SermonCentral Logo SermonCentral Logo Sermon Central
Sermon Illustrations
Free Sermon Illustrations for Preaching :

In Sermon Illustrations: "Sermon Opener"

showing 5,281-5,300 of 27,171
Filter Results
Close Filters

Scripture

Rating

Date

Denominations

  • Show more

Category

Popular Preaching Resources

New Sermon Series Now Available

Everything you need for your next series

AI Sermon Generator

Generate sermon ideas with a safe, secure tool for solid preaching.

Biblical Sermon Calendar

Customizable sermon manuscripts for verse-by-verse preaching

Sermon Research Assistant

Free custom sermon in 5-10 minutes!

Topical Sermon Calendar

Preach with creativity and impact throughout the year

Funeral Sermon Generator

Create a personalized, heartfelt funeral sermon

Sermon Kits for Preaching

Faithful to the Finish

Peter's final call to a young and growing church

Grace and Glory

A short series through the highlights of 1 Peter

Entrusted

Gifts, risk, and the return of the King

  • Try PRO

    Confident Preaching

    Try PRO free and preach with confidence when people need it most.
    Free to start now

  • Wynton Marsalis: Someone To Play With

    Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 8, 2011
     | 3,405 views

    WYNTON MARSALIS: SOMEONE TO PLAY WITH People are preoccupied with their own thoughts and interests. When we show interest and concern for another person’s interest or concern, it meets a deep need. People feel cared for and valued. Wynton Marsalis is a recognized musician. He is invited to teach ...read more

    Scripture:

    Tags:

  • Who Do You Say I Am—in England?

    Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 9, 2011
     | 4,280 views

    WHO DO YOU SAY I AM--IN ENGLAND? A teaching assistant accused of looting. An 11 year old girl appears in court and admits breaking windows in Nottingham. Teenagers appear before Magistrates with no parent in attendance. Magistrates ask, "Where are their parents?" Two girls interviewed by the BBC ...read more

    Scripture:

    Tags:

  • Unusual Laws In Kansas

    Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 27, 2011
     | 5,242 views

    Unusual Laws in Kansas Laws are important in any society in order to keep peace and order. But there are laws and then there are laws. Here are some laws that are still on the books in our state of Kansas. • In Derby, it is illegal to hit a vending machine that stole your money. • In Dodge City, it ...read more

    Scripture:

    Tags:

  • The Ram And The Cowboy

    Contributed by Perry Greene on Apr 4, 2012
     | 2,895 views

    THE RAM AND THE COWBOY A couple of years ago in the Rocky Mountains a bighorn ram approached the home of a man named Ed Bailey while he was watching football on television. The bighorn stopped suddenly, seeing its reflection in a plate glass window. Thinking it was another ram, the bighorn bowed ...read more

    Tags:

    Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

  • Anger Vs. Annoyance  PRO

    Contributed by Sermon Central on May 3, 2012
    based on 8 ratings
     | 6,350 views

    ANGER VS. ANNOYANCE A young girl who was writing a paper for school came to her father and asked, "Dad, what is the difference between anger and annoyance?" The father replied, "It is mostly a matter of degree. Let me show you what I mean." With that the father went to the telephone and dialed a ...read more

    Scripture:

    Tags:

  • William Randolph Hearst's Fear Of Death

    Contributed by Sermon Central on May 7, 2012
     | 7,712 views

    WILLIAM RANDOLPH HEARST'S FEAR OF DEATH William Randolph Hearst (1863-1951) was one of the wealthiest and most powerful men of the 20th century. At the height of his media career he was worth over $500 million. He built an enormous castle in the hills near San Simeon, California. At more than ...read more

    Scripture:

    Tags:

  • Perseverance And Poise In The Midst Of Pain--The ...

    Contributed by Sermon Central on May 8, 2012
    based on 1 rating
     | 3,887 views

    PERSEVERANCE AND POISE IN THE MIDST OF PAIN--THE EXAMPLE OF KERRI STRUG When the Olympic Games were in Atlanta, Georgia, the whole world knew the name and fame of young Kerri Strug. Kerri became the key to the American women’s gymnastic team receiving the gold medal. If she could ace her turn to ...read more

    Scripture:

    Tags:

  • The Shepherd's Voice

    Contributed by Sermon Central on May 10, 2012
     | 9,986 views

    THE SHEPHERD'S VOICE If you know and follow Jesus as Shepherd you will be able to flee from untruth and ungodly belief systems. D.L. Moody told the following: A friend, who was traveling in the East, heard that there was a shepherd who still kept up the custom of calling his sheep by name. He ...read more

    Scripture:

    Tags:

  • My Friend Will Find Me

    Contributed by Sermon Central on May 16, 2012
    based on 1 rating
     | 3,518 views

