In Sermon Illustrations: "Trading My Sorrows"

Leading With Wisdom

Contributed by Jm Raja Lawrence on Sep 23, 2023

Leading with Wisdom Nelson Mandela, an icon of leadership, stands as a beacon of inspiration in the annals of history. His remarkable journey from tribal beginnings to global acclaim offers valuable insights into the art of leadership. Unlike many leaders whose legacy is shrouded in varying ...read more

Scripture: James 1:19, Proverbs 11:14, Proverbs 15:28, James 3:17

Tags: Gentle, Peaceable, Learn To Listen, Leadership, Team  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

You've Been Summoned

Contributed by Todd Catteau on Apr 18, 2024

A couple of years ago I had the honor of serving on a jury. It was by no means a noteworthy trial but it was important to the people involved. I felt a great deal of responsibility as the jury deliberated and eventually arrived at a verdict. We all wanted to make the right, fair and just decision ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:8, Matthew 28:18-20

Tags: Evangelism, Witness, Testimony, Witnessing, Great Commission  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Price Has Been Paid For You

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Aug 28, 2024

The story is told of a young man who left the old country and sailed to America to make a new life in the new world. Before he left, his father pressed some money in his hand. It wasn't much, but it was all he had. He hoped it would tide the boy over until he found a job. His mother handed him ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:13-14

Tags: Good News, Barriers, Intimacy With God, Missing Out

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Cuckoo Birds Live In Cuckoo Clocks, Right?

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Nov 12, 2024

One day they had a contestant o WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE who made it all the way to the last question. Her name was Debra. Debra has made it to the final plateau. If she answered the next question correctly, she would win $1,000,000. If she answered incorrectly, she would pocket only the ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 17:22

Tags: Clocks, Birds, Pastor's Wives, Sermon Introductions, Pastor Jokes  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[044] A Message From A Poem – Christian Patterns

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 6, 2025

[044] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – CHRISTIAN PATTERNS This is a “constructed poem” meaning it follows a pattern. It is a series of injunctions or commands with specific structure that I will explain. Let us take the opening line – “Take God’s truth and make it yours, and your vain ways forsake.” I ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 8:5, Philippians 3:17, Acts 7:44

Tags: Poetry, Pattern, Poem, Christian Living, Commands, Christian Patterns, Rhyming  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[115]. A Message From A Poem – Have You Trusted The God Of Faithfulness?

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jun 27, 2025

[115]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – HAVE YOU TRUSTED THE GOD OF FAITHFULNESS? God is faithful in proven circumstances. Have you actually proven the faithfulness of God in your life? We have a faithful God so we can anchor our faith in the faithfulness of God. {{Psalm 119:90 “YOUR FAITHFULNESS ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:9, Lamentations 3:22-23, Deuteronomy 32:3-4, Psalm 119:90

Tags: Christian Poems, God, Trust, Faithful, Christian Poetry  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

What An Orphan Boy Learned About John 3:16 On ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 14, 2009

What An Orphan Boy Learned About John 3:16 on Christmas Eve In far away cold country a number of years ago there was a young orphaned boy selling papers on a cold, freezing Christmas Eve afternoon. Toward the close of the afternoon the little boy went up to a policeman and said, "Sir, I’m real ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16

Tags: Christmas

The Parental Challenge Of Helping Teenagers

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 30, 2010

The Parental Challenge of Helping Teenagers Face Their World And I wanna share a story with you. It’s a traumatic one and one that actually happened. I did a funeral about four or five years ago and in this funeral it was really bizarre, because as the high schoolers came in about a third of them ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12

Tags: Death, Parenting

Unsung Heroes: She Needed Help And They Responded

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Nov 17, 2020

Introduction: widows, especially those with young children, have faced hardships for many, many years. This young wife was now widowed, and even worse, she had a creditor demanding either payment of a bill—or she would have to give up her two sons. The LORD, however, had another plan to help this ...read more

Scripture: 2 Kings 4:1-7, Deuteronomy 15:1-6

Tags: Miracles, Elisha, Unsung Heroes

Denomination: Baptist

Who Has The License To Drive Me Crazy?

