In Sermon Illustrations: "Stretched Out Hand"

A Darkened Mind

Contributed by Andy Grossman on Feb 15, 2012

A DARKENED MIND The god of this age, Satan, wants people to be blinded to the Truth. He loves a darkened mind. Sean Sellers was a willing mind. His parents were long haul truckers from Colorado. Sean filled the empty hours with the occult. He began with Dungeons and Dragons. The he began ...read more

Tags: Cults

Denomination: Holiness

Shannon's Sacrifice

Contributed by Greg Nance on Feb 25, 2012

SHANNON'S SACRIFICE It was March 24, 1998 in Westside Middle School near Jonesboro, Arkansas. A total of five people, four female students and a teacher, were killed at a school shooting. Ten people, nine students and one teacher, were injured. The perpetrators of the shooting were two students, ...read more

Tags: Sacrifices

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Fear Of The Resurrection

Contributed by Perry Greene on Jul 2, 2012

FEAR OF THE RESURRECTION In a cemetery in Hanover, Germany, is a grave on which were placed huge slabs of granite and marble cemented together and fastened with heavy steel clasps. It belongs to a woman who did not believe in the resurrection of the dead. Yet strangely, she directed in her will ...read more

Tags: Men's Day

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Father's Legacy

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 30, 2012

A FATHER’S LEGACY Ken Hemphill tells the story of what took place at his church when he was pastor of FBC of Norfolk. He was out on the sidewalk welcoming people as they got out of their cars. About 3rd in line was a father & his teenage son. The father had a golf shirt on, and he evidently was ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 22:6

Tags: Father's Day

Inspiration: Ten Feet At A Time

Contributed by Dave Clark on Dec 11, 2012

INSPIRATION: TEN FEET AT A TIME Being a provoker doesn’t mean you have to be a perfect person, it just means you have to be a person doing your best in the situations where you find yourself. Several years ago after a devastating California earthquake, the news camera panned a devastated ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 15:1

Tags: Restoration

Denomination: Disciples Of Christ

The Boat Is On Fire

Contributed by Jerry Thorpe on Mar 8, 2013

THE BOAT IS ON FIRE Robert E. Lee pleasure boat. Steamed out of Vicksburg. Hundreds of people were aboard. After midnight the boat caught fire. The captain discovered it and told his first mate to rush down through the saloon and down every corridor to wake everyone up. He didn't have time to ...read more

Tags: Rapture, Evangelism Urgency

Denomination: Church Of God

The Vow To God

Contributed by Larry Turner on Nov 12, 2014

A businessman was traveling on a plane for the first time. He had always been terrified of flying but his next appointment required him to do so. The flight was going well when suddenly the plane shuddered. The pilot came over the intercom and announced that the engines on the right side had ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:33-37

Tags: Promise, Vow

Denomination: Foursquare

Surrendering To God

Contributed by Tim Smith on May 28, 2015

Ravi Zacharias tells the amazing story of a young Christian, Hien Pham, whom he met in Vietnam who served as an interpreter with the American forces. Shortly after Vietnam fell, Hien was imprisoned on accusations of helping the Americans. His jailers tried to indoctrinate him against democratic ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:13-16

Tags: Grace, Persecution, Prayer, Surrender, Standing On Promises  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Methodist

Where Are The Men?

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Mar 1, 2016

WHERE ARE THE MEN? Churches in America are needing more than just a few good men. Here are the statistics from God Facts: *** The typical U.S. Congregation draws an adult crowd that’s 61% female, 39% male. *** On any given Sunday, there are 13 million more adult women than men in America’s ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:1-10

Tags: Men, Church Attendance, Ministry To Men

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Who's Got The Power?

