In Sermon Illustrations: "Stories"

You Have To Stop Trying To Save Yourself

Contributed by Davon Huss on Jan 13, 2014

You Have to Stop Trying to Save Yourself Watchman Nee relates a story from one of his experiences as a Christian leader in China. A group of young Christian brothers were gathered together to take a swim in one of the many creeks that run throughout the countryside there. Since most were not good ...read more

Tags: Self-Sufficient, Rock Bottom

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

God Gave Her A Flying Cat!  PRO

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 1, 2014

GOD GAVE HER A FLYING CAT! Have you heard the story about the pastor who had a kitten that climbed up a tree in his backyard and then was afraid to come down. The pastor coaxed, offered warm milk, etc., but the kitty would not come down. The tree was not sturdy enough to climb, so the pastor ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 33:3

Tags: Prayer, Miracles, Prayer Answered

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Suffering & The Riches Of His Glory

Contributed by Michael Grant on Sep 3, 2016

What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory,  even us whom He called, not ...read more

Scripture: Romans 9:22-24

Tags: God's Glory

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Lesson On Mahatma Gandhi

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Jan 27, 2017

I HAVE MANY PEOPLE I GREATLY RESPECT... ONE OF THOSE MEN I RESPECT FROM THE TWENTIETH CENTURY IS: MAHATMA GANDHI... Several stories have made an impression in my heart. I read once that Mahatma Gandhi attended a church in Northern Africa. Gandhi had read about Jesus' teachings and he loved ...read more

Scripture: Jude 1:22

Tags: Respect, Gandhi Makes A Difference

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Humphery The Whale

Contributed by Clarence Eisberg on Sep 6, 2017

Remember Humphrey the humpback whale? Humphrey became a national celebrity in 1985 when he made his way into the San Francisco Bay and headed up the Sacramento River into fresh water which, of course, could have been fatal for him. Each evening a large local television audience would tune in for ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 1:15-19

Tags: God Is Personal, God Communicates

Denomination: Lutheran

Humphery The Whale

Contributed by Clarence Eisberg on Sep 6, 2017

Remember Humphrey the humpback whale? Humphrey became a national celebrity in 1985 when he made his way into the San Francisco Bay and headed up the Sacramento River into fresh water which, of course, could have been fatal for him. Each evening a large local television audience would tune in for ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 3:1-5

Tags: Original Sin, False Beliefs

Denomination: Lutheran

Peter Pan

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Mar 2, 2019

Peter Pan and The Hope Of Heaven… St. John’s is the oldest of all the cities in North America. Embedded in this 400-year-old city are many stories. Bowering Park is one of the oldest parks in St. John’s. It was established by a grant of land from the Bowering family in 1911 on the 100th ...read more

Tags: Heaven, Grief

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Fix The Dishwasher

Contributed by Roy Fowler on Sep 13, 2020

A Mother and her son were talking. His mother lived for nearly 94 years. One day around her 90th year she said something like, "If I had known I would live this long, I would have fixed the dishwasher." It had stopped working. So there it sat quietly waiting to be fixed. She thought it ...read more

Scripture: James 5:7, Isaiah 64:4, Exodus 14:15

Tags: Fix Our Problem, Now Is The Time

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Some Years Ago, I Had The Sheer Joy Of Seeing ...

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Mar 7, 2008

Some years ago, I had the sheer joy of seeing the movie adaptation of Fulton Oursler’s novel, The Greatest Story Ever Told. I loved the way Max von Sydow brought the personality of Jesus to the screen; it was perhaps the most natural portrayal of our Lord that I’ve ever seen. It was a long movie ...read more

Tags: Easter Resurrection

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Moore Notes From His Book The History Of Prayer ...

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Mar 17, 2008

Moore notes from his book The History of Prayer in America One Nation Under God. Of a famous story of a dying soldiers last moments with God prior to his death from pages 312-313. The dying soldier’s last moments were discovered in the pocket of this dead American soldier, a casualty of the North ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Bishop Will Willimon Is The Resident Bishop For ...

Contributed by Matthew Mobley on Mar 28, 2008

Bishop Will Willimon is the resident bishop for the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church. But before he was elected bishop in 2004, he was dean of the chapel at Duke University – one of the most prestigious universities in America. He tells this story from his days at Duke about ...read more

Denomination: Methodist

A Heart Of Sacrifice

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 3, 2008

A heart of sacrifice i. ((Lk 10:34-35) "He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I ...read more

June Hunt How To Forgive When You Don't Feel Like ...

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Apr 7, 2008

June Hunt How to Forgive When You Don’t Feel Like It. in her book lists a few of the risks associated with a person who chooses to not forgive. The following information is from her book How to Forgive When You Don’t Feel Like It. Taken from pages 70-73: Refusing to forgive means that God will not ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I Would Become The Corn ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 23, 2008

"I WOULD BECOME THE CORN MYSELF." The story is told of two men who were traveling in the country of England a number of years ago. They had stopped at an inn for the night and had gotten settled in for the night when the village came alive with the shouts of alarm. A fire had broken out in a row ...read more

Tags: Sacrifices

Water ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 31, 2008

WATER SOURCE The story is told about an Englishman living in Cairo who visited an Arab Chief in Arabia. The Englishman was treated with such kindness and royalty that he invited the Chief to visit him in Cairo, Egypt. He promised to show him the great sights of the city. The Arab Chief made the ...read more

Tags: Power

Which Desire Are You Feeding?  PRO

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Which Desire are You Feeding? Romans 8:13 says, "For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." (King James) Mortification is the special ministry that enables the child of God to overcome those evil desires that could ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:13

Tags: Overcome, Holiness

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Easter, Redemption

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Easter, Redemption The apostle Paul wrote about this redemptive work of Christ upon the Cross and victory that is available to the children of God through the resurrection of Christ. He writes, "So you are no longer a slave..." (Galatians 4:7) Jesus said, "So if the Son sets you free, you will ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 4:7

Tags: Easter Resurrection

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Can't Wait Until Morning  PRO

Contributed by Steve Gallimore on Aug 28, 2008

Can't Wait Until Morning Dr. W. A Criswell, Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas Texas, said on one occasion on an airplane flight he found himself seated beside a well-known theologian. He desperately wanted to start a conversation and they did get to talk. The man told Dr. Criswell about ...read more

Scripture: Acts 16:1

Tags: Death, Glory, Heaven, Salvation, Hope, Funeral  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

The Person God Blesses

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 12, 2008

THE PERSON GOD BLESSES First, what do we notice about the Person God blesses. A. The person God blesses has had a conversion to God's ways. Where do I get this concept? I get it from Abram’s name change. When we first meet him he is known as "Abram." After an encounter with God (Gen. 17:5) he is ...read more

Tags: Discipleship

The Box Is Empty

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 31, 2008

THE BOX IS EMPTY God offers us more than this world does, but most of us never take the time to see it. There was a 15-year old boy named Joey, whose mother died at birth. She was a severe alcoholic, and that had affected his pre-natal development. The result was that he was slightly retarded. ...read more

Tags: Worldliness