In Sermon Illustrations: "Sermon Bloopers"

Jimmy Carter On Evidence Of Genuine ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 11, 2009

Jimmy Carter On Evidence of Genuine Faith In his book Living Faith Jimmy Carter writes: A group of Christian laymen involved in missionary work approached a small village near an Amish settlement. Seeking a possible convert, they confronted an Amish farmer and asked him, “Brother, are you a ...read more

Scripture: Luke 3:7-18

Tags: Repentance

No Money- No Learning – But ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 15, 2009

“No Money- No Learning – But Joy” A prayer meeting was being held at a mission chapel. A poor worker came and kneeled at the altar. He could not understand even the simple Gospel message. While others were rejoicing, he kept on saying, “Jesus! Jesus! Jesus” which was all the prayer he knew. Soon ...read more

Scripture: Haggai 3:18

Tags: Joy

Selling Anti-Aging Products Is Big ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 2, 2010

Selling Anti-aging Products is Big Business Americans spend more than $20 billion annually on various anti-aging products that claim to cure baldness, remove wrinkles, build muscle, and renew the powers of youth. Can those products deliver what they promise? Dr. Thomas Perls of Boston University ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 40:6-8

Tags: Aging

J.s. Bach On The Purpose Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 30, 2010

J.S. Bach on the Purpose of Music J.S. Bach said, “All music should have no other end and aim than the glory of God and the soul’s refreshment; where this is not remembered there is no real music but only a devilish hub-bub.” He headed his compositions: “J.J.” “Jesus Juva” which means “Jesus help ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:17

Tags: Music

What Does Revelation Mean?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 14, 2011

WHAT DOES REVELATION MEAN? A group of kids were playing basketball in the high school gym. An elderly janitor was reading the Bible while waiting patiently for the game to end. After the game, one of the kids said “What are you reading?” The janitor said “I’m reading the book of Revelation.” ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 11:15-17

Tags: Revelation

Edison Burns All His Mistakes  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 19, 2011

EDISON BURNS ALL HIS MISTAKES Thomas A. Edison's plant was on fire. As he helplessly watched it burn, taking his costly experiments up in flames, he called his son Charles. "Come!" he said. "You'll never see anything like this again!" Then he called his wife. As the three stood gazing, Edison ...read more

Scripture: James 1:2-4, Psalm 31:1-24

Tags: Trust, Action, Need, Trials And Difficulties

The Multi-Tool  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 26, 2011

THE MULTI-TOOL In 1975 Tim Leatherman was touring Europe & Asia with a broken-down Fiat. Its hoses leaked and the wiring failed constantly. He used his pocketknife for everything, from slicing bread to adjusting screws. He wished his pocketknife had pliers attached to it. He came home to design ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 23:4

Tags: Comfort

Impersonal America

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 14, 2011

IMPERSONAL AMERICA Here is how Max Lucado rates us as a society: "Call us a fast society, an efficient society, but don’t call us a personal society. Our society is set up for isolation. We wear ear buds when we exercise. We communicate via e-mail and text messages. We enter and exit our house ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 4:7-12

Tags: Friendship General

Closed For Alterations  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 16, 2011

CLOSED FOR ALTERATIONS Billy Graham tells a story--a simple illustration--that I want to borrow. A preacher once passed a shop which was no longer open for business. A sign hung in the window that said, "Closed for Alterations." The owner had closed shop for a while in order to remodel the store. ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:35-58

Tags: Rapture

Too Much Like Hell

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 22, 2011

TOO MUCH LIKE HELL A young American lawyer boasted that he was going West to find some place where there were no churches, no Sunday schools, no Bibles. Before the year was over, he wrote to a classmate, a young minister, begging him to come out where he was and start a Sunday school and preach, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:13-16

Tags: Christian Witness

A Desperate Situation

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 5, 2012

A DESPERATE SITUATION The old preacher Vance Havner used to say, "The tragedy of our time is that the situation is desperate but the saints are not." Three weeks before President John Kennedy was assassinated, he said, "Almost all presidents leave office feeling that their work is unfinished. I ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 9:35-38

Tags: Evangelism Urgency

What Grace Means

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 4, 2012

WHAT GRACE MEANS When a person works an eight-hour day and receives a fair day’s pay for his time, that is a wage. When a person competes with an opponent and receives a trophy for his performance, that is a prize. When a person receives appropriate recognition for his long service or high ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-9

Tags: Grace

Three Ways Out

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 1, 2013

THREE WAYS OUT Sir Harry Lauder was a British entertainer who proved highly popular throughout the English speaking world both before, during and after World War One. During World War One Lauder worked tirelessly to organize and recruit performers for shows given to troops serving abroad. When ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Tags: Death, Despair, Struggles, Hardship Of Life, Trials And Difficulties  (view more)  (view less)

He Had A Hat

Contributed by Gaither Bailey on Oct 4, 2019

During a tornado a mother was crying for help. It seems that her son was taken up into the tornado and blown away. The mother turned to heaven and shouted a prayer: “Please, Lord, bring back my son! He’s all I have. I’ll do anything to get him back.”--- Suddenly, her son fell from the sky right at ...read more

Scripture: Luke 17:5-10

Tags: Prayers, Faith, Duty, Desires

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Super Bowl Sunday Joke!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Feb 5, 2023

Surprised to see an empty seat at the Super Bowl stadium, a diehard fan remarked about it to a woman sitting nearby. "It was my husband's," the woman explained, "But he died." "I'm very sorry," said the man. Then he continued. "Yet, I'm really ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23

Tags: Death, Sports, Humor, Goodness, Kindness, Super Bowl, Football, Fruit Of The Spirit, Funerals, Widows  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Stories & Stats On Alcohol

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 23, 2008

STORIES & STATS ON ALCOHOL A pastor was preaching on alcohol one Sunday, and to finish up his sermon with some passion he said, "If I had all the beer in the world, I would throw it into the river!" Then with a little more passion and fire he said, "And if I had all the wine in the world I would ...read more

Tags: Alcohol

[158]. A Message From A Poem – Gathered At The Great White Throne

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Aug 9, 2025

[158]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – GATHERED AT THE GREAT WHITE THRONE This poem was written in conjunction with a series of articles I was doing on the Great White Throne and the Judgement Seat of Christ found on SermonCentral. We ought not be flippant about the judgements to come for both are very ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 9:27, Revelation 20:12, Revelation 20:11

Tags: Judgment, Great White Throne, Judgment Seat Of Christ, Be Saved Now, Christian Poems, Judged According To Deeds, All Will Be Judged  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[289]. A Message From A Poem – The Rapture

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Feb 15, 2026

[289]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THE RAPTURE The Rapture is very real to me as one of those who believes the next event in God’s divine, prophetic calendar will be the Lord’s coming for His Church to snatch His own away before the great and terrible judgements of the Tribulation break on the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, 1 Corinthians 15:50-58, Revelation 4:1, Titus 2:13, John 14:3  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Bride, Caught Up, The Rapture, Trumpet, Christian Poems  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Words In The Spirit

Contributed by D. Marie Hamilton on Apr 16, 2011

WORDS IN THE SPIRIT When I was asked to be the preacher for the North Little Rock Ministerial Alliance Community Thanksgiving Service, I was floored. I didn't think that anybody thought that much about me. I was honored by the gesture, but the moment I said "yes," my nerves got the best of me. I ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ

Denomination: Methodist

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