In Sermon Illustrations: "Start"

Pain Passes, But Beauty Remains  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 26, 2011

PAIN PASSES, BUT BEAUTY REMAINS Pierre Auguste Renoir is a famous French artist who lived in the late 19th century to the early 20th century. He was known for his paintings, mostly depicting family life. But there was one disease that tormented this gifted artist -- he had arthritis that plagued ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:1-5

Tags: Suffering Joy In

Mothering Sunday

Contributed by Egerton Gbonda on Apr 2, 2011

MOTHERING SUNDAY The history of Mothering Sunday is interesting. Some say it is difficult to be definitive about how it all began. The following are some of the theories advanced about the history of this all important day: It may have started from a Roman Spring festival- a time in which the ...read more

Tags: Mother's Day

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Stop Or Slow Down  PRO

Contributed by Akinsanya Adubi on May 6, 2011

STOP OR SLOW DOWN Pastor John Hagee told us a story of a driver that refused to stop at a STOP sign; he was then pulled over by a cop. The cop told him that the reason he pulled him over was because he refused to stop at a STOP sign. He replied that he slowed down, the cop then explain to him that ...read more

Scripture: Luke 6:38

Tags: Sin Bondage To

Denomination: Pentecostal

The Servant And The Child

Contributed by Davon Huss on Sep 12, 2011

THE SERVANT AND THE CHILD Think about the differences between a servant and a child: The servant is accepted and appreciated on the basis of what he does, the child on the basis of who he is. The servant starts the day anxious and worried, wondering if his work will really please his master. ...read more

Tags: God's Love

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Croquet Lesson

Contributed by Scott Spencer on Oct 16, 2011

THE CROQUET LESSON Some missionaries in the Philippines set up a croquet game in their front yard. Several of their Agta Negrito neighbors became interested and wanted to join the fun. The missionaries explained the game and started them out, each with a mallet and ball. As the game progressed, ...read more

Tags: Christian Love

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Because You Did, Dad  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 14, 2012

"BECAUSE YOU DID, DAD." James Bryan Smith begins this chapter of his book by telling a story about taking his six year old son to an amusement park. While at the park, he and his son got on a ride. A teenage boy buckled them into their seats and then started the ride. The entire time during the ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 22:6-18

Tags: Father's Day

God, You're In My Way.  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 28, 2012

"GOD, YOU'RE IN MY WAY." A California pastor, Kyle Idleman, talks about his last move in his book, Not a Fan. In that move, he saved the heaviest piece of furniture for last -- the desk from his office. And as he was pushing and pulling the desk with all his might, his four-year-old son came over ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:6-8, Philippians 4:4-7

Tags: Anxiety

All Moms Know This Stuff  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 7, 2012

ALL MOMS KNOW THIS STUFF One mom was out walking with her 4-year-old daughter when her girl picked up something from the ground and started to put it in her mouth. The mother tells what happens in her own words: "I took the item away from her and I asked her not to do that." My daughter quickly ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 31:10-31

Tags: Mother's Day

Timanthes And The Do-Over

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Jan 5, 2013

TIMANTHES AND THE DO-OVER Over 2,000 years ago a young Greek artist named Timanthes (Tim-an-thes) painted this picture - The Sacrifice of Iphigenia. Before he painted this masterpiece when the artist Timanthes (Tim-an-thes) was a young man, he studied under a well-known and highly respected tutor. ...read more

Tags: Learning

Denomination: Brethren

Slavory And Original Sin

Contributed by Troy Heald on Jul 26, 2014

Picture your ancestors as plantation farmers in the South. They have many acres of farmland and need to manage those crops. To help them accomplish this task, they go to the docks and buy a family of slaves to do the work around the farm, thus becoming the first slave owners in your family. ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:12-14

Tags: Original Sin, Ask Forgiveness, Adam's Sin, Guilty As Charged

Denomination: Baptist

High Seas

Contributed by Roy Fowler on Oct 13, 2020

The thunder roared like a waking dragon. As the water churned and the ship rocked wildly like a kite on a string. I watched helplessly as the splinter sized crack in the mast grew until I was sure it would snap. The crew on deck wallowed and struggled to move in the thigh deep water to try and keep ...read more

Scripture: Mark 4:35-41

Tags: Trust, Storms

Denomination: Independent/Bible

What Are We Preaching?

