In Sermon Illustrations: "Serving Others"

Somewhere I Read The Story Of A Family With A ...  PRO

Contributed by Jelle Horjus on Nov 1, 2005

Somewhere I read the story of a family with a small boy, his parents and his grandfather. It happened that every evening when the family was having dinner at the table, the old grandfather spilled the food on his clothes. He was old, his hands were trembling and he could not move the spoon to his ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:35-45

Tags: Judgment, Mercy, Forgiveness For Others, Forgiveness, Compassion  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

A Second Chance  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 8, 2011

A SECOND CHANCE Some years ago, two teenagers with a long history of crime and misbehavior robbed a YMCA on the lowest East Side of New York City. On the way out they saw a young man at the telephone switchboard. They were frightened and assumed that the man must be calling the police. They held ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 32:1-2

Tags: Love, Hope, Change, Care, Forgiveness For Others  (view more)  (view less)

Adam & Eve's Old House

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 16, 2014

ADAM AND EVE’S OLD HOUSE One day Adam was out hunting with his two boys and came up to the Garden of Eden where he and Eve had been kicked out for for eating the forbidden fruit. Adam was staring at the Garden and one of his boys said, “Daddy, what is wrong with you? Why are you ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 3:1-10

Tags: Sin, Temptation, Adam And Eve, Blaming Others

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Power Of Forgiveness  PRO

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 20, 2014

THE POWER OF FORGIVENESS An African woman gave her heart to Christ. Her husband was the chief of a Zulu tribe. When she told him what she had done, the chief beat her brutally. As she was lying in the floor bleeding, the man mocked her and said, “Now, what can your Jesus do for ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:31-32, Luke 23:34

Tags: Forgiveness, Enemy, New Birth, Forgiving Others

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

What Forgiveness Is Not...

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 27, 2014

I think there are many today who are confused about forgiveness. Let’s talk about what forgiveness IS NOT. FORGIVENESS IS NOT EASY. It is the most difficult you will ever do to forgive someone who has stolen from you, lied about, hurt you or broken a vow to you. FORGIVENESS IS NOT NATURAL. The ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 50:15-20

Tags: Forgiveness, Cross, Forgiving Others, Joseph In Egypt

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Ronald Reagan Forgave

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 27, 2014

RONALD REAGAN FORGAVE President Ronald Reagan has always been one of my heroes in life. His forgiveness of his enemies was one of the many things that made him great. Ronald Reagan's attitude after the 1982 assassination attempt on his life made an impression on his daughter, Patti Davis. As she ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 50:15-20

Tags: Enemy, Leadership, Forgiving Others, Ronald Reagan

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Loaded Gun

Contributed by Steve Kinnard on Feb 15, 2019

LOADED GUN Let's start out with a story; there's a young man standing with his eyes glazing over with shock. His eyes slowly shift in utter disbelief from the still smoking gun in his hand to his best friend laying in the floor with an ever-growing red spot on his chest. His eyes fill with ...read more

Tags: Our Sins Hurt Others, Price For Sin

Denomination: Pentecostal

The Influence Of A Pastor's Wife

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Aug 12, 2019

When William Booth, the founder of The Salvation Army, felt the call of the Lord to go into the streets of London and begin ministering to street people, he stood in a Methodist Conference meeting and requested permission from the presiding bishop to be released from his church to go into the ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 17:1-16

Tags: Pastor's Wives, Listening To God, Encouraging Others

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Story Is Told About A Woman In An Airport. She ...  PRO

Contributed by Curt Cizek on Sep 18, 2007

A story is told about a woman in an airport. She had a “red-eye” flight and it was around midnight. She was tired, but also hungry so she bought a box of cookies. She sat down and opened her hand bag, searching for a book to read. A man sat down next to her and the next thing she knew, he opened ...read more

Tags: Dealing With Conflicts, Forgiveness For Others, Giving General

Denomination: Lutheran

The Ice Storm Train (1917)

Contributed by Dr. Bradford Reaves on Dec 4, 2025

In December 1917, a massive ice storm paralyzed New England. A passenger train froze on the tracks outside Hartford, leaving hundreds stranded in subzero temperatures. The passengers had no food, no heat, and no way home on Christmas Eve. Then something remarkable happened. Families living along ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:33-40

Tags: Christmas, Helping Others, Incarnation, Humanity, Trains  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Brethren

Clever But Mean

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Jan 22, 2025

A Welshman, Scot and Englishman are walking when they come across a lantern and a genie pops out and grants them one wish each. The Scot says: “I am a sheep herder, like my dad before me. I want my country to be full of lovely sheep farms.”  Whoosh, and so it was. The Englishman was amazed and ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:1-5

Tags: Prejudice, Superiority, Getting Even, Loving Others, Vengence, Shrewdness, Ethnicity, Hating Others, Ethnic Hatred  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Satanic Duplications

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Jul 29, 2020

A cartoon when I was a kid showed a group of aliens called Meeks who came to earth and said they only existed to serve others and wanted to give everyone the desires of their heart. The world voted to allow them to do it and everyone only had to ask and it was done. With no work to do humans ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 17:9, Proverbs 16:25, 1 Peter 5:8

Tags: Lion, Deception, Satan, Lies

Denomination: Baptist

Fear, Love, Joy  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 7, 2003

FEAR, LOVE, JOY In the movie First Knight, Lancelot (played by Richard Gere) is a wanderer and highly skilled swordsman who fights for whoever will pay him. Seeing a princess and her entourage under attack in the woods, he decides to save her. Attracted to the princess, Guinevere, he later visits ...read more

Tags: God Brings Hope, Love Of The Disciples, Joy

Attitude Not Aptitude  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 6, 2011

ATTITUDE NOT APTITUDE Jesus' message here is that everybody can be great ... because anybody can serve. Dave Stone says that "service is the language of grace." One day a couple of church members were out distributing loaves of bread in a low-income housing complex. They came to an apartment ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 4:10-11, 1 Corinthians 2:9-11, Mark 12:30-31, 1 Peter 4:10, Mark 12:1-27  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Love, Servanthood

A Survey Of Hundreds Of Pastors Has Allowed Us To ...  PRO

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Oct 18, 2000

A survey of hundreds of pastors has allowed us to compile a preliminary list of measurable quality factors in the life of a congregation in ranking order. The twelve factors are: 1. Bible knowledge. Church members are increasing in their grasp of the teachings of the Bible. They can integrate ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ, Church General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Consumed With Consumerism

Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Mar 4, 2009

Consumed with Consumerism We Americans are CONSUMED with the CONSUMER mentality! We’re used to choosing whatever gives us the most "perks and bennies" at any given time. We look for a restaurant with the best price and menu and atmosphere and location. We go to the clothing store that carries ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 3:10-12

Tags: Church Purpose Of

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

At A Convention With Their Wives, Two Businessmen ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 1, 2001

At a convention with their wives, two businessmen who had been roommates in college crossed paths. They sat in the lobby all night talking. They knew they would be in trouble with their wives. The next day they happened to see each other. "What did your wife think?" "I walked in the door ...read more

Tags: Marriage General, Leadership, Forgiveness General, Forgiveness For Others

How Do You Feel About People? A Pastor Arranged ...  PRO

Contributed by Russell Brownworth on Feb 2, 2001

How do you feel about people? A pastor arranged for a gathering of the women’s auxiliary. It was to be a garden party on the church lawn, under the old oak. At the last moment, the morning of the party, Mrs. Preacher discovered she left Sister Hissyfit off the invitation list. The parson ...read more

Scripture: John 3:14-21

Tags: Forgiveness General, Forgiveness For Others, Prayer Answered, Grace

Denomination: United Methodist

Julia Had Been Singing "Softly And Tenderly" By ...  PRO

Contributed by Jeeva Sam on Apr 5, 2001

Julia had been singing "softly and Tenderly" by her father’s bedside. As the last word hummed in her throat, her father reached toward her. "I want that one," he said. His eyes rose to Julia in an urgent glare. "At the funeral?" she asked. He blinked slowly. "I’ll tell Reverend Walton," she said. ...read more

Tags: Christian Love, Forgiveness For Others, Parable Prodigal Son

Denomination: Methodist

Kay Arthur Writes: If Only… If Only He Had ...  PRO

Contributed by Greg Nance on May 3, 2001

Kay Arthur writes: If only… if only he had known… If only I had known! He had been summoned. What could he do? There was no higher authority to appeal to, no one to mediate. He had been bidden to come – and go he must. Most people looked on him with contempt because of his physical ...read more

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

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