In Sermon Illustrations: "Television And Movies"

Are You Ready For Fall?

Contributed by James Snyder on Sep 11, 2021

With such a tumultuous summer, I’m glad we are now beginning the fall season. There for a while, I didn’t think it was going to come. But, contrary to my negativity, it has arrived, and I’m delighted. Summer wasn’t quite the way summers have been in the past. My family didn’t have many ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:1

Tags: Humor, Blessings, Seasons

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Who’s The Clown Now?

Contributed by James Snyder on Nov 5, 2022

As a young person, I was fascinated with clowns. My first encounter was at a circus I attended with my family. The main character in the circus was the clown. When I first saw those clowns, I was scared almost to death. I've never seen anything as scary as those circus clowns. That began my ...read more

Scripture: James 1:19-20

Tags: Humor, Clowns, Circus

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

I Screamed For Ice Cream And Got In Trouble.

Contributed by James Snyder on Jan 14, 2023

Trouble is not my middle name, although it sure could be; just ask The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage. I try to keep out of trouble, but my definition differs from my wife's. What she considers to be trouble is just about everything I do. I will not ask her how I can keep from doing what I ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 46:1

Tags: Taste, Trouble, Ice Cream

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

What Would My Life Be Without A Cookie.

Contributed by James Snyder on Jan 21, 2023

This past week was about as crazy as they get. When I think it can't get any crazier, somebody hears me and makes it crazier just for me. One morning I had to go across town to get some office supplies and other things. I try to ensure that when I go, it's for several things, not just ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:16

Tags: Cookie, Refreshing

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

How Many Coughs Is Enough For One Day

Contributed by James Snyder on Sep 2, 2023

This past week started rather rough. At least rougher than others. It started with a cough. A cough is not that serious if it's just one cough or maybe two. But it is not good when it is one cough after another and another. One day last week, right after this coughing spell began, the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 9:12

Tags: Physician, Sick, Medical

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Ice Cream Solves A Lot Of My Problems

Contributed by James Snyder on Feb 24, 2024

Like everybody else, I face problems almost every day. Or maybe I should say, my problem faces me. Every Monday, when I get up, I say to myself, “How many problems will I have this week? How many will I solve?” Unfortunately, myself never replies back. Problems are part of life, but it’s tough ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:6-7

Tags: Prayer, Problems, Decisions

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Ding-A-Ling There Goes Spring

Contributed by James Snyder on Jul 20, 2024

In my life, time has a way of getting out of control. If I could control time, I would be a very happy dude. My one question in life is, where does time go? And, can I retrieve it? The other night, The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage and I sat in the living room watching a little TV. I then ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 31:14-15

Tags: Spring, Heat

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Another Turkey On The Table

Contributed by James Snyder on Nov 30, 2024

It was a Monday morning, and I was busy starting my week by organizing my schedule and organizing some of my projects. The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage came to my door, looked in, and said, "Are you ready for the week?" I don't recall her ever asking me that question, but I ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:17

Tags: Thanksgiving, Celebration

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

The Journey Of 1,000 Miles Begins With An Apple Fritter

Contributed by James Snyder on Apr 12, 2025

Life has many paths, and I have discovered that traveling any of them takes a lot of energy. Unlike The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage, my energy comes from those wonderful Apple Fritters. I can't remember the first time I had one, but I vividly remember the last time. Trying to get ...read more

Scripture: Amos 3:3

Tags: Agreement, Discussion, Apple Fritters

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Is That My Grandfather’s Hand?

Contributed by James Snyder on Aug 26, 2025

This past week, I thought of my maternal grandfather. I haven't thought of him for a long time because he died over 50 years ago. I'm not sure what inspired me to think about my old grandpa. As a youngster, I used to spend summers with him on his farm. He owned a farm up in the mountains ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 17:6

Tags: Family, Old Age

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

O Brother, Where Art Thou? Is A Comedy Set ...

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on May 1, 2005

O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a comedy set during America’s Depression era. The story revolves around three petty criminals who escape from a chain gang. One of them, the leader named Everett Ulysses McGill, tells his companions that he has buried money from a bank robbery near his property in ...read more

Tags: Prayer Supplication, Prayer Adoration

Denomination: Methodist

Rocky Balboa: A Big Shadow

Contributed by Dan Cormie on Jan 8, 2007

From the movie Rocky Balboa: Rocky’s son is frustrated from living his life in his dad’s big shadow after a heated rebuke from his son Rocky gives this little speech. "You ain’t gonna believe this, but you used to fit right here. I’d hold you up, to say to your mother, this kid is gonna be the ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 3:11-12

Tags: Excuses

Denomination: Mennonite

A Few Weeks Ago I Spent A Lot Of Time Watching ...

Contributed by Jason Duncan on Oct 30, 2007

A few weeks ago I spent a lot of time watching Ken Burn’s documentary called The War on PBS. The documentary ran for 7 nights and was about 14 ½ hours long. It chronicled the history of WWII not through the eyes of historians or professors but through the eyes of the men who served in Germany and ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Good Soldiers

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 8, 2008

GOOD SOLDIERS I am told as a young man Winston Churchhill was in a heated battle. The war planes were dropping bombs all around the soldiers assignments. Several died, but many were running away and hiding and not following commands. One soldier ran past Winston Churchhill. The soldier asked if ...read more

Tags: Endurance

He Was Nicknamed "The Crocodile ...

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Jun 1, 2010

He was nicknamed “THE CROCODILE HUNTER”, and he was a unique man with a smile as wide as fun itself and Australian to the core. You couldn’t help but remember STEVE IRWIN! He and his wife Terri owned and operated Australia Zoo in a little place called Beerwah on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. ...read more

Tags: John The Baptist

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Community: A Lost Art  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 14, 2011

COMMUNITY: A LOST ART I inherited an old trunk that sat in my grandma’s basement. It had belonged to the generation before, who had used it to bring their possessions across the sea from Sweden. It sits in my dining room. It smells a little musty, but I treasure it as a link to my heritage. I was ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:42-47

Tags: Hospitality

The Unsearchable Riches In Christ

Contributed by Roger Hasselquist on Mar 6, 2023

There was a news story reported in July 2011 that a well known Hindu temple in southern India revealed vast treasures and hidden secrets. The temple itself was well known and previously unguarded. (The Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Trivandrum, India) The temple had been there for hundreds of ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 3:1-13

Tags: Gold, Diamond, Hidden Treasure, Unknown Riches, Mystery Revealed  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

One Man's Life Provides A Dramatic Answer To The ...  PRO

Contributed by James Dunn on Mar 12, 2002

One man’s life provides a dramatic answer to the question, can God indeed bring positives out of troubled times? This young man’s name is David, and he is an awesome picture of God’s using difficulties for good. For years he viewed trials as something that affected only his external world, and any ...read more

Scripture: 2 Samuel 2:6, 2 Samuel 6:6

Tags: Growth In Christ, Hardship Of Life

Denomination: Baptist

The Rich Fool

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Nov 22, 2008

THE RICH FOOL Ortberg writes (and I have abridged it and translated it into proper English) Once upon a time in the Silicon Valley, there lived a very important man.He routinely logged in 12-14 hours a day work and sometimes at weekends. He went to the Harvard School of Management, where he got ...read more

Scripture: Luke 12:13-21

Tags: Fool, Use Of Time

Denomination: Anglican

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