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In Sermon Illustrations: "Surprise"

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  • The Slightest Wish  PRO

    Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 18, 2012
    based on 2 ratings
     | 3,099 views

    THE SLIGHTEST WISH During the War Between the States, General Lee one day sent word to Stonewall Jackson that the next time he rode in the direction of headquarters the Commander-in-Chief would be glad to see him on a matter of no great importance. General Jackson received the message and ...read more

  • Billy Graham: Strong Statements

    Contributed by Davon Huss on Aug 20, 2012
    based on 1 rating
     | 2,645 views

    BILLY GRAHAM: STRONG STATEMENTS The preacher to the Presidents, Billy Graham, now 93 years old, has come out with some surprising statements in the past few months. Recently, Mr. Graham quotes his late wife Ruth as saying, "If God doesn't punish America, He'll have to apologize to Sodom and ...read more

  • No Slackers  PRO

    Contributed by Davon Huss on Sep 2, 2013
    based on 2 ratings
     | 5,834 views

    NO SLACKERS A large company, feeling it was time for a shakeup, hired a new CEO. This new boss was determined to rid the company of all slackers. On a tour of the facilities, the CEO noticed a guy leaning on a wall. The room was full of workers and he wanted to let them know that he meant ...read more

  • New Perspective

    Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 15, 2013
    based on 1 rating
     | 6,322 views

    New Perspective A guy was crossing the street to visit his neighbor. As he started to cross the street, a car was bearing down on him, so he stopped and backed up to the curb. The car stopped, so he started to cross, and the car started to move toward him. He changed direction and went back to the ...read more

  • The Way To Heaven

    Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Sep 24, 2019
    based on 1 rating
     | 5,694 views

    . A pastor was trying to teach a children’s class about how to be saved. .”If I sold everything I have and gave it to the church, would I go to heaven?” The children answered, “No.” The pastor said, “Very good. That’s right. And if I worked hard at keeping the 10 commandments, would that get me ...read more

  • Paul Called The False Teachers "Hypocritical ...

    Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Jun 3, 2007
    based on 1 rating
     | 2,538 views

    Paul called the False Teachers "hypocritical liars whose consciences have been seared." In other words, they convinced themselves that they are above any outside standard. So it’s no surprise that they themselves do NOT follow the rules they make for their followers. We run into the same kinds ...read more

  • Jesus, As An Example

    Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Jun 11, 2007
    based on 1 rating
     | 3,604 views

    Illustration: Jesus, as an example D. M. Stearns was preaching in Philadelphia. At the close of the service a stranger came up to him and said, “I don’t like the way you spoke about the cross. I think that instead of emphasizing the death of Christ, it would be far better to preach Jesus, the ...read more

  • Corrie Ten Boom In The Hiding Place Relates An ...  PRO

    Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007
    based on 3 ratings
     | 2,947 views

    Corrie Ten Boom in The Hiding Place relates an incident which taught her this principle. She and her sister, Betsy, had just been transferred to the worst German prison camp they had seen yet, Ravensbruck. Upon entering the barracks, they found them extremely overcrowded and flea-infested. Their ...read more

  • Take The Poison

    Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007
     | 3,079 views

    Joke- Take the Poison A man goes to see the Pastor. "Pastor, something terrible is happening and I have to talk to you about it." The Pastor asked, "What’s wrong?" The man replied, "My wife is poisoning me." The Pastor, very surprised by this, asks, "How can that be?" The man then pleads, "I’m ...read more

  • California's Most Colorful Stagecoach Robber, ...  PRO

    Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007
    based on 3 ratings
     | 2,465 views

    California’s most colorful stagecoach robber, “Black Bart.” For 6 years starting in 1877, Black Bart committed 28 robberies wearing a flour sack over his head, brandishing a shotgun demanding, “Will you please thrown down your treasure box, sir?” He was wounded in his last robbery, dropping a ...read more

  • Ron Mcclung Is A Former Pastor Of 33 Years And ...

