In Sermon Illustrations: "Stand"

Imaginary Jesus

Contributed by Tim Smith on Mar 17, 2011

IMAGINARY JESUS Matt Mikalatos has written a fictional story entitled, "Imaginary Jesus." In that story the main character encounters a wide variety of people who claim to be Jesus, but who actually represent our diverse and ever-changing depictions of who we want Jesus to be and the roles we want ...read more

Tags: Doctrine

Denomination: Methodist

High On Their Huddles

Contributed by John Hamby on Apr 25, 2011

HIGH ON THEIR HUDDLES One of my favorite preachers is Dr. Tony Evans in Dallas. Some years ago I heard him give the following description of the purpose of the church service. He said, "In football they have a huddle, the goal of the huddle is to give you thirty seconds to call the play; that is ...read more

Tags: Church Practices

Denomination: Baptist

What Really Matters

Contributed by Ronnie Miller on Jul 28, 2011

WHAT REALLY MATTERS It was two weeks before Christmas and it began to start. Everyone was scrambling and rushing to get to Wal-Mart. Their credit cards were in the orange and checking account in the red in hopes that their rich uncle would soon be dead. Old Saint Nick sitting high on a mountain ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 9:6

Tags: Christmas, Season, Gift, Santa, Xmas, Clause  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

The Lost Camper: Making Yourself Available

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 6, 2011

THE LOST CAMPER: MAKING YOURSELF AVAILABLE One of my favorite sayings: "God doesn't want your capability. He only wants your availability. If you'll give Him your availability, He'll provide the capability." Availability is when you make yourself accessible for utilization. Availability is what we ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 6:8

Tags: Servanthood

Jill Briscoe On Submission

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 18, 2011

JILL BRISCOE ON SUBMISSION Jill Briscoe talks about the difference between her family and her husband, Stuart's, family and what that brought to their own marriage. She says, "My father, a quiet, gentle man, considered himself head of his home: protector, defender, and provider. My mom was a ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:1-2

Tags: Wife

A Timely Testimony

Contributed by Tim Hinrichs on Feb 23, 2012

A TIMELY TESTIMONY Jim Cymbala tells an amazing story of one Sunday in his church: (Fresh Faith pp. 78-82) During the choir anthem, Pastor Jim was touched by the words of one of the young men who was featured as a soloist during the song. As the song concluded, Pastor Jim was strongly prompted ...read more

Tags: Testimonies About Jesus

Denomination: Lutheran

There's A Familiar Story About The New Bride Who ...

Contributed by Paul Barreca on Jan 11, 2014

There's a familiar story about the new bride who is cooking a big family dinner. As the ladies are gathered in the kitchen, the bride puts the roast in the pan and asks her mother why we always cut the end of the roast and put it in another pan? They ask grandma who says, "well honey, I cut the ...read more

Scripture: James 1:1-2

Tags: Newlywed, Tradition, Ritual, Misunderstandings

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Renewed Like The Eagle  PRO

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Feb 24, 2016

RENEWED LIKE THE EAGLE When the Psalmist mentions the renewal of the eagle, he may be referring to the "molting process" in an eagle’s life. As eagles age, their beaks and talons become encrusted with calcium. Thus, neither is as sharp as they once were. When this happens the aging eagle cannot ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 103:1-5

Tags: Revival, Renewal, Eagle, Crucified Life, Waiting On God, Lie  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Stubbornness In Marriage

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Oct 13, 2017

If you were asked to name three areas where you and your spouse disagree, you'd likely be able to do it without thinking very hard. Might even be able to produce a top 10 list if given a few more minutes. And sadly, unless someone at your house starts doing some giving in, the same issues are going ...read more

Tags: Wedding, Stubbornness, Marriage Commitment

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Sunday's Coming

Contributed by Steve Kinnard on Apr 15, 2019

HELLO, MY NAME IS PETER It’s Thursday evening and we were enjoying a private dinner with the JESUS. It should have been a great celebration, But Jesus kept talking about betrayal and death. WE couldn’t understand what he was getting at, then he broke the bread and told us it was his body. Then He ...read more

Scripture: John 20:1-10

Tags: Crucifixion, Resurrection

Denomination: Pentecostal

Deeper

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Mar 18, 2020

Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. WE NEED A GREATER REVELATION OF WHO JESUS IS. DEEPER, DEEPER --- MORE, MORE ABOUT JESUS. WE CAN FIND THE GREATER THAN… My Mom ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 13:5, 2 Timothy 1:12

