In Sermon Illustrations: "Sharpening Your Ax"

Sharing Sermon Notes, Stories And Outlines To Further The Gospel Of Jesus

Contributed by John T Brantley on Dec 22, 2015

When all through the town, Folks were snuggled comfy and sound. All my night guests had checked in, And I was exhausted and tucked in my kin, When out at the door the I heard a swift rap, of the door knocker knocking interrupting my nap. I sprang up from my cot to see what was the issue, Couldn’t ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:1-20

Tags: Christmas, Christmas Eve, Inn Keeper, No Room In The Inn

Denomination: United Methodist

Hugging

Contributed by Don Berry-Graham on Mar 1, 2016

Once at a young girl’s funeral, I had to make just such a decision. The girl’s father was a member of our church and an air force serviceman. He was an aide on Air Force One and had flown with the president many times. A few generals and lots of upper-crust brass attended the funeral. When it came ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:20

Tags: Touch, Healing Touch, Hugging

Denomination: Baptist

Second Chances

Contributed by Tim Smith on Sep 25, 2016

David Emory tells the story of baptizing a young father who had a 7 year old and 5 year old. They were close friends of his family and had never been a part of a church. But one Sunday, they came to worship, he gave his life to Christ and was baptized. At the end of the service, after everyone else ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 6:1-8

Tags: Sin, Repentance, Woe, Second Chances

Denomination: Methodist

A Modern Day (Sports) Parable

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Aug 21, 2019

The Parable Of The Free Agent Hockey Players “For the kingdom of heaven is like a rich sports owner who went out at 6 AM on July 1st , free agency day, to find players for his hockey team. At the local Starbucks he found a Superstar player. He said, “I’ll make you a good offer. - $5 million per ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 20:1-16

Tags: Grace, Gospel, Kingdom Of God

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Pearl

Contributed by Bala Samson on Jun 23, 2020

From where do you get pearls? Have you wondered? Do they grow on trees? Can they be found under earth? No…no… Pearls come from a living sea creature: the oyster. Rare, gorgeous round jewels that are not found under the sea, inside the oysters. How is the pearl produced inside the pearl? A ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:45

Tags: Transformation, Seeking, Pearls

Denomination: Pentecostal

My Little Light

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Oct 26, 2021

I HAVE A COMPELLING FOCUS TO REACH MY GOD POTENTIAL… MY CANDLE? I FIND THE ROOM SO DARK… WILL MY LITTLE LIGHT MAKE A DIFFERENCE? WILL I CONSIDER MY SEEDS, MY LITTLE CANDLE, THE LIGHT… James 3:5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:14-16, James 3:5

Tags: Light, Consumed

Denomination: Assembly Of God

The Most Incredible Birthday Miracle

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Nov 20, 2022

I heard a missionary from Brazil tell an amazing story of the faithfulness of God at an Evangelism Conference in Dallas several years ago. He said that there was a woman named Maria in his country who was an unbeliever who was celebrating her 30th birthday. On that day, she looked up to Heaven ...read more

Tags: Evangelism, Missions, Prayer, Miracles, Testimony, Will Of God, Waiting On God, Faithfulness Of God, Sovereignty Of God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Motives For Meditation

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Mar 25, 2024

Dietrich Bonhoeffer required his seminarians to give half an hour each morning to scripture meditation. Many of the students struggled with this task, so he wrote these instructions to help them understand the importance of meditation and to help them learn how to meditate on God’s Word. Why do I ...read more

Tags: Meditation, Quiet Time, Spiritual Discipline, Devotionals, Bible, Prayer, Word Of God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

How To Use A Gospel Tract

Contributed by John Bright on Feb 20, 2025

How to use a Gospel Tract You are all receiving an envelope with a variety of gospel tracts from a ministry, Moments With The Book – www.mwtb.org You can go to their website and see all the different tracts and order any of them you like. Today, look over the ones that are in your envelope. ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:15, John 3:16, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Ephesians 2:8  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Evangelism, Salvation, Prayer, Gospel Tract

Denomination: Methodist

[177]. A Message From A Poem – Lord, Open My Eyes

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Aug 26, 2025

[177]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – LORD, OPEN MY EYES Opened eyes is truly a marvellous thing. The term “eyes opened” comes to mean understanding and awareness of what is reality or of what is happening. Only once in the whole bible are the words “open my eyes” found, and it is this verse – ...read more

Scripture: John 12:21, 2 Kings 6:17, Psalm 119:18

Tags: The Word Of God, The Bible, Eyes Opened, Christian Poems, Wonderful Things, Understanding, Open My Eyes  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[269]. A Message From A Poem – The Hem Of His Garment

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 20, 2026

[269]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THE HEM OF HIS GARMENT This is a short poem resulting from thinking about just what a small touch did. I can imagine this woman being hesitant and withdrawing in shyness, hoping she’d be cured but nor causing trouble. However the Lord knew all things. God knows ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 9:19-22, Matthew 9:4, 1 Samuel 16:7

Tags: Fringe, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, Touched His Garment, 12 Years Bleeding, Faith, Healing, Wholeness, Hem, Touch  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Star Spangled Banner  PRO

Contributed by Michael Gibney on Jun 8, 2002

THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER Oh, say can you see, by the dawn’s early light, What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight, O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming? And the rockets’ red glare, the ...read more

Tags: Political Freedom, Independence Day

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Durer Brothers: No One Makes It Alone

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 23, 2011

THE DURER BROTHERS: NO ONE MAKES IT ALONE Back in the fifteenth century, in a tiny village near Nuremberg, lived a family with eighteen children. Eighteen! In order merely to keep food on the table for this big family, the father and head of the household, a goldsmith by profession, worked almost ...read more

Scripture: John 15:12-13

Tags: Giving Yourself

I Was Scammed!

Contributed by Paul Robinson on Mar 7, 2023

It was the summer after my freshman year of Bible college. On this particular day, I was lounging at home, when all of a sudden, my cell phone rang. I didn't recognize the number, but I answered anyway. The man on the other end said, "Congratulations! You've won the Dreams Come True ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:10

Tags: Scams, Wasted Life, The Devil's Tricks

Denomination: Baptist

The Lesson Of Grace

Contributed by Jm Raja Lawrence on Sep 22, 2023

The Lesson of Grace In a serene, sunlit park nestled within a bustling city, an old man sat on a weathered bench, enjoying the simple pleasures of life. His wrinkled face bore the marks of wisdom, and his eyes held stories of countless yesterdays. Passersby often found themselves drawn to his calm ...read more

Scripture: James 3:17, Ephesians 4:32, Colossians 4:6, Colossians 3:13

Tags: Grace, Forgiving One Another, Kind To One Another

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

One Night A Wife Found Her Husband Standing Over ...  PRO

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Aug 14, 2001

One night a wife found her husband standing over their infant’s crib. As she watched him looking down at their very first baby, she saw on his face a mixture of emotions: …disbelief, doubt, delight, amazement, enchantment, skepticism. Touched by this unusual display and the deep emotions it ...read more

Tags: Thought, Romantic Love, Mind, Marriage Obligations, Dealing With Conflicts  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Father Wants Us To Be Filled Only With ...  PRO

Contributed by Paul Wallace on Sep 8, 2001

“The Father wants us to be filled only with His Christ. Will you let Him deal so thoroughly in His love, until you are consumed with Him, having to continually depend upon Him, instead of anything of yourself? For God to take you deeper into Himself, He must expose all in you that is not of ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 3:19

Tags: Discipleship, Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Murderer Broke Into An Old Couple’s ...  PRO

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Dec 3, 2001

A murderer broke into an old couple’s bedroom. Before he pulled the trigger on his victims, he always made a point of asking them their names. When he asked the woman for her name, she said, "Elizabeth." The man with the gun said, "Oh, I can’t shoot you because that is my mother’s name." Then he ...read more

Tags: Emotions

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

C. S. Lewis Recounts That When He First Started ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2001

C. S. Lewis recounts that when he first started going to church he disliked the hymns, which he considered to be fifth-rate poems set to sixth-rate music. But as he continued, he said, "I realized that the hymns (which were just sixth-rate music) were, nevertheless, being sung with devotion and ...read more

Tags: Humility, Church Practices

The Mark Of A Great Leader Is The Demands He ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2001

The mark of a great leader is the demands he makes upon his followers. The Italian freedom fighter Garibaldi offered his men only hunger and death to free Italy. Winston Churchill told the British people that he had nothing to offer them but "blood, sweat, toil, and tears" in their fight against ...read more

Tags: Discipleship, Commitment To Christ, Call Of The Disciples