Contributed by James Snyder on May 24, 2025

I will confess that I am crazy, but I didn’t get there by myself. Somebody has been driving me crazy. When I use the word “somebody,” I mean a lot of people. I didn’t always know I was crazy until a few years ago The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage looked at me and said, “Are you crazy or ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 7:9

Tags: License, Crazy

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

William

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 10, 2010

William "Fighting Mac" McKenzie, WWI Chaplain Hero and Salvation Army Commander Heroes from WWI, William “Fighting Mac” McKenzie (12/1869-26/7/1947) Pstor Col Stringer reveiled the Australian Heros to us by his research, today I share it with you. Who are your personal heroes? Who do you look up ...read more

Scripture: John 15:12-17

Tags: Holidays Civic

Life's A Little Thing! Robert Browning Once ...  PRO

Contributed by Wayne Burnett on Jan 15, 2001

Life’s a little thing! Robert Browning once wrote. But a little thing can mean a life. Even two lives. How well I remember. Two years ago in downtown Denver my friend, Scott Reasoner, and I saw something tiny and insignificant change the world, but no one else even seemed to notice. It was one of ...read more

Tags: Descriptions Of God, Miracles Of Jesus, God's Provision

Denomination: Church Of God

Why Would God Go To All The Trouble To Endure Our ...  PRO

Contributed by David Simmons on Jan 18, 2001

Why would God go to all the trouble to endure our bad choices and our flagrant sinning in order to have relationship with us? Hear the story of the lost son from the modern setting as told by Philip Yancey in his book What’s so Amazing about Grace. Yancey tells the story of a prodigal daughter ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 3:18, Luke 5:17-26, 1 Samuel 23:1-25

Tags: God's Provision, Nobody, Parable Prodigal Son, Somebody, Everybody, Forgiveness In Jesus, Anybody  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

How Many Of You Have Seen The Modern-Day ...  PRO

Contributed by Tony Miano on Apr 30, 2001

How many of you have seen the modern-day Christmas classic, “A Christmas Story?” It’s a great movie about one family’s Christmas season and a little boy’s mission to receive the Cadillac of BB guns as a present. The Miano family watches this movie every year. Whenever I see the scene of Ralphie ...read more

Scripture: John 14:6-7

Tags: Humility, Temptation Pride, Sin General

Denomination: *other

Various Studies Conducted By Yale, John Hopkins ...  PRO

Contributed by Steve Malone on May 15, 2001

Various studies conducted by Yale, John Hopkins and other groups have documented the following; The absence of a father is a stronger factor than poverty in contributing to juvenile delinquency. In 48 cultures around the world crime rates were highest among adults who as children had been raised ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Tags: Parenting, Father's Day, Family

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Prodigal Son In The Key Of F  PRO

Contributed by Brian Mavis on Jun 13, 2001

The Prodigal Son in the Key of F Feeling footloose and frisky, a feather-brained fellow forced his father to fork over his farthings. Fast he flew to foreign fields and frittered his family’s fortune, feasting fabulously with floozies and faithless friends. Flooded with flattery he financed a ...read more

Scripture: James 2:9

Tags: Faith, Promises Of God, God The Father

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Pete O'brien Played First Base For The Texas ...  PRO

Contributed by Melvin Newland on Nov 6, 2001

Pete O’Brien played first base for the Texas Rangers for several years & did so well that he was given a contract with the Seattle Mariners for multi-million dollars. He now plays first base in Seattle, but still lives in the Arlington area. Dennis Slaughter, minister of the Valley View Christian ...read more

Tags: Humility, What Is Evangelism?

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Unbaptized Arm  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 19, 2002

The Unbaptized Arm Ivan the Great was the tsar of all of Russia during the Fifteenth Century. He brought together the warring tribes into one vast empire--the Soviet Union. As a fighting man he was courageous. As a general he was brilliant. He drove out the Tartars and established peace across the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 9:1-17

Tags: Worship, Baptism, Commitment To Christ, Evangelism, Discipleship  (view more)  (view less)

The Henry Ford Museum In Dearborn, Michigan, Is A ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 29, 2002

The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan, is a monument to the Industrial Revolution in America. Created by Henry Ford himself, it chronicles Ford’s innovations that changed forever the nature of work in America. Ironically, next door to the Ford Museum is a different kind of monument – also ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 18:15-20

John Donne Was An English Cleric And Poet Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Nov 10, 2002

John Donne was an English cleric and poet of exceeding intellect who lived his adult life in the early 1600’s. King James I appointed him the dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. But in 1623 he became ill and felt he was dying of the plague, which was taking so many lives at that time. While ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 139:7-12, Psalm 139:1

Tags: Evangelism The Lost, Death, Promises Of God

Denomination: Methodist