In Sermon Illustrations: "Speak Positively"

Let Me Share With You The Story Of A Lesser Known ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 2, 2008

Let me share with you the story of a lesser known man, Rev. John Perkins. According to Philip Yancey in his book "Soul Survivor", John Perkins, a black minister in the South "lived through the worst nightmares of the civil rights movement"(Philip Yancey, Soul Survivor, p 31). Perkins started a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:24-43, Matthew 13:14-40

Tags: Hatred

I Know

Contributed by Dennis Selfridge on Sep 5, 2008

I Know I know He is the beginning, so why do I worry about the end. I know He is the creator, so why do I wonder who will destroy. I know He has forgiven me, so why can't I forgive myself. I know He is a healer, so why do I speak of sickness. I know He can do all things, so why do I say I ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ

Denomination: Wesleyan

Would You Lay Down Your Life?

Contributed by Paul Dietz on Sep 13, 2008

Would You Lay Down Your Life? Did you know that if the interior body temperature of an individual drops two degrees, intense shivering results and that further lowering of temperature produces sluggishness and coma, and finally, at somewhere between 89 and 86°, death ensues? (Source: Wikipedia) ...read more

Tags: Friendship General

Denomination: *other

We Get A Whole Bunch

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 9, 2008

We Get a Whole Bunch Pastor John R Ramsey once wrote, "For some time I have had a person provide me with a rose boutonniere to pin on the lapel of my suit every Sunday. Because I always got a flower on Sunday morning, I really did not think much of it. It was a nice gesture that I appreciated, but ...read more

Tags: God's Love

The Person God Blesses

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 12, 2008

THE PERSON GOD BLESSES First, what do we notice about the Person God blesses. A. The person God blesses has had a conversion to God's ways. Where do I get this concept? I get it from Abram’s name change. When we first meet him he is known as "Abram." After an encounter with God (Gen. 17:5) he is ...read more

Tags: Discipleship

Jesus Stands ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 12, 2009

JESUS STANDS READY During the years of 1980s, I traveled quite a bit from Washington D.C. to New Jersey to go between my father and mother’s house. As a 10-year-old I traveled alone on planes, so news stories about planes and travels were on my radar, so to speak. So, in 1982 when January 13th ...read more

Tags: Sin General

Little Ones To Him Belong

Contributed by Bruce Howell on Feb 21, 2009

LITTLE ONES TO HIM BELONG Author Keith Miller tells of an outgoing 40-year-old woman who was part of a sharing group he led. Here is her story: "When I was a tiny little girl, my parents died, and I was put in an orphanage. I was not pretty at all, and no one seemed to want me. But I longed to ...read more

Tags: Adoption

Denomination: Wesleyan

We Are Not ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 13, 2009

WE ARE NOT INVINCIBLE "Humanly speaking, this was a time when God’s glory was discounted, and His people were not a testimony to His great Name." Sinclair Ferguson’s "Isaac’s Storm" is a very interesting book about the hurricane that wiped out Galveston in 1900. One of the main plot lines of the ...read more

Tags: Christian Values

I Was Blind, But Now I Can See  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 8, 2009

I WAS BLIND, BUT NOW I CAN SEE There were two boys who grew up together. They were close friends as children, but as they entered their teen years their paths began to diverge, and they ended up in very different places. Ernie was always in trouble. He began by shoplifting small things from stores ...read more

Scripture: John 9:25

Tags: Holy Spirit In Believers

Jorge And The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 27, 2009

JORGE AND THE TRANSLATOR Jorge Rodriguez was the meanest, orneriest bandit on the Texas-Mexico border. The guy would slip across the line, raid the banks of south Texas, and steal ’em blind. Before they could catch him, he would race back into Mexico and hide out. No matter how hard the law tried, ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 23:15-16

Tags: Lies, Christian Values

He Leadeth ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 14, 2009

HE LEADETH ME When Joseph Gilmore was just out of seminary, he filled in a couple of weeks at FBC in Philadelphia, PA. And he gave this testimony: "At the mid-week service, on the 26th of March, 1862, I set out to give the people an exposition of the 23rd Psalm, which I had given before on three ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 23:2

Tags: Wisdom

O In Peter Schaeffer's Play ...

Contributed by David Rumley on Oct 28, 2009

o In Peter Schaeffer’s Play Amadeus o Story of Salieri  Makes a prayer before God…  I would offer up secretly the proudest prayer a boy could think of. “Lord, make me a great composer! Let me celebrate your glory through music – and be celebrated myself! Make me famous through the ...read more

Tags: Salvation, Assurance Of Salvation

Denomination: Pentecostal

On Drinking

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Jan 15, 2010

ON DRINKING I’ve never been drunk and don’t ever want to be. I have seen enough senseless and depraved activity conducted because of alcohol that I no longer want to be associated even with drinking wine at a meal. I have counselled women who have been raped after a night of alcohol at a ...read more

Tags: Alcohol

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Young Woman Is Being Abused By The Person She ...

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Apr 4, 2010

A young woman is being abused by the person she is living with. She feels powerless and no longer in control of her life. Oh, she has not been physically assaulted, nevertheless she feels hurt, scared and humiliated. She is being threatened and bullied and harassed. She is constantly put-down and ...read more

Tags: Relationships, Restoration

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

We Have Been Waiting For The Movie Called "How To ...  PRO

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on May 6, 2010

We have been waiting for the movie called "HOW TO TAME YOUR DRAGON" to come out in the cinemas. It is a kids movie about Vikings and dragons. The amount of advertising saying that it was coming was phenomenal. Talk about good marketing! Their target audience is children. Jesus has His own marketing ...read more

Tags: Demons

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

God's Word Has Power

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 3, 2011

GOD'S WORD HAS POWER In an interview about his book The Folly of Prayer (IVP, 2009), author and pastor Matt Woodley shared a story about his friend Theresa. She had married the man of her dreams, but soon after that dropped into the pit of a deep depression. Everything went dark in her mind and ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:26-27

Tags: Bible Influence

Please Come Back  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 6, 2011

"PLEASE COME BACK" Max Lucado tells us about a girl named Christina. She lives in a small dusty village in Brazil. She’s bored. She feels like her strict parents have cheated her out of the joys of life. She longs for the excitement of the big city of Rio. One morning her mother Maria finds ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:11-32, Mark 4:1-9

Tags: Parable Prodigal Son, Parable Sower And Seed

Face Your Fears, Don't Run From Them

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 11, 2011

FACE YOUR FEARS, DON'T RUN FROM THEM A few years ago, a canoeing friend of mine and I went to a talk one evening at the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Center. I could hardly wait to hear the couple that was to speak. It was Verlen and Valerie Kruger. They had recently completed a 21,000 mile ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:6-7

Tags: Fear And Worry

What Is Needed For Joy?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 22, 2011

WHAT IS NEEDED FOR JOY? Max Lucado tells the following story about Robert Reed: "I have everything I need for joy!" Robert Reed said. His hands are twisted and his feet are useless. He can't bathe himself. He can't feed himself. He can't brush his teeth, comb his hair, or put on his underwear. ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:22-24

Tags: Joy

The Example Of Bethany Hamilton

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 26, 2011

THE EXAMPLE OF BETHANY HAMILTON That word for "commit" is actually a banking term. It means to deposit something for safekeeping. Well, that's what we're to do with our lives when we go through times of suffering. Deposit your life in God's bank (so to speak) for safe-keeping. Trust Him to ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 4:12-19

Tags: Trust