In Sermon Illustrations: "The Past"

Christ Is The Wind, Christianity Is The Sail  PRO

Contributed by Ken Pell on Mar 2, 2013

CHRIST IS THE WIND, CHRISTIANITY IS THE SAIL Does the practice of our religion reflect the God we serve? In Shane Hipps' book, "Selling Water by the River: A Book about the Life Jesus Promised and the Religion that Gets in the Way," he uses an analogy from sailing to express what has happened in ...read more

Scripture: James 1:26-27

Tags: Religion

Denomination: Nazarene

Light Of The ...

Contributed by Gordon Weatherby on May 2, 2013

LIGHT OF THE WORLD Jesus stated that we are to be the "Light of the World", and that a city set on a hill cannot be hidden. In the Canadian province of New Brunswick there is a church building on Deer Island that for many years has served as a physical light house to the fishermen of that ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:14-15

Tags: Witness, Light, Influence, Lighthouse, Christian Witness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

What's Wrong With Slandering Someone?

Contributed by Rev. Matthew Parker on Aug 29, 2014

I was speaking with someone this past week who has spent a great deal of his life travelling around the world, much of it for a mission agency. He spoke of a time when he visited an extremely remote, forested part of India where people live very primitively. He stayed there for a while. This fellow ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 1:5-7, 2 Peter 1:5

Tags: Godly Character, Transparency

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Cross Is The Attraction

Contributed by Andrew Moffatt on Sep 8, 2016

The famous first national Salvationist here in Sri Lanka, Arnolis Weerasooriya whose picture we all walk past every day said something about the cross. Can you remember reading it, it is on his picture. That’s right he said, “Cross is the attraction.” He died from cholera some years later on the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 20:20-28

Tags: Suffering, Enduring Suffering, Proclaiming

Denomination: Salvation Army

Trust Issues

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Jul 18, 2022

John 2:23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. 24 But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, 25 and needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man. As I ...read more

Scripture: John 2:23-25

Tags: Trust, Opposition, Betrayal, Brethren, Opposers  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

If We Could Only See From God's Perspective

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Nov 7, 2022

A man was walking along a railroad track on a very dark night when he came to a bridge.  He had gotten halfway across when he heard a train whistle up ahead.  He quickened his pace, but soon could see the light of the oncoming locomotive approaching.   With nowhere ...read more

Tags: Faith, Fear, Jesus, Obedience, Peter, Miracles, Sovereignty Of God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Hilarious Christmas Story!!!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Dec 19, 2022

• A Sunday School was putting on a Christmas pageant which included the story of Mary and Joseph coming to the inn. One boy wanted so very much to be Joseph, but when the parts were handed out, a boy he didn’t like was given that part, and he was assigned to be the inn-keeper instead. He was ...read more

Tags: Mary, Nativity, Christmas, Bethlehem, Children, Joseph, Pageants  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Sometimes I Feel A Little Tugging On The Line!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Mar 20, 2023

A little boy was flying his kite in the windy city of Chicago, Illinois one day. He sent the kite up and let the line out as the wind took it away to the cloudy sky. About that time, an elderly man walked past the little boy and asked him a question. "What are you doing there, son?" he ...read more

Tags: Answers To Prayer, Prayer, Will Of God, Hearing God, God's Voice, Sovereignty Of God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Christmas Humor

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Dec 21, 2020

A Sunday School was putting on a Christmas pageant which included the story of Mary and Joseph coming to the inn. One boy wanted so very much to be Joseph, but when the parts were handed out, a boy he didn’t like was given that part, and he was assigned to be the inn-keeper instead. He was pretty ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1-12

Tags: Christ, Manger, Birth Of Christ, Mary And Joseph, Coming Of Christ, Christmas  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

How Hard Do You Prepare For Sermons?

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 4, 2021

Howard Hendricks shares this insight about the value of preparing and study for sermons... " When I was a college student—I worked in the college dining hall, and on my way to work at 5:30 am. every morning I walked past the home of one of my professors. Through a window I could see the ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Timothy 4:1-3, 2 Timothy 2:15

Tags: Sermons, Shepherding, Feeding The Flock, Sermon Preparation, Studying The Word  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Separation Of Church And ...

