In Sermon Illustrations: "Slow To Speak"

Chasing A Wagging Tail  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Jun 17, 2004

CHASING A WAGGING TAIL Stephen Hawking is an astrophysicist at Cambridge University and perhaps the most intelligent man on earth. He has advanced the general theory of relativity farther than any person since Albert Einstein. Unfortunately, Hawking is afflicted with ALS Syndrome (Lou Gehrig’s ...read more

Tags: Faith, Joy

Denomination: Lutheran

Joseph Ton Was Pastor Of Second Baptist Church, ...  PRO

Contributed by Kenneth Henes on Jun 22, 2004

Joseph Ton was pastor of Second Baptist Church, Oradea, Rumania, until he was exiled by the Rumanian government in 1981. In Pastoral Renewal, he writes of his experience: "Years ago I ran away from my country to study theology at Oxford. In 1972, when I was ready to go back to Rumania, I ...read more

Tags: Examples Of Faith, Doubt

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Number Of Years Ago, Dr. Waltke, A Seminary ...  PRO

Contributed by Tim Richards on Sep 23, 2004

A number of years ago, Dr. Waltke, a seminary professor, & three pastors, one of which was Charles Swindol toured the mother church of the First Church of Christ Scientist in downtown Boston. The four were unknown to the elderly lady who was going to give them a tour. They didn’t tell her who they ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 4:1-16, Proverbs 3:27

Tags: Evangelism Fear Of, Evangelism How To

Denomination: Baptist

Do It For Them!" Ephesians 4: 25-32 Key ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Oct 6, 2004

“Do It For Them!” Ephesians 4: 25-32 Key verse(s): 29: “Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.” Motivation to do or not do something is a curious thing. There are many factors that influence motivation. We can be motivated by the fear of injury or ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:25-32

Tags: Dealing With Conflicts, Communication General

Denomination: Lutheran

In Our Greatest Gift, Henri Nouwen Tells A ...  PRO

Contributed by David Ward on Aug 26, 2006

In Our Greatest Gift, Henri Nouwen tells a parable of faith and hope. He imagines twins–a brother and a sister–talking to each other in their mother’s womb: The sister said to the brother, "I believe there is life after birth." Her brother protested vehemently, "No, no, this is all there is. This ...read more

Tags: Faith General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Man Was Watching A Little Tv On Sunday Instead ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 26, 2007

A man was watching a little TV on Sunday instead of going to church, He was watch a Church service in Atlanta honoring one of its senior pastors who had been retired many years...... The retired minister was 92 at that time and he wondered why the Church even bothered to ask the old gentleman to ...read more

Story: One Man I Admire Greatly Is Maximilian ...

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Aug 23, 2005

Story: One man I admire greatly is Maximilian Kolbe (1894-1941). Maximilian Kolbe was a Catholic priest, who was put in a Nazi concentration camp for his faith. On May 28, 1941, he was transferred to the concentration camp at Auschwitz. One day a man in Kolbe’s block escaped. All of the men ...read more

Tags: Discipleship

Denomination: Anglican

We Don't Know Half Of It  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 15, 2011

WE DON'T KNOW HALF OF IT The famous explorer Marco Polo after completing his journeys went back to his home in Venice. When he got back to his home he began to describe some of the things he had seen. But his close friends thought he had gone mad. He told then about black stones that you could ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 21:1-27

Tags: Heaven

Free Gas: God Knew

Contributed by Brad Henry on Sep 6, 2011

FREE GAS: GOD KNEW Yesterday we had an "event" at church. We were told to come with comfortable clothes and that was all the direction we received. When we got to church, the pastor said, "OK folks, today we are going to the gas station up the street. We are going to give $25.00 of gas to 150 cars ...read more

Tags: Prayer Answered

At Christmas All Roads Lead Home

Contributed by Tim Smith on Feb 19, 2012

AT CHRISTMAS ALL ROADS LEAD HOME Marjorie Holmes writes, "At Christmas, all roads lead home. The filled planes, the packed trains and overflowing buses all speak eloquently of a single destination: home. Despite the crowding and the crushing, the delays, the confusion, we clutch our bright ...read more

Tags: Christmas Eve

Denomination: Methodist

Treat Each Other Like The Answer To A Prayer  PRO

Contributed by Dave Clark on Dec 11, 2012

TREAT EACH OTHER LIKE THE ANSWER TO A PRAYER I can still see one of the great provokers in my life. I met her on a work trip to Kentucky. Our youth group was working on a woman’s house, but it wasn’t very much fun. We hated where we were. Porches and front yards littered with old cars, sofas ...read more

Scripture: Luke 8:43-48, Acts 10:30-33

Tags: Prayer Of Faith

Denomination: Disciples Of Christ

The Mirror Of The Fundamentals  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 2, 2013

THE MIRROR OF THE FUNDAMENTALS Ravi Zacharias tells the story of a man who went to School in Wheaton with Billy Graham and later entered into politics. He was a popular man and rose to become the Prime Minister of Canada. In the process of going down that way, to fame, to popularity and power, he ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 3:12-15

Tags: Fundamentals, Basics Of Christianity, Sin Bondage To

An Atheist's Perspective On Evangelism

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 13, 2014

Perhaps you've heard of Penn and Teller the comedy team who has worked Las Vegas for years. Penn Jillette is an atheist, but he recorded a video journal a few years ago telling the story about a man who waited to speak to him after one of their shows. Penn said the man was a successful businessman ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:18-20

Tags: Atheist, Evangelism Urgency

From Refuge To Valedictorian

Contributed by Matt Neace on Jun 19, 2018

2 Chronicles 15:7 God tells King Asa, "But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded." It is like the following story from the Dallas Morning News: When Albana Gllareva met her high school counselor, the Dallas freshman said bluntly, “I want to be ...read more

Tags: Goals, Focus, Ambition, Determination, Tenacity, Overcoming, Perseverance  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

The "Root” Of The Problem

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Apr 22, 2020

We used to live in a very nice house which had some live plants near the driveway. One of those plants in particular was a “volunteer elm” and we absolutely hated it. Sure enough, we saw that thing getting bigger—but we didn’t want that to happen. It was out of place! Somehow, I obtained a can of ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:15

Tags: Bitterness, Roots

Denomination: Baptist

Callous, Cold And Conniving Or Restored, Revived And Redeemed?

Contributed by Davon Huss on Jan 23, 2021

(Presented on weekend of Martin Luther King Jr. Day before the invitation hymn, hymn of decision) Unlike Jesus, David was not sinless on his way to the wilderness or in the wilderness but he is described as a man after God’s own heart. Something David did that was good is that he attended a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:19

Tags: Prophetic Zeal, Culture, Racism, Civil Rights

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Dr. Tom Long, Writes Of The Unforgettable Story ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

DR. TOM LONG, WRITES OF THE UNFORGETTABLE STORY OF VISITING A SMALL, BUT IMPRESSIVE PRAYER CHAPEL, THAT FEATURED A LIFE-SIZED RENDERING OF JESUS, WITH A SIGN ON IT FROM MATTHEW 11:28-30 WHICH SAYS, “COME UNTO ME ALL YE THAT ARE HEAVY LADEN, AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST. TAKE MY YOKE UPON YOU, AND LEARN ...read more

Tags: Easter Maundy Thursday

In His Book Mortal Lessons, Dr. Richard Selzer, ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

In his book Mortal Lessons, Dr. Richard Selzer, writes, “I stand by the bed where a young woman lies, her face postoperative, her mouth twisted in palsy, clownish. A tiny twig of the facial nerve, the one to the muscles of her mouth, has been severed. She will be like this from now on. The surgeon ...read more

Tags: Faith

Close: (The Following Illustration Can Be Found ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

CLOSE: (the following illustration can be found on the internet – the event occurred April 25, 2003) Maurice Cheeks is the retired All Star point guard who at one time coached the Portland Trail Blazers. His team had just finished warming up for a playoff game against the Dallas Mavericks. The ...read more

Tags: Faith General

How Many Of You Read Alice In Wonderland? There ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

How many of you read Alice in Wonderland? There was a morning in Wonderland when Alice complained to the queen, “But I find it quite impossible to believe what you say” At which her majesty mumbled, “Well, maybe you do, my dear; but when I was your age I made it a point to believe six impossible ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