In Sermon Illustrations: "Tell"

Fitting In

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Feb 13, 2011

FITTING IN I read the prologue to a story called Girl in the Middle. The girl is Kim Satinsky who is in eighth grade. She says, "You would think that being in a clique is fun, but take my word for it...it's not. They make me wear expensive things when I'm not really rich and tell me if something's ...read more

Tags: Friendship General

Denomination: Salvation Army

The Counsel Of The Wicked

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Mar 28, 2011

THE COUNSEL OF THE WICKED I remember talking with a young man in jail. He was telling me that his family had hired a lawyer to get him out (whom I always heard was a good attorney) but he wasn't sure he wanted to trust the lawyer. I asked him why. He responded that the other guys in his jail ...read more

Tags: Fool

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Bathed In The Spirit

Contributed by Chuck Sligh on Apr 14, 2011

BATHED IN THE SPIRIT I remember when I had my cancer surgery in 1979. Susan and I had a pact that when I came out from the anesthesia, no matter how bad the news, she would tell me the truth about my prognosis. When I woke up from the anesthesia, I turned to her from my bed and whispered hoarsely, ...read more

Tags: Comfort

Denomination: Baptist

Gollum And Sin

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Jul 19, 2011

GOLLUM AND SIN Tolkien’s character - Gollum. What a great name. Just from the sound of it, you can tell that it is attached to a ne'er-do-well. Gollum is the slimiest character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy. If you are a true-blue fan of the books, you know that originally this ...read more

Tags: Sin General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

You Can Make Him Drink

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 12, 2011

YOU CAN MAKE HIM DRINK Howard Hendricks, one of my professors at Dallas Theological Seminary, sometimes talked about his days when he was a student at the same seminary. In one of those stories, he tells about the time he was invited to preach in west Texas. "You've all heard of Nowhere? Well," ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:1-5

Tags: Evangelism How To

God Picks The Unlovable Ones

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 15, 2011

GOD PICKS THE UNLOVABLE ONES Anne Lamott described a time when a fellow church member told about adopting her son through an organization called A.S.K. -- Adopt Special Kids. Part of the adoption process included filling out a questionnaire checking "yes" or "no" for one's willingness to adopt ...read more

Scripture: John 4:1-42

Tags: Adoption

Knowing The Sound Of His Voice  PRO

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 8, 2011

KNOWING THE SOUND OF HIS VOICE Brian Brown tells the story of being at the community pool with his family. Kids were screaming, playing, and splashing in the pool, music was playing, the lifeguard whistles were blowing and in the midst of the conversation, his wife shooshes him. He said, "What are ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:10-18, John 10:4

Tags: Prayer General

Denomination: Methodist

Childhood Reminders

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Nov 7, 2011

CHILDHOOD REMINDERS When I first came to Wichita Falls, Joe and Eloise were living over on Hursh, and I remember going to call on them one day. The front door cradled a lovely stained-glass window. When I asked about it, Joe said, "It’s from the old church in Vernon." Every time he entered and ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Smelly Collections

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Nov 28, 2011

SMELLY COLLECTIONS He may dress like a skid-row bum and smell like a dead rat, but Andy Smulian is a hit among London businessmen plagued by those who won't pay their bills. Employed by the London-Manhattan Debt Collection Agency, the 20-years-old youth will stumble into a deadbeat's office for ...read more

Tags: Evangelism The Lost

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Forgive And Forget

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Feb 15, 2012

FORGIVE AND FORGET There's a wonderful story about the cardinal of the Philippines, named, oddly enough, Cardinal Sin. When Cardinal Sin was a bishop, a young woman in his parish claimed that she had visions of Jesus. Bishop Sin was given the task of determining if these visions were authentic. He ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 1:9

Tags: Forgiveness General

Denomination: Baptist

A Fork In The Road

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 1, 2012

A FORK IN THE ROAD Several artists were asked to illustrate their concepts of temptation. When their paintings were unveiled, some of them depicted man's attempt to achieve fame and fortune at any cost. Others pictured mankind’s struggle against the alluring desires of the flesh. The ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 4:10-19

Tags: Temptation Resisting

Are You Ready To Rescue The Perishing?

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 5, 2012

ARE YOU READY TO RESCUE THE PERISHING? I read a story of a man that got saved as a young, adult. He was so excited about Christ for the first couple of weeks, he told everybody the difference Jesus had made in his life. One Sunday night he was at his church and they sang this song, "Rescue the ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 4:2-6

Tags: Evangelism Urgency

Because You Did, Dad  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 14, 2012

"BECAUSE YOU DID, DAD." James Bryan Smith begins this chapter of his book by telling a story about taking his six year old son to an amusement park. While at the park, he and his son got on a ride. A teenage boy buckled them into their seats and then started the ride. The entire time during the ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 22:6-18

Tags: Father's Day

The Dead Donkey

Contributed by Perry Greene on Jul 12, 2012

THE DEAD DONKEY A city boy, Kenny, moved to the country and bought a donkey from an old farmer for $100. The farmer agreed to deliver the donkey the next day. The next day the farmer drove up and said, "Sorry son, but I have some bad news, the donkey died." Kenny replied, "Well then, just give ...read more

Tags: Wisdom

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

All Moms Know This Stuff  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 7, 2012

ALL MOMS KNOW THIS STUFF One mom was out walking with her 4-year-old daughter when her girl picked up something from the ground and started to put it in her mouth. The mother tells what happens in her own words: "I took the item away from her and I asked her not to do that." My daughter quickly ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 31:10-31

Tags: Mother's Day

Invitation To Drink Poison

Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Oct 17, 2012

INVITATION TO DRINK POISON David Timms said: "Skeptics, atheists, cynics, and unbelievers often cast Christianity as a legalistic burden, a lifestyle of bondage or a crutch for the weak to lean on. Well, perhaps it's time for those same voices to look around and see the fruit of recklessness. ...read more

Tags: Sin Deceptive

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Dmv

Contributed by Perry Greene on Dec 26, 2012

When my wife and I attended Freed-Hardeman College (now University), one of our teachers gave a chapel talk about the importance of names. In so doing, he told us HIS story of the difficulties he had growing up with the name, “RC” Oliver. As a child entering school, his teacher and principal did ...read more

Tags: Humor, Commandments God's Name

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Yanov Torah

Contributed by Perry Greene on Mar 13, 2013

THE YANOV TORAH During World War II, Jewish inmates of the Yanov labor camp in occupied Poland defied their Nazi guards, secretly conducting religious services inside their darkened barracks. To observe their ritual, the Jews had cut religious scrolls into sections, bound the parchment pieces ...read more

Tags: Bible Study, Scripture, The Word

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

"Barbarians" And The Gospel

Contributed by Bret Toman on Mar 14, 2013

"BARBARIANS" AND THE GOSPEL It is said that one of the greatest disasters in the history of Christianity took place in 1271. Nichelo and and Matteo Polo, the father and the uncle of Marco Polo, were visiting the Kubla Kahn. At that time, Kubla Kahn was a world ruler. He ruled all of China, all of ...read more

Tags: Evangelism The Lost

Denomination: Baptist

Getting Too Far From The Source  PRO

Contributed by Choe Sergent on Apr 17, 2013

GETTING TOO FAR FROM THE SOURCE The county hired a new person to paint fresh yellow lines down the middle of all the county roads. The first day this man painted an astonishing 10 miles of road with new double yellow lines down the middle. This was a record! No one had ever painted ten miles of ...read more

Scripture: Ezekiel 47:1-23

Tags: Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Baptist