, Ms. Billings was a very busy woman with the time she spent with her ...read more

Scripture: 2 Samuel 11:1-15

Tags: Hypocrisy, Cake

Earlier This Month, The Siegfried & Roy Show In ...  PRO

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Oct 26, 2003

Earlier this month, the Siegfried & Roy show in Las Vegas was brought to a dramatic close when a seven-year-old, white Bengal tiger attacked Roy and drug him off the stage before an audience of 1500 people. It was Roy’s 59th birthday, and shortly after introducing the Tiger, it bit Roy on the ...read more

Tags: Sin Deceptive, Sin General

Denomination: Methodist