    Contributed by Steve Smith on Aug 28, 2007
     | 1,718 views

    Ron McClung is a former pastor of 33 years and wrote these words: “God sees the dream in our hearts. People all around us have dreams of being better than they are, of doing better and climbing higher. Yet, sometimes we don’t recognize the dreams because we don’t see them clearly as God does. ...read more

  • Hat-Tip To SermonCentral Illustration Bank: On ...

    Contributed by Jay Winters on Dec 27, 2007
     | 1,215 views

    Hat-tip to SermonCentral illustration bank: On Christmas Eve of 1906, off the coast of Massachusetts, ships carrying sailors that would have liked to be someplace else than a boat on Christmas Eve received a message from the coast in morse code. “CQ….CQ” it said, indicating that an important ...read more

  • God Wants You To Rejoice In Your Relationship!  PRO

    Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 8, 2008
    based on 2 ratings
     | 2,669 views

    God wants you to rejoice in your relationship! *God wants our churches and our marriages to be alive and overflowing with joy. So the Old Testament tells us that the joy of the Lord is our strength; the New Testament tells us to “rejoice in the Lord always.” Then in Proverbs 5 in words too vivid ...read more

  • Thankless Job  PRO

    Contributed by Mike Dubose on May 8, 2008
    based on 4 ratings
     | 4,608 views

    THANKLESS JOB I read about a stay-at-home mom who went to a PTA meeting one night. While she was gone, her husband and oldest daughter decided they would clean the kitchen for mom and surprise her when she got home. Well, they washed all the dishes, put away the pots and pans, cleaned the ...read more

  • Angel Warriors  PRO

    Contributed by Paul Wallace on Oct 28, 2008
    based on 5 ratings
     | 4,884 views

    Angel Warriors John Paton was a missionary in the New Hebrides Islands. One night hostile natives surrounded the mission station, intent on burning out the Patons and killing them. Paton and his wife prayed during that terror-filled night that God would deliver them. When daylight came they were ...read more

  • A Great Story For Mother's Day

    Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Apr 19, 2022
     | 922 views

    Years ago, a young mother was making her way across the hills of South Wales, carrying her tiny baby in her arms, when she was overtaken by a blinding blizzard. She never reached her destination and when the blizzard had subsided her body was found by searchers beneath a mound of snow. But they ...read more

  • Keys To Understanding The Parables

    Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Nov 13, 2022
     | 548 views

    KEYS TO UNDERSTANDING THE PARABLES Parables provide insight into the nature, coming, growth and of the Kingdom of God. Parables are by design intended to be surprising. They often sneak up on us. Parables are used to simulate thinking and cause the hearer to carefully contemplate what they ...read more

  • Power In Holy Communion

    Contributed by Roy Fowler on Apr 18, 2023
     | 1,909 views

    I've been thinking about holy moments, how Christ has surprised me by his presence. One of those moments came when I visited and had Communion with a member who was dying of cancer. Near the end of the visit I asked her how I could pray or for what she would like me to pray for. She expressed ...read more

  • He Waited 42 Years To Marry Her!

    Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jun 12, 2023
    based on 1 rating
     | 912 views

    Richard Armstrong, in Make Your Life Worthwhile, reports the story about a man in Wales who sought to win the affection of a certain lady for 42 years before she finally said, "Yes." The couple, both 74, recently became "Mr. and Mrs." For more than 40 years, the persistent, ...read more

  • The Atheists And The Pharisees

    Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Oct 9, 2010
    based on 1 rating
     | 3,503 views

    THE ATHEISTS AND THE PHARISEES He was wide eyed but unable to speak properly. The nurses told me that he did not have long to live. Brian (not his real name) was experiencing spasms of pain and shortness of breath. He was groaning, and looked weak, drawn and afraid. I offered to pray for him. I ...read more