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 25, 2021

WHAT ARE WE PREACHING? False teachings abound whenever people do not know the truth. Many of our churches today do not teach the truth because many pastors do not know the Bible. In our seminaries, almost 50 percent of professors now teach that there was no virgin birth of Jesus, and that story ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:1-3, 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Tags: Liberalism, Apostasy, Preaching The Word, Preachers

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Have You Lost The "scent"?

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 1, 2021

DEMAS LOST THE "SCENT" A man bought a new hunting dog. Eager to see how the dog would perform, the man took him out to track a bear. No sooner had they gotten into the woods than the dog picked up the trail. Suddenly he stopped, sniffed the ground, and headed in a new direction. He had ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:10, 1 John 2:15-16

Tags: Compromise, Worldliness, Backsliding, Values, Loving The World  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

My Child

Contributed by Andy Beech on Mar 29, 2008

My Child I would like to rejoice with the rest, Lord, But there’s a great big ache in my heart - For someone I love is suffering, Lord, And I don’t know how to start. Will you help me sing carols again, Lord? And make all my fears depart? Will you lead me safely to Bethlehem To worship with all my ...read more

Denomination: Methodist

What Is The Largest Ancestry In The World? How ...

Contributed by Aubrey Vaughan on May 25, 2008

WHAT IS THE LARGEST ANCESTRY IN THE WORLD? HOW FAR CAN WE GO BACK? WELL, WIKIPEDIA THE ONLINE ENCYCLOPEDIA STATES: THE LONGEST FAMILY TREE IN THE WORLD IS THAT OF THE CHINESE PHILOSOPHER AND EDUCATOR CONFUCIUS (551-479 BC). THE TREE SPANS MORE THAN 80 GENERATIONS, AND INCLUDES MORE THAN 2 ...read more

Tags: Apologetics General

Denomination: Baptist

Twas Battered And Scarred, And The Auctioneer ...

Contributed by Jonathan Campbell on Jun 4, 2008

Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer thought it scarcely worth his while to waste much time on the old violin. But he held it up with a smile; "What am I bidden, good folks?" he cried. "Who’ll start the bidding for me?" "A dollar, a dollar"; then two!" "Only two? Two dollars, and who’ll ...read more

Tags: Music

Ernest Hemmingway Was Once Asked To Write A Story ...  PRO

Contributed by W F on Jul 8, 2008

Ernest Hemmingway was once asked to write a story in just six words. He wrote a sad one ... "For sale: Baby shoes. Never worn." The world's shortest story inspired writer Larry Smith who wondered what memoirs people might be able to concoct in just six words. So he began a website which, to date, ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1:13-18, Psalm 39:5

Tags: Fulfillment

Denomination: *other

We Carve What We Already See

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 31, 2008

WE CARVE WHAT WE ALREADY SEE I heard the story once of a great Cherokee wood carver. He took logs and sat them on a stump outside his back door and sat in front of that log sometimes for hours just staring at it. Finally, he would pick up his carving tools and start carving the most beautiful of ...read more

Tags: God The Father

In Her Famous Book And Film, "The Hiding Place" ...

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Apr 15, 2007

In her famous book and film, “The Hiding Place” Corrie ten Boom tells the story of a Dutch Christian family - her family, who had a heart for the Jewish people Her grandfather Wilhelm started a weekly prayer group in 1844 in the city of Haarlem, near Amsterdam for the salvation of the Jews. And ...read more

Denomination: Anglican

Three Men Died On Christmas Eve And Were Met By ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Three men died on Christmas Eve and were met by Saint Peter at the pearly gates. “In honor of this holy season,” Saint Peter said, “You must each possess something that symbolizes Christmas to get into heaven.” The first man fumbled through his pockets and pulled out a lighter. He flicked it on. ...read more

Tags: God's Provision