In Sermon Illustrations: "Serve Others"

Pappy Was A Pleasant Fellow. His Face Was Quite ...  PRO

Contributed by Steve Heartsill on Oct 25, 2000

Pappy was a pleasant fellow. His face was quite drawn from age, but when he smiled, even his wrinkles seemed to smile with him. Pappy owned a pawnshop. Everyone who knew him respected and adored him. There was a room in the back of his shop where he spent time tinkering with his own precious items. ...read more

Tags: Parable Prodigal Son, Parenting, Forgiveness For Others

Denomination: Baptist

Listen To This True Story. Rabbi Michael ...  PRO

Contributed by Melvin Newland on Jan 28, 2001

ILL. Listen to this true story. Rabbi Michael Weisser lived in Lincoln, Nebraska. And for more than 3 years, Larry Trapp, a self-proclaimed Nazi & Ku Klux Klansman, directed a torrent of hate-filled mailings & phone calls toward him. Trapp promoted white supremacy, anti-Semitism, & other ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:20, Galatians 3:1-14

Tags: Racism, Pearl Harbor, Forgiveness For Others, Compassion

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

We Talk About Forgiveness A Lot. But We Know ...  PRO

Contributed by Mary Lewis on Feb 2, 2001

We talk about forgiveness a lot. But we know very little of it. We have heard the offer so often that we have lost the wonder of it. German scholar Helmut Thielicke said, "It can be the death of ...read more

Tags: God's Forgiveness, God The Father, Forgiveness For Others

Denomination: Baptist

They Who Wish To Be Saved Must Imitate Those ...  PRO

Contributed by Wayne Burnett on Feb 26, 2001

"...They who wish to be saved must imitate those who take a city by storm-- rush into it ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 11:12

Tags: Forgiveness For Others, Becoming A Christian, Lordship Of Christ

Denomination: Church Of God

One Of The Most Incredible Stories Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Melvin Newland on Mar 13, 2001

ILL. One of the most incredible stories of forgiveness I’ve ever heard came out of Tulsa, OK, a couple of years ago. Tom McGee was a young man who went out for a night of partying & revelry. He got drunk & ran head-on into a car driven by a young man by the name of Ted Morris. He killed Ted ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:43-48, Leviticus 19:17-18, Romans 12:17-21, Matthew 18:21-22, Jonah 4:1-10, Matthew 18:23-35  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Cross Agony, Forgiveness General, Forgiveness For Others

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Tony Crawford Was A Police Officer In The Dallas ...  PRO

Contributed by Melvin Newland on Mar 13, 2001

Tony Crawford was a police officer in the Dallas Police Department. He was shot by two teenagers & was left paralyzed from the waist down. Finally, the trials were completed, & the last assailant was found guilty & sent to prison. But there was a really tender scene pictured in the newspaper ...read more

Tags: God The Father, Forgiveness For Others, Forgiveness General

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Leonardo Da Vinci, Just Before He Commenced Work ...  PRO

Contributed by Jeeva Sam on Mar 20, 2001

Leonardo Da Vinci, just before he commenced work on his "Last Supper" had a violent argument with a fellow painter. Leonardo was so bitter that he determined to paint the face of his enemy, the other artist, into the face of Judas, and thus take his revenge by handing the man down in infamy and ...read more

Scripture: Luke 6:27-36

Tags: Forgiveness For Others, Forgiveness General, God's Forgiveness

Denomination: Methodist

The Father’s Reaction To The Prodigal Son ...  PRO

Contributed by Charles Mallory on Mar 23, 2001

THE FATHER’S REACTION TO THE PRODIGAL SON AND HIS ELDER SON MIRRORS THE ANSWER ABRAHAM LINCOLN GAVE TO A QUESTION HE WAS ASKED ABOUT HOW HE WOULD TREAT THE ALL THE CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS ONCE THE CIVIL WAR WAS OVER. EXPECTING VENGEANCE AND EVEN THOUGHTS OF EXECUTION BECAUSE OF ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:14-16

Tags: Forgiveness For Others, Grace, Parable Prodigal Son

Denomination: Free Methodist

Dr. Karl Menninger, The Famed ...  PRO

Contributed by Larry Sarver on Apr 30, 2001

Illustration: Dr. Karl Menninger, the famed psychiatrist, once said that if he "could convince the patients in psychiatric hospitals that their sins were ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness For Others, Forgiveness General, God's Forgiveness

