In Sermon Illustrations: "Stretched Out Hand"

Tithing

Contributed by Fr Mund Cargill Thompson on Oct 21, 2010

I am very grateful for the people who (when I was an 18 year old student) taught me to tithe. At the time they had very little to get out of it - it was a church full of students. Students don’t have very much money - and 10% is not very much, not at all very much. Coupled with that, we were ...read more

Tags: Tithes

Denomination: Anglican

God's Detour

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Nov 10, 2010

GOD'S DETOUR The year was 1920. The scene was the examining board for selecting missionaries. Standing before the board was a young man named Oswald Smith. One dream dominated his heart. He wanted to be a missionary. Over and over again, he prayed, "Lord, I want to go as a missionary for you. Open ...read more

Tags: Disappointment

Denomination: Brethren

Said Musa

Contributed by Warner Pidgeon on Mar 10, 2011

SAID MUSA I have recently been exchanging letters with our MP John Baron regarding a man named Said Musa. Some of you know about his situation. Said is an Afghan convert from Islam to Christianity. In May 2010 he was arrested during a crackdown on converts because under Islamic religious law it is ...read more

Tags: Islam

Denomination: Anglican

Beauty From What He Puts In

Contributed by Thomas Cash on Apr 15, 2011

BEAUTY FROM WHAT HE PUTS IN There once was a brier growing in a ditch when a gardener came along with his spade and dug it up. He dug around it and gently lifted it out of the ground, bringing the brier to ask itself, "What is he doing? Doesn’t he know I’m a worthless brier?" But the gardener ...read more

Tags: Salvation

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

King Henry Ii's Anger

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Jun 10, 2011

KING HENRY II'S ANGER King Henry II of England, back in around 1200, had a lot of power. He put an end to a long and bloody civil war, and ruled both England and a large chunk of France for many years. He was so famous that a movie was made about him, about 25 yrs ago, starring Richard Burton and ...read more

Tags: Anger

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Risk Of Defeating The Enemy

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 26, 2012

THE RISK OF DEFEATING THE ENEMY During WWII in PNG as the Australian troops were involved in engaging the Japanese in Milne Bay and some of the regions along the North coast, the Australian troops began to realise that if they waited for all the artillery fire to cease that the Japanese in machine ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-18

Tags: War

Prayer Before Battle  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 28, 2012

PRAYER BEFORE BATTLE During the 1800s, the French General George Muller Massena who took orders from Napoleon, arrived at a quaint and militarily important Austrian town. His 18,000 soldiers were gearing up for their invasion, as the stunned Austrian citizens were lifeless and terrified. Knowing ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 20:1-30

Tags: Prayer Supplication

A Thief And A Priest

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 12, 2012

A THIEF AND A PRIEST The story is told about a Catholic priest who was walking down an alley behind his church when a thief jumped out from behind some garbage cans and pressed the muzzle of his gun into the priest's ribs. The thief said, "Give me your wallet!" Without hesitation, the priest ...read more

Scripture: Romans 14:1-23

Tags: Christian Values

Who Shot The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 3, 2013

WHO SHOT THE DEER? A lawyer, a doctor, and a preacher went deer hunting together when along came a big buck. The three of them all shot at the same time, and immediately the buck dropped to the ground. They all rushed up to examine the deer, but couldn't determine whose shot had actually killed ...read more

Scripture: John 8:42-47

Tags: Preaching

Covered Under His Wings  PRO

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 7, 2014

COVERED UNDER HIS WINGS It was a hot day in the dry old West. As the railroad came roaring down the tracks, sparks were flying everywhere because of the hot temperatures. When the sparks flew, often they would begin a fire that would destroy ranches, homes and livestock. One particular day, ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

Tags: Atonement, Forgiveness, Cross, Love Of God

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Really Dumb Thief

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Apr 17, 2017

A REALLY DUMB THIEF Any thief knows that the easiest way to steal gasoline from a car is to siphon it from the other guy’s tank into your own. Stick a rubber hose in his gas tank, suck on the other end of the rubber hose until you get a mouth full of the gas, then spit it out. From then on, the ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:7-8

Tags: Revenge, Wages Of Sin

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Trust God With The Splinter

Contributed by Ed Sasnett on Apr 28, 2018

Trouble is inevitable. It has spawned the counseling ministry. Therapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, support groups dedicate their lives to helping people deal with grief, addictions, abuse, and stress. There are many solutions offered. You can pop a pill or uncork a bottle or take a ...read more

Tags: Trust God, Comfort Of God

Denomination: Baptist

Irony

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on May 3, 2021

One definition of the word irony is, “a state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often amusing as a result.” • It is ironic, for example, that the most shop-lifted book is the Bible. • Every year ABC cuts down A Charlie Brown Christmas—a movie about ...read more

Tags: Rejection, Irony, Pedigree, Sibling Rivalry, Humble Pie, Family Strife, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

If Ii Were Satan...

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Nov 14, 2021

IF I WERE SATAN… I would delude their minds into thinking that they had come from man's effort, instead of God's blessings; I would promote an attitude of loving things and using people, instead of the other way around; I would convince people that character is not an issue when it comes ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:7-9

Tags: America, Satan, Spiritual Warfare, The Devil

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Be Found Faithful

Contributed by Roger Hasselquist on Mar 31, 2025

Remember the movie, Ben Hur? It came out in 1959. The movie won 11 Oscars and was over three and a half hours long. The most memorable scene in the film is the chariot race. Charlton Heston was trained for five weeks before the shooting of that scene. Heston was grateful for the trainer's ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 4:1-2

Tags: Faithfulness, Ben Hur, Chariot Race, Charles Heston

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

In One Of His Lighter Moments, Benjamin Franklin ...  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Howell on Apr 5, 2001

In one of his lighter moments, Benjamin Franklin penned his own epitaph.: The Body of B. Franklin, Printer Like the Cover of an old Book Its contents torn out, And stript of its Lettering and Guilding, Lies here, Food for Worms, But the Work shall not be ...read more

Tags: Funerals Christian, Death, Comfort

Denomination: Wesleyan

There Was A Man Named Don Quixote. Don Got A ...  PRO

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Apr 2, 2002

There was a man named Don Quixote. Don got a horse and a sword and when off to fight giants? Don thought windmills were giants and wasted his efforts and skills not on the enemy, but tilting windmills. He was so determined to fight windmills and kill them all. ...read more

Tags: Unity

Denomination: Assembly Of God

My Grandmother Turns 78 Years Old This Year And ...

Contributed by Jim Dillinger on Jun 5, 2003

My grandmother turns 78 years old this year and guess what she is doing for the next 3 months? She is teaching the 2 year olds with another lady! Yes, her children are out of the class, in fact so are her grandchildren and even great ...read more

Tags: Christian Disciplines, Endurance, Wisdom

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

72% Of Teens Who Reported Having Sexual ...

Contributed by Lynn Floyd on Jul 7, 2003

72% of teens who reported having sexual intercourse said they did it in the homes of their parents or their partners parents. Six out of ten of those having sex in homes believe their parents know about their sexual behavior. When parents say nothing about wrong ...read more

Tags: Parenting

Denomination: Baptist

In Saint Augustine's Confessions, He Describes ...

Contributed by Douglas Vincent on Jan 27, 2004

In Saint Augustine’s Confessions, he describes looking out his window at his neighbors pears, and even though he has pear trees of his own he desires to have them. So he jumps the fence and steals the pears. Then when he tastes them ...read more

Tags: Temptation General

Denomination: Methodist