In Sermon Illustrations: "Sermon On The Mount"

Consequences For Karla Faye Tucker

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 7, 2011

CONSEQUENCES FOR KARLA FAYE TUCKER Karla Faye Tucker was convicted in 1983 for the murders of two people. While on death row in 1985, she picked up a Bible from the prison ministry program and prayed to receive Christ after reading it. On June 22, 1992, Tucker requested that her life be spared on ...read more

Scripture: Romans 6:23

Tags: Sin Punishment Of

Muslims Who Turn To Christ

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 29, 2011

MUSLIMS WHO TURN TO CHRIST In an article in Breakpoint entitled "Drawn to the Light--Why Muslims Convert to Christianity" , Dr. Dudley Woodberry, professor of Islamic Studies...aware that throughout the world Muslims have been turning to Christ, was curious about the reasons why--especially in ...read more

Scripture: Titus 2:1-10

Tags: Christian Witness

How To Be Liked By Your Peers

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 30, 2012

HOW TO BE LIKED BY YOUR PEERS ScienceDaily (Apr. 16, 2010) — People who pursue happiness through material possessions are liked less by their peers than people who pursue happiness through life experiences, according to a new study...The "take home" message in his most recent study, which appears ...read more

Scripture: Mark 8:34-38

Tags: Materialism

Are You Tied To This World?

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 1, 2012

ARE YOU TIED TO THIS WORLD? Moody said that some people are trying to live by faith as though they are paddling hard in a row boat, while all along their tie-down is still fastened securely to the dock. He declared, "They are tied to this world. Cut the cord! Set yourself free from the clogging ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 2:15-17

Tags: Worldliness

Foster: Five Percent Spirituality

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 2, 2012

FOSTER: FIVE PERCENT SPIRITUALITY Richard Foster writes this: Many of us live in a kind of inner apartheid. We segregate out a small corner of pious activities and then make no spiritual sense out of the rest of our lives. We become so accustomed to this way of living that we fail to see the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:31

Tags: Christian Disciplines

The Secret Of Seabiscuit

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 25, 2012

THE SECRET OF SEABISCUIT In 1938, a year of monumental turmoil, the number one newsmaker was not Franklin Roosevelt or Adolf Hitler, in fact it wasn't even a person. It was an undersized, crook-legged racehorse owned by a bicycle repairman turned automobile magnate and trained by a virtually mute ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:10-17

Tags: Preparation

When Things Go Wrong  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 19, 2012

WHEN THINGS GO WRONG Several years ago, Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Bob Patterson described one of his pitches, which the Cincinnati Reds’ Barry Larkin hit for a game-winning home run: "It was a cross between a screwball and a change-up. It was a screw-up." (Wall Street Journal, 7/9/96; ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 37:23-24

Tags: Mistakes

Hudson Taylor's Example

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 1, 2013

HUDSON TAYLOR'S EXAMPLE Years ago the communist government in China commissioned an author to write a biography of Hudson Taylor with the purpose of distorting the facts and presenting him in a bad light. They wanted to discredit the name of this consecrated missionary of the gospel. As the author ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:14-16

Tags: Christian Witness

Drive-Thru Fellowship  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 21, 2014

DRIVE-THRU FELLOWSHIP This week I read a story about a pastor traveling with a Brazilian seminary student. Along the way the pastor asked the student if he would like to stop for a cup of coffee. The student said, "I would be honored." So he swung into a Starbucks, went through the drive-thru. ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:42-47

Tags: Fellowship, Sharing Life

Cheeful Giver

Contributed by Rev. Duraimony Dickson on Nov 20, 2020

A missionary in Africa was preaching his first sermon in a mission church. When time came for the offering, the people danced their offerings forward. They danced and sang praise to God as they brought their offerings to the altar. For they were “coming before God's presence with ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:7

Tags: Cheerful Giving, Dancing

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Funnnnny Story About Temptation!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 8, 2024

A driver tucked this note under the windshield wiper of his automobile for a police officer to read. "I've circled this block for 20 minutes. I'm late for an appointment, and if I don't park here, I'll lose my job. Forgive us our trespasses." When he came back, the ...read more

Scripture: James 1:10-15

Tags: Tests, Trials, Police Officers, Drivers, Sin, Lust, Temptation, Excuses  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Benjamin Franklin Hoped For A Resurrection

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Mar 25, 2024

In one of his lighter moments, Benjamin Franklin penned his own epitaph. He didn't publicly profess to be a born-again Christian, but it seems he must have been influenced by Paul's teaching of the resurrection of the body. At least he had hopes of eternity. Here's what he wrote: ...read more

Tags: Faith, Death, Resurrection, Heaven, Hope, New Life, Glorified Body  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

There Were 15 In Sunday School -- Counting Jesus

Contributed by Rick Crandall on Oct 3, 2025

A little girl returning from Sunday School was asked by her grandmother how many had been in her class that day. And she replied, "There were 15 of us, -- Counting Jesus." *Rejoice in the Lord, Christians! He is here with us, and in us this morning. And Jesus wants to change our lives ...read more

Scripture: Acts 16:16-34

Tags: Silas, Crisis, Christian Service, Philippian Jailer, Demon Possession, Spiritual Transformation, Evangelism, Paul, Salvation, Missions  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Sarah's Vase  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 21, 2011

SARAH'S VASE Just like life comes in the place of death, so honor comes in the place of service. Pediatrician David Cerqueira tells the story of a little girl in his wife's Sunday School class. His wife had prepared a lesson on being useful and told the children that everyone can be useful in ...read more

Scripture: John 12:23-26, Mark 14:1-9

Tags: Servanthood

Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Sep 2, 2021

Quit all the comparisons: IT IS ABOUT GOD’S GLORY. HAGGAI and ZECHARIAH LEARNED TO ENCOURAGE THOSE THAT WERE DOING A WORK THAT SEEMED SMALL IN THEIR OWN EYES. Get excited. Haggai 2:2 Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high ...read more

Scripture: Zechariah 4:10

Tags: Glory, Small Things

Denomination: Assembly Of God

More Than  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 17, 2002

MORE THAN… There’s a line in a song that goes: “Thanks a lot, thanks a lot…Thanks for all I’ve got.” Thanks for all I’ve got? Actually, when I think of it, I’m embarrassed about all I’ve got. My mind goes to my garage. Unlike many people, we still fit our cars into our ...read more

Tags: Thanksgiving Holiday, Joy

I Would Like To Bring In Here The Story Of The ...  PRO

Contributed by Paul Kallan on Nov 18, 2002

I would like to bring in here the story of the film “Chocolate” directed by Lasse Hallström [Heinrich Jacob, Der Prediger und Katechet, 6/2002. pages. 849-851]. A small, sleepy, and quiet french city. The inhabitants are lower-middle class, strictly moralistic, tied to tradtion, scrupulous and ...read more

Tags: Basics Of Christianity, Church Body Of Christ, God Brings Hope

Denomination: Catholic

While Secretary Of State During The Regan ...  PRO

Contributed by Thomas Cash on May 19, 2004

While Secretary of State during the Regan presidency, George Shultz kept a large globe in his office. When newly appointed ambassadors had an interview with him and when ambassadors returning from their posts for their first visit with him were leaving his office, Shultz would test them. He would ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:1-7, 2 Corinthians 5:17-20, Daniel 1:8, 2 Corinthians 5:17-20

Tags: Kingdom Of God

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

In A Small Country Village In Sicily, There Were ...

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Nov 1, 2006

In a small country village in Sicily, there were two brothers, renown members of the local Mafia. They were mean, bad and very rich. No one had a good word to say about them. Indeed, everyone seemed to have a story about how they had either been cheated or maligned by the brothers. One day, ...read more

Denomination: Anglican

In 1988, Author Robert Fulghum Had A Book ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 31, 2008

In 1988, author Robert Fulghum had a book published entitled, “All I really need to know I learned in Kindergarten”. The idea behind the little book was that since the basics of human social behavior are taught us as young children, such as kindness, fairness, cleaning up after yourself, sharing ...read more

Tags: Worry, Burden