Tags: More, Deeper

Denomination: Assembly Of God

The Greatest Building Disaster In History

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Apr 2, 2022

In 1174, the Italian architect Bonnano Pisano began work on what would become his most famous project: a separately standing eight-story bell tower in the city of Pisa. There was just one “little” problem: builders quickly discovered that the soil was much softer than they had anticipated, and the ...read more

Tags: Foundations, Eternity, Obedience, Rock, Sand, Word Of God, Parables  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

He Knew The Shephard

Contributed by Ron Freeman, Evangelist on Apr 26, 2022

INTRODUCTION Story: He Knew the Shepherd 1. Three men gave a presentation from the 23rd Psalms. It went like this, a. The first man read from the Psalms with superb diction, clarity, and reverence. The audience stood up and gave him a standing ovation. b. The second man quoted the entire Psalms ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 23:1-6, John 12:31-33, John 3:14-17

Tags: Knew Shepherd In The Psalms, Christ Centered Preaching, Spoke Well, Read Well, Knew The Shepherd, Quoted The Psalms, Read The Psalms, Christ, Shepherd, Preaching, Lift Him Up  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Thine Is The Glory!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Aug 12, 2024

If you seek your own glory you will lose that, and His. But, if you seek His, you will get yours directly from Him. We are all tempted, like the youth Narcissus in the Greek fable, to bend over the brook and fall in love with ourselves, and we get changed into flowers, and fade in an hour. But he ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:9-15

Tags: Ministry, Glory, Worship, Praise, Power, Kingdom, Lord's Prayer, Glory Of God, Judgment Seat Of Christ  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[144]. A Message From A Poem – In The Manger Laid – Christmas Poem

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jul 27, 2025

[144]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – IN THE MANGER LAID – CHRISTMAS POEM This was written as a simple Christmas poem. There is not much I want to say about it. My thoughts were that the poem can be used on cards or greetings, or for children’s pageants and that sort of thing. It is not meant to be ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:6-7, Luke 2:15-16, 1 John 4:2

Tags: Birth Of Jesus, Shepherds, Christian Poetry, Christmas Poem, Poem For Christmas, Mary, Christmas, Manger  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Rebellion At The Heart Of Mankind (Funny Story)

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Nov 20, 2025

When my granddaughter was about three years old, ... my wife Lee and I ... were babysitting our grandchildren in Morton Illinois. Anna wanted to go outside and play on our own. I thought this was a good teaching moment. So, ... I knelt down beside her ... so that we could look at each other ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 6:12-23, Romans 6:16-18, John 8:34, John 8:31-32  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Slave, Mortal, Freedom, Sin, Heart, Teach, Rebellion  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Anglican

If The Ant Believes

Contributed by David Dunn on Jan 20, 2026

(Say it rhythmically, not singing yet) “Do you know this story?” The ant and the rubber tree, The ant and the rubber tree, The ant and the rubber tree, And the ant… went marching on… (Pause) “Do you remember what happens next?” (Let them say it together: ‘And the ant… went marching ...read more

Scripture: John 14:15

Tags: Obedience, Choice

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

If There Is No God, Who Decides?

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Mar 6, 2026

In 1882, the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche wrote a short parable that still echoes through Western culture. He imagines a man running into a crowded marketplace in broad daylight, holding a lantern. He cries out, “Where is God? I will tell you—we have killed Him. You and I. We are His ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 2:15-17, Judges 2:10-15

Tags: Evil, Culture, Meaning, Good, Values, God Is Dead  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

They Called Me Frodo

Contributed by Austin W. Duncan on Apr 18, 2026

I want to tell you about a title I had in high school. Picture a 5'6" and a half, scrawny, 110 pound kid with long curly hair down to his collar bone. Got it? The nickname was Frodo. Do you know what I did to earn that nickname? Nothing. The last Lord of the Rings movie had come out about ...read more

Scripture: John 1:29, Isaiah 53:7

Tags: Identity, Names

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Unwanted Items-The Unwanted Salary

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on May 11, 2025

Unwanted items-the unwanted salary Introduction: Have you ever been so angry with your employer that you threw your pay away? Something like that happened in the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20)! (Full disclosure: Sermon Central has previously accepted a message on this text in ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 20:1-15

Tags: Jesus, Money, Unwanted Things

Denomination: Baptist