In Sermon Illustrations: "Stand"

Holding Confirmed Tickets

Contributed by Rodelio Mallari on Dec 31, 2010

HOLDING CONFIRMED TICKETS Sometime when you're in an airport, observe the difference between passengers who hold confirmed tickets and those who are on standby. The ones with confirmed tickets read newspapers, chat with their friends or sleep. The ones on standby hang around the ticket ...read more

Tags: Salvation

Denomination: *other

Carnival Christians

Contributed by Major Gerardo Balmori on Apr 2, 2011

CARNIVAL CHRISTIANS What’s a "Carnival Christian?" A Carnival Christian is someone who enjoys the fun. Someone who gets caught up in the excitement of cheering for Jesus, but sometimes has a hard time taking a personal stand for him when the crowd isn’t around. Commitments for them are difficult ...read more

Tags: Commitment To Christ

Denomination: Salvation Army

Haydn Gives Glory To God

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2011

HAYDN GIVES GLORY TO GOD Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) was present at the Vienna Music Hall, where his oratorio The Creation was being performed. Weakened by age, the great composer was confined to a wheelchair. As the majestic work moved along, the audience was caught up with tremendous emotion. ...read more

Scripture: Acts 12:20-24

Tags: Humility

Picking The Wrong Door

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 31, 2011

PICKING THE WRONG DOOR Stuart Briscoe, in his book Everyday Discipleship for Ordinary People, tells the story about a fellow pastor who was officiating at the funeral of a war veteran. The dead man’s military friends wanted to have a part in the service at the funeral home, so they requested that ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:1-5

Tags: Leadership General

The Old Rugged Cross

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Dec 4, 2011

THE OLD RUGGED CROSS About an hour away from where I used to live in Coventry (England), there is a little village called Bredwardine. It is in the county of Herefordshire. A lady who attended the Anglican Church in that village died, and in her will she left some money for the Church. As well as ...read more

Tags: Cross

Denomination: Brethren

The King Has One More Move  PRO

Contributed by Dwayne Brown, Phd on Apr 9, 2015

This story has been told by Christian speakers as far back as 1955 when Billy Graham told a variation of it early in his ministry. Two men are standing in front of a painting called Checkmate in an art gallery. In the painting, a man is playing chess with the devil. The devil is grinning ...read more

Tags: Don't Quit, God Is In Control

Denomination: Baptist

The Intruder

Contributed by James Dorman on May 11, 2017

One night I was certain that I was about to become the victim of a home invasion. Something had awakened me. I heard a strange noise and became even more alert. As I slowly looked around with my heart thumping I saw him! He was standing there looking at me. I wasn’t sure what to do. I ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:6-7

Tags: Fear, Perception

Denomination: Baptist

Gentle Dogmatism  PRO

Contributed by Donnie Martin on Jun 18, 2009

GENTLE DOGMATISM We have gotten accustomed to the blurred puffs of gray fog that pass for doctrine in churches and expect nothing better. From some previously unimpeachable sources are now coming vague statements consisting of a milky admixture of Scripture, science, and human sentiment that is ...read more

Tags: Apostasy

Denomination: Baptist

All I Need To ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 10, 2009

ALL I NEED TO KNOW A Sunday school teacher gave his class an assignment to learn the 23rd Psalm by next Sunday, because each was going to recite it to the whole church. A little boy named Bobby, just couldn’t get it all in his head, he struggled all week long. Finally Sunday comes and the church ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 23:1

Tags: Security

A Gentle Dogmatism

Contributed by Derrick Tuper on Aug 11, 2009

A GENTLE DOGMATISM A. W. Tozer said, "We have gotten accustomed to the blurred puffs of gray fog that pass for doctrine in churches and expect nothing better. From some previously unimpeachable sources are now coming vague statements consisting of a milky admixture of Scripture, science, and ...read more

Tags: Bible Truth

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Revelation At The Front Door

