In Sermon Illustrations: "Stop Playing It Safe"

There Was A Perfect Man Who Met A Perfect Woman. ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

There was a perfect man who met a perfect woman. After a perfect courtship, they had a perfect wedding. Their life together was, of course, perfect. One snowy, stormy Christmas Eve this perfect couple was driving along a winding road when they noticed someone at the roadside in distress. Being the ...read more

Tags: Heaven

In 1904 William Borden, Heir To The Borden ...

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on May 22, 2009

“In 1904 William Borden, heir to the Borden Dairy Estate, graduated from a Chicago high school a millionaire. His parents gave him a trip around the world. Traveling through Asia, the Middle East, and Europe gave Borden a burden for the world’s hurting people. Writing home, he said, "I’m going to ...read more

Tags: Sacrifices

Denomination: Salvation Army

Suffocating Fear

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 13, 2009

SUFFOCATING FEAR During his years as premier of the Soviet Union, Nikita Kruschev denounced many of the policies and atrocities of Joseph Stalin. In the midst of his speech a heckler shouted "You were one of his colleagues why didn’t you stop him?" Kruschev screamed, "Who said that?" There was a ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 1:9

Tags: Fear And Worry

Ants: Look At Ants On An Anthill. There They Are ...

Contributed by Ray Mckendry on Oct 23, 2009

ANTS: Look at ants on an anthill. There they are working, suffering, dying, due for death and destruction. We might feel sorry for them, but we cannot save the ants...We have no way of making them live forever or of stopping their toil and suffering. What if the only way to save the ants was to ...read more

Tags: Change, Christ's Sacrifice

Denomination: Baptist

We Don't Need A Map; We Need The Guide

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Oct 26, 2009

WE DON'T NEED A MAP; WE NEED THE GUIDE In A Slow and Certain Light, Elizabeth Elliot tells of two adventurers who stopped by to see her, all loaded with equipment for the rainforest East of the Andes. It was the first time they are trekking the forest but they sought no advice, just a few phrases ...read more

Tags: Doing God's Will

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Victor Shepherd Tells The Story Of A Missionary ...

Contributed by Davon Huss on Feb 3, 2010

Victor Shepherd tells the story of a missionary surgeon from the Gaza Strip in Israel. On one occasion this doctor stopped at a shack to see a woman on whom he had performed surgery. She and her husband were dirt poor. Their livestock consisted of one rabbit and two chickens. For income the ...read more

Tags: Sacrifices

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Gas Prank

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 1, 2010

THE GAS PRANK According to a story in the Grand Rapids Press, the owner of a small foreign car had begun to irritate his friends by bragging incessantly about his gas mileage. So they decided on a way to get some humor out of his tireless boasting, as well as bring it to an end. Every day, one of ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 9:23-24

Tags: Boasting

I'll Miss The Challenge

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 2, 2010

I'LL MISS THE CHALLENGE A certain rabbi was adored by his community; everyone was always delighted with what he had to say. All, that is, except for Isaac, who never missed an opportunity to contradict the rabbi's point of view and point out flaws in his teachings. The others were disgusted with ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 28:23

Tags: Character

No To Knowing The Future

Contributed by Sajeev Painunkal, Sj on Nov 17, 2010

"NO" TO KNOWING THE FUTURE When I used to work in an urban parish in Calcutta in India, I used to see a man sitting outside my window, on the pavement, with a parrot in a cage. He was a fortune teller. Several people who pass by that way would stop at him to learn about what the future held for ...read more

Tags: Future

Denomination: Catholic

Buried Chickens, Buried Sin

Contributed by Aaron Kilbourn on Jan 4, 2011

BURIED CHICKENS, BURIED SIN One of our youth, Andrew Plasier, shared this true story about an uncle of his in South Dakota and what happened a few summers ago. His uncle raised chickens, about 1200 of them, year round. In July the fans to the chickenhouse malfunctioned and stopped fanning the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 12:1-3

