In Sermon Illustrations: "The Price To Follow"

A Chicken Story

Contributed by Ovidiu Radulescu on Apr 25, 2011

A CHICKEN STORY The story is told of Joe the Butcher who had crafty ways of selling his chickens. He had one chicken left, and he didn’t want to keep it over the weekend. The priest of his church came into the store. He said, "My wife sent me to buy a good size chicken to roast for dinner. We’re ...read more

Tags: Lies

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Spiritual Consumerism

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 15, 2011

SPIRITUAL CONSUMERISM In February 27 2009 article from the website “Slate” titled, “Why American churchgoers like to shop around” also caught my attention. That article cited statistics from a Barna Group survey that revealed that one in seven adults changes churches each year, and another one in ...read more

Scripture: John 4:19-24

Tags: Church Practices

Game's Only Half Over! (10.04.05--Beginning ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Oct 3, 2005

Game’s Only Half Over! (10.04.05--Beginning Again!--2 Samuel 12:20-24) Is there anyone who hasn’t felt the sting of regret and discovered just how bitter it is to live with the thought that if only we hadn’t done this or said that we’d be a whole lot happier at the moment? Beginning again is one ...read more

Scripture: 2 Samuel 12:20-24

Tags: God's Provision, Regret, Remorse, God's Forgiveness, Face Your Fears, Embarrassment  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Lutheran

Marquis De Lafayette Was A French General And ...  PRO

Contributed by Damien Spikereit on Nov 3, 2000

- Marquis de Lafayette was a French general and politician who helped George Washington in the American Revolution. After the war was over, he returned to France and resumed his life as a farmer of many estates. In 1783, the harvest was a terrible one, and there were many who suffered as a ...read more

Scripture: John 4:35-42

Tags: Giving General, Compassion, Christian Love

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

At A Nursing Home In Florida, A Resident Group ...  PRO

Contributed by Johnny Creasong on Feb 21, 2003

At a nursing home in Florida, a resident group was discussing the giant ailments in their lives. "My arms are so weak I can hardly lift this cup of coffee." "Yes, I know my cataracts are so bad I can’t even see my coffee." "I can’t turn my head because of the arthritis in my neck!" "My ...read more

Tags: Finding Fulfillment

Denomination: Church Of God

The Little Sisters Of The Poor Were Going From ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2005

The Little Sisters of the Poor were going from door to door in a French city, soliciting alms for old people. One nun called at the house of a rich free-thinker who said he would give 1000 francs if she would have a glass of champagne with him. It was an embarrassing situation for the nun, and she ...read more

Tags: Giving General

New Luxury In Marketing Circles Today The Luxury ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 27, 2006

New Luxury In marketing circles today the luxury market is all the rage. And no wonder, affluent consumers have incomes 2.5 times the national average and they spend twice as much on all kinds of consumer goods and services. But, as the luxury market has caught the imagination of marketers and ...read more

Tags: Finding Fulfillment

Many Times, During My Wife's Pregnancies, She ...  PRO

Contributed by Sherm Nichols on Dec 31, 2007

Many times, during my wife’s pregnancies, she was unable to keep food down. I’d take her out to a nice restaurant for lunch. She’d be starving, from being unable to eat. She’d eat a nice meal. I’d pay a nice meal price. We’d leave. She’d lose it. The meal came with no guarantees. I was out ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Columbia Explosion: Impending Doom

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 3, 2011

THE COLUMBIA EXPLOSION: IMPENDING DOOM The Bible says, "...all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23). And, "...the wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23). Do you remember when the space ship, Columbia, blew up on re-entry on February 1, 2003? Seven crew members lost their ...read more

Scripture: Romans 6:23

Tags: Judgment

Debt Out Of Control

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 30, 2009

DEBT OUT OF CONTROL Nearly - 80 percent of all divorced couples between the ages of 20 and 30 list financial difficulties as the primary cause of their separation and divorce. From Money-zine.com the following statistics paint the picture of America’s improper handling of their finances: The ...read more

Scripture: Malachi 3:6-18

Tags: Debt

Kyle Idleman On Carrying Your Cross

Contributed by Kevin Karhoff on Mar 18, 2013

There is no comfortable way to carry a cross; I don’t care how you position it. I often talk to people who are convinced that some suffering or pain in their lives is an indication that they must not be following Jesus. After all, if they are following Jesus, the Son of God, doesn’t it follow ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:23

Tags: Surrender, Jesus Christ, Commitment To Christ, Carrying Your Cross

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Grace And Matthew

Contributed by Kevin Karhoff on Mar 12, 2013

GRACE AND MATTHEW These days people don't know Matthew as a failure and embarrassment who sold his soul to the Romans for a job. We know Matthew as a follower of Jesus who wrote the first book of the New Testament. It's important to understand that the grace of God doesn't simply invite us to ...read more

Scripture: Luke 5:27-31

Tags: Grace, Jesus Christ

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

This Guy Is Waiting For A Flight That Is Delayed. ...  PRO

Contributed by Scott Weber on Mar 23, 2001

This guy is waiting for a flight that is delayed. So he’s wandering around the airport and notices this ATM like machine. It’s a flight insurance machine. For a small price, it offers insurance against a canceled flight as well as a sizeable policy if the plane were to wreck and he were to die. ...read more

Tags: Fear And Worry, Endurance

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Ronald Meridith Described In Hurryin' Big For ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Ronald Meridith described in Hurryin’ Big for Little Reasons a quiet evening when he heard the sound of wild geese approaching in flight. He noticed the tame geese on his pond. “They heard the wild call they had once known. The honking… sent little arrows of prompting deep into their wild ...read more

Tags: Temptation Resisting

How Much Would You Pay?  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 4, 2004

HOW MUCH WOULD YOU PAY? Several years ago, USA Today reported the results of a Roper Starch Worldwide survey of the wealthiest 1 percent of U.S. households or the 1 million households that have an annual income of at least $250,000 or a net worth at least $2.5 million. They were asked what they ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:44-46

Tags: Parable General, Parable Treasure

Susan Boyle: Beauty On The Inside  PRO

Contributed by Marianne Unger on May 22, 2009

SUSAN BOYLE: BEAUTY ON THE INSIDE When Susan Boyle stepped out on the stage of "Britain’s Got Talent," people laughed at her...like the scoffers in this Psalm. They made fun of her because her outward appearance wasn’t the glitz and glamour they’d come to expect. Members of the audience could be ...read more

Scripture: Acts 3:1-16

Tags: Assurance Of Salvation

Denomination: *other

Jewish Weddings Are A Portrait Of The Last Days

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 2, 2023

When a Jewish man found a woman he liked (and most times his father would pick one out for him) he would approach the young lady with a marriage contract (a covenant). In the contract were laid out the legal terms in which he would propose marriage. The most important part of this contract was ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Tags: Revelation, Church, Israel, End Times, Last Days, Rapture, Bride Of Christ, Weddings  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Charles Fuller Was A Radio Bible Teacher Years ...

Contributed by Doug Lyon on Dec 11, 2006

Charles Fuller was a radio Bible teacher years ago. He once announced that he would be speaking the following Sunday on the topic of “Heaven.” During that week, he received a letter from an elderly gentleman who was very ill—on his deathbed. The man wrote: “Next Sunday you are to talk about ...read more

Scripture: John 4:1-20

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Grief

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on May 17, 2022

On Death and Loss… He was 50 years old. The cancer was aggressive and relentless. The pain was unmanageable and agonizing. In two months he was gone. I didn't have the opportunity to say good-bye and if I did, what would I say? Could I get the words out? Our last communication, me in Port ...read more

Scripture: John 11:25, Psalm 90:1-12, 2 Corinthians 1:1-7

Tags: Death, Grief, Sickness

Denomination: Pentecostal

Don't Look Back  PRO

Contributed by Tylor Cates on Jan 24, 2004

DON'T LOOK BACK And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. - Luke 9:62 Text: Genesis 19:26; Luke 17:32,33 Summary: Once we start to follow Jesus we must never look back. We must give up our old way of life to find new life ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 19:26, Luke 17:32-33, Luke 9:62

Tags: Call Of The Disciples, Desire

Denomination: Baptist