Contributed by Tyler Edwards on Sep 22, 2009

REVELATION AT THE FRONT DOOR A new pastor was visiting the homes of some of the people in his congregation. He came to one house and he knocked but there was no answer. He could see the lights were on and it seemed very obvious that someone was home, so he knocked again. When there was no ...read more

Tags: Revelation

Denomination: *other

Heroic Love

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Oct 10, 2009

HEROIC LOVE St. Gianna Molla stands out as another fool for Christ. She conceived a child and then discovered a grave medical problem. A doctor herself, "A few days before the child was due, although trusting as always in Providence, she was ready to give her life in order to save that of her ...read more

Tags: God's Love

Denomination: Catholic

The Holy Huddle

Contributed by Donny Granberry on Oct 16, 2009

THE HOLY HUDDLE The job of the church is not to impact the church, but our job is to impact the world. It’s like a huddle in a football game. 70,000 people don’t pay $75.00 a ticket to watch the Texans huddle. What if you went to a Texans game and for two and a half hours you watched 11 men ...read more

Tags: Church Purpose Of

Denomination: Assembly Of God

The Talmud Records A Similar Parable By Rabbi ...

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Nov 2, 2009

The Talmud records a similar parable by Rabbi Johanan b. Zakkai - b. Shabbat 153a* [It is like] a king who invited his servants to a feast and did not appoint them a time. The wise among them adorned themselves and sat down by the door of the palace, for they said: Is anything lacking in a palace? ...read more

Tags: Preparation, Feast

Denomination: Independent/Bible

At An Open-Air Gospel Meeting The Preacher Asked ...  PRO

Contributed by Lou Nicholes on Apr 26, 2007

At an open-air Gospel meeting the preacher asked for testimonies. While this was going on a skeptic was passing by just when the testimony of a saved drunkard was being given. He stopped and listened. The former drunkard was telling how Jesus had wrought a miracle and saved his poor soul. The ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Undependable Directions

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Aug 16, 2021

Three young women escaped the sinking Mercedes-Benz SUV after the vehicle's GPS directed them down a boat launch and into the Mercer Slough in Bellevue, Washington. The driver thought she was on a road while following her GPS unit just after midnight, but she was actually heading down the ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 29:8-11

Tags: Trust, Guidance, Authority, Leading, Independable  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The "repenters"

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 19, 2022

It is interesting that before the "Iron Curtain" went down, the believers in the anti-Christian Communist countries were often known as "Repenters." Why? Because they were not just "professors", but "possessors", and showed the Spirit of Christ was in them ...read more

Tags: Russia, Acts 2, Pentecost, Salvation, Repentance, Simon Peter  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Stop Talking About Evangelism And Just Do It!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Mar 20, 2022

While D. L. Moody was attending a convention in Indianapolis on mass evangelism, he asked his song leader, Ira Sankey, to meet him at six o'clock one evening at a certain street corner. When Sankey arrived, Mr. Moody asked him to stand on a box and sing. Once a crowd had gathered, Moody spoke ...read more

Tags: Hypocrisy, Good Samaritan, Evangelism, Gospel

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The World Needs Followers Of Jesus...

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 2, 2023

THE WORLD NEEDS FOLLOWERS OF JESUS... who cannot be bought; whose word is their bond; who put character above wealth; who possess opinions and a will; who are larger than their vocations; who do not hesitate to take chances; who will not lose their individuality in a crowd; who will be as honest ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:23

Tags: Disciples, Witnesses, Examples

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

In The Movie, The Secret Garden, The Young Boy ...  PRO

Contributed by Steve Malone on Nov 19, 2002

In the movie, The Secret Garden, the young boy Colin thinks he’s an invalid. He can’t bear the strong light of day, the clean open air. He believes those things will infect his lungs and snatch his life. he believes he’s destined to be everlastingly bedridden or, in the few struggling moments ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ, Disciplines General

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