In Sermon Illustrations: "Take"

One Evening A Burglar Finally Decided To Make His ...

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Aug 24, 2009

One evening a burglar finally decided to make his move. He had been casing a house for weeks and determined that tonight he was going to break into a particular house where he was sure that the owners had left for vacation. Slyly and with extreme stealth he headed to the window. He had already ...read more

Tags: Preparation

Denomination: Church Of God

Baptism Of Ivan The Great Tsar Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 8, 2009

Baptism of Ivan the Great Tsar of Russia Ivan the Great was Tsar of Russia during the Fifteenth Century. He brought together the warring tribes into one vast empire. As a fighting man he was courageous. As a general he was brilliant. He drove out the Tartars, establishing peace across the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:21

Tags: Baptism

Last Year I Came Across The Story Of Frida ...

Contributed by Warner Pidgeon on Jan 31, 2010

Last year I came across the story of Frida Gashumba. Her autobiography is called ‘Chosen to Die, Destined to Live – A miraculous escape from the Rwandan Genocide’. Her best friend Claudette was Hutu. Frida was Tutsi. One day at school the Head Teacher asked Hutus to stand. He then asked Tutsis to ...read more

Tags: Racism

Denomination: Anglican

The Pearl Of Greatest Price  PRO

Contributed by Jesse Roncales on Mar 12, 2010

THE PEARL OF GREATEST PRICE A Christian missionary in India had befriended a devoted Hindu, and had explained that salvation is a gift. Then one day the Hindu told the missionary he was going to crawl many miles on his knees to Delhi as a means of earning salvation. But before he leaves he gave ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 10:10-14, Ephesians 2:8-9

Tags: Salvation

Denomination: Assembly Of God

My Dad Used To Tell A Story About An Old Georgia ...

Contributed by David Swinney on May 31, 2010

My dad used to tell a story about an old Georgia redneck who would routinely head out into the swamp and return with a boat full of fish—more than anyone could conceivably catch, even in a long day of fishing with rod and reel. Well, in the course of time, his exceptional good luck caught the ...read more

Tags: Power

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

A Pitcher Of Grace

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 28, 2010

A PITCHER OF GRACE This past week I read this story about grace that I would like to share with you all this morning. This story is about a man named Henry Moorehouse One evening as Henry was walking along the street he saw a little girl coming out of a basement store carrying a pitcher of milk. ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-9

Tags: Grace

Truth In Chemistry

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 23, 2010

TRUTH IN CHEMISTRY Theologian, writer, speaker R. C. Sproul: "Truth is that which accurately describes reality." Hold with reality; hold with the truth. Let me give you a couple of examples. Jesus often took something that was material to explain something spiritual. He took the ordinary to ...read more

Scripture: John 8:31-47

Tags: Bible Truth

Disunity Stories  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 26, 2011

DISUNITY STORIES A man was stranded on an island. Alone for a number of years. Finally he was located and some people came ashore to rescue him. Before they took him off the island, he wanted to show them around. He took them to his hut and said "This is the home I built with my own 2 hands." Then ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-6

Tags: Divisions

My Sheep Know My Voice  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 9, 2011

MY SHEEP KNOW MY VOICE Do you all know much about Emperor Penguins? I was not very familiar with these birds until a few years ago when the documentary, March of the Penguins, came out. And as I watched this documentary, I learned many intriguing facts about this largest of the penguin family. ...read more

Scripture: John 10:27-29

Tags: Parable Lost Sheep

Howard Hughes Vs. Jim Elliot

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 8, 2012

HOWARD HUGHES VS. JIM ELLIOT Howard Hughes' last years were spent in isolation, hidden on the top floor of the Xanadu Hotel in the Bahamas. One biographer wrote about Hughes' appearance before he died: "He was emaciated, practically skeletal, with only 120 pounds stretched over his six-foot, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 16:24-28

Tags: Discipleship

The Bible Thoroughly Equips

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Nov 4, 2012

THE BIBLE THOROUGHLY EQUIPS 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, "All Scripture is God Breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training for righteousness, so the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." The Bible is the Word of God and is useful for thoroughly ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Tags: Bible Influence

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Dreams

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Dec 27, 2014

“There are many ways of breaking a heart. Stories were full of hearts being broken by love, but what really broke a heart was taking away its dream - whatever that dream might be.” - Pearl S. Buck Everybody has a dream. What’s your dream? What was your dream when you were young and full of ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 34:18

Tags: Adversity, Brokenhearted, Broken Dream

Denomination: Charismatic

Giving Out Of Need

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Dec 27, 2014

“Hunger also changes the world when eating can’t be a habit, then neither can seeing.” - Maxine Hong Kingston It had been a tough year and it didn’t appear to be getting any easier. She wasn’t working and he wasn’t working much. They had two teenage children to feed and bills to pay. The car ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:7

Tags: Compassion, Poverty, Generosity, Giving Out Of Need

Denomination: Charismatic

A Mother's Search

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 24, 2015

Longing to leave her poor Brazilian neighborhood, Christina wanted to see the world. Discontent with a home having only a pallet on the floor, a washbasin, and a wood-burning stove, she dreamed of a better life in the city. One morning she slipped away breaking her mother’s heart. Knowing what ...read more

Scripture: John 10:7-10

Tags: Grace, Forgiveness, Mothers, Prodigal

Sinking Ships

Contributed by Fr Mund Cargill Thompson on Apr 10, 2015

Let me share with you two stories that happened within two years of each other in the second decade of the Twentieth Century. The first you will know. On April 15, 1912, on which the Titanic plunged 12,000 feet to the Atlantic floor, some two hours and forty minutes after an iceberg tore a ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 4:18

Tags: Fear, Non-Anxious Presence, Ohana

Denomination: Anglican

Thomas Didymas - The Twin

Contributed by Sam Mccormick on Jul 17, 2017

THOMAS DIDYMUS The Twin “Doubting Thomas” - was a more unfair moniker ever pinned on a person? For by taking into account the full account of his first encounter with the risen Christ, Thomas may just as rightly be styled as “Believing Thomas.” For reasons we cannot presume to know, the ...read more

Scripture: Romans 15:7, John 20:24-29

Tags: Doubt, Criticism, Thomas, Doubting

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Great Quotes By Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 16, 2020

While Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave many memorable quotations about freedom, civil rights, humankind and other critical issues, as a Christian pastor, some of his most notable quotes were on matters of faith. 1. “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” ...read more

Scripture: Amos 4:4, Matthew 5:1-12

Tags: Justice, Civil Rights, Equality, Martin Luther King

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

An Observation About Immanence

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Mar 12, 2020

One of my favorite pastimes is playing some computer games, especially the ones where you make money—okay, run a business, simulation, or that kind of thing. In one of these you, as manager of a transportation company, have the opportunity to choose how best to serve the industries and communities ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Tags: Immanence, Return Of Christ, Rewards For Believers

Denomination: Baptist

Paid In Full, Finally

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Apr 10, 2020

It’s always a happy day when you make the final payment on a car loan or any other kind of loan! The money you’ve been sending somewhere else you can now send to another bill—oops—or savings account or wherever you feel led to put it. I know, there are some folks who are greatly excited if you ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-9

Tags: Salvation, Payment For Sin, Blood Of Christ

Denomination: Baptist

Failed Love

Contributed by Ed Sasnett on Sep 15, 2020

Thomas Carlyle lived from 1795 to 1881. He was a Scot essayist and historian. During his lifetime, he became one of the world’s greatest writers. However, he was human, and humans make mistakes. On October 17, 1825, Carlyle married his secretary Jane Welsh. She was an intelligent, attractive, ...read more

Scripture: Song of Songs 7:1

Tags: Love, Marriage

Denomination: Baptist