In Sermon Illustrations: "Source"

Ask Jonah!  PRO

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Jul 12, 2008

ASK JONAH! A new believer was on a plane with an intellectual (a man educated beyond his intelligence). He sneered at her reading the Bible and asked if she believed it? "Yes." "Jonah and the whale story?" (A great fish) "Yes." "How did it happen?" "Don't know, but I'll find out when I get to ...read more

Scripture: John 19:30

Tags: Bible Truth

Denomination: Other

Today It's Rare To See Siblings Serving ...

Contributed by Larry Vinson on Jul 24, 2008

"Today it's rare to see siblings serving alongside each other, either in church or in a ministry outside of church. Parents often focus on allowing each child to explore his or her individual gifts and talents through service -- which is a good thing. Then as brothers and sisters grow up, their ...read more

Tags: Family

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Fact Or ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 30, 2008

FACT OR FICTION? The London Daily Mail reports that one in four Britons don’t believe Prime Minister Winston Churchill actually existed. They suspect he is a mythical character rather than a historical one. Likewise, they think historical figures such as Florence Nightingale, Sir Walter Raleigh, ...read more

Tags: Truth

Credit Card ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 30, 2008

CREDIT CARD CRISES Americans are drowning in debt. Consumers have racked up more than $2.2 trillion in purchases and cash advances on major credit cards in just the last year. And it’s become a habit for them to spend more than they have. The overall credit card debt grew by 315% from 1989 to ...read more

Tags: Money

Active Father Figures

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 30, 2008

ACTIVE FATHER FIGURES Active fathers and father figures play a key role in reducing behavior problems in boys and psychological problems in young women, according to the peer-reviewed journal Acta Paediatrica. Swedish researchers found regular positive contact reduces criminal behavior among ...read more

Tags: Father's Day

Plug-In ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 30, 2008

PLUG-IN POLLUTION The expected introduction of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles could cut U.S. gasoline use but could also increase air pollution in some areas. A plug-in’s lower tailpipe emissions may be offset by smokestack emissions from the utility plants supplying electricity to recharge the ...read more

Tags: Politics

The Breaking Of The Bread

Contributed by Daniel Haas on Aug 22, 2008

Matthew 14:13-21 Mark 6:30-44 Luke 9:10-17 John 6:1-15 "By the breaking of the bread, he makes it into a seedbed of food--for if the bread had been left intact and not pulled apart and broken into pieces, they would have been unable to feed the great crowds of men, women, and children...Mysteries ...read more

Tags: God's Provision

Denomination: Congregational

We Are Not To Be Isolated But Insulated," Said ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 2, 2008

"We are not to be isolated but insulated," said Vance Havner, "moving in the midst of evil but untouched by it." Separation is contact with contamination. Jesus was "holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners" (Heb. 7:26), yet He was "a friend of tax collectors and sinners" (Luke ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:17-24

Tags: Worldliness

The Late Great American Writer Of Children's ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 7, 2009

The late great American writer of children’s books and poetry, Phyllis McGinley (1905 - 1978): "Families that own a surface similarity of good cheer are happy families! For one thing, they like each other, which is quite a different thing from loving. For another, they have almost always, one ...read more

Tags: Family

No Teeth  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 10, 2009

NO TEETH Walking towards the United Nations Building in New York City, a street evangelist was observed who was trying to get the attention of passers-by. He urged those near him to flee from the wrath to come. "I warn you," he roared, "that there will be weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:47-50

Tags: Hell

Jumping Where You Can't See  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 10, 2009

JUMPING WHERE YOU CAN’T SEE The African impala can jump to a height of over 10 feet and cover a distance of greater than 30 feet. Yet these magnificent creatures can be kept in an enclosure in any zoo with a 3-foot wall. The animals will not jump if they cannot see where their feet will fall. ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 11:1

Tags: Fear And Worry

God Shows Up In The Humblest Dwellings

Contributed by Charles Wallis on Dec 15, 2009

GOD SHOWS UP IN THE HUMBLEST DWELLINGS Tommy Welchel describes the miracles of Azusa Street: "The thought that God visited us in a barn to introduce His Son...confounds the minds of scholars a skeptics. These miracles were happening in and old, run-church that once used to house animals. By the ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Pentecostal

Don't Just Hang On...hang In

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 26, 2010

DON'T JUST HANG ON...HANG IN Decades ago, Oswald Chambers wrote about spiritual perseverance, defining it as... not to hang on and do nothing, but to work deliberately, knowing with certainty that God will never be defeated. The Bible is full of examples of men and women who didn't "just-hang-on" ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-2

Tags: Endurance

The Moon Keeps ...

Contributed by Donnie Martin on Jun 14, 2010

The Moon Keeps Shining The story is told of a judge who had been frequently ridiculed by a conceited lawyer. When asked by a friend why he didn’t rebuke his assailant, he replied, “In our town lives a widow who has a dog. And whenever the moon shines, it goes outside and barks all night.” Having ...read more

Tags: Change

Denomination: Baptist

Infinite Wisdom

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Mar 12, 2012

INFINITE WISDOM An angel appears at a faculty meeting and tells the dean, "In return for your unselfish and exemplary behavior, the Lord will reward you with your choice of infinite wealth, wisdom, or beauty." "Give me infinite wisdom!" declares the dean, without hesitation. Done!" says the ...read more

Tags: Wisdom

Denomination: Independent/Bible

For Posterity

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Sep 24, 2019

. In 1914, British World War I soldier Pvt. Thomas Hughes wrote a letter to his wife, sealed it in a ginger ale bottle, and tossed it into the English Channel. He died two days later fighting in France. Fast forward to 1999 when a fisherman found the bottle in the River Thames. It was too late to ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 1:4-8

Tags: Future, Legacy, Memories, Posterity

Denomination: Independent/Bible

What Would Jesus Do?

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Dec 15, 2020

One woman writes: Our fourth grader celebrated his birthday on crutches, so he couldn’t carry the cupcakes into school without help. I asked our sixth-grader, Noah, to help his brother carry them in. I could,” he said, but I’d prefer not to. ”Spotting a teaching moment, my husband asked Noah, What ...read more

Scripture: Malachi 4:2, Ephesians 4:31, Ephesians 3:17, Galatians 5:23

Tags: Kindness, Helpful, Christlike

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Communication Improvement

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Apr 22, 2026

FROZEN COMMUNICATION LINES BREED DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILIES. DYSFUNTIONAL FAMILIES BREED SICK SOCIETIES AND WEAK CHURCHES. LET US LOOK AT HOW DO WE GAIN UNDERSTAND. HOW DO WE LEARN FROM COMMUNICATION SKILLS? ** We assume learn comes from “WORDS.” Sure this is true. Let us look at the facts: • *7% of ...read more

Scripture: James 1:19

Tags: Communication, Grow

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Heart Of ...

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Heart of Temptation “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God… does [not] tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives ...read more

Scripture: James 1:13-15

Tags: Temptation General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Money That Individuals Give Comes To The Church ...  PRO

Contributed by Jerry Falwell on Mar 7, 2002

Money that individuals give comes to the church from five sources, or "pockets." Obviously, these are not actual pockets, but symbolic pictures representing five major motives of church members in giving to their church. When church leaders understand the nature and source of their church’s ...read more

Tags: Church Practices, Giving General

Denomination: Baptist