In Sermon Illustrations: "The Holy City"

In 1990, A Woman Entered A Haagen-Dazs Store In ...

Contributed by Rick Pendleton on Mar 29, 2011

In 1990, a woman entered a Haagen-Dazs store in Kansas City for an ice cream cone. While she was ordering, another customer entered the store. She placed her order, turned and found herself staring face to face with Paul Newman. He was in town filming a movie. His blue eyes made her knees buckle. ...read more

Tags: Commitment To Christ

Denomination: Baptist

Trapped On A Tram

Contributed by Tim Hinrichs on Jun 1, 2011

TRAPPED ON A TRAM It was a beautiful sunny day in Ostrava, Czech Republic, a city of 300,000. It was 1995, and I had just moved there to take an intense Czech language course. After half a day of Czech grammar, I was tired. I got on the tram and spaced out for my 20-minute ride to the suburbs ...read more

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Denomination: Lutheran

What Makes Your Face Shine?  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 2, 2011

WHAT MAKES YOUR FACE SHINE? A Hindu trader in India once asked a missionary, "What do you put on your face to make it shine?" With surprise the man of God answered, "I don’t put anything on it!" His questioner began to lose patience and said emphatically, "Yes, you do! All of you who believe in ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:14-16

Tags: Christian Witness

Time To A Pig

Contributed by Johnny A. Palmer Jr. on Dec 7, 2011

TIME TO A PIG Reminds me of a man who was walking past a farm, and noticed a farmer feeding pigs in a most extraordinary manner. The farmer would lift a pig up to a nearby apple tree, and the pig would eat the apples off the tree directly. The farmer would move the pig from one apple to another ...read more

Tags: Time

Denomination: Baptist

Door Of Hope

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 24, 2015

There is a small metal door painted white in the side of a tiny mission church in Johannesburg South Africa. This door is changing lives. On it are painted the words “door of hope.” That is exactly what it is for various babies within the city. On average some forty to fifty babies were being ...read more

Scripture: John 10:7-10

Tags: Hope, Jesus The Door, Rescuing Babies

I Remember Years Ago, When I Was The Pastor In ...

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Oct 8, 2010

I remember years ago, when I was the pastor in another city, we had a man in our church that worked in a local processing plant. His name was Doug. One day, a new guy – a fellow by the name of Mike – showed up to work there, and Doug got acquainted with him and invited him to come to our ...read more

Tags: Money

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Gang Member's Turf

Contributed by Richard Tow on Jul 9, 2024

We learned that the belt of truth is a belt of truthfulness. It is “speaking the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15). It is avoiding all forms of lies, hypocrisy, deception, and manipulation because that is the devil’s turf. Gang members in these big cities understand the value of staying on your own turf. ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-18, Ephesians 4:15

Tags: Safety, Spiritual Warfare, Truthfulness, Lies, Turf  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Charismatic

Horrid French Pun

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 11, 2025

A young cook in France, Jean Luc, decided that the French would enjoy feasting on rabbits and decided to raise rabbits in Paris and sell them to the finer restaurants in the city. Jean Luc searched all over Paris seeking a suitable place to raise his rabbits. None could be found. Finally, an old ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:10-12, Zechariah 14:7

Tags: Unique, Complex, Joke, Pun, Sermon Into  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

In The Last Hour, While We Were In Sunday School ...

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Nov 3, 2008

In the last hour, while we were in Sunday school -- or any hour, for that matter, here is what typically happens in this world. 2,738 people died from starvation 342 people died from malaria 76 mothers died from childbirth 9,582 babies died from induced abortion 8,898 infants and children were ...read more

Tags: Missions

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Horton's Theology

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Dec 3, 2008

HORTON'S THEOLOGY One day, Horton the elephant hears a cry from help coming from a speck of dust. Even though he can’t see anyone on the speck, he decides to help it. As it turns out, the speck of dust is home to the Whos, who live in their city of Whoville. Horton agrees to help protect the Whos ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 10:18-19

Tags: Justice

Denomination: Church Of God

Street Clothes

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2008

STREET CLOTHES On March 5, 1994, Deputy Sheriff Lloyd Prescott was teaching a class for police officers in the Salt Lake City Library. As he stepped into the hallway he noticed a gunman herding 18 hostages into the next room. With a flash of insight, Prescott (dressed in street clothes) joined the ...read more

Tags: Christmas

If You Build It, Will The Football Come?

Contributed by Peter Loughman on Jan 6, 2009

IF YOU BUILD IT, WILL THE FOOTBALL COME? In downtown San Antonio sits the Alamodome, a 65,000-seat facility that opened in 1993 for a cost of 186 million. Following the field of dreams philosophy, the city, eager to have a professional football franchise pushed to complete the Texas size facility, ...read more

Tags: Faith General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Cheer Him, Boys!  PRO

Contributed by Bill Butsko on Feb 6, 2009

"Cheer Him, Boys!" There was a fire in the big city, and the firemen flung their ladders together, and went up in their brave fashion to the very topmost story to rescue the people that were trapped. One after another was rescued by the brave firemen. All had been rescued, it seemed, No! As the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 30:6

Tags: Encouragement, John Mark

Denomination: Christian Church

Bryan Chapell Tells This Story That Happened In ...  PRO

Contributed by Dana Chau on Sep 2, 2001

Bryan Chapell tells this story that happened in his hometown: Two brothers were playing on the sandbanks by the river. One ran after another up a large mound of sand. Unfortunately, the mound was not solid, and their weight caused them to sink in quickly. When the boys did not return home ...read more

Scripture: John 6:68-71

Tags: Forgiveness In Jesus, Christian Disciplines, Christian Love

Denomination: *other

Voices From The ...

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Voices from the Past “It is the duty of nations, as well as of men, to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, and to recognize the sublime truth announced in the Holy Scriptures, and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.” --Abraham ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 13:7

Tags: Patriotism

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Newsman Clarence W. Hall Sees The Impact Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 29, 2009

Newsman Clarence W. Hall Sees the Impact of Missions on Okinawa in 1945 A newsman, named Clarence W. Hall, followed American troops through Okinawa in 1945. He and his jeep driver came upon an Okinawan village that stood out as a beautiful example of a Christian community! The entire village had ...read more

Scripture: John 12:44-46

Tags: Missions

On Anger

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 11, 2009

ON ANGER The late great writer, Bede Jarrett (1881 - 1937), once wrote: "The world needs anger. The world often continues to allow evil because it isn’t angry enough." The late great Indian political and spiritual leader, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869 - 1948), once said, "Man should forget ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:25-27

Tags: Anger

In 1949, Following The Defeat Of Nazi Germany In ...  PRO

Contributed by Jim Black on Jan 30, 2003

In 1949, following the defeat of Nazi Germany in WW II and the re-organization of Europe, the nation of Germany was divided into East & West. In the East a communist government was set up under the influence of the Soviet Union. In the West a free, democratic government was set up and benefitted ...read more

Tags: Political Freedom

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Lottery's Biggest Losers

Contributed by Aaron Mishoe on Apr 3, 2012

LOTTERY'S BIGGEST LOSERS Winning the lottery isn’t a guaranteed ticket to the good life, as these previous winners can attest: --Jack Whittaker: This West Virginia businessman won $315 million in the Powerball lottery in 2002, the largest jackpot ever from a single ticket in American history at ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 13:11

Tags: Money

Denomination: Holiness

Open Rebuke Is Better Than Secret Love.

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 25, 2021

The Scripture tells us that "Open rebuke is better than love carefully concealed. Faithful are the wounds of a friend but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful" (Proverbs 27:5-6).   Rebuke means sin is not only pointed out, it is condemned. The church really doesn’t do this ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Timothy 4:1-3

Tags: Sin, Preaching, Repentance, Rebuke, Pastors, The Word Of God, Preachers  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational