In Sermon Illustrations: "Stephen"

A Jewish Father Had Only One Child, A Little ...

Contributed by Stephen Wright on Jul 8, 2007

A Jewish father had only one child, a little girl. He was very fond of her. She was the one the death angel would kill if the blood was not put on the door. Before going to sleep she asked her father if the blood had been sprinkled on the door posts. He said that it had been and she fell asleep. ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Sadhu Sundar Singh And A Companion Were ...

Contributed by Stephen Wright on Oct 13, 2007

Sadhu Sundar Singh and a companion were travelling through a pass high in the Himalayan Mountains. At one point they came across a body lying in the snow. Sundar Singh wished to stop and help the unfortunate man, but his companion refused, saying, “We shall lose our lives if we burden ourselves ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

A Young Roman Was Condemned To Death For Treason. ...  PRO

Contributed by Stephen Wright on Oct 13, 2007

A young Roman was condemned to death for treason. At the end of the trial an older brother stepped forward. He had lost both arms fighting for Rome. Holding out the stumps he pleaded for his brother’s life. He confessed his brother’s guilt and that he was worthy of death, but he pleaded for his ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Eric Fellman Told Of Meeting A Chinese Couple In ...

Contributed by Stephen Wright on Oct 13, 2007

Eric Fellman told of meeting a Chinese couple in Hong Kong, while travelling to China. "A friend took me down a narrow alley to a second-floor flat to meet a man recently released from prison in China. A Chinese man in his 6Os opened the door. His smile was radiant, but his back was bent almost ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

There's A Story About An Old Cherokee Chief ...

Contributed by Stephen Wright on Oct 13, 2007

There’s a story about an old Cherokee chief sitting before a flickering fire with his grandson. The boy had broken a tribal taboo, and his grandpa wanted to help him understand what made him do it. "It’s like we have two wolves inside us," said the chief. "One is good, the other is bad. Both ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

During The Siege Of Plevna, The Czar, While ...

Contributed by Stephen Wright on Oct 13, 2007

During the siege of Plevna, the Czar, while going around the camp one evening, found a man who had fallen asleep while writing a letter to his wife. This officer had told of his hard work and exposure in the trenches, but said that these were nothing compared to his debts. "Who will pay my debts?" ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Leadership

Contributed by Stephen Smarowsky on Dec 13, 2007

Leadership Have you ever wondered why geese fly in a V formation? As with most animal behavior, God had a good reason for including that in their instincts. As each bird flaps its wings, it creates uplift for the bird following. In a V formation, the whole flock adds at least 71% more flying ...read more

Scripture: Job 12:7-9

Tags: Gifts Leadership

Denomination: Baptist

Danielle Fineout Grew Up As The Daughter Of ...

Contributed by Stephen Smarowsky on Dec 11, 2007

Danielle Fineout grew up as the daughter of missionaries in Zaire. As a little girl, she went to a day-long rally celebrating the one-hundreth anniversary of Christian missionaries coming to that part of Zaile. After a full day of long speeches and music, an old man came before the crowd and ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

In 1996, More People Died On Mount Everest Than ...

Contributed by Stephen Evoy on Dec 14, 2007

In 1996, more people died on Mount Everest than any year before or since. It could have been a lot worse. A Russian climber named Anatoli Boukereev was working as a guide on a commercial expedition. On May 10th, he helped prepare the final stretch of trail to the summit. He reached the top ...read more

Denomination: Free Methodist

The First Year I Was A Pastor, I Didn't Take Any ...

Contributed by Stephen Evoy on Dec 14, 2007

The first year I was a pastor, I didn’t take any vacation. Early in my second year, I heard a story about two lumberjacks. One lumberjack worked so hard that he refused to take any breaks—even to sharpen his chainsaw. The other lumberjack took fairly frequent breaks, and he spent a lot of time ...read more

Tags: Vacation

Denomination: Free Methodist

Once Upon A Time, A Congregation Outgrew Their ...

Contributed by Stephen Evoy on Jan 4, 2008

Once upon a time, a congregation outgrew their church building. Everyone agreed that they needed to build a new church; but they couldn’t agree on a blueprint, a budget or a building site. In desperation, the pastor invited everyone to join him for an evening of special prayer. One woman came, ...read more

Denomination: Free Methodist

I Heard A Story About A Woman Who Spent All Day ...  PRO

Contributed by Stephen Evoy on Jan 4, 2008

I heard a story about a woman who spent all day in a hot kitchen preparing a five course meal for some out of town guests. It was summer, it was 100 degrees outside; it was probably 120 in that kitchen. She worked hard, and everything turned out great. When everybody sat down to eat, this woman ...read more

Denomination: Free Methodist

It's One Thing To Talk To Our Kids About Jesus; ...

Contributed by Stephen Evoy on Jan 4, 2008

It’s one thing to talk to our kids about Jesus; it’s another thing to talk like Jesus in front of our kids. The fact of the matter is: our kids might stop ...read more

Denomination: Free Methodist

This Past Christmas, Jade Did Something That ...

Contributed by Stephen Evoy on Jan 4, 2008

This past Christmas, Jade did something that re-awakened a part of my heart that should never have been allowed to doze off. It was late in the evening; my parents had dropped by for a short visit. Jade was overly tired and out of sorts. Looking for some trouble, she wadded up a piece of ...read more

Denomination: Free Methodist

One Of The Ways That Children Change A Marriage ...

Contributed by Stephen Evoy on Jan 4, 2008

One of the ways that children change a marriage is easy to identify: they require us husbands to grow up and become their daddies. Unfortunately, some husbands are not willing to pursue this change. Many children grow up in homes where daddy often acts like a big baby. I know a guy who accuses ...read more

Denomination: Free Methodist

On July 1, 1935, A Man Actually Wrote These Words ...

Contributed by Stephen Evoy on Jan 4, 2008

On July 1, 1935, a man actually wrote these words in his will: “Unto my two daughters, Francis Marie and Denise Victoria; by reason of their unfilial attitude toward a doting father…I leave the sum of $1 to each and a father’s curse. May their respective lives be fraught with misery, unhappiness ...read more

Denomination: Free Methodist

Jesus Went Into Galilee. There He Proclaimed ...  PRO

Contributed by Stephen Evoy on Jan 4, 2008

“Jesus went into Galilee. There he proclaimed the Good News from God. ‘The time has come’ he said ‘and the kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent, and believe the Good News.’ As he was walking along by the Sea of Galilee he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net in the lake—for they ...read more

Scripture: Mark 1:14-18

Denomination: Free Methodist

Simon Was A Loyal Disciple; He Followed His Rabbi ...  PRO

Contributed by Stephen Evoy on Jan 4, 2008

Simon was a loyal disciple; he followed his rabbi closely, observing and learning. One day, Simon realized that his rabbi was actually the Messiah. He didn’t figure that out by himself. Jesus said: “Simon, son of Jonah, you are a happy man! Because it was not flesh and blood that revealed this ...read more

Denomination: Free Methodist

When It Came To Fishing, Simon, Son Of Jonah, ...

Contributed by Stephen Evoy on Jan 4, 2008

When it came to fishing, Simon, son of Jonah, appears to have been an angler of dubious ability. There is no record that he ever caught a fish without divine intervention. Most likely, the accounts of those miraculous catches were included in the gospels to assure readers that there was a similar ...read more

Denomination: Free Methodist

Dallas Willard Writes: "I Do Not Know Of A ...

Contributed by Stephen Evoy on Jan 4, 2008

Dallas Willard writes: “I do not know of a denomination or local church in existence that has as its goal to teach its people to do everything Jesus said. I’m not talking about a whim or a wish, but a plan.” Willard’s book, The Great Omission (Willard, 2006), is his personal take on the popular ...read more

Denomination: Free Methodist