Contributed by Dr. David Hallum on Jul 10, 2017

The light switch in the main bathroom in our house has been sketchy and in need of replacement for some time. Last Friday night it finally gave up the ghost. Do you think it broke in the “on” position or the “off” position? Of course it broke in the off position. If you drop buttered bread it ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 8:6-8

Tags: Power, Life And Death

Denomination: Baptist

Get In The Game: Be A Disciple For Christ

Contributed by Pastor Randall Timblin on Oct 23, 2017

Discipleship is never easy. It’s not something that you are born with. However, when you are born again, it is something you should plan on doing. Discipleship can be as simple as sharing your testimony with others. Some of us don’t even have a testimony but should. What were you like ...read more

Tags: Football, Score, Quarterback, Discipleship, Testimony  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: *other

The Heizer Creek Baptism

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Apr 11, 2018

Note: this story happened to me - Jim Butcher of Madison WV. One of my favorite baptism stories comes from a friend of mine who owns a house on Heizer Creek. He had a nice spot on his property to do baptisms and told the nearby country churches they were welcome to use it anytime, which a few of ...read more

Tags: Change, Transformation, Cursing, Baptism

Denomination: Baptist

Putting Away Childish Things

Contributed by Rick Boyne on May 6, 2018

When I was a little boy, I had a whole set of Tonka Toy cars, trucks, dump trucks, tractors, and even an excavator! It seems like we always had a pile of dirt to play in, or at the very least our gravel driveway. I could play with them in the mud; I could play with them in the garage; I could play ...read more

Tags: Maturity, Toys, Growing Up

Denomination: Baptist

Deliverance

Contributed by Steve Kinnard on Feb 14, 2019

DELIVERANCE Use your imagination this morning, we are in a small boat with JESUS. We have set sail from Galilee and are heading across the Sea of Galilee to the other shore. We are unsure where Jesus is leading us, but we trust Him and know he has a reason. We are approaching the other shore ...read more

Scripture: Luke 8:26-33

Tags: Deliverance, Possession

Denomination: Pentecostal

Helping Others

Contributed by Roy Fowler on Jun 19, 2020

Years ago, my father coached a team of eight-year-olds. He had a few excellent players, and some who just couldn't get the hang of the game. Dad's team didn't win once all season. But in the last inning of the last game, his team was only down by a run. There was one boy who had never ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:2

Tags: Supporting Others, Supporting Each Other

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Jesus Is Watching You!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Aug 18, 2020

A burglar broke into a house one night. He shone his flashlight around, looking for valuables, and when he picked up a CD player to place in his sack, a strange, disembodied voice echoed from the dark saying, "Jesus is watching you". He nearly jumped out of his skin, clicked his ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-12

Tags: Honesty, Jokes, Omnipresence Of God, Jesus Is Watching

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

He's My Father!!!!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Mar 12, 2022

There is an old Roman story which tells how a Roman emperor was once enjoying a great victory. He had the privilege of marching his troops through the streets of Rome with all of his captured trophies, and his prisoners behind him. This emperor was marching with his troops; the streets were lined ...read more

Tags: Lord's Prayer, Heavenly Father, Father, Children, Worship, Prayer  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Mothers - How We Relate Through The Years

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Feb 8, 2023

Moments with mothers ... and with grandmothers.... Often become the foundation ...of memories ... that in turn ... become stories ... that are shared within the family... for many years. And as Children ... I have found ... we relate....... to our mothers ...differently .... through the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 15:4, Matthew 19:19, Mark 7:10, Luke 18:20, John 19:25-27  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Children, Mom, Mothers Day, Mothers, Memories, Motherhood  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Anglican

[244]. A Message From A Poem – Being A Part Of The Body

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Dec 26, 2025

[244]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – BEING A PART OF THE BODY I would call this an unusual but interesting poem. The message is an important one though because so much is involved – harmony, nurture, compassion, serving one another, building up the Body of Christ. The poem came to me with the first ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:3-6, Ephesians 4:16, 1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 1 Corinthians 12:27

Tags: The Body Of Christ, Members Of The Body, Christian Poems, All Have Gifts, Part Of The Body, Comfort, Help, One Body, Gifts, One Another  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

It Would Be Easy For Mvp Quarterback Curt Warner ...  PRO

Contributed by James Wilson on Nov 23, 2000

It would be easy for MVP quarterback Curt Warner to give a "stay with it and pull yourself up by your own boot strap like I did" speech, but he doesn’t. According to Warner, much of the credit for his remarkable turn around goes to his wife Brenda, and his relationship to Jesus Christ. At a ...read more

Tags: Faith General, Emotions, Workplace Evangelism

Denomination: Baptist