In Sermon Illustrations: "Self Sacrifice"

Go Find Something To Do For God

Contributed by Tim Smith on Feb 19, 2012

GO FIND SOMETHING TO DO FOR GOD Ruth Rettig tells the story of having gone through unsuccessful cancer surgery and following up with chemo in Houston, which meant 500-mile roundtrips from their home in central Texas. The trips were exhausting enough but the chemo made her feel sick to death. She ...read more

Tags: Birth Of Jesus

Denomination: Methodist

Pastoral Search Committee Of The First Lukewarm ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 30, 2012

PASTORAL SEARCH COMMITTEE OF THE FIRST LUKEWARM CHURCH I was recently contacted by a pulpit committee that was interested in my ministry. I met with Chairman of the Disenchanted, Bro Tepid. He described his church; First Lukewarm Church of the Apathetic. “Nothing too boring, nothing too exciting. ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 3:14-22

Tags: Lukewarm

Monogamy Syndrome  PRO

Contributed by Tim White on Feb 15, 2013

MONOGAMY SYNDROME Where at one time, having sexual relations outside marriage was considered liberating, current studies show that it damages one's ability to trust, affecting future relationship, one's respect for self, affecting every decision and diminishing the value of right decisions, and ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 6:18, 1 Corinthians 6:16, 1 Corinthians 12:6

Tags: Bible Truth

Denomination: Baptist

Driven By Hurt

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Feb 11, 2022

DRIVEN BY HURT! MIGHT I ADD A PREACHER’S PERSPECTIVE TO START THIS LESSON? BE KIND TO EVERY PERSON. PERHAPS YOU DO NOT KNOW THE PROBLEMS AND THE BATTLES OTHERS ARE FACING. A preacher friend of mine was having some self-doubts and fears he was facing. There was a rather large family that had ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 61:3, 1 Peter 5:7

Tags: Bitter, Hurt, Ministry

Denomination: Assembly Of God

No More Sin!

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Jul 8, 2023

David Brooks in his book “The Road to Character” says this about sin... Today the word sin has lost it's power and awesome intensity. It’s now used to refer to desserts... fattening desserts. Most people in daily conversation don’t talk much about individual sin. If they talk about human ...read more

Scripture: Romans 3:23, Romans 1:18-20, Ephesians 2:1-3

Tags: Sin, Salvation, Gospel, Depravity, The Cross  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

If There Is No God, Who Decides?

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Mar 6, 2026

In 1882, the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche wrote a short parable that still echoes through Western culture. He imagines a man running into a crowded marketplace in broad daylight, holding a lantern. He cries out, “Where is God? I will tell you—we have killed Him. You and I. We are His ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 2:15-17, Judges 2:10-15

Tags: Evil, Culture, Meaning, Good, Values, God Is Dead  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

[233]. A Message From A Poem - Remember Me Until I Come

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Oct 21, 2025

[233]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - REMEMBER ME UNTIL I COME This poem was written as a Communion meditation with the view of being a Communion hymn. It uses a Metre 12 in the four lines. I adapted this for another poem based on this one using a Metre 10 that can be sung to various tunes. At the ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 2:20, 1 Corinthians 11:24-26

Tags: Passover, Cup, Remember Me, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, Until I Come, Communion, Bread, Remember  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Tassels And The Braids!" Hebrews 10:5-10 ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Mar 1, 2005

“The Tassels and the Braids!” Hebrews 10:5-10 Key verse(s): 14:“Since than time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” When I was a junior in high school I was inducted into the National Honor ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 10:5-10

Tags: Miracles Of Jesus

Denomination: Lutheran

Hide From The Toil

Contributed by James Pless on May 22, 2006

hide from the toil 12438. One Day I Dream One day as I was fast asleep I had this stirring dream; I was caught up to be with God. With angels it did seem. And while up there, I met God’s saints From many parts of the earth. Now some were great and famous men, And some of humble birth. I ...read more

Tags: What Is Evangelism?

Denomination: Baptist

Wrong Righteousness  PRO

Contributed by Tylor Cates on Jan 24, 2004

Wrong Righteousness Quote: "If you don’t know where you are going, you will wind up somewhere else." - Yogi Berra Text: Romans 10:1-4 Prop: a new US $20 bill (or adapt for local currency) Summary: Some people try to get to heaven on their own by being a good person. The only righteousness that ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 10:1-4

Tags: Apologetics General, God's Forgiveness

Denomination: Baptist

Back In The Fifteenth Century, In A Tiny Village ...  PRO

Contributed by Dave Mcfadden on Oct 20, 2004

Back in the fifteenth century, in a tiny village near Nuremberg, lived a family with eighteen children. To keep food on the table the father, a goldsmith by profession, worked almost eighteen hours a day at his trade and any other paying chore he could find in the neighborhood. Despite their ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 4:12

Tags: Christian Love

Denomination: Baptist

The Price They Paid – From Illustrations ...  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Jul 5, 2007

THE PRICE THEY PAID – From Illustrations Unlimited:Have you ever wondered what happened to those fifty-six men who signed the Declaration of Independence? Five signers were captured by the British as traitors and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their ...read more

Scripture: Romans 1:16-17, Hebrews 12:2

Tags: Price

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

True ...

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

True Thanksgiving Psalm 100 “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; Come before Him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; We are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 100:1-6

Tags: Thanksgiving Holiday

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Knowing Your Way To Heaven

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2008

KNOWING YOUR WAY TO HEAVEN The little church in the suburbs suddenly stopped buying from its regular office supply dealer. So, the dealer telephoned Deacon Brown to ask why. "I'll tell you why," said Deacon Brown, "Our church ordered some pencils from you to be used in the pews for visitors to ...read more

Tags: Discipleship

Hero

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Jun 24, 2009

Dear Dad, Heroes are men who first of all are heroes for God and then heroes to their families. To be a hero for God, you need to yield your life 100% to Him. What's in this name "hero"? Josh McDowell shares, "A few years ago, a radio jockey polled almost two hundred teenagers in a shopping ...read more

Tags: Father's Day

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Country Of The Blind By H.g. ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 28, 2009

The Country of the Blind by H.G. Wells DON’T BE LIKE THOSE WHO WON’T SEE. Don’t be like those who don’t want to be confused with the facts, because they think they know it all already. H. G. Wells, who wrote The War of the Worlds, once wrote a short story called The Country of the Blind. It’s ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:7-8

Tags: Sin Deceptive

Love Is Action

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Apr 27, 2010

LOVE IS ACTION I took Helen (eight years old) and Brandon (five years old) to the Cloverleaf Mall in Hattiesburg to do a little shopping. As we drove up, we spotted a Peterbilt eighteen-wheeler parked with a big sign on it that said, "Petting Zoo." The kids jumped up in a rush and asked, ...read more

Tags: Christian Love

Denomination: Pentecostal

Servanthood And Spiritual Growth  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 16, 2011

SERVANTHOOD AND SPIRITUAL GROWTH I surveyed my church to see if people saw a relationship between ministering to others and spiritual growth. When asked, "To what extent has your ministry or service to others affected your spiritual growth?," 92 percent answered positively. None responded that ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:3-8

Tags: Servanthood

Airport Security And The Presence Of God

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Jun 23, 2011

AIRPORT SECURITY AND THE PRESENCE OF GOD Airport inspections are more thorough than they used to be, and lines are longer. They also have X-ray machines for the checked baggage. Fortunately the standards aren't so stringent for that category, so you may arrive at the other end still owning a ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 40:2

Tags: Holiness

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Bible Verses On The Presence Of God

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Apr 10, 2022

Joshua 1:9: Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (NKJV) Honor and majesty are found in His presence; strength and joy are found in His sanctuary. 1 Chronicles 16: 27 (AMP) And He ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 1:9

Tags: Holy Spirit, Presence Of God

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational