In Sermon Illustrations: "Tax Gatherer"

Unsung Heroines  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 4, 2002

UNSUNG HEROINES In Tom Brokaw’s book "The Greatest Generation Speaks," Veronica Mackey Hulick tells of her service during World War II. Veronica was 20 when she joined the Navy WAVES [Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service]. She and about 1500 other bright young women worked for hours ...read more

Tags: Holidays Civic, Political Freedom, Christian Disciplines

Nothing But Prayer And Worship  PRO

Contributed by Ray Pritchard on Aug 28, 2003

Nothing But Prayer and Worship This week I chance to stop and worship God in an extended way for the first time in the last seven years. I spent four days with 75 other pastors in a Pastor’s Prayer Summit at a place called Wonderland Camp in Wisconsin. In my time I’ve been to many camps, ...read more

Tags: Prayer Adoration, Prayer Confession

Denomination: Independent/Bible

I Read An Email Story This Week About A Group Of ...

Contributed by Austin Mansfield on Feb 18, 2007

I read an email story this week about a group of salesmen who attended a convention out-of-town some years back. As they rushed through the terminal to get to their departing flight, one of them accidentally knocked over a table that held a display of apples. They continued running for their ...read more

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Surprise Reward At The End Of Bill Broadhurst's ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 1, 2010

Surprise Reward at the End of Bill Broadhurst’s Marathon In July 1981, Bill Broadhurst entered the Omaha, Nebraska, Pepsi 10k. Broadhurst is slowed by a brain aneurysm he suffered 10 years earlier, which left him partially paralyzed on the left side. He made it his goal to finish the 10k despite ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Tags: Sports

General Robert E. Lee Controls His ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 21, 2010

General Robert E. Lee controls His Tongue General Robert E. Lee was once asked what he thought of a fellow officer in the Confederate Army, an officer who had made some mean-spirited remarks about him. Lee thought for a moment, then rated him as being very satisfactory. The person who asked the ...read more

Scripture: James 3:1-12

Tags: Tongue

Seeing You For Real

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 3, 2011

SEEING YOU FOR REAL Just a few years ago, Leadership Journal did an interview with Saul Cruz, who along with his wife founded Armonia (Harmony) Ministries in Mexico City. They minister to hundreds of poor people all over Mexico today, but they began their ministry by planting a church on the edge ...read more

Scripture: Acts 20:17-19

Tags: Servanthood

Please Come Back  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 6, 2011

"PLEASE COME BACK" Max Lucado tells us about a girl named Christina. She lives in a small dusty village in Brazil. She’s bored. She feels like her strict parents have cheated her out of the joys of life. She longs for the excitement of the big city of Rio. One morning her mother Maria finds ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:11-32, Mark 4:1-9

Tags: Parable Prodigal Son, Parable Sower And Seed

Sacrifice On The Mission ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 27, 2012

SACRIFICE ON THE MISSION FIELD Let me leave you with this true story I read about two faithful women, who were cross-bearers for Christ. Irene Ferrel graduated from the Bible Institute of Los Angeles with a burden for overseas missions. She found her place in the Congo, where for 10 years she ...read more

Scripture: Lamentations 3:19-23

Tags: Missions

The Shoes From My Father

Contributed by Ed Sasnett on Jan 21, 2013

THE SHOES FROM MY FATHER Roy Smith was a preacher of a past generation. In his book Tales I’ve Told Twice, he tells about being at a dress rehearsal for the school play. He was a freshman at the little junior college in the town where his family always lived. He didn’t know how but somehow his ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Baptist

You Have To Stop Trying To Save Yourself

Contributed by Davon Huss on Jan 13, 2014

You Have to Stop Trying to Save Yourself Watchman Nee relates a story from one of his experiences as a Christian leader in China. A group of young Christian brothers were gathered together to take a swim in one of the many creeks that run throughout the countryside there. Since most were not good ...read more

Tags: Self-Sufficient, Rock Bottom

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Biblical Contradictions Found In The Catholic Church

Contributed by Michael Grant on Sep 4, 2016

Catholics are instructed to call the priest “Father” “Do not call anyone on earth your father; for one is your Father, He who is in heaven” – Mathew 23:9 Priest claims to have the power to forgive sin “…who can forgive sins but God alone?” - Mark 2:7 Catholics are encouraged to bow and pray to ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 23:9

Tags: Bible, Roman Catholic, Pope, Roman Catholicism

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Jennifer M. Ginn Shares A Similar Experience, In ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Jennifer M. Ginn shares a similar experience, in her article “Living by the Word,” published in Christian Century [February, 2004]. She begins by quoting the words of a song that was popular when she was at camp. “I have decided to follow Jesus, I have decided to follow Jesus, I have decided to ...read more

Tags: Commitment To Christ

But Sometimes I Think The Church Has Forgotten ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

But sometimes I think the church has forgotten how to celebrate How to party Maybe it is because we have forgotten what Jesus has done for us. Or maybe because the stories the Bible have gotten old and we haven’t been around any new believers to remind us of the hope we have in Jesus Christ. That ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:16-26

Tags: Worship Benefits

Water ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 31, 2008

WATER SOURCE The story is told about an Englishman living in Cairo who visited an Arab Chief in Arabia. The Englishman was treated with such kindness and royalty that he invited the Chief to visit him in Cairo, Egypt. He promised to show him the great sights of the city. The Arab Chief made the ...read more

Tags: Power

Can You Be ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 11, 2008

CAN YOU BE TRUSTED? Before the breakup of the Soviet Union, Christians were routinely persecuted for their faith by the Communist regime. We have many inspiring stories of courageous Christians behind the Iron Curtain who were willing to die for their faith during this difficult period in world ...read more

Tags: Persecution

Here!

Contributed by Terry Blankenship on Feb 9, 2009

"HERE!" The Rogers are devout Christians who have built a strong family. The father has a special interest in the spiritual condition of each of his children and often would quiz them in order to know if they were sure of their salvation. Occasionally he would ask them to share in their own words ...read more

Tags: Death

Denomination: Baptist

Richest Man In Town

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 16, 2009

RICHEST MAN IN TOWN In 1972, a young Egyptian businessman named Farahat lost an $11,000 watch. He was stunned when a garbage man dressed in filthy rags found it and returned it to him. Farahat asked him why he didn’t just keep the watch. The garbage man said, "My Christ told me to be honest until ...read more

Tags: Christian Witness

We Are Not ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 13, 2009

WE ARE NOT INVINCIBLE "Humanly speaking, this was a time when God’s glory was discounted, and His people were not a testimony to His great Name." Sinclair Ferguson’s "Isaac’s Storm" is a very interesting book about the hurricane that wiped out Galveston in 1900. One of the main plot lines of the ...read more

Tags: Christian Values

Watch?

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Apr 18, 2024

I read the story of a young boy that lived on a farm in the mountains. The grandparents, parents, his brothers and sisters lived in the old farm house. Every time the young boy got a chance he told anyone that would listen: HE WANTED A WATCH. His grandfather had a pocket watch, so did his dad. The ...read more

Scripture: Mark 13:37, Isaiah 21:11

Tags: Watch, Ready

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Thank You, God, For Sending A Professional!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jul 8, 2024

As I was gathering my sermon, I couldn’t help thinking about a story of a little girl who was home alone and ill. She called her mother at work and told her, “Momma, I need you and I need you really bad.” This mother asked to get off work and frantically rushed down to the corner drug store to ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Tags: Prayer, Thanks, Humor, Miracles, Gratitude, Thieves, Answered Prayer  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational