In Sermon Illustrations: "Take Off"

Surface Level Fellowship

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 3, 2022

Bill Hybels recalls a time when “Dr. Bilezikian said there’s life-changing fellowship in biblically functioning community. That was a far cry from the childhood experience of a lot of his audience! The only kind of fellowship that many of his listeners had witnessed revolved around the fifteen or ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 17:17

Tags: Fellowship, Community, Small Groups

Unsung Heroes-The Lad Who Helped Samson

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Feb 24, 2023

Introduction: The story of Samson is one of the saddest in the Bible. He started off well but ended his days as a captive of the Philistines, Israel’s greatest enemy at the time. Even then, there was an unsung hero who helped him when Samson couldn’t help himself. Text: Judges 16:23-26, KJV: 23 ...read more

Scripture: Judges 16:23-26

Tags: Samson, Philistines, Unsung Heroes

Denomination: Baptist

Miracles Through Prayer In China

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Apr 15, 2024

In his book Sit, Walk, Stand, Watchman Nee describes a preaching mission to an island off the South China coast. There were seven in the ministering group, including a sixteen-year-old new convert whom he calls Brother Wu. The island was fairly large, containing about 6,000 homes. Nee had a contact ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 33:3

Tags: Elijah, Missions, Prayer, Miracles, China, Rain  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Wait On The Lord - But In Silence

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on May 5, 2025

WAIT ON THE LORD - BUT IN SILENCE Waiting in silence with patience is almost foreign to most of us. We like action and love to be doing as Martha was in rushing around in service for her Lord, while Mary sat in silence listening to the Lord in communion. The concept of waiting on the Lord is a ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:38-42, Lamentations 3:26

Tags: Wait Silently, Mary, Silence, Martha, Wait On The Lord, Finches  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[153]. A Message From A Poem – Jesus Christ Is Lord And King

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Aug 3, 2025

[153]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – JESUS CHRIST IS LORD AND KING There are 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet, and the writers of the Psalms, and Jeremiah, made use of what we call “Alphabetic Poems”. That is where you begin each new paragraph with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. I think ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:9-11, John 20:20, Matthew 27:37, Matthew 2:2

Tags: Jesus Is Lord, Jesus Is King, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, Lord, King  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

God Knows Where We Are  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 23, 2011

GOD KNOWS WHERE WE ARE Ken Gaub wrote about an experience he had back in the 1990s: "Do you believe that God not only loves you, but knows where you are and what you’re doing every minute of the day? I certainly do after an amazing experience I had several years ago. "At the time I was driving ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 139:1-18

Tags: God's Omniscience, Love Your Enemies

Finishing Well

Contributed by Tim Smith on Aug 13, 2017

John Baker was too short and too slight to be a runner for his high school track team but he loved to run. His best friend was tall and lanky and had the perfect build to be a runner but wanted nothing to do with the sport. So John went to the track coach to convince him to let John on the team ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:24

Tags: Finish, Running The Race, Overcoming, Ending Well

Denomination: Methodist

What Did She Just Say?

Contributed by James Snyder on Jan 22, 2022

To be honest, I don't always hear what I'm supposed to hear. I do have ears, but sometimes they are not working in such a way as to benefit me. Often, The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage will talk to me about something, and then at the end of that, she will ask me a question of which I ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 133:1

Tags: Listening, Relationship

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

One Of The Most Incredible Stories Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Melvin Newland on Mar 13, 2001

ILL. One of the most incredible stories of forgiveness I’ve ever heard came out of Tulsa, OK, a couple of years ago. Tom McGee was a young man who went out for a night of partying & revelry. He got drunk & ran head-on into a car driven by a young man by the name of Ted Morris. He killed Ted ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:43-48, Leviticus 19:17-18, Romans 12:17-21, Matthew 18:21-22, Jonah 4:1-10, Matthew 18:23-35  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Cross Agony, Forgiveness General, Forgiveness For Others

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

An Inner City Church Had An Annual Student ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 23, 2001

An inner city church had an annual student recognition day. Normally, students would share about their educational experiences and then the pastor would get up and offer a few closing words. One year, the pastor’s words were a bit alarming. He stood up in front of all the young graduates and ...read more