Tags: Sin Exposed

Denomination: Baptist

Close, But...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 11, 2011

CLOSE, BUT... A high school senior was asking his father's advice on how to woo the girl of his dreams. And his dad said "Well son, when you take her out for pizza tonight and you're sitting across the table from her, take her hand in yours, gaze longingly into her eyes and softly say 'Wow, you ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 15:22-23

Tags: Men And Women

God Wants To Live In Your House

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 9, 2011

GOD WANTS TO LIVE IN YOUR HOUSE C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity: "Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew that those jobs ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:4-5

Tags: Sanctification

Colors Of Storms

Contributed by Ronnie Miller on Jul 27, 2011

COLORS OF STORMS As I was watching the weather warnings run across the TV screen, I began to think about how we go through life's storms without any warnings. Each one of the storms we go through are painted a different color of severity, Green, Yellow, Orange and Red. It could be that a Green ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 4:12, Psalm 34:17-19

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Denomination: Baptist

Who's Watching?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 7, 2011

WHO'S WATCHING? I remember the story of that man who wanted to steal a goat. He took his four children and said to them: "You hide there, you hide by my left, you hide at my back, you hide by my right. If you see anybody coming, give me a sign that I will quickly stop whatever I 'm doing." But as ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 4:12-13

Tags: God's Omniscience

The Forbidden Fruit  PRO

Contributed by Scott Bayles on Jun 28, 2012

THE FORBIDDEN FRUIT And the first thing God told Adam and Eve was: "Don't." "Don't what?" Adam replied. "Don't eat the forbidden fruit," God said. "Forbidden fruit? We got forbidden fruit? Hey, Eve . . . we got Forbidden Fruit!" "No way!" "Yes WAY!" "Don't eat that fruit!" said ...read more

Tags: Parenting

Denomination: Christian Church

Grits And Grace

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 10, 2012

GRITS AND GRACE How blessed is the person whose sin God does not take into account. Even if you don’t deserve it; God provides for you. True story. Two pastors were on their way to Atlanta, Georgia for a large Christian men’s gathering. One of them had never been in the south before. After ...read more

Scripture: Acts 15:6-11

Tags: Grace

Your Sins Have Been Your Downfall, Is Where The ...

Contributed by Andrew Moffatt on Aug 18, 2012

"Your sins have been your downfall", is where the tar starts sticking to the tyres. Most people generally don’t like the whole “s” word thing. For some reason there is an issue with the human brain that tells us to kick up stink when we are having a good time, a pleasurable time and someone, some ...read more

Scripture: Romans 6:23

Tags: Repentance, Sin Bondage To, Sin And Grace

Denomination: Salvation Army

Only By Sacrifice

Contributed by Perry Greene on Aug 29, 2012

ONLY BY SACRIFICE During World War II, a young paratrooper, David Webster of E Company, 101st Airborne wrote his mother, "Stop worrying about me. I joined the parachutists to fight. I intend to fight. If necessary, I shall die fighting, but don’t worry about this because no war can be won without ...read more

Tags: Sacrifices

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Too Wicked For Ministry

Contributed by Keith Foskey on Apr 16, 2014

Paul Washer is a powerful preacher and evangelist. He once had a seminary student send him a message. He was afraid that he was too bad to enter the ministry. He sent him a message that simply said, "I think I am too wicked to be in the ministry." And Paul Washer wrote him back and said, "You are ...read more

Scripture: Romans 3:19-26

Tags: Assurance, Confidence, Reliance On God

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Why God?

Contributed by Larry Turner on Feb 8, 2016

Why God? God, why did this happen, Questions my soul needs to know. If you really love me Why am I hurting so? Why did you let it happen? The power is in your hand. Why did you not stop it? Please help me understand. I know it’s for a purpose. I have to figure out What is your reason. Please help ...read more

Scripture: Job 10:1-3

Tags: Struggles, Life Struggles, Questioning God, Reason For Suffering, Understanding God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Foursquare