In Sermon Illustrations: "Thy Will Be Done"

Works-Oriented Salvation Verses Saving Faith

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 18, 2009

Works-Oriented Salvation verses Saving Faith Muhammad Ali was once asked what his faith meant to him. Ali replied: "[it] means [a] ticket to heaven. One day we’re all going to die, and god is going to judge us, [our] good and bad deeds. [if the] bad outweighs the good, you go to hell; if the good ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:21-23

Tags: Faith Vs. Works

Keep The Lower Lights Burning

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 27, 2009

KEEP THE LOWER LIGHTS BURNING We must live as children of the light, not as children of the darkness. If we are dark and sorrowful, how is the world to know that we are children of peace, and joy, and gladness? Our determination must be to keep our lights burning. A few years ago, at the mouth of ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:16

Tags: Christian Witness

Here Be Dragons. Here Is God.

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 27, 2009

"HERE BE DRAGONS. HERE IS GOD." 2 Timothy 3:1-7 Matt. 8:23-26; 16:24-26 John 16:33 Psalm 107:23-30 We all remember Hurricane Katrina and the damage it inflicted on New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. It’s only a memory now, but it left terrible devastation and painful memories that still remain. The ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 107:23-30

Tags: Fear And Worry

Army Paratrooper Takes Comfort And Hope Listening ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 9, 2009

Army Paratrooper Takes Comfort and Hope Listening To Taps During the Vietnam War A story from a Vietnam veteran testifies of God’s transforming work. I served as an airborne Ranger platoon leader (paratrooper) in the First Air Cavalry Division during the Vietnam War. Our company was hacked up ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:16-17

Tags: Battle, War

A Few Nights Ago My 2 Year Old Son Ephram Was ...

Contributed by Chris Surber on Apr 22, 2010

A few nights ago my 2 year old son Ephram was very sleepy and ready for bed. Though his bed is the bottom bunk he decided that he was going to climb up the latter to Sebastian’s top bunk. Normally he is very able to climb to the top but in his half awake state he got his foot tangled in the ...read more

Tags: Kingdom Of God

Denomination: Christian Church

Who Says So?

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Jun 29, 2010

WHO SAYS SO? A previous church I served had a lot of acreage and had turned part of it into 3 softball diamonds. Monday - Thursday nights, all summer long, various church leagues played their slow-pitch games there. Three of the leagues ran everything for their evening but one league was run ...read more

Tags: Authority

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Good For Goodness' Sake

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Dec 26, 2010

GOOD FOR GOODNESS' SAKE “You better watch out, you better not cry Better not pout I'm telling you why - Santa Claus is coming to town He's making a list and checking it twice; Gonna find out Who's naughty and nice Santa Claus is coming to town He sees you when you're sleeping - He knows when ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Subway Superhero

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 22, 2011

SUBWAY SUPERHERO Just a few years ago, an astonishing thing happened in New York City. A construction worker named Wesley Autrey was standing on a subway platform with his two young daughters waiting on a train. Suddenly another man on the platform, apparently suffering from a seizure, stumbled ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:25-37

Tags: Heroism

Crashing Through  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 9, 2011

CRASHING THROUGH At three years old, Mike Mays was accidentally blinded by a chemical explosion when he and his 4-year-old sister were playing in the garage. He lived his entire life until he was well into his forties before having his eyesight was restored by a pioneering ophthalmologist. But ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:9-10

Tags: Endurance

A Cub Scout's Father

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 9, 2011

A CUB SCOUT'S FATHER Gilbert was an eight year old in Cub Scouts. Each member of the club had to build a wooden car. It could only be 20cm long. Everyone was given a block of wood, some wheels and some instructions. Gilbert didn't have a dad to help him. So mum read the instructions and Gilbert ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 68:5

Tags: God The Father

Making Christmas Special  PRO

Contributed by Sam Higgs on Dec 1, 2011

MAKING CHRISTMAS SPECIAL In the months leading up to the Christmas season, Dan had lost his job. Well, in the city he lived in, most of the workers had to relocate with the company or face unemployment. Dan was one of the unlucky ones who had not been with the company long enough to be asked ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 1:18-21, Galatians 4:4

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Baptist

A Difference In Worldview

Contributed by Christopher Lanham on Feb 11, 2012

A DIFFERENCE IN WORLDVIEW It was one of those awkward moments in a friendship -- when you feel like you should speak up, but you're not sure how your friend will react. I was a teenager -- just finishing up high school, thinking about the future. My best friend and I were preparing for a day of ...read more

Tags: Wisdom

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Not Allowed To Die  PRO

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Apr 22, 2012

NOT ALLOWED TO DIE Back in March of 2008, the mayor of a city in SW France had a problem. It seems his village was running out of space. Not in housing, nor in the retail district, nor even at City Hall. It seems they were running out of space... in the cemetery. There was no room for any more ...read more

Tags: Death

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Ken Wales: Christian Integrity

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 2, 2012

KEN WALES: CHRISTIAN INTEGRITY Ken Wales is a TV and film producer, who has produced several, award-winning TV series and films, including Christy, East of Eden and the highly-acclaimed movie Amazing Grace. Wales has enjoyed tremendous success as a producer, but he started his Hollywood career ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:13-16

Tags: Christian Witness

Horror To Hope—a Story From The Holocaust  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 7, 2012

HORROR TO HOPE--A STORY FROM THE HOLOCAUST In Jerusalem there is a Holocaust Museum dedicated to the memory of the millions of Jews who were killed by the Nazis in World War II. It has been said that going through the museum is a very depressing experience because you see these horrible pictures ...read more

Scripture: Job 42:10-17, Jeremiah 29:10-14

Tags: God Brings Hope

Making Christmas ...

Contributed by Sam Higgs on Dec 6, 2012

Making Christmas Special In the months leading up to the Christmas season, Dan lost his job. Well, in the city he lived in, most of the workers had to relocate with the company or face unemployment. Dan was one of the unlucky ones who had not been with the company long enough to be asked to ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Baptist

The Deadly Disease Of Sin  PRO

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Feb 11, 2013

THE DEADLY DISEASE OF SIN The Bible is very blunt about sin – it doesn’t matter how YOU grade your sin, if you don’t accept that you’ve sinned… you can’t fix the problem. It’s like a man having a deadly disease. He experiencing distressing physical problems but doesn’t KNOW he’s going to die ... ...read more

Scripture: Romans 6:23

Tags: Dead To Sin

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Pastoral Ministry Crisis

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 30, 2015

2009 Statistics Of Why Pastors Leave the Ministry by Fuller Institute, George Barna and Pastoral Care Inc, Focus On The Family. 1,500 pastors leave the ministry permanently each month in America. 4,000 new churches start each year in America. 7,000 churches close each year in America. 25% of ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 11:28-29

Tags: Pastoral Leadership, Pastoral Ministry

In The 1971 Film Willy Wonka And The Chocolat...

Contributed by Davon Huss on Aug 25, 2016

In the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, chocolateer Willy Wonka (played by Gene Wilder) launches a worldwide frenzy when he inserts five golden tickets into his famous Wonka Bars. Each ticket gives the owner a chance to tour the chocolate factory and win a lifetime’s supply of ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:13-16

Tags: Childlike Faith

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Remembering God's Faithfulness

Contributed by Tim Smith on Aug 13, 2017

Michelle Johnson writes, “Sometimes we need to take a look at where we’ve been with God to really understand His faithfulness and love for us. She was staying with her son at the hospital following a serious surgery. On that particular morning, she was exhausted by their stay, and her steps were ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 50:15

Tags: God, Faithfulness, Faithfulness Of God

Denomination: Methodist