In Sermon Illustrations: "Television And Movies"

If It Was Up To Me

Contributed by James Snyder on Feb 13, 2021

Fifty years ago, I was a teenager. Boy, do I miss those Days of Yore. It's not that I would like to relive them, but I was a much different person back then. As a teenager, I knew everything, and all you had to do was ask me. Even if you didn't ask me, I still would tell you what was on my ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 10:19

Tags: Wisdom, News, Politics

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Maybe We Should Go Back To Smoke Signal Communications

Contributed by James Snyder on Apr 30, 2022

I must admit that communication is an essential part of my life today. The longer I live, the more sophisticated those communications become, and it’s challenging to me. Recently, I was working on my latest book using my latest computer and its programs. As I was working, I remembered that I did ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 4:6

Tags: Communication, Computer, Media

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

I’ll Tell You When I’ve Had Enough

Contributed by James Snyder on Jun 15, 2024

It was evening, and the day was just about over. The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage and I were chilling in the living room, watching TV. It is always lovely when the day ends, and you can relax. Doing nothing can become a habit. I’m not sure what we were watching on TV; it really doesn’t ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:7-8

Tags: Pleasure, Desires, Ice Cream

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

How Much Sleep Is Too Much?

Contributed by James Snyder on Apr 19, 2025

I have noticed recently that sleeping has become a very important part of my life. This just snuck up on me overnight. When I was young and living at home, I tried to come up with excuses and reasons for not going to bed at night. My parents had an early bedtime schedule that they enforced rather ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 127:2

Tags: Sleep, Energy

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

So We Are Not Only Talking About The Sex Act ...  PRO

Contributed by Steve Malone on Jul 9, 2001

So we are not only talking about the sex act itself, but also anything that feds these shameful evil desires.... And listen one thing that does that, and it something I need to talk about briefly is pornography... because It is an epidemic that is destroying our country... It has it’s death ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 34:1-10

Tags: Addiction, Pornography

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Seize Today  PRO

Contributed by Davon Huss on Jul 17, 2002

SEIZE TODAY In the movie "Dead Poet’s Society," Robin Williams plays the role of a teacher in an exclusive eastern prep school. On the first day of school, he takes the class of boys out into the hallway to look at the pictures of past, now dead, graduates of the school. He motivates them to ...read more

Tags: Evangelism Urgency, Endurance

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Star Wars Episode I

Contributed by Troy Borst on Feb 16, 2005

ILLUSTRATION... Star Wars Episode I The Trade Federation is angling to take over the planet of Naboo, placing Queen Amidala, its ruler, in peril. The incursion sets off a galactic political struggle. One of the pivotal points in the movie comes when the Queen seeks out the other inhabitants of ...read more

Tags: Humility

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Grace Is For Everyone: 3:10 To Yuma

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Apr 28, 2009

GRACE IS FOR EVERYONE: 3:10 TO YUMA One of the main themes that we find in a lot (although not all) of Jesus’ parables is God’s grace. Specifically, they often point towards God’s limitless grace. That was a central part of last week’s parable: Grace demands our response. I want to start with a ...read more

Tags: Grace

Denomination: Church Of God

You Know What It Reminds Me Of? Remember The ...

Contributed by Sean Harder on Jun 25, 2009

You know what it reminds me of? Remember the first Indiana Jones Movie, where for several seconds this crazy and skilled guy is threatening Indiana by whirling this sword around with incredible flash, then in an instant, Jones calmly, with mild irritation, pulls out his gun and bang its over. ...read more

Tags: Trust

A Man Was Sitting On The Edge Of The Bed, ...  PRO

Contributed by Johnny Creasong on Dec 28, 2009

A man was sitting on the edge of the bed, watching his wife, who was looking at herself in the mirror. Since her birthday was not far off he asked what she'd like for her birthday. "I'd like to be six again", she replied, still looking in the mirror. On the morning of her birthday, he arose ...read more

