In Sermon Illustrations: "Supporting Each Other"

Why Do People Wear Masks?  PRO

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Apr 12, 2002

Why do people wear masks? Several years ago, I had a nightmare, it was terrible. For many days my spirit was greatly troubled. In a dream, I saw one of my most serious workers at church dying a terrible death. As my church worker was dying, I saw a battle going against my member. I was ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:14-17, Hebrews 12:17

Tags: Rejection, Forgiveness For Others, Faithful, Affliction, Anger  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Assembly Of God

She Was Crazy. Everyone Knew It Because She Had ...  PRO

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Apr 18, 2002

She was crazy. Everyone knew it because she had the habit of talking to herself in public and it was known that she believed she even talked to Jesus - and was spoken back to. A new preacher came to town and, hearing of the crazy woman, thought that he might be able to make her face reality. ...read more

Tags: God's Forgiveness, God The Father, Forgiveness For Others

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Got It Comin'  PRO

Contributed by Wayne Major on Jun 7, 2002

GOT IT COMIN' Clint Eastwood Westerns are great movies. One of his later movies is titled “Unforgiven.” In the movie, Eastwood plays the part of an aging gunfighter who lost his taste for killing many years before. He and his old partner, played by Morgan Freeman, are lured by the rumor of a ...read more

Tags: Lord's Supper, God's Judgment, Forgiveness For Others

Denomination: Methodist

British General James Oglethorpe, Founder Of The ...  PRO

Contributed by Robert Leroe on Jul 11, 2002

British General James Oglethorpe, founder of the colony of Georgia, bluntly told John Wesley, founder of the Methodist church, "Preacher, I never ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness For Others, God's Forgiveness, God The Father

Denomination: Congregational

Stone And Sand  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 7, 2002

STONE AND SAND A story tells that two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face. The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand: "TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SLAPPED ME ...read more

Tags: Mercy, Relationships, Friendship, Forgiveness For Others, Forgiveness  (view more)  (view less)

Forgiving My Enemies  PRO

Contributed by Gordon Kroeker on Aug 16, 2002

FORGIVING MY ENEMIES Growing up in the Congo as a missionary kid, we were caught in the middle of the 1964 Communist rebellion. I was 8 years old at the time, and remember it well. When we received word that the rebels, (who were anti-white and anti-missionary) had burned out the bridge on one ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness For Others, Compassion, Sharing My Testimony

Denomination: Mennonite

Somewhere I Read The Story Of A Family With A ...  PRO

Contributed by Jelle Horjus on Nov 1, 2005

Somewhere I read the story of a family with a small boy, his parents and his grandfather. It happened that every evening when the family was having dinner at the table, the old grandfather spilled the food on his clothes. He was old, his hands were trembling and he could not move the spoon to his ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:35-45

Tags: Judgment, Mercy, Forgiveness For Others, Forgiveness, Compassion  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Robert E. Lee, The Southern General In The Civil ...  PRO

Contributed by Keith Davis on May 5, 2003

Robert E. Lee, the Southern general in the Civil war, was visiting a Kentucky lady. She took him to the remains of a grand old tree at the front of her formerly great mansion. The north and the south had fought a bitter battle right over her front porch, and the limbs and the trunk of that tree had ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness General, Forgiveness For Others, Growth In Christ

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Story Is Told About A Woman In An Airport. She ...  PRO

Contributed by Curt Cizek on Sep 18, 2007

A story is told about a woman in an airport. She had a “red-eye” flight and it was around midnight. She was tired, but also hungry so she bought a box of cookies. She sat down and opened her hand bag, searching for a book to read. A man sat down next to her and the next thing she knew, he opened ...read more

Tags: Dealing With Conflicts, Forgiveness For Others, Giving General

Denomination: Lutheran

A Second Chance  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 8, 2011

A SECOND CHANCE Some years ago, two teenagers with a long history of crime and misbehavior robbed a YMCA on the lowest East Side of New York City. On the way out they saw a young man at the telephone switchboard. They were frightened and assumed that the man must be calling the police. They held ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 32:1-2

Tags: Love, Hope, Change, Care, Forgiveness For Others  (view more)  (view less)

