In Sermon Illustrations: "The Old Nature"

They Sent Me To Finish  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 12, 2009

THEY SENT ME TO FINISH With all the pomp and prestige that the Chinese government went to in order to put their best foot forward, there was one person who they honored who stood out. He is now in his seventies, but China brought him to Bejing as an honored guest. Why? The odd thing is that John ...read more

Scripture: Acts 20:24

Tags: Endurance

One Last Story: Years, Ago, An Executive From A ...

Contributed by Clarence Eisberg on Mar 11, 2009

One last story: years, ago, an executive from a soap company and a famous pastor were walking down the street together. They were to attend a meeting where they were going to be honored by their city for their contributions. With a snide sort of smirk, the soap manufacturer off handedly said, ...read more

Tags: Sin General

Denomination: Lutheran

Qualifications For Ministry  PRO

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Mar 15, 2009

QUALIFICATIONS FOR MINISTRY What qualifies someone for a task? There is a story of the testing of a candidate for missions work: One snowy morning at 5:00 A.M., a missionary candidate rang the bell at a missionary examiner’s home. Ushered into the office, he sat three hours past his appointment ...read more

Tags: Humility, Fruit Of The Spirit

Denomination: Other

Honor Thy Father & Mother

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Jan 15, 2022

The reader may ask me why I did not try to escape what was in store for me after Hitler had occupied Austria. Let me answer the question by recalling the following story. Shortly before the United States entered WWII, I received an invitation to come to the American consulate in Vienna to pick up ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:1-2, Exodus 20:12, Matthew 15:4

Tags: 10 Commandments, Honor, Family, Obedience, Courage  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Driven By Hurt

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Feb 11, 2022

DRIVEN BY HURT! MIGHT I ADD A PREACHER’S PERSPECTIVE TO START THIS LESSON? BE KIND TO EVERY PERSON. PERHAPS YOU DO NOT KNOW THE PROBLEMS AND THE BATTLES OTHERS ARE FACING. A preacher friend of mine was having some self-doubts and fears he was facing. There was a rather large family that had ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 61:3, 1 Peter 5:7

Tags: Bitter, Hurt, Ministry

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Freezing To Death Can Actually Make You Feel Warm...

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Mar 22, 2024

The man huddled on the cabin floor was slowly freezing to death. It was high in the Rockies in southwestern Alberta, and outside a blizzard raged. John Elliott had logged miles that day through the deep snows of the mountain passes. As he checked for avalanches and as dusk and exhaustion overcame ...read more

Tags: Messengers, Dogs, Witnesses, Satan, Salvation, Rescue, Lost, Wake Up, Spiritual Death, Death, Sin, Deception  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Last Supper By Leonardo Da Vinci

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Oct 21, 2025

Story: Leonardo da Vinci took seven years to paint his famous picture the "Last Supper". He used living people to depict the figures representing the Twelve Apostles and Christ. He started the fresco with Jesus Christ himself. It is reputed that he viewed hundreds and hundreds of ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:9-14

Tags: Last Supper, Leonardo Da Vinci

Denomination: Anglican

Pleasure Comes From Pain  PRO

Contributed by Alan Perkins on Feb 7, 2002

PLEASURE COMES FROM PAIN The world's best cyclist, Lance Armstrong, says this about pain: I become a happier man each time I suffer. Suffering is as essential to a good life, and as inextricable, as bliss. The old saying that you should live each day as if it’s your last is a nice sentiment, ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 46:1

Tags: Endurance, Disciplines General, Human Body

Denomination: Baptist

Making The Best Of The ‘best'!" 1 Thessalonians ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on May 11, 2005

“Making The Best of The ‘Best’!” 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 Key verse(s) 15:“According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.” “I did my best, really!” With tear-streaked face ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17

Tags: Peace, Forgiveness General

Denomination: Lutheran

Have You Ever Hurt Anybody?  PRO

Contributed by Ken Ritz on Dec 30, 2005

Brennan Manning tells a story in his book The Ragamuffin Gospel. 25 years ago, he had a drinking problem. He voluntarily entered a 28-day treatment program. Early on in the treatment program they had to sit in a circle with a leader and tell the other people in the group, about the extent of their ...read more

Tags: Richard Celtzer, Mortal Lessons, Addiction, Brennan Manning

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Healing The Wounds Of War: The Kim Phuc Story

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 4, 2010

HEALING THE WOUNDS OF WAR: THE KIM PHUC STORY Probably one of the most well-known pictures to come out of the Vietnam War was Nick Ut’s Pulitzer Prize-winning photo (show picture) of Phan Thi Kim Phuc (pronounced "fuke"). On June 8, 1972, a napalm bomb was dropped on her village, and Kim, who was ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 18:21-35

Tags: Forgiveness For Others

Hurricane Victims' Suffering Lead Them To ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 10, 2010

Hurricane Victims’ Suffering Lead Them to Christ 38-year-old Carlotta Bennett was riding out Hurricane Katrina in her attic with her family. The winds had blown her house way off its foundation, and the rising water was threatening to flood the house to the roof and drown the five people in the ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:28

Tags: Suffering Joy In

Manuscript Evidence Of The Bible

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 4, 2021

Do we have any of the originals of the Bible's 66 books? NO. Not 1. But, we do have enough pieces of the cross to build several crosses, and enough other relics to rebuild several sacred objects several times over. Get the point? Anytime something of religious significance survives the ages, ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Timothy 4:1-3, 2 Peter 1:21, Hebrews 4:12

Tags: Bible, Scripture, Apologetics, Truth, Word Of God, Biblical Manuscripts  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Phillip Keller Visited A Potter In Pakistan A...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 13, 2009

Phillip Keller visited a potter in Pakistan and gained the most understanding ever of the meaning found in "Your will be done in earth as it is in heaven." The words of the prophet came to mind: "Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause you to hear my words" (Jer. 18:2). ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:10

Tags: Lord's Prayer

[043] A Message From A Poem – Christ Upholds The Battling One

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 3, 2025

[043] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – CHRIST UPHOLDS THE BATTLING ONE (Longer Introduction) Do you face battles? Do trials and opposition buffet you and make the way ahead very hard? This poem partly addresses that. Well there is good news for you. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Your Saviour goes with you all ...read more

Scripture: John 10:2, John 10:11, John 10:14, 2 Timothy 3:12

Tags: Battling, Mary Stevenson, Comfort, Dreams, Poetry, Burdens, Footprints In The Sand, I Had A Dream, Grace  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Story Of Silent Night

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Oct 24, 2025

The Inspiring True Story Behind "Silent Night" The church organ in a small Austrian village was silent for the 1818 premiere of the world’s most popular Christmas carol. by Elizabeth Sherrill From Posted in Inspiring Stories, Oct 15, 2020 My husband and I were staying in the little ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:10-20

Tags: Guitar, Josef Mohr, Franz Gruber, Silent Night

Denomination: Anglican

[316]. Poem Message - To Be Absent From The Body And At Home With The Lord

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 19, 2026

[316]. A POEM MESSAGE - TO BE ABSENT FROM THE BODY AND AT HOME WITH THE LORD This poem means a lot to me. What of the future? What of the glorious hope? What of the Christian’s destiny? These questions all have one answer – TO BE ABSENT FROM THE BODY IS PRESENT WITH THE LORD! That is taken ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 64:4, 1 Corinthians 2:9, 2 Corinthians 12:4, Philippians 3:20-21, 2 Corinthians 5:6-8  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Death, Destiny, Home, Called, Citizenship In Heaven, Present With The Lord, Absent From The Body, At Home With The Lord, Christian Poems, Passing Through Death, Inexpressible Words  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Hat In Hand Thankfulness!" 1 Thessalonians 5: ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Nov 24, 2004

“Hat In Hand Thankfulness!” 1 Thessalonians 5: 12-28 Key verse(s): 18: “. . . give thanks under all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Thanksgiving! It is easy to forget, especially when our lives are so filled with other things. Perhaps that’s why we have a ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

Tags: Thanksgiving Holiday

Denomination: Lutheran

Max Lucado: Angels Were Silent  PRO

Contributed by Daniel Devilder on Dec 4, 2006

Max Lucado (Angels were Silent) Describes how in a similar way we cry out for something to cut through the clutter of life, turning to faith and religion to give us simplicity, instead finding things just as complicated: Enter, religion. We Christians have a solution for the confusion don’t we? ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 23:1, Romans 11:3-6

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

One Word  PRO

Contributed by Michael Brown on Mar 11, 2008

One Word I sat down one day and began to think about what word I would choose if I could only choose one word to describe myself; one word which would describe me better than any other word. Many words immediately began to pour into my mind. I could think of so many aspects of my life that I ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-10, Matthew 27:42-54, Matthew 27:4, Matthew 27:1-4

Denomination: Pentecostal