In Sermon Illustrations: "Take It Or Leave It"

Take Up Your Cross

Contributed by Larry Wilson on Jul 5, 2010

TAKE UP YOUR CROSS People in Jesus’ day knew what it meant to "take up" a cross. They saw scores of criminals bearing the cross to the place where they were to be executed, and they witnessed scores of crucifixions, some even by the side of ...read more

Scripture: Acts 12:1-15

Tags: Cross

Denomination: Baptist

There Was A Minister Out Taking A Walk On A ...

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Nov 27, 2010

There was a minister out taking a walk on a beautiful street. He noticed a small boy attempting to ring the doorbell on the porch of a house. The boy was short and the doorbell was higher than usual. The boy could not quite reach it. The minister stepped up to the porch beside the boy and reached ...read more

Tags: Ignorance

Denomination: Brethren

Take My Wife...please

Contributed by Perry Greene on Nov 30, 2011

TAKE MY WIFE...PLEASE A hooded robber burst into a Texas bank and forced the tellers to load a sack full of cash. On his way out the door, a brave Texas customer grabbed the hood and pulled it off revealing the robber’s face. The robber shot the customer without a moment’s hesitation. He then ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:25

Tags: Marriage General

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Marriage Takes Hard Work

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Aug 28, 2012

MARRIAGE TAKES HARD WORK Good marriages are designed in heaven, but they are made on earth. And it takes hard work. It reminds me of the pastor of a big city church who ran an ad for a caretaker/housekeeper. The next day, a well-dressed young man appeared at the pastor's door. But before he ...read more

Tags: Marriage Struggle

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

God's Taking My Picture  PRO

Contributed by Lalachan Abraham on Jan 23, 2013

GOD'S TAKING MY PICTURE I heard a story of a little girl who walked to and from school daily. The weather one morning was questionable and clouds were forming, yet she made her daily trek to the elementary school. As the afternoon progressed, the winds whipped up, along with thunder and ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 18:1-5

Tags: God Brings Hope

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I'll Take Hymn!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 26, 2016

One Sunday, a pastor told his congregation that the church needed some extra money. He asked the people to consider donating a little more than usual into the offering plate. He said that whoever gave the most would be able to pick out three hymns. After the offering plates were passed, the pastor ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 2:21-23

Tags: Marriage, Dating, Husbands And Wives, Singles

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Take It First To The Lord In Prayer  PRO

Contributed by Palitha Jayasooriya on Apr 3, 2017

Take it to the Lord in prayer My mobile phone crashed a few months ago and I had to switch to my wife's old one as a temporary measure. On the first day of using the phone, there was one particularly important feature that neither I nor my wife could grasp, though we tried to figure it out for a ...read more

Scripture: John 16:24

Tags: Prayer, Trusting God, Trusting Christ

Denomination: Assembly Of God

There Is A Story Is A Guy Taking A Class In ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

There is a story is a guy taking a class in ornithology, the study of birds. The teacher has a reputation for being extremely difficult, so this guy studies his brains out for the final. He comes the classroom feeling prepared, but instead of having normal test, there are 25 pictures on the wall of ...read more

Tags: Doubt

There Was A Young Seminarian Who Was Taking An ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 11, 2008

There was a young seminarian who was taking an oral examination for his ordination process. During the questioning, one of the examiners asked him if he believed in a personal devil. "No," he replied, "I do not believe in the devil." Hearing this, the examiners began to discuss the seminarian’s ...read more

Tags: Satan

Take The Lord's Table To Others

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Aug 18, 2008

Take the Lord's Table to Others And just as we experience the presence of the Lord, I believe with every part of my being and more that we are to take this presence to share with those around us. We are to take the Lord's Table to other people. So as I talk about taking the Lord's Table to ...read more

Tags: Grace

Denomination: Church Of God

It Takes A Lot Of Faith To Believe In ...

Contributed by Charles Wallis on Oct 16, 2008

"It takes a lot of faith to believe in nothing." Daniel ...read more

Tags: Cynicism

Denomination: Pentecostal

Take Up Your Cross

Contributed by John Tung on Feb 12, 2009

TAKE UP YOUR CROSS Christiana Tsai was a Christian woman who developed an eye disease that made it impossible for her to see light directly and was virtually blind. She had to wear very dark glasses. Yet, she did not withdraw into her own room and say how tough she has it. No, she used her ...read more

Tags: Cross

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

If It Is Impossible It Will Take A Little Longer

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Aug 7, 2023

The Navy branch ... of the service ... called the Seabees ... had a unique slogan ... during World War II, (Pause) If its difficult, ... it will take a day or two. If its impossible, ... it will take a little longer. (Pause) It seems to me ... there are a number of ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 14:22-33, Mark 6:45-52

Tags: Difficult, Impossible, Truths

Denomination: Anglican

A Recent Request For Sick Leave To The U.s.s. ...  PRO

Contributed by Tim George on Feb 5, 2001

A recent request for sick leave to the U.S.S. Saratoga read: Dear Captain, When I got home I found that my father’s brick silo had been struck by lightning, knocking some of the bricks off at the top. I decided to fix the silo, and so I rigged up a beam, with a pulley and whip at the top of the ...read more

Tags: Gifts Healing, Hardship Of Life

Denomination: Baptist

Paul J. Meyer Reminds Us, "Everyone Leaves A ...  PRO

Contributed by Dana Chau on Nov 13, 2002

Paul J. Meyer reminds us, "Everyone leaves a legacy, whether you have children or not." We all influence the people we encounter. If we want to leave a godly legacy, we will need ...read more

Tags: Leadership General, Parenting

Denomination: *other

So What Was It That Drove Thomas To Leave All He ...

Contributed by Ian Johnson on Jan 30, 2004

So what was it that drove Thomas to leave all He knew and travel a vast distance and die for the cause? .He is often labeled doubting Thomas, but the evidence in India would suggest He doesn’t deserve this label. I had the privilege to go up to the point where he was murdered for the cause of ...read more

Scripture: John 20:19-28

Tags: God In The Hardships

Denomination: Pentecostal

Within 2 Hours After Leaving A Church Service, ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 27, 2006

Within 2 hours after leaving a church service, the typical individual cannot recall the theme of the sermon they heard. ...read more

Tags: Church General

Jesus Christ Is About To Leave His Disciples. He ...

Contributed by Chris Edmondson on Feb 4, 2007

Jesus Christ is about to leave his disciples. He is about to go. He tells them in 14:1, “Let not your heart be troubled; I am going to leave you to prepare a place for you. I will come again to receive you unto myself.” I have to go right now, though. The disciples had been walking with Jesus for ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

I Steer My Bark With Hope In The Head, Leaving ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"I steer my bark with hope in the head, leaving fear astern. My hopes indeed sometimes fail, but not ...read more

Tags: Faith

Home Is A Place You Grow Up Wanting To Leave, ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"Home is a place you grow up wanting to leave, and grow old ...read more

Tags: Home