Tags: Aging

Denomination: Church Of God

A Bug's Life (Disney)

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Jan 19, 2010

A Bug's Life (Disney) Overview -- Hopper explains to his gang that one ant may be harmless and unable to stop them, like throwing one seed at a gang member. Hundreds of ants joined together, though, could bury them as surely as hundreds of seeds do. This speech rallies his gang to crush the ants' ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Beautiful Country: Predestination

Contributed by Michael Walther on Jun 6, 2011

THE BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY: PREDESTINATION A few years ago, a movie came out about a boy in Vietnam who’s father had been an American GI (The Beautiful Country). His life was miserable because no one in Vietnam accepted him. He was a half-breed. His mother wanted him to try to escape to America to ...read more

Tags: Election

Denomination: Lutheran

King Henry Ii's Anger

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Jun 10, 2011

KING HENRY II'S ANGER King Henry II of England, back in around 1200, had a lot of power. He put an end to a long and bloody civil war, and ruled both England and a large chunk of France for many years. He was so famous that a movie was made about him, about 25 yrs ago, starring Richard Burton and ...read more

Tags: Anger

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Leadership

Contributed by Don Berry-Graham on Mar 1, 2016

I remember hearing a story about a famous film producer. As a child, he had a fight with another boy and lost. While his mother was bathing his black eye, he told her how it was entirely the fault of the other boy. It was the other boy who had started the fight, he claimed. His mother said ...read more

Scripture: John 13:2-17

Tags: God Is Love, Giving In Love, Jesus Leadership

Denomination: Baptist

U.s. Supreme Court Has Declined To Hear A Case ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 15, 2008

U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear a case challenging the copyright protection given to so-called "orphan" works, or material for which the owner can't be found. Currently, books, movies and other material are entitled to copyright protection that lasts for the author's life and an additional ...read more

Tags: Books And Literature

Irony

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on May 3, 2021

One definition of the word irony is, “a state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often amusing as a result.” • It is ironic, for example, that the most shop-lifted book is the Bible. • Every year ABC cuts down A Charlie Brown Christmas—a movie about ...read more

Tags: Rejection, Irony, Pedigree, Sibling Rivalry, Humble Pie, Family Strife, Leadership  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

I Can Never Have Too Much Ice Cream

Contributed by James Snyder on Oct 30, 2021

It was one of those hectic weeks that flew by, and I didn’t know it until the end of the week. Friday night at supper time, it was one of those sneaky crashes. But, unfortunately, all the energy during the week had been pushing both of us forward, and we had no options but to keep plowing ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 56:11

Tags: Greed, Discipline

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

There Is No Fear Of God Before Their Eyes  PRO

Contributed by Bob Hicks on Nov 22, 2005

There is no fear of God before their eyes." Romans 3:10-18 (NIV) “Don’t you fear God?” is a great question. It’s a question that I don’t think we hear much anymore. And if we’re not careful, the next generation will miss entirely this all important characteristic of God. That’s why ...read more

Tags: Narnia

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Word Impenitent Means Without Repentance, ...

Contributed by Ronnie Brown on Jun 9, 2006

The word impenitent means without repentance, without remorse. In one of my favorite movies, Indiana Jones is looking for the Holy Grail. He has certain clues that will take him through the deadly traps that lay ahead. The first clue is this: “The Breath of God. Only the penitent man will pass.” ...read more

Tags: Prayer How To

Denomination: Baptist

Spiritual Anarchy  PRO

Contributed by Troy Borst on Jan 23, 2003

SPIRITUAL ANARCHY In his [Barna’s] new volume he flatly states that moral anarchy has arrived and rules our culture today. The argument hinges on a substantial amount of attitudinal and behavioral evidence: record bankruptcy levels, frivolous lawsuits, the rapid growth of the pornography industry, ...read more

Tags: Christian Values, Faith

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