In Sermon Illustrations: "Sermon Opener"

Wrong Side

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Aug 18, 2009

WRONG SIDE A woman rang the doorbell of a house and introduced herself to the little girl who opened the door by saying, "Hello! I’m your great-aunt on your daddy’s side." The little one ...read more

Tags: Family

Denomination: Pentecostal

A Small Congregation In The Foothills Of The ...  PRO

Contributed by Richard Crow on Sep 2, 2003

A small congregation in the foothills of the Great Smokies built a new sanctuary on a piece of land willed to them by a church member. Ten days before the new church was to open, the local building inspector informed the pastor that the parking lot was inadequate for the size of the building. Until ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 21:21

Tags: Prayer Adoration, Prayer Answered

Denomination: Baptist

Do You Remember Your High School Reunion? Many ...  PRO

Contributed by D. Greg Ebie on Nov 20, 2004

Do you remember your high school reunion? Many who attend the 5 and 10 year class reunions just want to impress each other with how successful they have become. By the 20th many have given up on impressing their friends and are just happy to survive. As you near the age of 40 you can begin to ...read more

Tags: Money

Denomination: Assembly Of God

A Small Congregation In The Foothills Of The ...  PRO

Contributed by Paul Wallace on Mar 25, 2010

A small congregation in the foothills of the Great Smokies built a new sanctuary on a piece of land willed to them by a church member. Ten days before the new church was to open, the local building inspector informed the pastor that the parking lot was inadequate for the size of the building. Until ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:1-10

Tags: Faith, Mountain Moving

Denomination: Wesleyan

Location, Location, Location

Contributed by Peter Loughman on Apr 15, 2010

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION Back in 1991, I did an internship as a hospital chaplain in Philadelphia. At that time, AIDS was a new thing, and honestly, the hospital wasn’t sure how to handle people with AIDS, they were not sure what precautions to take when treating AIDS patients, so they took ...read more

Tags: Affliction

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Skeptic Attended Church For Four Sundays On ...  PRO

Contributed by Charles R. Swindoll on Sep 27, 2004

A skeptic attended church for four Sundays on which the preacher presented the basic beliefs of Christanity. The skeptic listened intently to the sermons. After the fourth message he came forward, saying he had received Christ as his Savior. The delighted preacher asked which of the four sermons ...read more

Tags: Evangelism How To

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Little Things Can Change The Direction Of Big Things

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 13, 2014

Tim George gave the example of two warships that had the largest full-load displacement in the world: U.S. Navy aircraft carriers. The USS Nimitz and Dwight D. Eisenhower each weigh about 91,000 tons. They are over 1,000 feet long and can travel over 30 knots per hour, powered by engines that can ...read more

Scripture: James 3:1-12

Tags: Ship, Tongue

True Believer  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 2, 2008

TRUE BELIEVER There was a young seminarian who was taking an oral examination for his ordination process. During the questioning, one of the examiners asked him if he believed in a personal devil. "No," he replied, "I do not believe in the devil." Hearing this, the examiners began to discuss the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:24-43

Tags: Church General

Bag Of Candy  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 2, 2008

Bag of Candy A young boy was arrested and brought before the judge for taking a bag of candy from the shelf of a local store. The owner of the store pressed charges because he wanted the boy to learn a lesson. After a lecture from the judge, the judge asked the young boy if he had anything to say ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:1-17

Tags: Forgiveness General

Am I An Enabler?

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Feb 7, 2023

Text, Galatians 6:6, KIV: 6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. Not long ago I had lunch with a pastor friend. We talked about several different things but when I mentioned something I had seen on Sermon Central, he was alarmed! He asked me, ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:6

Tags: Communication, Humor, Pastors

Denomination: Baptist

How Do You Look At It?  PRO

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Oct 18, 2000

How Do You Look at It? A shoe manufacturer who decided to open the Congo market sent two salesmen to the undeveloped territory. One salesman cabled back: "Prospect here nil. No one wears shoes." The other salesman reported ...read more

Tags: Faith General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Couple Was Strolling Along An Ocean Side Beach ...  PRO

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Apr 2, 2007

A couple was strolling along an ocean side beach and noticed a bottle floating in the water. They waded out toward it and saw it contained a note. They eagerly opened the bottle and read the note. It said: "I’m marooned on a tropical island. ...read more

Denomination: Independent/Bible

A Lady Walked Up To Some Christians And Asked ...

Contributed by Charles Wallis on Jul 8, 2009

A lady walked up to some Christians and asked them for a "church key" (the kind to open her bottle of beer). Instead, they offered her a key to the church and invited her to come. Even though she ...read more

Tags: Evangelism, Evangelism Urgency

Denomination: Pentecostal

The Definition For Intimacy Is The Condition Of ...

Contributed by Richard Francis on May 10, 2008

The definition for intimacy is the condition of being friends. Basically friendship is related to closeness, companionship, comradeship, fellowship and family. It's about close relationship, being open to one another, taking the guard off your heart and ...read more

Tags: Christian Love

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

U2 Singer Bono, In A Private Meeting In June 2001 ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 23, 2002

U2 singer Bono, in a private meeting in June 2001 on the Hill in Washington, D.C., said, “I believe that the Kingdom of Heaven is taken by force. God doesn’t mind if we bang on the door to heaven sometimes, asking him to listen to what we have to say.” SOURCE: Aaron ...read more

Tags: Prayer Adoration, Prayer How To

My ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 2, 2008

My Friend My friend, I stand in judgment now. And I feel that you are to blame somehow. On earth I walked with you day by day. But never did you point the way. You knew the Lord, In His truth and His glory. But never did you share the story! My knowledge then was very dim. You could have ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 6:1-8

Tags: Evangelism Urgency

In Whose Presence You Stand  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 13, 2009

IN WHOSE PRESENCE YOU STAND On March 22, 1824 an incident took place in Madison County, Indiana, which came to be known as the Fall Creek Massacre. Six white men murdered nine Seneca and Miami Indians and wounded another. Among the nine dead were three women and four children. The six men were ...read more

Scripture: John 8:1-11

Tags: Forgiveness General

Man Sentenced To Hang For Indian Massacre ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 14, 2009

Man Sentenced to Hang for Indian Massacre Pardoned On March 22, 1824 an incident took place in Madison County, Indiana, which came to be known as the Fall Creek Massacre. Six white men murdered nine Seneca and Miami Indians and wounded another. Among the nine dead were three women and four ...read more

Scripture: John 8:1-11

Tags: Forgiveness, Forgiveness General

What's Your Dream?

Contributed by Grant Van Boeschoten on Apr 22, 2008

WHAT'S YOUR DREAM? Mathew Barnett, at the young age of 20, was asked by his father Tommy Barnett to pastor an Inner City Church in Los Angeles. The first day that Mathew was at the Church it had a congregation of forty people. But instead of growing under his young and enthusiastic leadership, ...read more

Tags: Dreams

G ...

Contributed by Tony Abram on Jul 5, 2009

God Grant me to be silent before you-- that I may hear you; at rest in you-- that you may work in me; open to you-- that you may enter; empty before you-- that you may fill me. ...read more

Tags: Prayer Confession, Confidence In Prayer