In Sermon Illustrations: "Take Up Your Cross"

A Preacher’s Family Had Started Putting Up ...  PRO

Contributed by Melvin Newland on Oct 10, 2001

A preacher’s family had started putting up a nativity scene in their front yard. All of them were carrying out the little statues to put in the nativity scene. Finally everything was in place - Mary & Joseph & the manger & the baby, & angels & shepherds & all the barnyard animals. Then ...read more

Tags: Christmas, Christmas Advent, Herod

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

What Are The "Priorities" At Your House?  PRO

Contributed by David Parks on Sep 18, 2006

WHAT ARE THE "PRIORITIES" AT YOUR HOUSE? WHAT PRIORITIES WILL BE ESTABLISHED IN OUR CHILDREN WHEN THE FOLLOWING HAPPEN? 1. We are early for the game but late to the worship. 2. We see to it that our children do their homework but never check to seek if Bible lessons are completed, 3. They are not ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:33

Tags: Sweet

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Sign Your Name Or Forget It

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 8, 2011

SIGN YOUR NAME OR FORGET IT J. Vernon McGee tells of an incident that happened in one of his pastorates. A man came to him and said, "I want to tell you about a certain situation." He told him about a certain man who was involved in a particular sin. The man wanted to do something about it. He ...read more

Scripture: James 3:1-12

Tags: Tongue

Inspired To Share Your Faith

Contributed by Tim Smith on Aug 13, 2017

Tom Mercer writes, “Years ago, I heard an incredible story about a guy who, while walking through an intersection in a large city, noticed a police officer directing traffic in the middle of the street. As he walked by, the man sensed the Holy Spirit prompting him to go up to the officer and tell ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 1:4

Tags: Evangelism, Witnessing, Sharing Your Faith

Denomination: Methodist

Keep Your Eyes On Me

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 28, 2009

KEEP YOUR EYES ON ME One day, a man hired an experienced guide to lead him on a hike into the Swiss Alps. After many hours, they came to a high and remote mountain pass. To the man’s dismay, he saw the path had almost been washed out. What could he do? To the left was a sheer rock cliff, to his ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:2

Tags: Disciplines General

Claim Your Seat At The Table

Contributed by Charlie Roberts on Dec 25, 2018

Illus. Story of Sam the dog, Growing up we had a farm dog and his name was Sam. Sam never had any of the frills dogs nowadays enjoy. Sam was never allowed to beg at the table, because Sam was never allowed in the house and was only fed table scraps my mom turned into some kind of gravy ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 18:19, Psalm 103:1-5

Tags: Entitlement, Relationship

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Would Your Child Write ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 26, 2009

WOULD YOUR CHILD WRITE THIS? Bub Roussel was only 17 on Sunday morning in 1941, when Pearl Harbor was bombed. A few weeks later, he was drafted and ended up in the Army Air Corps, assigned as a radio operator on a B-29 bomber. The youngest in his crew, Bub and many like him had to grow up fast ...read more

Tags: Parenting

What Is Your Answer To Him?

Contributed by Davon Huss on Aug 27, 2015

At the beginning of the school year during recess I was on the playground looking for some of my friends. I couldn’t find them. I had two boys come up to me and asked, “Do you need a friend? We want to be your friends?” I said, “No.” Was I mean? No, I just didn’t know them. Through time, we ...read more

Scripture: John 15:13-15

Tags: Jesus' Friends, Friendship With God, Choosing Friends

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Man Put Up A Sign In His Yard That Read: ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

A MAN PUT UP A SIGN IN HIS YARD THAT READ: "PUPPIES FOR SALE." AMONG THOSE WHO CAME TO INQUIRE WAS A YOUNG BOY. "PLEASE, MISTER," HE SAID, "I’D LIKE TO BUY ONE OF YOUR PUPPIES IF THEY DON’T COST TOO MUCH." "WELL, SON, THEY’RE $25 EACH." THE BOY LOOKED CRUSHED. "I’VE ONLY GOT TWO DOLLARS AND FIVE ...read more

Tags: Heaven

Somebody Came Running Up To John Wesley And Said, ...