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Separation of Church and State “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech…” (excerpt from Amendment I, U. S. Constitution) If our United States Constitution actually commands Congress to ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 55:6-7

Tags: Politics

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Devout Priest Was Caught In A Flood One Day, ...  PRO

Contributed by Simon Rundell on Jan 19, 2001

The devout priest was caught in a flood one day, and he climbed onto the roof of his Vicarage and as the water started lapping up over the roof he prayed “Lord, deliver me from this flood”. The water continued to rise and a policeman in a rowing boat passed: “Can I help you Vicar?” “No thanks, the ...read more

Tags: God's Provision, Love, Prayer Answered, Examples Of Faith

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Several Years Ago In The Movie Hoosiers, Gene ...  PRO

Contributed by Tom Dooley on May 11, 2001

Several years ago in the movie Hoosiers, Gene Hackman played the part of Norman Dale, a former college coach with a tainted past who was hired to coach a rural high-school basketball team from Hickory, Indiana. Coach Dale leads the team all the way to the state finals. On the day of the ...read more

Tags: What Is Evangelism?, Church General, Church Purpose Of

Denomination: Baptist

An Overwhelming Thirst  PRO

Contributed by David Yarbrough on Jan 28, 2002

AN OVERWHELMING THIRST During the liberation of Palestine in WWI, a combined force of British, Australian, and New Zealand soldiers was closely pursuing the Turks as they retreated from the desert. As the allied troops moved northward past Beersheba they began to outdistance their water-carrying ...read more

Scripture: John 7:37-38

Tags: Discipleship, Lordship Of Christ, Sermon On The Mount

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Glory Of Aging  PRO

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Oct 3, 2005

THE GLORY OF AGING A woman nearly 100 years old wrote: This old shell in which I dwell Is growing old, I know full well, But I am not the shell. What if my hair is turning gray, Gray hair is honorable, they say. What if my sight is growing dim, I still can see to follow Him. What should I care ...read more

Tags: Hardship Of Life

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Significant Finds: Researcher George Barna Lists ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 13, 2006

Significant Finds: Researcher George Barna lists the fol-lowing as his most notable findings in ’00. (1) Only 4% of born again adults are certain of the existence of absolute moral truth. (2) 94% of black adults rank having a close, personal relationship with God as a top life priority, com-pared ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Prodigal Brings Christ Home, Citation: J. ...  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on May 24, 2002

[Prodigal Brings Christ Home, Citation: J. Granger, Sons: A Father’s Love (Word, 1999), quoted in Men of Integrity, Vol. 3, no. 2] My son called. Through years of drug abuse, Scott had stolen from our family, manipulated us, and failed us. It had been a relief not to hear from him for two ...read more

Tags: God's Forgiveness, God's Provision

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Once Upon A Time There Was A King Who Owned A ...  PRO

Contributed by Tim Zingale on Nov 18, 2002

"Once upon a time there was a king who owned a beautiful orchard which contained fine fig trees. He hired two watchmen; one blind and one lame to care for this orchard while he went away on a trip. One day while they were in the orchard, beggars, blind men, lame men, poor widows and hungry ...read more

Tags: Second Coming, Jesus Teachings

Denomination: Lutheran

The Best Change  PRO

Contributed by Timothy Smith on Dec 3, 2002

THE BEST CHANGE Our world has changed dramatically in the past 100 years, and futurists predict that even greater changes are coming. Consider these facts: We now watch as routine space shuttles that propel people into space and land routinely. Yet, it was under 100 years ago that the first ...read more

Tags: Evangelism The Lost, God Brings Purpose

Denomination: Christian Church

I Like What President Jimmy Carter Said In His ...  PRO

Contributed by Don Hawks on Dec 14, 2002

I like what President Jimmy Carter said in his Nobel Peace Prize Speech this past week: The unchanging principles of life predate modern times. I worship Jesus Christ, whom we Christians consider to be the prince of peace. As a Jew, he taught us to cross religious boundaries in service and in love. ...read more

Tags: Peace, Christmas, Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Methodist