In Sermon Illustrations: "Starting The Year"

Phan Thi Kim Phuc  PRO

Contributed by John Harvey on Feb 12, 2004

Phan Thi Kim Phuc (Illustration from Still More Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks” Wayne Rice. Printed by Youth Specialties) On June 8, 1972, a nine-year-old Vietnamese girl, her clothes flaming from gasoline bombs, fled the American-led assault on her village of Trang Bang. With her eyes ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness For Others

Denomination: Baptist

The Tassels And The Braids!" Hebrews 10:5-10 ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Mar 1, 2005

“The Tassels and the Braids!” Hebrews 10:5-10 Key verse(s): 14:“Since than time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” When I was a junior in high school I was inducted into the National Honor ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 10:5-10

Tags: Miracles Of Jesus

Denomination: Lutheran

Can't Miss

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 20, 2011

CAN'T MISS Every so often, in the world of high school boys' basketball, there comes a player with incredible talent and skill. He and his team become the focus of a lot of media attention. That player becomes one of the most talked about high school athletes in the nation. Recruiters from the ...read more

Scripture: Haggai 1:9

Tags: Humility

Growth Takes Time

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Jul 18, 2018

GROWTH IS RARELY AN ACCIDENT, GROWTH HAS A PLAN… GROWTH REQUIRES EFFORT… THE MORE EFFORT THE MORE THE GROWTH WILL THRIVE… Blessed is he who expects nothing for he shall get exactly what he expected. Les Brown tells a wonderful illustration that we need to consider… There is a tree that grows in ...read more

Tags: Plan, Growth

Denomination: Assembly Of God

An Old Lady Spent Much Of Her Summer Setting And ...  PRO

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Apr 27, 2002

An old lady spent much of her summer setting and swinging in the old swing hanging on her front porch. Her husband had been dead several years and she had withdrawn from all but the closest family. Her lonely time grew and grew?? One spring day, the old lady went out in the garage and dug the old ...read more

Scripture: John 11:1, John 11:1-44

Tags: Disappointment

Denomination: Assembly Of God

In A Back Yard There Once Lived An Apple Tree ...  PRO

Contributed by Joel Pankow on Jun 25, 2004

In a back yard there once lived an apple tree and a thorn bush. The apple tree produced nice juicy apples that everyone liked to eat. Kids would climb up the tree and pluck the apples. Worms would eat the ones that fell on the ground. Birds would peck away at the fruit from the top. The owner ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:22-24

Tags: Faith, Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Lutheran

One Winter Morning In San Diego, After Paul Had ...  PRO

Contributed by John Young on Nov 23, 2004

One winter morning in San Diego, after Paul had wandered many miles along the waterfront, in a daze, he turned wearily toward his hotel room. He had been drinking heavily for weeks. His mind was tortured by the thoughts of the wife and four children whom he had deserted. Only the day before, it ...read more

Tags: Bible Influence

Denomination: Baptist

There Were Two Churches Of Christ In The Small ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

There were two Churches of Christ in the small north Texas town. The church where I ministered had split from the older church years before over some petty differences. I was beginning a sermon series on the "One-another" passages of the Bible, when Gabe, a former elder, got up and walked up to ...read more

Tags: Faith

Baseball For Our Family Is A Loved And Cherished ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Baseball for our family is a loved and cherished sport. All three of four children played, beginning with t-ball. The baby of the family, Rowdy, started playing ball in the front yard with his daddy at the age of two years old. So by the time he was four, Rowdy was more than ready to play. I ...read more

Tags: Peace

One Of The Things I Love To Do Most Is To Tell ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

One of the things I love to do most is to tell people about how I met the risen Lord. I was a senior in high school. I was just about to graduate. And my English teacher gave us one final assignment. He put a bowl on the table filled with slips of paper. He said, "Each slip of paper has a value on ...read more

Tags: Easter Resurrection

We Refuse To Let ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 31, 2008

WE REFUSE TO LET GO Max Lucado tells about taking his two daughters to a park. They went into a plastic ball pit to play. One of those 3-foot-deep pits filled with thousands and thousands of lightweight, plastic balls. Max’s older daughter did just fine, but the younger one was only three, and she ...read more

Tags: Worldliness

Christmas Adorations  PRO

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Christmas Adorations For thousands of years the Israelites had been looking for the coming of the Messiah. There in Bethlehem by the miraculous power of God, Mary, a young virgin, gave birth to the Savior of the world. Most people missed that glorious event, but a few did not. Who are the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:11

Tags: Christmas, Savior

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Shouts Of Praise  PRO

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Shouts of Praise There is a loud declaration of our Lord's purpose for coming to earth at the triumphal entry. "As Jesus approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives... Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches ...read more

Scripture: Mark 11:1-10

Tags: Easter Palm Sunday

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Blood Flows In The Bomokande  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 20, 2011

BLOOD FLOWS IN THE BOMOKANDE In November 1964, anarchy broke out in the Belgian Congo. Assemblies of God missionary J. W. Tucker knew he was at risk, but he stayed where God had placed him. One day, a mob attacked and killed him with sticks, clubs, fists, and broken bottles. They took his body, ...read more

Scripture: John 12:20-34

Tags: Church, Missions, Purpose

The Agony Of Defeat

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 28, 2012

"THE AGONY OF DEFEAT" Some of you might remember the TV program "The Wide World of Sports". For many years, the opening of the program opened like this: "Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport; the thrill of victory... and the agony of defeat." The opening illustrated "the ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 27:12

Tags: Change

Ugandan Juvenile Jail

Contributed by Tim Smith on Sep 25, 2016

Bob Goff tells the story of his longtime friend Charlie. Charlie was one of those guys who measured his life not by what he was but by what he has given up. He was a graduate of law school and then became an FBI agent. He met Bob for coffee and then said he wanted to use his training to help kids ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 18:21-25

Tags: Forgiveness, Prayer

Denomination: Methodist

Moving Forward For Christ

Contributed by Rick Crandall on Jan 30, 2018

*The early church kept moving ahead. And we can too! In spite of our enemies, in spite of the setbacks, we can still move forward for the Lord Jesus Christ! *In February of 2007, a deadly tornado struck central Florida. And it smashed almost everything in its path. The storm struck at the worst ...read more

Tags: Overcome, Gospel Advancing

Denomination: Baptist

The Most Expensive Doorstop In The World!

Contributed by David Simpson on Apr 23, 2018

1 Peter 2:7-8 “Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone, and, ‘A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.’ They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:7-8

Tags: Precious Cornerstone, Treasure, Foundation, Stumbling Stone

Denomination: Christian Church

When Close Enough—isn’t!

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Nov 23, 2022

Introduction: Sometimes, close enough just isn't! Text, Matthew 13:25, KJV: 25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. Thoughts: Have you ever heard the phrase, “Oh, that’ s close enough” or “that’s good enough”? Sometimes, it’s true but there ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:25-30

Tags: Holy Spirit, Wheat, Tares, Close Enough

Denomination: Baptist

Unsung Heroes-The Lad Who Helped Samson

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Feb 24, 2023

Introduction: The story of Samson is one of the saddest in the Bible. He started off well but ended his days as a captive of the Philistines, Israel’s greatest enemy at the time. Even then, there was an unsung hero who helped him when Samson couldn’t help himself. Text: Judges 16:23-26, KJV: 23 ...read more

Scripture: Judges 16:23-26

Tags: Samson, Philistines, Unsung Heroes

Denomination: Baptist