In Sermon Illustrations: "The Lord Is At Our Side"

The Early Church Of God Reformers Believed That ...

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Jul 15, 2008

The early Church of God reformers believed that at a second point in time after we begin believing in Jesus, God Himself sends His Spirit to guide and direct in order to surrender our entire lives into His care. They found many people believed in Jesus but then experienced God in such a profound ...read more

Tags: Sanctification

Denomination: Church Of God

John Suk Writes, "Soldiers Of The Symbionese ...

Contributed by Donnie Martin on Aug 26, 2008

John Suk writes, “Soldiers of the Symbionese Liberation Army kidnapped newspaper heiress Patty Hearst from her Berkeley, California, apartment on February 4, 1974. In return for her release, Patty’s kidnappers demanded that her father, Randolph Hearst, give millions of dollars to the poor. “On ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

There Was Once A Wise Old Man Sitting At The Gate ...

Contributed by Dennis Davidson on Sep 29, 2008

There was once a WISE OLD MAN sitting at the gate of an ancient city. A young traveler stopped before entering the city and asked the old man, "What kind of people live in this town?" The wise man answered with a question, "What kind of people were in the town you just came from?" "Oh, they ...read more

Tags: Possibilities

Denomination: Baptist

Consider The Queen Mary, Now A Floating Museum In ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 9, 2008

Consider the Queen Mary, now a floating museum in California. This great ship was built as a luxury liner, and it served the wealthy with lavish comforts. Part of the ship has been restored to show the way it was outfitted in all its regal glory, with grand dining rooms set with china and gold ...read more

Tags: Materialism

Hardly Safe: The Lion The Witch And The Wardrobe

Contributed by Paul Wallace on Oct 28, 2008

HARDLY SAFE: THE LION THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE If you have ever been through a tornado. ... One personal encounter with a power that before was only theoretical can make all the difference. You live differently after that. You respect the power. You live in awe of its presence and tremble ...read more

Tags: God's Judgment

Denomination: Wesleyan

The Stages Of The Christian Life

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 24, 2009

THE STAGES OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE Several years ago I heard someone describe the Christian experience as similar to that of a piano player, and suddenly the commands of the Bible made more sense and seemed less daunting. When a person begins playing piano, do we expect them to play a piece by ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:1-3

Tags: Growth In Christ

Staring At The Gates Of Hell

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 28, 2009

STARING AT THE GATES OF HELL Auguste Rodin was a French impressionist sculptor. He created The Thinker. The Thinker was originally meant to sit on top of Rodin’s greatest masterpiece, the Gates of Hell. The Thinker is contemplating an eternity of judgment separated from God. Author Neil Cole ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 16:18

Tags: Church Purpose Of

The Key To ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 14, 2009

THE KEY TO FREEDOM The great "prince of preachers," Charles Haddon Spurgeon, used to tell the story of a duke who boarded a galley ship and went below to talk with the criminals manning the oars. He asked several of them what their offenses were. Almost every man claimed he was innocent, blaming ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:38-40

Tags: Salvation

David: Brokenness Leads To Loyalty

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Jul 19, 2009

DAVID: BROKENNESS LEADS TO LOYALTY Psalm 51 Our text was written by King David about a year after he had an adulterous affair. While his men were off to war he was home relaxing. The story results in a series of events that went from adultery to deception and finally murder to cover his tracks and ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 28:13

Tags: Humility

Denomination: Salvation Army

What's Valuable

Contributed by Davon Huss on Aug 11, 2009

WHAT'S VALUABLE Helen Frankenthaler’s The Bay is an abstract painting on display in the Detroit Institute of Arts. It’s valuable. This work of art is worth about 1.5 million dollars. Or I should say it used to be worth 1.5 million dollars, until a 12 year old boy on a field trip decided to put his ...read more

Tags: Judgment

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

More Time Later...?