Scripture: Acts 22:1-15, Mark 15:1-15, Daniel 1:6-12

Tags: Witnessing, Life

Occupational Hymns  PRO

Contributed by Brian Mavis on Jun 21, 2001

OCCUPATIONAL HYMNS ~ Astronaut: "Nearer My God, To Thee" ~ Baker: "I Need Thee Every Hour" ~ Barber: "A Parting Hymn We Sing" ~ Baseball Batter: "Seek Thee First" ~ Builder: "How Firm A Foundation" and "The Church’s One Foundation" ~ Canoeist: "Flow, River, Flow" ~ Carpenter: "The Nail Scarred ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:4-7, James 3:1-12, Psalm 32:11, Exodus 33:12-23, Galatians 5:1-6  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Joy, Mind, Peace, River, Reed  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The First Billionaire  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2001

The First Billionaire The very first person to reach the status of billionaire was a man who knew how to set goals and follow through. At the age of 23, he had become a millionaire, by the age of 50 a billionaire. Every decision, attitude, and relationship was tailored to create his personal power ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:12-14

Tags: Giving General

Actual Answering Machine Answers Recorded And ...  PRO

Contributed by Dru Ashwell on Dec 16, 2001

Actual answering machine answers recorded and verified by the world-famous International Institute of Answering Machine Answers. ~~~~~ Hi. Now you say something. ~~~~~ Hi, I’m not home right now but my answering machine is, so you can talk to it instead. Wait for the beep. ~~~~~ Hello. I am David’s ...read more

Tags: Prayer Adoration

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

8-Watt Abilities  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 29, 2002

8-WATT ABILITIES In 1972, NASA launched the exploratory space probe Pioneer 10. According to Leon Jaroff in Time, the satellite’s primary mission was to reach Jupiter, photograph the planet and its moons, and beam data to earth about Jupiter’s magnetic field, radiation belts, and atmosphere. ...read more

Awl For The Good  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 25, 2002

AWL FOR THE GOOD In 1809, Simon Renee Braille and his wife Monique welcomed their fourth child into the world-- a lively boy named Louis. They lived in a small stone house near Paris where Braille was the local harness maker. Leather working tools are dangerous, so the toddler had been ...read more

Scripture: John 9:1-41

Tags: Grace, God's Omniscience, God In The Hardships

Sir Earnest Shackleton's Epic Tale Of Survival ...

Contributed by Dr. C. David White on Apr 6, 2002

Sir Earnest Shackleton’s epic tale of survival and courage began with dreams of being the first expedition to cross the Antarctic continent. En route, the Endurance became beset in the ice deep within the Weddell Sea and drifted with the pack for ten months before finally being crushed and sunk in ...read more

Tags: Endurance, Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Baptist

The Authenticity Of Worship  PRO

Contributed by Dr.johnson Cherian on Jun 6, 2002

The authenticity of Worship can be discerned if we really knew what was happening in the spiritual realm while we worship. At a certain point in our life, amidst great persecution from the enemy, as we worshipped the Lord with songs of praise and thanksgiving, my wife saw very few angels appearing ...read more

Denomination: Pentecostal

Patience Makes It Happen  PRO

Contributed by John Williams Iii on Nov 10, 2002

PATIENCE MAKES IT HAPPEN "The history books are full of stories of gifted persons whose talents were overlooked by a procession of people until someone believed in them. To name a few ... "Einstein was four years old before he could speak and seven before he could read". Einstein became one of ...read more

Tags: Compassion, Peace, Helpless

Denomination: United Methodist

Choosing Courage; Finding Peace  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 5, 2002

CHOOSING COURAGE; FINDING PEACE By Steve Goodier http://www.LifeSupportSystem.com "Do you know what my son James dreamed about last night?" a friend asked me. "He dreamed about YOU," she went on. "James told me this morning that in his dream he was being chased by King Kong. Then he met ...read more

Tags: Peace

Sooner Or Later Everyone Reads Or Hears About ...  PRO

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Jan 5, 2003

Sooner or later everyone reads or hears about Cervantes’ story of Don Quixote. Cervantes is thrown in prison in Seville. Finding himself in the middle of a band of cutthroats he tries to divert them by telling them his story of Don Quixote, the Man of La Mancha. In the story, Quixote pictures ...read more

Tags: Call, God's Provision, Missions, Promises Of God

Denomination: Methodist