Adam & Eve's Old House

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 16, 2014

ADAM AND EVE’S OLD HOUSE One day Adam was out hunting with his two boys and came up to the Garden of Eden where he and Eve had been kicked out for for eating the forbidden fruit. Adam was staring at the Garden and one of his boys said, “Daddy, what is wrong with you? Why are you ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 3:1-10

Tags: Sin, Temptation, Adam And Eve, Blaming Others

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Power Of Forgiveness  PRO

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 20, 2014

THE POWER OF FORGIVENESS An African woman gave her heart to Christ. Her husband was the chief of a Zulu tribe. When she told him what she had done, the chief beat her brutally. As she was lying in the floor bleeding, the man mocked her and said, “Now, what can your Jesus do for ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:31-32, Luke 23:34

Tags: Forgiveness, Enemy, New Birth, Forgiving Others

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

What Forgiveness Is Not...

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 27, 2014

I think there are many today who are confused about forgiveness. Let’s talk about what forgiveness IS NOT. FORGIVENESS IS NOT EASY. It is the most difficult you will ever do to forgive someone who has stolen from you, lied about, hurt you or broken a vow to you. FORGIVENESS IS NOT NATURAL. The ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 50:15-20

Tags: Forgiveness, Cross, Forgiving Others, Joseph In Egypt

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Ronald Reagan Forgave

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 27, 2014

RONALD REAGAN FORGAVE President Ronald Reagan has always been one of my heroes in life. His forgiveness of his enemies was one of the many things that made him great. Ronald Reagan's attitude after the 1982 assassination attempt on his life made an impression on his daughter, Patti Davis. As she ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 50:15-20

Tags: Enemy, Leadership, Forgiving Others, Ronald Reagan

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

World Trade Center Hero

Contributed by Tim Smith on Sep 25, 2016

Matt Chandler tells the story of Dave Karnes. When the World Trade Center tumbled to the ground on that dreadfully dark day, more than 3000 people lost their lives. But a few who were buried beneath the rubble miraculously survived. Two of these were Will Jimeno and John McLoughlin, a pair of Port ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:1-10

Tags: Evangelism, 911, Incarnation Of Jesus, Saving Others

Denomination: Methodist

Loaded Gun

Contributed by Steve Kinnard on Feb 15, 2019

LOADED GUN Let's start out with a story; there's a young man standing with his eyes glazing over with shock. His eyes slowly shift in utter disbelief from the still smoking gun in his hand to his best friend laying in the floor with an ever-growing red spot on his chest. His eyes fill with ...read more

Tags: Our Sins Hurt Others, Price For Sin

Denomination: Pentecostal

The Influence Of A Pastor's Wife

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Aug 12, 2019

When William Booth, the founder of The Salvation Army, felt the call of the Lord to go into the streets of London and begin ministering to street people, he stood in a Methodist Conference meeting and requested permission from the presiding bishop to be released from his church to go into the ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 17:1-16

Tags: Pastor's Wives, Listening To God, Encouraging Others

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Ice Storm Train (1917)

Contributed by Dr. Bradford Reaves on Dec 4, 2025

In December 1917, a massive ice storm paralyzed New England. A passenger train froze on the tracks outside Hartford, leaving hundreds stranded in subzero temperatures. The passengers had no food, no heat, and no way home on Christmas Eve. Then something remarkable happened. Families living along ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:33-40

Tags: Christmas, Helping Others, Incarnation, Humanity, Trains  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Brethren

Good Gossip

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Dec 27, 2014

“I resolve to speak ill of no man whatever, not even in a matter of truth; but rather by some means excuse the faults I hear charged upon others, and upon proper occasions speak all the good I know of everybody.” – Benjamin Franklin I knew a woman once who took a temporary job working for a large ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 16:28

Tags: Gossip, Evil Tongue, Encouraging Others, Power Of The Tongue

Denomination: Charismatic

Rabbi David A. Nelson Likes To Tell The Story Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Hensley on May 17, 2001

Rabbi David A. Nelson likes to tell the story of two brothers who went to their rabbi to settle a longstanding feud. The rabbi got the two to reconcile their differences and shake hands. As they were about to leave, he asked each one to make a wish for the other in honor of the Jewish New Year. The ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:12, Matthew 6:12

Tags: Forgiveness For Others, Cross, Christian Love, Mote, Judge, Judgement  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist