In Sermon Illustrations: "Start Right"

Are You Ready For A Missions Trip?

Contributed by Brad Henry on Oct 24, 2011

ARE YOU READY FOR A MISSIONS TRIP? Last Wednesday I received a text from a dear friend of mine in Phoenix. He said that his 15 year old daughter Katie was going in for some tests to determine the reasons for some health issues she was having. I went to bed without knowing the results. I woke up ...read more

Tags: Fear And Worry

I Came Upon My 3rd Grade Report Card From A Small ...

Contributed by Brad Henry on Dec 9, 2011

I came upon my 3rd grade report card from a small school in Western Pennsylvania. The teacher wrote, "I feel Bradley could do so much better. Inattentive." Well not much has changed. ADD started early. But I was not inattentive when it came time for sports. Why the disconnect? It is because I was ...read more

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Predestination  PRO

Contributed by Chuck Sligh on Mar 19, 2012

PREDESTINATION Rather than predetermining a person’s FATE, predestination predetermines a believer’s FOCUS—that is, God’s eternal purposes, goals and privileges for him. Every instance of the word “predestinate” in the New Testament refers to some purpose, goal or privilege that God has ...read more

Tags: Election

Denomination: Baptist

Perseverance And Poise In The Midst Of Pain--The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 8, 2012

PERSEVERANCE AND POISE IN THE MIDST OF PAIN--THE EXAMPLE OF KERRI STRUG When the Olympic Games were in Atlanta, Georgia, the whole world knew the name and fame of young Kerri Strug. Kerri became the key to the American women’s gymnastic team receiving the gold medal. If she could ace her turn to ...read more

Scripture: James 1:2-4

Tags: Endurance

Roger Williams: Worship As A "Religious Fix"

Contributed by Tim Smith on Jul 1, 2012

ROGER WILLIAMS: WORSHIP AS A "RELIGIOUS FIX" Roger Williams was thumbing through a magazine on a short flight from Sacramento to San Diego. He had taken his seat when two well-dressed, attractive 20-something-year-old women sat down next to him. Their conversation competed with his attention to ...read more

Tags: Worship General

Denomination: Methodist

The Majesty Of God

Contributed by David Simpson on Jan 18, 2013

Just how can we comprehend the Majesty of God? By removing thoughts that limit the greatness, the Majesty of God. We need to show the majesty of God in our words and actions every day and start letting people know where we stand. It is not with great trumpets - or magnificent choirs - but it is ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 71:19, Psalm 33:8

Tags: Outreach, Blessing, Majesty Of God, Workplace Evangelism

Denomination: Christian Church

There Was A Little Canadian Bird Who Decided Not ...

Contributed by Sylvester Fergusson on Jan 26, 2013

There was a little Canadian bird who decided not to fly south for the winter. "If other animals can stay," he reasoned, "why can't I?" Against the better advice of his elders, the little bird stubbornly decided to stay. Very soon, however, he realized his mistake. The ...read more

Scripture: 1 Chronicles 16:8

Tags: Preparation, Procrastination, Temptation Pride, Presumptiousness

Denomination: Adventist

Remove The Hate — Be Pure  PRO

Contributed by Ken Pell on Mar 30, 2013

REMOVE THE HATE -- BE PURE "And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood (Hebrews 13:2)." Three years ago, Chris Simpson led a white pride march. Two years ago, he abandoned the white supremacist movement. This past April (2012), he was ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 13:2

Tags: Holiness

Denomination: Nazarene

Offering Story

Contributed by Gerald Manning on Nov 23, 2015

Words of Offering: A rich, but cynical businessman said to one of his staff, "Show me a truly unselfish act and I will give you a $100 bill." The staffer, said, "OK, walk with me at the lunch hour." They went to that part of town where there were lots of street people. The staffer said, ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:7

Tags: Offering, Giving, Generosity

Denomination: Nazarene

The Deadly Hand

Contributed by Steve Kinnard on Feb 7, 2019

It was the nearly dark as James entered the room , over in the corner a poker game was getting ready to start. James joined in the poker game looking to beat the other players out of their hard-earned money. In this worldly realm it was just another poker game, with only money at stake, but in ...read more

Scripture: James 1:5

Tags: Sin, Temptation

Denomination: Pentecostal

A Story Of Adoption From India

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Jun 24, 2019

In Bihar, India there is a man named Augustine Jubakumar. He leads a missions called Gospel Echoing Missionary Society. (Gems). In 2015 I had the privilege to visit India and teach in several bible schools and preach in several churches. GEMS includes schools, orphanages, bible schools, a hospital ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:15, Galatians 4:4-7

Tags: Love, Salvation, Adoption

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Lego Theology

Contributed by Davon Huss on Nov 23, 2019

Matt Proctor- Several years ago, two of my nephews accompanied their mom on a visit to a friend’s house. Ben was 8, Brian was 6. Their mother’s friend was a very neat lady- a place for everything and everything in its place. Though childless, she did have a few toys and handed Ben and Brian a ...read more

Tags: Church, Relationships, Synergy

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Never Surrender

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Aug 28, 2020

Acts 5:29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. When the 101st Airborne was surrounded in WWII the Germans asked them to surrender. General Anthony McAuliffe replied, "Nuts!" The Germans tried to figure what that meant and while they ...read more

Scripture: Acts 5:29

Tags: Ministry, Victory, Surrender, Defeat, Calling  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Give God A Blank Check!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 4, 2021

I read once about a family that put their elderly grandmother on a plane for her first flight. She wasn’t too sure about this mode of transportation, but she grudgingly went along with it. When she returned, some of the family members couldn’t help playfully asking, “Grannie, did the plane hold you ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 3:5-6

Tags: Faith, Commitment, Trust, Will Of God, Believing God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Not What Was Expected

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Mar 16, 2022

Integrity is when something is the same all the way through. Pure gold is gold and only gold, all the way through. 14kt gold is less than pure, but other metals give it a hardness that allows more uses such as making beautiful jewelry from it. The bible calls the condition of being one thing ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 8:21, James 3:11, James 3:12, James 3:13, Matthew 23:27, Matthew 23:28  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Integrity, Hypocrisy, Tongue

Denomination: Charismatic

In The 1800's Many People Decided To Leave Their ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

In the 1800’s many people decided to leave their homes on the East Coast and travel out West to start a new life. One day a wagon pulled up to a log cabin, and the man who was driving the wagon told the man who owned the cabin that he was looking for a place to settle down. He then asked the man ...read more

Tags: Friendship General

One Of The Most Compelling Story Lost In The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

One of the most compelling story lost in the invention of the phone was the urgency of the great inventor Alexander Graham Bell to make a breakthrough in communications for the sake of a loved one. No one had more vested interest than Bell, whose mother was deaf. It’s been said that “the telephone, ...read more

Tags: God's Provision

A Little Boy Came Back From Sunday School One ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

A little boy came back from Sunday school one morning and his father asked him:. “Well, what did you learn?”. The little boy replied: “How the people of Israel were kept in Egypt and used as slaves by this guy called Pharaoh.” “Oh?” said the father. “Then what happened?” The little boy went on ...read more

Tags: Moses

In Her Book, "Living With Love," Josephine ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

In her book, "Living with Love," Josephine Robertson tells a story. "In 1883, a youthful clergyman, the Rev. Joe Roberts, arrived by stagecoach in a blizzard to minister to the Indians of Wyoming. This great, wild area had been assigned to the Protestant Episcopal Church by President Grant. Soon ...read more

Tags: Christian Disciplines

All This Talk Of Following Christ Reminds Me Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

All this talk of following Christ reminds me of an experience I had the other day. Russ Davis called me the other day and asked if I would like to roll some ground for him so he could plant oats. This was definitely something I was interested in so I went out to the farm west of his and met him ...read more

Tags: Knowing God's Will