In Sermon Illustrations: "Sermon Starters"

Swindoll States, The Bible Never Flatters Its ...

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Sep 11, 2009

Swindoll states, The Bible never flatters its heroes. All the men and women of Scripture have feet made of clay, and when the Holy Spirit paints a portrait of their lives, He’s a very realistic artist. He doesn’t ignore, deny, or overlook the dark side. Personally, when I step into this chapter in ...read more

Tags: David

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Astronaut James Erwin Realized That God Walking ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 12, 2009

Astronaut James Erwin Realized that God Walking on Earth was More Important the Man Walking on the Moon Astronaut James Erwin is one of but a few men to walk on the moon. As he stood upon the lunar landscape and looked up at the earth, he prayed for the first time in his life. He thought about the ...read more

Scripture: John 1:14

Tags: Incarnation, Humanity Of Christ

A Quaker Woman Wonders If Godly Living Will ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 16, 2009

A Quaker Woman Wonders if Godly Living will Attract Unbelievers to her Religion A GODLY QUAKER came up to her pastor and said, "Pastor, I think, and wonder if you do also, that if one lived beautifully and walked correctly and stayed away from evil that others seeing us would be inclined to love ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:14-16

Tags: Christian Witness

How The Masai Tribe Demonstrates Thanksgiving ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 19, 2009

How the Masai Tribe Demonstrates Thanksgiving with Humility The Masai tribe in West Africa have an unusual way of saying "thank you." Translators tell us that when the Masai express thanks, they bow, put their forehead on the ground and say, "My head is in the dirt." When members of another African ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 95:1-11

Tags: Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Holiday

Be Found Doing Your Duty  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 27, 2009

BE FOUND DOING YOUR DUTY "Keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come"(Matt 24:42). A man named Col Davenport was speaker of the Connecticut house of representatives in the late 1700s. On May 19, 1780, the sky of Hartford darkened ominously, and some of the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 24:42

Tags: Obedience

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)

One Sunday Morning, Satan Happened To Be ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

One Sunday morning, Satan happened to be standing outside of a large Baptist Church. Inside, the people were singing, praying, and listening to a sermon. Someone passed by on the sidewalk and noticed Satan standing on the steps of the church. The passerby asked Satan if it bothered him to hear the ...read more

Tags: Worship Benefits

Always Had An Uplifting Prayer  PRO

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Oct 6, 2007

Illustration: Always Had an Uplifting Prayer There are times when we just can’t seem to be thankful. The Scottish minister Alexander Whyte was known for his uplifting prayers in the pulpit. He always found something for which to be grateful. One Sunday morning the weather was so gloomy that one ...read more

Denomination: Other