    MY FRIEND WILL FIND ME Sam was a great bird dog. If he pointed to a clump of bushes, there surely was a bird in there. He was much more than just a bird dog. Often we’d share together lazy lunches in an abandoned apple orchard, and the snooze that followed. Late one afternoon, Sam and I became ...read more

    Scripture:

    Tags:

  • A Salesman Meets The Inventor

    Contributed by Sermon Central on May 17, 2012
     | 3,830 views

    A SALESMAN MEETS THE INVENTOR In 1969, in a science lab in New Jersey, Canadian physicist Willard Boyle and his colleagues invented the concept of an electronic eye. Using their knowledge of mathematics and the behavior of light, they provided the science behind digital cameras known as a ...read more

    Scripture:

    Tags:

  • Could It Happen Every Day?

    Contributed by Tim Smith on Jul 1, 2012
     | 1,376 views

    COULD IT HAPPEN EVERY DAY? Jeff Ingle tells the story of spending four days with 75 other pastors in a Pastor's Prayer Summit in Wisconsin. He writes, "In my time I've been to many camps, conferences and retreats but never have I been to anything like this. For four days, we met together with no ...read more

    Tags:

    Denomination: Methodist

  • The Great Boston Fire Of ...

    Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 27, 2012
     | 3,908 views

    THE GREAT BOSTON FIRE OF 1872 In the great Boston fire of 1872, sixty-five acres of land was destroyed. The damage totaled up to $75 million but in our day would be somewhere in the neighborhood of $3 billion. Hundreds of businesses were destroyed. Someone came along and wrote a message on a rough ...read more

    Scripture:

    Tags:

  • Don't Worry Be ...

    Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 8, 2012
     | 6,614 views

    DON’T WORRY BE HAPPY The song Don’t Worry Be Happy was a late 80’s chart buster as it gained phenomenal success for such a simple song. The lyrics written by Bobby McFerrin were copied from original Indian sage from the late 1800’s whose mantra was one of peace. I remember the first time I heard ...read more

    Scripture:

    Tags:

  • The Missionary Service Of Henry ...

    Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 16, 2012
     | 3,986 views

    THE MISSIONARY SERVICE OF HENRY MARTYN Henry Martyn had already done more than his share of missionary service in India by his late 20s when he announced he was going to Persia. Doctors had told him that the heat would kill him if he stayed in India, and the heat in Persia was worse. Martyn ...read more

    Scripture:

    Tags:

  • A Father's Legacy

    Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 30, 2012
    based on 1 rating
     | 8,883 views

    A FATHER’S LEGACY Ken Hemphill tells the story of what took place at his church when he was pastor of FBC of Norfolk. He was out on the sidewalk welcoming people as they got out of their cars. About 3rd in line was a father & his teenage son. The father had a golf shirt on, and he evidently was ...read more

    Scripture:

    Tags:

  • Praying To People

    Contributed by Perry Greene on May 28, 2013
     | 1,945 views

    PRAYING TO PEOPLE Two young boys were spending the night at their grandparents. At bedtime, the two boys knelt beside their beds to say their prayers when the youngest one began praying at the top of his lungs. "I PRAY FOR A NEW BICYCLE... I PRAY FOR A NEW PLAYSTATION... I PRAY FOR A NEW VCR..." ...read more

    Tags:

    Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

  • Position Versus Discipleship

    Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 7, 2013
    based on 1 rating
     | 5,655 views

    POSITION VERSUS DISCIPLESHIP C. Gene Wilkes, in his book Jesus on Leadership, says, "Confusion arises when you equate higher 'positions' with leadership . . . As long as 'position' is honored above discipleship -- being a follower -- church leaders will honor the ambitious over the obedient." We ...read more

    Scripture:

    Tags:

  • Authority Vs. Power  PRO

    Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 12, 2014
    based on 2 ratings
     | 9,527 views

    AUTHORITY VS. POWER There's a difference between power and authority. If you have authority, but no power, your authority is useless. A government man was taking geological readings for the Department of the Interior. He approached one farmer and said, "I've been authorized by the government to ...read more

    Scripture:

    Tags:

  • The Hilarious Baptism Experience!

    Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Mar 2, 2014
    based on 1 rating
     | 13,003 views

    I remember the time I came to the platform to officiate in a formal wedding. I had just come out of the bathroom and didn't realize until I was in front of all those people that stuck to my shoe and trailing behind was an eight-foot stream of toilet paper I remember the time I looked down in ...read more

    Scripture:

    Tags:

    Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

  • The Importance Of Forgiveness

    Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 13, 2014
    based on 1 rating
     | 6,322 views

    Life assurance is far more valuable and important than life insurance. One famous atheist said, "The one thing I envy about you Christians is that you have someone to forgive you." A man by the name of Val Patterson died on July 12th of this year due to cancer. He knew the end was coming, so he ...read more

    Scripture:

    Tags: