In Sermon Illustrations: "Spanking Kids"

Why Should I Forgive?  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Oct 31, 2003

WHY SHOULD I FORGIVE? During a children’s sermon one Sunday morning, I held up an ugly-looking summer shirt that I wore occasionally around the house. I explained to the children that someone said the shirt was ugly and should be thrown away. "This really hurt me," I explained. "I’m having ...read more

Tags: Marriage Commitment, Forgiveness For Others

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

In His Book The 50-Year Dash, Syndicated ...

Contributed by Tim Zingale on Dec 8, 2003

In his book The 50-Year Dash, syndicated columnist Bob Greene writes about friendship: "I was on a trip, feeling a little down, and I called my best friend from back when I was a kid. Even though we live in different towns, we still can talk to each other with the unguardedness of when we were ...read more

Tags: Friendship General

Denomination: Lutheran

At Our House We Have A Set Of Children's Books ...

Contributed by Ronnie Knight on May 1, 2007

At our house we have a set of children’s books that are designed to teach kids their ABC’s and 123’s. The very first book in the number set is entitled My One Book. The main character in this book is Little One. Little one lives in the house of one. The house of one has one door, one table, one ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Children's Prayers

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

CHILDREN’S PRAYERS: Dear God: Please send a new baby for Mommy. The new baby you sent last week cries too much. Debbie, 7 Dear God: Who did you make smarter? Boys or girls? My sister and I want to know. Jimmy, 6 Dear God: How many angels are there in heaven? I would like to be the first kid in my ...read more

Tags: Prayer How To

In January 2001 Nairobi Police Raided The Home ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

In January 2001 Nairobi police raided the home of a former university lecturer and his wife to find their six children emaciated and starving. The kids were ages 2-11 and could not stand up they were in such a bad state. Their legs were stick thin, their hair was falling out and they were all ...read more

Tags: Knowing God's Will

How Would Your Church Respond If Your Young ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

How would your church respond if your young people were approached by an organized cult? One night at a church skating party, a group of teenagers were "befriended" by several men who asked about their spiritual lives. The teenagers were given an invitation to join them for a series of special ...read more

Scripture: Acts 20:29-30

Tags: Paul

Is This "Normal?" Why Have We Accepted ...

Contributed by Charles Wallis on Jan 30, 2008

Is this "Normal?" Why have we accepted dysfunction as normal? "Dear Annie: My husband and I are separated and he moved in with his girlfriend six weeks ago. A few weeks ago, I had to call the girlfriend’s husband in order to pass along some information. "Harris" and I met for dinner and haven’t ...read more

Denomination: Pentecostal

Waste More Time

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Nov 27, 2010

WASTE MORE TIME In his book God Came Near, Max Lucado tells this story: Norman Geisler, as a child, went to a certain church because he was invited by some neighbourhood children. He went back to the same church for Sunday School classes for 400 Sundays. Each week he was faithfully picked up by a ...read more

Tags: Evangelism The Lost

Denomination: Brethren

I Don't Want To Be A Saint...  PRO

Contributed by Scott Bayles on Dec 1, 2011

"I DON'T WANT TO BE A SAINT..." So the Bible clearly teaches that everyone who has been sanctified and set apart by God is a saint. I read a story earlier this week about a Wisconsin mom who was trying to teach her kids how God sees them. She told them that when they receive Jesus as Savior that ...read more

Scripture: Acts 20:32

Tags: Sanctification

Denomination: Christian Church

Are You Missing Jesus?

Contributed by William Akehurst on Dec 18, 2011

ARE YOU MISSING JESUS? During the manger scene of the kids' Christmas presentation, one of the important pieces was missing on the set.  As everyone was looking around, I noticed the bag in which this important part was hidden and went up in the stage area and retrieved it for the part.  The ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Martin Sheen's Faith

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Mar 2, 2012

MARTIN SHEEN'S FAITH Former Hollywood bad boy Martin Sheen says watching his son, Charlie Sheen, lead a similarly decadent life fills him with remorse. He worries that he learned to be a father too late. He particularly regrets his failure to share his faith. "I never lost my faith," Sheen says. ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:7

Tags: Family

Denomination: Baptist

Lost In The Noise

Contributed by Tim White on Apr 2, 2012

LOST IN THE NOISE A youth pastor wanted to illustrate something to his students. He placed some valuable objects on small tables around the room. On one of the tables was a Bible. There was a $5 bill on another table. There was a kids' meal from a fast-food restaurant on one table. Other tables ...read more

Tags: Bible Influence

Denomination: Baptist

Jaymalis Davis Was Highlighted In The ...

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 21, 2012

Jaymalis Davis was highlighted in the Times-Picayne series entitled, “Louisiana Incarcerated.” He lives in central city surround by drugs, crime and unemployment. His mother is crack addicted and largely absent from his home and his father, who was in and out of jail for drugs and car theft and ...read more

Tags: Grace

Denomination: Methodist

Five Life Lessons For A Three-Year Old

Contributed by Gregory Fisher on Sep 27, 2017

At the age of 3 years old, our family lived with my maternal grandparents while my father was in seminary. One day the kid living next-door to us came up to me and said, “Greg Fisher I am going to give you a bloody nose.” The next thing that happened—when he did, in fact, punch me in the ...read more

Tags: Lamentations, Violence, Truth In Love, Psalm Of Lament, Helpful Lessons, True Crime, Helpful People, Life Lessons, Lament, Childhood, Bullying, God Allows, Comfort One Another  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Foursquare

You Hear The Jokes About Hell Being Some Big ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 2, 2008

You hear the jokes about hell being some big party. Hell can also be a seductive for all those fans of sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll. One of them, a kid from an Ohio Christian school named Brian Warner is today better known as Marilyn Manson. For more than a decade, he has made millions with his ...read more

A Schoolteacher Was Giving A Lesson In Fractions. ...

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on May 20, 2008

A schoolteacher was giving a lesson in fractions. "Johnny, suppose there were seven in your family -- five children and mother and father --a total of seven. And suppose there was pie for dessert. What fraction of the pie would you get?" Johnny answered, "One-sixth." "But you don’t understand," ...read more

Tags: Mother's Day

Denomination: Pentecostal

Young People Routinely Grow Up To Love Their ...

Contributed by Timothy Darling on Jul 9, 2008

Young people routinely grow up to love their childhood coaches. These leaders routinely criticize and push the envelopes of the same young people who claim later to love them like a parent. Why? Because they did not just love them enough to encourage them. They cared enough to tell them the truth ...read more

Tags: Discipleship

Denomination: Mennonite

Meeting William Shatner

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Jan 27, 2020

“When I was a kid, my dad and I were driving somewhere on a nice, sunny afternoon…. My window was rolled down. The town we live in isn’t known to be a destination for celebs of any kind. We pull up to a light; we’re the second car from the front. A polished limo pulls up next to us, and the window ...read more

Tags: Famous, Ordinary, Fame, Human, Celebrity  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Watch Your Mind And Mouth

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Jan 5, 2021

Titus 3:9 But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain. 10 A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject; 11 Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of ...read more

Scripture: Titus 3:9-11

Tags: Heresy, Shun, Arguments, Strivings

Denomination: Baptist

On Evangelism Tactics

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Apr 9, 2021

Many Christians have a wrong interpretation of 1 Corinthians 9:22. Paul would not have gotten a tattoo, a Mohawk, piercings etc. to witness to a group like that because it would have hindered him in witnessing to other groups. He spoke to them from their frame of reference, like all great teachers, ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:22, 2 Corinthians 6:17

Tags: Evangelism, Separation, Piercings, Tattoos

Denomination: Baptist