Contributed by Mark Schaeufele on Sep 2, 2009

MORE TIME LATER...? When I returned from my trip to Europe, back in 1982, I remember a conversation I had with an high school classmate. He asked me if I heard about Vick, another classmate of ours. Vick was one of my old partying buddies from before I accepted Christ. His parents were good ...read more

Tags: Evangelism Urgency

Denomination: Methodist

Deceptive Flowers

Contributed by Peter Loughman on Sep 22, 2009

DECEPTIVE FLOWERS I have a friend who is a pastor at a church in the lower 48 who was telling me about the flowers in his church. His church, like ours, will take the flowers that were in the worship service that morning, and give them to shut ins or someone who is in the hospital. He said he ...read more

Tags: Lies

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Community Stores Refuse Kind Acts Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 9, 2009

Community Stores Refuse Kind Acts of Service The story is told of a minister who was organizing opportunities for people in his church to do small acts of kindness as a demonstration of Christ’s love in the community. 1. He phoned several neighborhood grocery stores and Laundromats and asked for ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:13-14

Tags: Servanthood

Drunk Asks Priest About The Cause Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 11, 2009

Drunk Asks Priest About the Cause of Arthritis Sometimes our words can get us into trouble. A man who smelled like a brewery flopped on a seat at a bus stop next to a priest. The man’s shirt was stained, clothes messy, and a half empty bottle of wine was sticking out of his torn coat pocket. He ...read more

Scripture: Luke 4:14-30

Tags: Wages Of Sin, Sin Wages Of

Max Lucado's Story About A Scottish Fisherman's ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 16, 2009

Max Lucado’s Story about a Scottish Fisherman’s Stain on Wall that is Transformed by Famous Wildlife Painter into a Masterpiece Max Lucado tells this story: “Over a hundred years ago, a group of fishermen were relaxing in a Scottish seaside inn. One of the men gestured widely and his arm struck the ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17-20

Tags: Forgiveness, Forgiveness In Jesus

Elizabeth Elliot On His Sufficient Grace For ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 22, 2009

Elizabeth Elliot on His Sufficient Grace for Discipleship It’s the anticipation of that “glory of victory” that helps us to persevere in the hard times. It’s the assurance of that coming crown that helps us bear our cross today. Just one year after her husband was slain in Ecuador, along with ...read more

Scripture: Luke 14:26-27

Tags: Discipleship, Count The Cost

Blind Man Rows On River Using A Bell As Reference ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 24, 2009

Blind Man Rows On River Using A Bell As Reference Point--From "To Catch An Angel" the Autobiography of Robert Russell (From The Preacher’s Commentary) “I recently heard the story of another commuter, a traveler of sorts. To Catch an Angel, by Robert Russell, is the autobiography of a young blind ...read more

Scripture: Luke 21:25-36

Tags: Security, Blind

The Explosive Christmas Story  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 7, 2009

THE EXPLOSIVE CHRISTMAS STORY James Martin tells about a trip to the Holy Land. While there, he buys a nativity set for his Sunday School class. It was carved out of olive wood in the town of Bethlehem and had all the traditional figures: sheep and oxen; wise men and the shepherds; Mary, Joseph, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 2:1-23

Tags: Birth Of Jesus

A Christmas Story: Filling The Hole

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Dec 30, 2009

A CHRISTMAS STORY: FILLING THE HOLE One of the most popular films [of this season] is a little vignette set in the 50s called A Christmas Story. In the plot, young Ralphie sets his heart on an air rifle for Christmas, enduring ridicule and scorn in his quest for this gift he believes will make him ...read more

Tags: Desire

Denomination: Catholic

A Pow's Will To Live--French Surgeon Removes His ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 6, 2010

A POW’s Will to Live--French Surgeon Removes His Own Appendix When the French surrendered to General Giap and the Vietnamese at Dien Phen Phu, the long line of survivors were led on foot toward Hanoi. A French army surgeon among the prisoners realized that his appendix was in trouble. What would he ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-2

Tags: Endurance