In Sermon Illustrations: "Sharpening Your Ax"

Love Your Enemies

Contributed by David Simpson on Feb 19, 2018

After the horrific school shooting in Broward County, Florida on February 14, 2018, several prayer vigils were held in the community. The vigil on Thursday evening ended with a request for everyone to write one specific act of good that they would perform in the coming days and weeks as a way to ...read more

Tags: Persecution, Tragedy, Bitterness, Love Your Enemies

Denomination: Christian Church

God Is Your Father

Contributed by Barry O Johnson on Jul 25, 2018

As a child, before my brothers and sisters and I would sit down for breakfast, we would ask our father what we could do to please him so that he would let us eat breakfast. He’d tell us. If we wanted lunch money for school we would ask our father what would please him. He’d tell us. At supper time, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:24-33

Tags: Father, God, Kingdom, Master, Seek, Gentiles, Reap, Take No Thought, Lillies  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Over Your Head

Contributed by Steve Kinnard on Feb 15, 2019

OVER YOUR HEAD I remember struggling in the water and I remember going under. I also remember the distinct feeling that I was going to die. What I learned as a young child was that one should be careful about getting in over one's head. I would like to ask you a question. How many of you can ...read more

Scripture: Ezekiel 47:1-2

Tags: Fear, Commitment

Denomination: Pentecostal

Is Your Light Shining

Contributed by Steve Kinnard on Feb 15, 2019

IS YOUR LIGHT SHINING? Many years a missionary employed a Chinese scholar to translate the New Testament into the Chinese language. The scholar was a Confucian and had never heard of Christianity until the missionary had hired him. The scholar was a painstaking person and wanted to produce a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:13-16

Tags: Reputation, Complacent

Denomination: Pentecostal

Monkey On Your Back?

Contributed by Steve Kinnard on Feb 15, 2019

Get that monkey off your Back (Heb.12:1) Intro: Inter the area carrying a stuffed animal monkey on you shoulder act like it gets heavier every step GET THAT MONKEY OFF YOUR BACK The Monkey --little baby monkey--then chimp -the gorilla Christians are always struggling, one minute they are running on ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:1

Tags: Sins, Weights

Denomination: Pentecostal

Where Is Your Scar?

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Aug 12, 2019

PHILIPPIANS 1:29 "For it has been granted unto you on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him." No wound? No scar? Yet, as the Master shall the servant be, And piercèd are the feet that follow Me. ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 1:29

Tags: Wounds, Persecution, Suffering

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Your Time On Earth

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Oct 15, 2019

You’re going to spend about 150,000 hours of your life working, which is about 40% of your waking hours. The average American spends 46 hours a week at work. If you’re a professional, you spend an average of 52 hours a week working and if you’re a small business owner/operator you work an average ...read more

Tags: Life, Business, Work, Time, Time Management  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

What Is Your Value?

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Jan 17, 2020

Matthew 16:25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? A boy asked a wise man: WHAT ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 10:29, Matthew 16:25

Tags: Mirror, Value

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Remember Your Creator

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Feb 13, 2020

How many of you remember minibikes? These “bikes” were smaller than motorcycles, and used a smaller engine. I thought they looked like lawnmower engines, but maybe they were bigger. The minibikes were fun, but you had to have space on your property to ride them. They weren’t legal for riding on the ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 12:1

Tags: Youth, Accidents, Death

Denomination: Baptist

Carry Your Cross

Contributed by Anitha Jabastion on Aug 4, 2020

A story is told about a boy who desperately wanted to meet Christ. He was praying hard about it. One day, the Lord told him to walk up the mountain carrying his cross. He took his cross and began his journey. In some time, he began to feel the heaviness of the cross. He cut out a small portion of ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:23

Tags: Denying Oneself, Following Jesus, Carrying The Cross

Wiretap Into Your Home

Contributed by Davon Huss on Aug 22, 2020

The church is the bride of Christ. If we love the groom (Jesus), we will look for positive things to say about the bride (the church). Bob Russell tells a story about how years ago, when there were multiple party telephone lines, a preacher picked up the telephone to make a call but couldn’t get ...read more

Scripture: John 13:35, 2 Corinthians 11:28-29

Tags: Speak Positively, Evangelism, Love For The Church

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Cast Your Bread

Contributed by Rev. Dr. Andrew B Natarajan on Feb 1, 2021

True Story: There was a boy who lost his parents when he was about thirteen years old. He has left an Orphan without hope of continuing his education. He was brought to a care home run by a Pastor. He was given food and education. The Pastor who believed in investing in young boys and girls, ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 11:1-2

Tags: Give Gospel, Care For Poor

Denomination: Methodist

Sharing Your Testimony!

Contributed by Tony Abram on Apr 4, 2021

My wife Marge said she was 8 years old when during a time of revival in Alberta, Canada she received Jesus as her own personal Saviour. This was in 1948 and the next day she could hardly wait to tell all her friends about Jesus and how she was saved. ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:8

Tags: Salvation, Testimony

Choosing Your Attitude

Contributed by David Swanger on Jan 24, 2024

In his book Take the Stairs, Roy Vaden tells of visiting Jamaica and complaining to the cab driver about the rain. The cab driver smiled and responded, “In Jamaica, man, we don’t have rain; we only have liquid sunshine.” As they drove through town, Vaden commented on how annoying all the speed ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 118:24

Tags: Attitude, Choice

Pleasing Your Dad

Contributed by Loyd C. Taylor on May 27, 2024

PLEASING YOUR FATHER This one guy seemed to be very concerned about pleasing his dad. The story goes like this… One day a young boy was driving a load of hay to the market. He came around a corner too fast and his trailer load of hay tipped over. The young man stopped the tractor, jumped out and ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:1-4, Exodus 20:12, Deuteronomy 27:16, Proverbs 20:20, Romans 13:7, John 14:1-11  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Honor, Father's Day, Dads, Farmers

Denomination: Baptist

Go In This Might Of Yours

Contributed by Samuel M on Jul 17, 2024

When Israelites were oppressed by the Midianites, God came to Gideon and said “Go in this might of yours and deliver Israelites”. God did not bestow on Gideon any additional or greater strength and wisdom, but said that the existing might of his was sufficient to deliver the Israelites. So many ...read more

Scripture: Judges 6:14

Tags: Faith, Hope

Taking Your Cut

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 22, 2025

A lady lost her handbag in the bustle of Christmas shopping. It was found by an honest little boy and returned to her. Looking in her purse, she commented, "That's funny. When I lost my bag there was only a $100 bill in it. Now there are five $20 bills." The boy quickly replied, ...read more

Tags: Shrewd, Self Interest

Denomination: Independent/Bible

What Is Your Legacy?

Contributed by Russell Brownworth on Sep 16, 2008

What is Your Legacy? This week I had the extreme privilege of praying at a ceremony honoring the memory of Sandra Waugh Bradshaw, one of the heroic flight crew of 9/11's Flight 93. Sandy went to Grays Chapel and had ties to this community. I want to suggest to you that in the moment that brave ...read more

Tags: Christian Love

Denomination: United Methodist

Your Chains Are Gone

Contributed by Donny Granberry on Sep 23, 2008

Your Chains Are Gone You will never be a visionary if you cannot see your future. I had a Lab when we were pastored before, and I kept her on a chain. In a few days she had worn the ground to dirt all the way to the end of her chain. She would take off and stop at the dirt just before the ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 3:1-15

Tags: God Brings Hope

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Pass Your Wisdom

Contributed by Charles Whitmire on Sep 28, 2008

Pass Your Wisdom You and I are supposed to be passing wisdom to each other... Here's the good news - every one of you can do that! Every one of you has the potential to pass on wisdom: To help someone grow, to help inspire someone, to champion someone ...to add value to their life. Every one of ...read more

Tags: Encouragement

Denomination: Baptist