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In Sermon Illustrations: "Surprise"

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  • A Colleague Was Invited To Hold A Speech In ...

    Contributed by Paul Shafit on Aug 4, 2007
     | 3,272 views

    A colleague was invited to hold a speech in Japan. Aware of his reputation as a very good speaker, he was surprised that his audience did not react at all to any of his perfectly timed jokes and witticisms. In fact, the audience did not react to anything he said. Somewhat put down, he went back to ...read more

  • A While Ago My Wife Had A Job Evaluation From Her ...

    Contributed by Richard Goble on Nov 16, 2007
     | 1,279 views

    A while ago my wife had a job evaluation from her employer. Her boss commended her for doing a good job, and she received a nominal raise in pay. Nothing that would change her lifestyle, but an increase in pay none the less. Upon leaving the evaluation she said to her boss, “Thank you for the ...read more

  • Praise And Gratitude

    Contributed by Bill Butsko on May 9, 2008
    based on 1 rating
     | 10,854 views

    PRAISE AND GRATITUDE After one of the terrible battles of the Civil War, a dying Confederate soldier asked to see the chaplain. When the chaplain arrived, he supposed the young man would wish him to ask God for his recovery; but it was very different. First the soldier asked him to cut off a ...read more

  • Submarine-Style Peace

    Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 31, 2008
    based on 2 ratings
     | 5,880 views

    SUBMARINE-STYLE PEACE Several years ago a submarine was being tested and had to remain submerged for many hours. When it returned to the harbor, the captain was asked, "How did the terrible storm last night affect you?" The officer looked at him in surprise and exclaimed, "Storm? We didn't even ...read more

  • What Is Christianity?

    Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 28, 2009
     | 2,430 views

    WHAT IS CHRISTIANITY? A number of years ago, in preparation for a discussion period on a Christian radio program, an interviewer went into the streets of Philadelphia to ask people this question: "What is Christianity." The answers were surprising. Some said that Christianity is "the American ...read more

  • .significant Differences In Law (That Is, ...

    Contributed by Grant Sisson on Mar 5, 2009
     | 1,516 views

    ...significant differences in law (that is, approved behavior) exist where fundamental values are different. I met a young woman from the Middle East who came to work for a time at The Center for Families. She had come to America with her family, and after they had been here only a couple of ...read more

  • Whipping The ...

    Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 10, 2009
     | 2,275 views

    WHIPPING THE SAVIOR Love paid the price for your sins and mine! The great preacher W.A. Criswell saw this in an unusual dream he had one night. In this dream, Dr. Criswell saw the Savior. Jesus’ back was bare. And there was a soldier lifting up his hand and bringing down that awful whip on the ...read more

  • Gollum And The Ring

    Contributed by Davon Huss on Feb 15, 2010
    based on 1 rating
     | 2,404 views

    GOLLUM AND THE RING Many of us are familiar with the Lord of the Rings trilogy. We cannot help but remember the character named Gollum. He was a hideous, pathetic creature who was possessed by the power of the ring. In fact, the ring was the reason for his hideous appearance. His obsession ...read more

  • Four Sets Of Teeth  PRO

    Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Mar 1, 2010
    based on 3 ratings
     | 2,811 views

    FOUR SETS OF TEETH Simon was an Orthodox Jew. He had a Gentile friend, James, who noticed that Simon owned four sets of false teeth. One day James asked his friend why he had so many sets of false teeth. Surprised by the question, Simon explained, "My friend, as you know, I keep kosher. I have ...read more

  • There Is A Fable Of A Kite Which Once Said To ...

    Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Jun 29, 2010
     | 1,657 views

    There is a fable of a kite which once said to itself, “If I could just get rid of that man who is holding me back, then I could fly above the clouds and kiss the stars.” One day the string broke. Now, at last, the kite was free to soar higher than it had ever gone before. But much to its surprise ...read more

  • Anxiety Is A Dud

    Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 13, 2010
     | 3,705 views

    ANXIETY IS A DUD What's worse than being trapped behind prison bars? Trying to live while avoiding capture. Sergei was a Latvian prison convict with ten months left to serve on his seven-year burglary sentence, when he decided to escape. But even after years of freedom, the escapee couldn't ...read more

  • Because I'm A Gentleman  PRO

    Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 23, 2011
    based on 3 ratings
     | 3,431 views

    BECAUSE I'M A GENTLEMAN A middle-aged business executive once approached the front entrance of the office building in which he worked. A young feminist came up at the same moment, so he stepped back and held the door open for her to pass on through. She looked at him and said with annoyance, ...read more

  • Samuel Chadwick: Guiding His Life By The Bible

    Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 19, 2011
     | 4,340 views

    SAMUEL CHADWICK: GUIDING HIS LIFE BY THE BIBLE Let me conclude by sharing something written many years ago by Samuel Chadwick. "I have guided my life by the Bible for more than sixty years, and I tell you there is no book like it. It is a miracle of literature, a perennial spring of wisdom, a ...read more

  • Wranglers, Not Stranglers

    Contributed by Davon Huss on Jul 3, 2011
     | 1,847 views

    WRANGLERS, NOT STRANGLERS Ted Engstrom tells about a literary group that once gathered at the University of Wisconsin. The members wanted to be poets, novelists, essayists and authors--and they had the talent to be successful. These young men met regularly to read and critique each other’s work. ...read more

  • What Makes Your Face Shine?  PRO

    Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 2, 2011
    based on 2 ratings
     | 4,307 views

    WHAT MAKES YOUR FACE SHINE? A Hindu trader in India once asked a missionary, "What do you put on your face to make it shine?" With surprise the man of God answered, "I don’t put anything on it!" His questioner began to lose patience and said emphatically, "Yes, you do! All of you who believe in ...read more

  • She Thinks I'm Real!

    Contributed by Davon Huss on Dec 24, 2012
     | 2,032 views

    A story is told of a family that went into a restaurant. The waitress walked up and, looking at the young boy, said: “What will it be?” The boy eagerly shouted back: “I’ll take a hamburger, French fries, and a chocolate shake.” The mother immediately interrupted: “Oh, that’s not what he ...read more

  • N.t. Wright Quote On Christian Artists

    Contributed by Matthew Redder on Sep 21, 2018
     | 5,371 views

    I love this quote as I believe it is hard for the Christian artist to always understand their place in the church. Truth be told, artists have an incredible gift and responsibility in the community to illuminate the realities of the Word and of this life we live. Wright puts it well: "The ...read more

  • A Funny Letter To God!

    Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Nov 5, 2023
    based on 2 ratings
     | 3,066 views

    A little boy named Johnny wrote a letter to God asking for one hundred dollars. The local post office didn't know where to send the letter, so they sent it to the White House. The President had a secretary that saw the letter and so she sent the little boy five dollars, thinking that would ...read more

  • The Saga Of Mitsuo Fuchida  PRO

    Contributed by Brad Bailey on Aug 9, 2004
    based on 4 ratings
     | 3,482 views

    the saga of Mitsuo Fuchida. Fuchida grew up loving his native Japan and hating the United States, which treated Asian immigrants harshly in the first half of the twentieth century. Fuchida attended a military academy, joined Japan’s Naval Air Force, and by 1941, with 10,000 flying hours behind ...read more

  • God Keeps His Promises

    Contributed by Christian Cheong on Jun 27, 2009
    based on 1 rating
     | 7,216 views

    GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISES Roger Simms shared this testimony in a book: May 7 the day Roger was discharged from the army. He couldn’t get a bus so he decided to hitchhike his way home. Carry his heavy suitcase and in his army uniform, he flashed for the on-coming car. It was a luxurious, black ...read more