In Sermon Illustrations: "Serving"

The Census Taker From Rome  PRO

Contributed by Dorothy Napier on Sep 21, 2009

THE CENSUS TAKER FROM ROME I am reminded of a story told of a cesus taker from Rome, who went to Galilee around 28 A.D. As he entered the region he came upon a man sitting on a donkey. he man had long hair and a flowing beard. He wore an old cloak, sandals, and beads. Pardon me the census taker ...read more

Tags: God Brings Hope

Denomination: Baptist

Receiving Confirmation For A Significant Event Or ...

Contributed by Freddy Fritz on Dec 19, 2009

Receiving confirmation for a significant event or activity is often important. When I was in the South African Air Force serving as an Air Traffic Controller, I used to tease the permanent force guys mercilessly. At a certain time each year they would receive news of promotions and new assignments. ...read more

Tags: Prophecy

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Miss Bettye And Her All-Night Prayer Kitchen  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 1, 2010

MISS BETTYE AND HER ALL-NIGHT PRAYER KITCHEN Just this last September (2009), the Chicago Tribune ran a story about Bettye Tucker, a Christian cook who works the night shift at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago. She has been doing her job for 43 years -- 28 of them on the night shift. On ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:14-16

Tags: Christian Witness

College President Stoops To Child's ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 18, 2010

College President Stoops to Child’s Level Our world places little value on children, but Jesus says they are the most important people of all. Why? Because to be little is to be great in God’s eyes, and to receive a child is like receiving Christ. It’s a lesson Jesus wanted His disciples to ...read more

Scripture: John 1:14

Tags: Christmas, Incarnation

I Just Want Bread  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 6, 2010

"I Just Want Bread" There was a beggar who came and sat before a baker. "I want bread," he said. "How wise you are," the baker assured him. "Bread is what you need. And you have come to the right bakery." So he pulled his cookbook down from his shelf and began to tell the beggar all he knew about ...read more

Scripture: John 6:25-59

Tags: Jesus Teachings

There Is Something Convenient About Being A ...

Contributed by Thomas Cash on Mar 9, 2010

There is something convenient about being a fence-straddler. We think we can have the best of both worlds. But in order to make a real commitment to Jesus Christ, we have to weigh our options. Anyone who has ever struggled with their faith will come out stronger. One of my biggest personal ...read more

Tags: Prayer Of Faith

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

When I First Met Peter Sumner He Was Blind. As A ...

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Mar 26, 2010

When I first met PETER SUMNER he was blind. As a young man a terrible accident burned his eyes and left him without his sight. He walked down the aisles of the first Church I served in and his hand knocked the edge of the pew with quite some force. Until that time it didn't occur to me how easily ...read more

Tags: Sight, Miracles Of Jesus

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Missionary Paralyzed Learns How To Thrive In ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 1, 2010

Missionary Paralyzed Learns How To Thrive in Suffering Scott Larson shared a personal encounter. “Annette and her husband were missionaries in Western Europe when she began to have pain in her back. When the pain became so unbearable that she could no longer function, even with muscle relaxants, ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 23:1-6

Tags: Suffering Joy In, Joy In Trials

True Lifesavers

Contributed by Ed Sasnett on Jun 30, 2010

Nantucket, Massachusetts is located next to important shipping lanes running along the East Coast. Toward the end of the 1800s sailing ships were in their heyday. Nantucket Island saw hundreds of vessels passing by each day—all navigating without the advantages of modern technology. Treacherous ...read more

Tags: Evangelism Urgency

Denomination: Baptist

Take A Young Man From A Wealthy Family, Strip Him ...

Contributed by Tobin Crenshaw on Aug 15, 2010

Take a young man from a wealthy family, strip him of all of his money until he finds himself homeless and has to beg on the street, hold him in a cell as a prisoner of war in a foreign land, and turn his family against him and what are the odds you would give for him to impact the world? Or ...read more

Tags: Sports, Trust God

Denomination: Brethren

Truly Thankful: J. B. Fuqua

Contributed by Richard Jumper on Nov 16, 2010

TRULY THANKFUL: J. B. FUQUA When J. B. Fuqua was just a boy, someone lent him a helping hand. And he paid them back millions of times over for their kindness. J. B. grew up in rural Virginia in the years after World War I. Those were lean times for many people. J. B. made up his mind at a young ...read more

Scripture: Luke 17:11-19

Tags: Gratitude

Denomination: Disciples Of Christ

The Empty Gift

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 26, 2011

THE EMPTY GIFT God offers us more than this world does, but most of us never take the time to see it. There was a 15-year old boy named Joey, whose mother died at birth. She was a severe alcoholic, and that had affected his pre-natal development. The result was that he was slightly ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:1-20

Tags: Christmas

Never Go Hungry Again

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 14, 2011

NEVER GO HUNGRY AGAIN Fred and Cheryl went to Haiti in 1985 to bring a child home that they had adopted. Addie was five years old. Her parents had been killed in a traffic accident that left her without a family, but as she walked across the tarmac to board the plane, the tiny orphan reached up ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:19

Tags: God's Provision

Community: A Lost Art  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 14, 2011

COMMUNITY: A LOST ART I inherited an old trunk that sat in my grandma’s basement. It had belonged to the generation before, who had used it to bring their possessions across the sea from Sweden. It sits in my dining room. It smells a little musty, but I treasure it as a link to my heritage. I was ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:42-47

Tags: Hospitality

The Purpose Of Marriage

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 6, 2011

THE PURPOSE OF MARRIAGE God is the Helper of His people! Does that mean He is inferior to them? Does that mean He is second-rate? No way! He is the Sovereign Creator of the Universe. He is in no way inferior to His creation. So it is with women. Even though God made her to help her man, she is ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 1:26

Tags: Marriage General

God Is Absolute

Contributed by Tim White on Apr 4, 2013

GOD IS ABSOLUTE If we bought a new piano or a new organ and moved it into the sanctuary, we would need to tune it, or everything else, typically. The impression is that there are differences in how the instruments are tuned. If the new piano is tuned a little higher than the old equipment, then ...read more

Tags: Truth

Denomination: Baptist

The Gift Of Grace And Forgiveness In Our Time Of Greatest Need

Contributed by Tim Smith on Aug 13, 2017

Julian Silva tells the story of working in a Volunteer Corp’s Chaplain Office in Frankfurt, Germany where he met a German named, Carl Scholtz. During WW II, Carl served as a Nazi soldier but not believing in what he was doing, he tried to desert. He failed in his attempt, was captured and thrown ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-10

Tags: Grace, Forgiveness

Denomination: Methodist

Servant

Contributed by Ed Sasnett on Mar 27, 2018

Nantucket, Massachusetts is located next to important shipping lanes running along the East Coast. Toward the end of the 1800s, sailing ships were in their heyday. Nantucket Island saw hundreds of vessels passing by each day—all navigating without the advantages of modern technology. Treacherous ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:1-27

Tags: Evangelism, Servant Attitude

Denomination: Baptist

Forgiveness - Emanuel Ame Church And Renee Napier Stories

Contributed by Kerry Haynes on Aug 19, 2018

Christians of all people should lead the way in forgiveness. And some do. On June 17, 2015, Dylann Roof entered a Bible study group at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Even though he was white, he received a warm welcome from the all-black congregation. When the group closed ...read more

Tags: Second Chance, Releasing To God, Forgiveness, Moving Forward, Anger  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Hold That Thought!

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Jan 23, 2020

One church where I served as pastor has a ping-pong table in the fellowship hall, and sometimes a younger member or two asked me to join them in a game. Now, I was old enough to be their grandfather but that doesn’t stop them from asking! I did appreciate the fact that these youngsters, aged around ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:8

Tags: Children, Thoughts, Fun And Games

Denomination: Baptist