In Sermon Illustrations: "Sermon Intros"

Pa Won't Like It  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 28, 2009

"PA WON’T LIKE IT" A farm boy accidentally overturned his wagonload of corn in the road. The farmer who lived nearby came to investigate. "Hey, Willis," he called out, "forget your troubles for a spell and come on in and have dinner with us. Then I’ll help you get the wagon up." "That’s mighty ...read more

Tags: Authority

What Would You ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 10, 2009

WHAT WOULD YOU DO? "Here’s the scenario," the instructor announced to his class of novice truck drivers. "You’re in an 18-wheeler with a heavy load, barreling down a mountainous two-lane highway. Ed, your co-driver, is asleep. There are six trucks behind you, and as you come over the top of a ...read more

Tags: Wisdom

Cohabitation ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 10, 2009

COHABITATION STUDIES The Australian Institute of Family Studies had a Family Formation Project cited in this government report. The study found that after five years of marriage, 13 percent of those who had cohabited were divorced, compared to 6 percent of those who had not cohabited - that ...read more

Tags: Marriage General

Little ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 10, 2009

LITTLE THINGS This leads us to a simple but important principle: Our faithfulness in the little things will determine how faithful we will be with bigger things. There is a story about a huge bank where one of the employees was up for a significant promotion. He lost that promotion one day in ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:14-30

Tags: Obedience

Men As Role-Models For Children

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 12, 2009

MEN AS ROLE-MODELS FOR CHILDREN I am still struck by a report I heard months ago by an educator studying the needs of the District’s school system. He had found, in studying the children, that up to about the third grade they were bright, ambitious, eager to learn; but that somewhere after that, ...read more

Tags: Children

Stepping Out-Of-Bounds

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 12, 2009

STEPPING OUT-OF-BOUNDS I had missed a game winning free-throw. I swore that would never happen again. So I practiced until I became excellent at free-throws. In the next big tournament, I swished two free-throws. On the last one, I heard an ear-splitting whistle in my ear. I had stepped over the ...read more

Tags: Holy Spirit In Believers

Evangelism: Aquariums And Fires

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 13, 2009

EVANGELISM: AQUARIUMS AND FIRES The late Sam Shoemaker, an Episcopalian bishop, summed up the situation this way: "In the Great Commission, the Lord has called us to be--like Peter--fishers of men. We’ve turned the commission around so that we have become merely keepers of the aquarium. ...read more

Tags: Evangelism How To

Houses Of Refuge

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 13, 2009

HOUSES OF REFUGE There was no alternative to manslaughter. If you wanted to live, the only option was to flee to one of these cities of refuge. [HOUSE OF REFUGE, HUTCHINSON IS., FL] House of Refuge- The House of Refuge is the last remaining shipwreck life-saving station on Florida’s Atlantic ...read more

Scripture: Numbers 35:6-34

Tags: God In The Hardships

Obedience And ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 12, 2009

OBEDIENCE AND LEADERSHIP In the 11th Century, King Henry III of Bavaria was fed up the set up of being King. He applied to be a contemplative at the local monastery, via Prior Richard. The King told the Prior of his struggle, personal battles. The Prior said, "My King, do you understand that the ...read more

Tags: Obedience

Individually, We Are Weak

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 3, 2022

This story was written by Donald Grey Barnhouse. Several years ago, two students graduated from the Chicago-Kent College of Law. The highest ranking student in the class was a blind man named Overton and, when he received his honor, he insisted that half the credit should go to his friend, ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:14-15

Tags: Fellowship, Community, Small Group

You Can Change

Contributed by Richard Tow on Mar 27, 2023

Colin Smith tells the story of a friend who had a severe heart attack. The man said it felt like an elephant on his chest. He survived, but the doctor told him he would have to change his diet. Colin asked the man what he ate before the heart attack. The man said he loved cheeseburgers, fries, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:6, 2 Timothy 2:22, Luke 6:21

Tags: Habits, Hunger, Addiction, Righteousness, Health, Eating  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Charismatic

Sins Of Omission

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Mar 22, 2024

It isn't the thing you do; It's the thing you leave undone, Which gives you a bit of heartache At the setting of the sun. The tender word forgotten, The letter you did not write, The flower you might have sent, Are your haunting ghosts tonight. The stone you might have ...read more

Tags: Disobedience, Kindness, Unconditional Love, Caring For Others, Sins Of Omission, Forgetting Others, Sin, Selfishness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Staying In Our Assigned Scope

Contributed by Richard Tow on Jul 9, 2024

I was sitting on my deck at home one day this week having a brief devotional with the Lord. I looked up into a tree and saw a very small bird, a tiny yellow finch. I looked at him, and he looked at me. He was perched there without a care in the world, feeling safe and sound on his God-given turf. ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 10:13, Ephesians 6:10-18

Tags: Peace, Safety, Spiritual Warfare, Obedience, Assignment, Empowerment, Vain Ambition  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Charismatic

Have To Die To Go To Heaven

Contributed by John Bright on Apr 17, 2025

Remember, all the bodies are going to die. Jesus had a body. What happened on the cross? He died. So will we. Amen – the end. That would be a terrible place to end a sermon but it reminds me of a Sunday School story. The teacher asked the children, “If I sold my house and car and gave all my ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 9:2, Matthew 7:13-14

Tags: Heaven, Sunday School

Denomination: Methodist

A Crushing Grief—communion Meditation  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 7, 2003

A CRUSHING GRIEF-- COMMUNION MEDITATION Her name was Laurie. Robert Barnett only met her one time and that was for less than an hour. It was in the ICU at a university hospital. It was the last day of Laurie’s life on earth, only neither Laurie nor Robert knew that at the time. During the brief ...read more

Tags: Easter Maundy Thursday, Crucifixion, Lord's Supper

Do You Remember "Do Overs?"  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 30, 2003

DO YOU REMEMBER "DO OVERS?" They were part of the "Good Ole" Days. I know, Let’s play a little game… Everyone stand up. Now sit down when you can’t remember what I mention next… How many of you remember… 90’s – Beanie Babies; Teenie Beanies; Grunge; and the phrase CHA-CHING!!! 80’s – PacMan; ...read more

Tags: Becoming A Christian, God The Father, God's Forgiveness

Dealing With People Is So Very Difficult, This ...

Contributed by John Quigley on May 29, 2007

Dealing with people is so very difficult, this week on Thursday as I was working on my sermon for today, my computer system went down. I was no longer able to connect to the internet, I was studying for the sermon and I was no longer able to do so. I called the folks at Wild Blue and told them what ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Ipod ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 14, 2009

iPod Religion This is right up there with what 10-year-old Joshua wrote to his pastor: “Dear Pastor, My father says I should learn the 10 Commandments. But I don’t think I want to because we have enough rules already in our house.” That’s not as bad as what 11-year-old Ralph wrote: “Dear Pastor, I ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:7-9

Tags: Youth

Graduates From Christian College Heading For ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 31, 2010

Graduates from Christian College Heading for Mission Field Receive Unexpected Gifts Just last May (2009), John Ortberg, pastor of the Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in Menlo Park, California, found himself and his family in Azusa, California, because one of his kids was graduating from Azusa ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:18-20

Tags: Missions

The Influence Of Mothers

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 5, 2011

THE INFLUENCE OF MOTHERS Don DeWelt was one of my college professors at Ozark Christian College. Don preached a sermon entitled, "The only commandment the virgin Mary ever gave." What was that commandment? DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU. God bless all mothers who have said to her children, "Do whatever ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 6:20-24

Tags: Mother's Day