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Little Boy Just Got Saved And Sat On A Bench ...  PRO

Contributed by Mike Richardson on May 16, 2001

A little boy just got saved and sat on a bench next to old man who looked upset. The little boy said to the man, "Sir, do you need to get saved?" The man startled said abruptly, "I’ll tell you I’ve been a Deacon in this church for over 30 years and Chairman of Deacons for 15 years." The ...read more

Tags: Apologetics General, God's Forgiveness, Forgiveness For Others

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Shakespeare Wrote Of A Dying King And His Son, ...  PRO

Contributed by Michael Milton on Aug 29, 2001

Shakespeare wrote of a dying king and his son, who was hovering over him and speaking to him, "thou hast a thousand daggers in thy thoughts against me." So, did ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness For Others, Christian Love, Dealing With Conflicts

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

As Noted By Fred Smith, "Michael N. Hart, The ...  PRO

Contributed by Dana Chau on Sep 8, 2001

As noted by Fred Smith, "Michael N. Hart, the historian, says that Christianity enjoys its greatest uniqueness in this, for no other great religion tells its adherents to love their enemies. In most religions, revenge is not only justified but commanded." Because we have been greatly forgiven and ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness For Others, Forgiveness General, God The Father

Denomination: *other

New York Events  PRO

Contributed by John Gullick on Sep 12, 2001

New York events. It was the day of the tragic events in America when the New York twin towers and the Pentegon had suffered such terrible attack. That night I took the church annual meeting - He came into the meeting late. He was stooped and grey yet young for his eighty five years. The former ...read more

Tags: God's Forgiveness, Forgiveness For Others, Forgiveness General

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Wife Of A Zulu Chief Attended A Salvation ...  PRO

Contributed by David Yarbrough on Sep 17, 2001

The wife of a Zulu chief attended a Salvation Army meeting and heard and responded to the call of Jesus. When her husband heard of this he forbade her to go again on pain of death. However, eager to hear more about Jesus, she dared to go, and when her husband knew of this he met her on her return ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness For Others, Forgiveness General, God's Provision

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Doolittle Raider  PRO

Contributed by Jim Kane on Sep 23, 2001

THE DOOLITTLE RAIDER The entry for the May 8, 2000 Promise Keepers’ devotional guide, Men of Integrity, shared this story: After a daring and successful 1942 bombing raid over Japan, led by Jimmy Doolittle, Bombardier Jacob DeShazer was one of eight downed in Japanese-occupied China. The ...read more

Tags: Offering, God's Provision, Excitement, Forgiveness For Others

Denomination: Church Of God

Below Standard  PRO

Contributed by Marcus Naugler on Nov 21, 2001

BELOW STANDARD Two cows were grazing alongside a highway when a tank-truck of milk on its way to the distributor happened to pass. On one side of the truck in big red letters was a sign that read, "Pasteurized, homogenized, standardized, Vitamin A ...read more

Scripture: John 3:1-21

Tags: Forgiveness For Others, Faith Vs. Works, Grace

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Famous English Preacher Charles Spurgeon ...  PRO

Contributed by Ray Navarro on Dec 12, 2001

The famous English preacher Charles Spurgeon once said, "Forgive and forget. When you bury a mad dog, ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness For Others, Forgiveness General, God's Forgiveness

Denomination: Adventist

There Was Once An Absent-Minded Professor Who ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 15, 2001

There was once an absent-minded professor who became so absorbed in his work that he forgot the simplest details. One morning his wife said, "Now Henry, remember, we are moving today. Here, I’m putting this note in your pocket. Don’t forget." The day passed by and the man came home to his house. He ...read more

Tags: Leadership General, Forgiveness General, Forgiveness For Others

Showing Forgiveness To Jim Bakker  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2001

SHOWING FORGIVENESS TO JIM BAKKER Former televangelist Jim Bakker speaks of events that occurred immediately after his release from prison: When I was transferred to my last prison, Franklin [Graham] said he wanted to help me out when I got out-with a job, a house to live in, and a car. It was my ...read more

Scripture: Luke 14:8-11

Tags: Forgiveness For Others, God's Provision, God's Forgiveness

Forgiveness: Never Does The Human Soul Appear So ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2001

Forgiveness: Never does the human soul appear so strong and noble as when it forgoes revenge and dares ...read more

Tags: Love Of The Disciples, Forgiveness For Others, Forgiveness General