In Sermon Illustrations: "Story"

Up To Our Armpits In Our Own Choosing!" 1 Samuel ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Nov 30, 2004

“Up to Our Armpits in Our Own Choosing!” 1 Samuel 14: 37-46 Key verse(s): 39a: “As surely as the Lord lives, even if it lies with my son Jonathan, he must die . . .” I was fifteen minutes late for my appointment and knew that it would be an embarrassment to admit that I had simply gotten ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 14:36-45, 1 Samuel 14:37-46

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Lutheran

We Never Know Who Will Respond To The Love Of ...

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Jun 17, 2007

We never know who will respond to the love of God and Good News of Jesus Christ, and it is not our job to figure it out, only to keep reaching out to others and sharing the Good News. Mark Early tells the story of Gracia Burnham’s ordeal. She and her husband Martin were missionaries in the ...read more

Denomination: Methodist

The Year Was 1992. A Man Was On Parole For Child ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

The year was 1992. A man was on parole for child molesting. His fellow apartment renters complained of odors and chainsaw noises. When the police searched his apartment, they found it full of skulls, headless torsos and body parts. He would murder, mutilate and sometimes cannibalized boys and men. ...read more

Tags: Cross Agony

The One Thing That Has Always Impressed Me About ...

Contributed by Tyler Edwards on Jun 24, 2009

The one thing that has always impressed me about beggars is that they know how to make money. I don’t mean that to be insulting I really don’t it is impressive. I remember a few years ago I was in my office working and this car pulled up. A couple came in and asked if we could help them out with ...read more

Tags: Restoration

Denomination: *other

Giving Begets Giving  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Nov 30, 2009

GIVING BEGETS GIVING Leadership Magazine carried a story about four young men, Bible College students, who were renting a house together. One Saturday morning someone knocked on their door. And when they opened it, there stood this bedraggled-looking old man. His eyes were kind of marble-ized, and ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 8:2

Tags: Giving General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Generosity Of Poor Man Surprises Bible College ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 30, 2009

Generosity of Poor Man Surprises Bible College Students Illustration from Leadership/Melvin Newland: Leadership Magazine carried a story about 4 young men, Bible College students, who were renting a house together. One Saturday morning someone knocked on their door. And when they opened it, there ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:6-15

Tags: Giving General

Why Doesn't Anybody Wear Shoes In This ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 4, 2009

Why Doesn’t Anybody Wear Shoes in this City? In Hugh Price Hughes’ story, the "City of Everywhere," a man arrived in a city one cold morning. as he got off the train, the station was like any other station with the crowds and redcaps, except that everybody was barefooted. they wore no shoes. He ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:5-13

Tags: Prayer General

More Like ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 18, 2010

More Like Jesus What then is it to be more like Jesus in righteousness and faithfulness. Consider the story of: William Howard Doane (who) was a wealthy nineteenth-century industrialist who entered the business world at age sixteen and was president of his own manufacturing company by age ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 10:24-25

Tags: Music

Mom's Chicken Soup Coupled With Forgiveness Wins ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 10, 2010

Mom’s Chicken Soup Coupled with Forgiveness Wins Over Disgruntled Church Member A lady tells as story that is a real picture of forgiveness. She says my mom, now in heaven, was a good cook. She was a good forgiver too and the combination of these two qualities resulted one day in an incident I love ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:43-48

Tags: Forgiveness For Others

The Modern Rich Man

Contributed by Sajeev Painunkal, Sj on Oct 30, 2010

A popular story recounts a meeting that may have taken place at the Edgewater Beach Hotel in Chicago in 1923. There is debate whether the meeting in fact occurred, but what is not in question is the actual rise and fall of the men featured in the story, who were nine of the richest men in the world ...read more

Tags: Money

Denomination: Catholic

Making Your Life Count For Something

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 7, 2011

MAKING YOUR LIFE COUNT FOR SOMETHING Many years ago at a Presbyterian retreat center near Asheville, NC, the annual summer conference was being held. An elderly man with a neatly clipped white goatee and resonant voice rose to speak. He explained that he was a medical doctor and he had a story to ...read more

Scripture: Luke 14:25-33

Tags: Missions

Greater Things

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Aug 2, 2011

GREATER THINGS You know, for me, one of the most intriguing promises Jesus ever made was this: "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." John 14:12 Jesus said I will be able to do ...read more

Tags: Salvation

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Is He Real Or Pretend?

Contributed by Mark Stepherson on Dec 15, 2011

IS HE REAL OR PRETEND? I think George Reeves was the first actor to be Superman on TV. Back in the 50's, TV actors were not quite as "elite" as some seem to be now. They would throw out the first pitch at a Los Angeles little league game. They would fire the starting pistol for a soap box derby ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 16:7, Isaiah 29:13

Tags: Hypocrisy, Sincerity

Denomination: Baptist

The Pastor From ...

Contributed by Ken Pell on Mar 23, 2013

THE PASTOR FROM KENYA Ramez Attalah, general director at The Bible Society of Egypt, attended an international conference or Christian leaders in 1974. He was thrilled to be with top-notch leaders from around the globe—sharing and reading interesting papers on important subjects--but the most ...read more

Tags: Humility

Denomination: Nazarene

You Promised Me  PRO

Contributed by Ken Pell on May 6, 2013

"YOU PROMISED ME" Love always perseveres. Love never Fails. In 1989, an 8.2 earthquake almost flattened Armenia, killing over 30,000 people in less than four minutes. Surprisingly, such tragedies often bring out the best in people. Let me show you the loving heart of a father. In the midst of ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, Leviticus 6:12-13

Tags: God's Love, Bearing God's Image

Denomination: Nazarene

Great Endurance Produces Great Reward

Contributed by Charlie Roberts on Jun 23, 2019

I’m reminded of the story of a man born in the late 1800s. One of several children being the oldest, took care of the younger children and began to cook for them at a young age of seven yrs old. His father died when he was young leaving him even more responsibility. He worked many jobs in his ...read more

Scripture: James 1:2

Tags: Endurance, Faithfulness, Reward

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Unsung Heroines-Salome

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Aug 23, 2022

Introduction: She’s only mentioned in two verses, and only in one of the Gospels. Her deeds of love for Jesus, though, far outweigh any lack of text. Her name is Salome and she’s another unsung heroine of the Bible. Text: Mark 15:40-41, KJV: 40 There were also women looking on afar off: among whom ...read more

Scripture: Mark 15:40-41, Luke 24:1-11

Tags: Salome, Unsung Heroines

Denomination: Baptist

Can I Get A Witness?

Contributed by Loyd C. Taylor on Feb 23, 2024

Can I Get a Witness? Raised to Testify! Lazarus doesn’t have a recorded sermon in Scripture, but he had something just as powerful: a life that pointed to Jesus. In John 11, his very presence became a testimony that Christ is Lord over death. After Lazarus was raised, people didn’t have to be ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:15, Mark 16:15, Jeremiah 1:7-8, Acts 1:8, Romans 10:9-17, Romans 1:15-17  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Witness, Friendship, Testimony, Witnessing, Lifestyle, Friend Sunday, Evangelism  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Twin Brothers And A Dollar

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 11, 2009

TWIN BROTHERS AND A DOLLAR In his book, The Preaching Event, John Claypool tells a poignant story about identical twin brothers who never married because they enjoyed each other’s company so much. When their father died, they took over his store and ran it together in a joyful collaboration. But ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness General

Charles H. Townes, Who Won A Nobel Prize For ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 16, 2009

Charles H. Townes, who won a Nobel Prize for his work in laser technology, opened a talk with a disclaimer: "It’s like the beaver told the rabbit as they stared up at the immense wall of the Hoover Dam: ’No, I didn’t actually build it myself. But it was based on an idea of mine.’" We are often ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 2:20

Tags: Humility