Contributed by Chris Edmondson on May 26, 2007

Somebody came running up to John Wesley and said, "Your house just burned down!" The great preacher replied, "I don’t have a house. I manage a house for the Lord, His house just burned down. Since I’m His son, and He wants me covered, I guess He’ll find me another place to live." That is how we ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Loving Your Enemies In Rwanda  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 8, 2010

Loving Your Enemies in Rwanda Rwanda is a tiny country in Central Africa, a bit bigger than Northern Ireland, with a population of over 8 million people, and thousands of hills. Rwanda is a beautiful country of hills, mountains, forests, lakes, laughing children, markets full of busy people, ...read more

Scripture: Luke 6:27-36

Tags: Forgiveness For Others

Your Attitude Toward Attitude

Contributed by Scott Sharpes on Jan 28, 2013

YOUR ATTITUDE TOWARD ATTITUDE It was February 20, 1962, when a man by the name of John Glenn circled the earth in outer space three times; and we thought it was tremendous. We followed. We listened. We saw him on television. And if you listened carefully, you would have heard from a man in ...read more

Tags: Attitude General

Denomination: Nazarene

We Walk Up The Beach Under The Stars. And When ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"We walk up the beach under the stars. And when we are tired of walking, we lie flat on the sand under a bowl of stars. We feel stretched, expanded to take in their compass. They ...read more

Tags: Creation

Watch Your Mind And Mouth

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Jan 5, 2021

Titus 3:9 But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain. 10 A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject; 11 Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of ...read more

Scripture: Titus 3:9-11

Tags: Heresy, Shun, Arguments, Strivings

Denomination: Baptist

That Song Your Grace Is Enough, ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Illustration: that song Your Grace is Enough, the three Hebrew children, Philip Crosby, in his book March Till They Die, tells of a forced march of American and European soldiers in Korea. In November of 1950, Philip Crosby and his friends, as they passed close to those GI’s who were having a hard ...read more

Tags: Repentance

Withholding Your Best Wine  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 30, 2010

WITHHOLDING YOUR BEST WINE There is a story about an old village in Spain. The people of this village heard the king planned to visit there. No king had ever done that. So naturally, they became excited and wanted to offer a great celebration that would show their adoration and that would honor ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 29:13

Tags: Honor, Hypocrisy, Dishonor

My Name Is Dawn Stefanowicz. I Grew Up In A ...  PRO

Contributed by Chris Kelly on Oct 21, 2008

"My name is Dawn Stefanowicz. I grew up in a homosexual household during the 60s and 70s in Toronto, exposed to many different people in Gay, Lesbian, bisexual, Transsexual subcultures and explicit sexual practices. My biggest concern is that children are not being discussed in this same-sex ...read more

Tags: Children, Parenting, Homosexuality, Fatherhood

Denomination: Wesleyan

Does Your God Bleed?  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 3, 2011

DOES YOUR GOD BLEED? A little boy went up to a missionary Sunday School leader in a pagan country. The boy said, "I like what you say about the God of the Bible but I can’t see him. But if I go to the temple I can see my God." The missionary said to the little boy, "Listen, does your God ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:19-20, 1 Peter 3:1-12

Tags: Blood Of Christ

He Knows Your Need

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 28, 2003

HE KNOWS YOUR NEED There was a popular religious movement around the time of the founding of our country called Deism. Deism was opposed to Christianity’s personal idea of God. They believed that God created the world, but that he wound it up like a clock and then left it to attend to other ...read more

Tags: Miracles Of Jesus, God's Provision

Go Get Your Own

Contributed by Louis Pantelis on May 21, 2009

GO GET YOUR OWN One day a group of scientists got together and decided that man had come along way and no longer needed God. So they picked one scientist to go and tell Him that they were done with Him. The scientist walked up to God and said "God, we’ve decided that we no longer need you; We’re ...read more

Tags: God The Father

Denomination: Church Of God