In Sermon Illustrations: "Training Preachers"

Sins Are Habits  PRO

Contributed by John Sattler on Feb 18, 2013

SINS ARE HABITS I’m reading a book right now called "The Power of Habit" (http://charlesduhigg.com/the-power-of-habit/) about how so much of our daily life is lived by habit. We have to. Our brain needs habits in order for us to be able to function. Just about everything we do is habitual. How ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:28, Romans 12:2

Tags: Temptation General

Denomination: Lutheran

Be Holy?

Contributed by John Kilough on Apr 24, 2014

"Be holy, for I am holy." For most people this can be a very intimidating statement. The Lord God says, "Be holy, for I am holy." The issue with that is, well God is God and I am not. It is easy for Him to say be holy, but I just have way too many faults. However, we love the Lord and we are ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:16

Tags: Holiness, God's Commandments

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Ugandan Juvenile Jail

Contributed by Tim Smith on Sep 25, 2016

Bob Goff tells the story of his longtime friend Charlie. Charlie was one of those guys who measured his life not by what he was but by what he has given up. He was a graduate of law school and then became an FBI agent. He met Bob for coffee and then said he wanted to use his training to help kids ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 18:21-25

Tags: Prayer, Forgiveness

Denomination: Methodist

I Don't Understand The ...

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

“I Don’t Understand the Bible...” Three types of people are described in 1 Corinthians 2 and 3: the natural man, the spiritual man, and the carnal man. The natural or unsaved person is spiritually dead and blind. He cannot understand the things of God. “The god of this age has blinded the minds ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:4

Tags: Satan

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Which Way, O Lord?  PRO

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Which Way, O Lord? "This is what the Lord says; 'Stand at the crossroads and look... ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.'" Jeremiah 6:16 (NIV) The way many people attempt to determine the will of God would make a great new television ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 6:16

Tags: Character

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Suffering Boy Given An Extravagant ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 28, 2009

SUFFERING BOY GIVEN AN EXTRAVAGANT GIFT In his book Everybody’s Normal Till You Get to Know Them, John Ortberg tells of a young man named John Gilbert. At age five, John was diagnosed with Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy, a genetic, progressive, debilitating disease. At age 25, the disease finally ...read more

Tags: Sacrifices

Some Thoughts About Gifts

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Nov 26, 2022

Text, 2 Corinthians 9:15, KJV: 15 Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. Thoughts: This is about the closest verse I can find to use as a text for this illustration. There may be others but please remember that God’s greatest gift ever was His Son, Jesus! Now I’ll share the illustration ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:15

Tags: Love, Gifts

Denomination: Baptist

Failure/ Success

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Sep 13, 2025

DO YOU WANT TO HEAR ABOUT A FAILURE, A BASKET CASE? Let us look at a man experience in failure. 1. At 14 dropped out of school. 2. He got a job working on a farm. The work was hard labor. He hated the farm work. 3. He lied about his age and at 16 he joined the ARMY. He could stand the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 19:26, 2 Chronicles 16:9

Tags: Faith, Effort

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Finishing Well

Contributed by Tim Smith on Aug 13, 2017

John Baker was too short and too slight to be a runner for his high school track team but he loved to run. His best friend was tall and lanky and had the perfect build to be a runner but wanted nothing to do with the sport. So John went to the track coach to convince him to let John on the team ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:24

Tags: Finish, Running The Race, Overcoming, Ending Well

Denomination: Methodist

Saint Arnold Janssen

Contributed by Dr John Singarayar Svd on Jan 10, 2025

Saint Arnold Janssen: A Prophetic Vision of Divine Encounter in a Transformative Century Intro: In a world often fragmented by ideological, cultural, and religious divisions, Janssen's vision offers a hopeful alternative—a spirituality of connection, respect, and mutual ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1-18

Tags: Leader, Mission, Founder, Saint Arnold Janssen, Father  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Other

With His Life In Disarray, Steven Lavaggi Sat On ...  PRO

Contributed by James Wilson on Nov 23, 2000

With his life in disarray, Steven Lavaggi sat on his bedroom’s wooden floor, and began searching his Bible for answers. His wife had just left him to marry a writer for The Rolling Stone Magazine. Ten days later, Steven discovered his son was stricken with Juvenile Diabetes. As if coping with the ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 45:3-15

Tags: Leadership General, Workplace Evangelism

Denomination: Baptist

There Was A Family With One Little Daughter. ...  PRO

Contributed by Darren Ethier on May 9, 2002

There was a family with one little daughter. Mother and daughter were very faithful in church and Sunday School attendance…The father wasn’t interested and he made it plain it was okay for his wife and daughter, but not for him. He worked in a steel mill, a huge hulk of a man who had been a ...read more

Scripture: Acts 8:36-39, James 1:12

Tags: Assurance Of Salvation, Commitment To Christ

Denomination: Pentecostal

This Reminds Me Of An Incident I Experienced ...  PRO

Contributed by Bev Sesink on Feb 5, 2005

This reminds me of an incident I experienced while also working in South Africa. I had been working on a research project but had made a significant error early on in the project. Instead of coming clean I unfortunately chose to try and cover my mistake. It wasn’t too long before my conscience ...read more

Tags: Sin Bondage To, Fear, Becoming A Christian

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Secret Of Happiness

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 25, 2009

THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS Christopher Parkening is regarded as the world’s greatest classical guitarist, and he’s played guitar with orchestras the world over, even for several presidents in the White House. He’s also a world-class fly-fishing champion. By his own testimony, he writes, "By age 30, ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:31

Tags: Joy

British Clergyman Repudiates The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 6, 2010

British Clergyman Repudiates the Church’s Traditional Understanding of the Cross The Very Reverend Dr. Jeffrey Philip Hywel John believes that the church’s traditional understanding of the cross of Christ is both “repulsive” and “insane.” His comments in the spring of 2007 about the cross ignited a ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Tags: Cross, False Doctrine

9/11: The Last One Rescued

Contributed by Davon Huss on Sep 19, 2011

9/11: THE LAST ONE RESCUED Genelle Guzman McMillan wanted a change from her home in Trinidad, so she moved to New York in 1998. In order to stay in New York, McMillan knew she needed to get a good, steady job. She couldn't believe it when she was hired at one of the World Trade Towers and was ...read more

Tags: Testimonies About Jesus

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

One Life At A Time: Rudy's Story

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 8, 2011

ONE LIFE AT A TIME: RUDY'S STORY Rudy Rasmus learned the family business from his father when he was just five years old. His dad brought home a set of blueprints and unveiled his business plans. He said, "This a motel and other people's husbands are going to come and give us money to spend time ...read more

Scripture: Acts 9:1-31

Tags: Conversion, Testimonies About Jesus

Denomination: Methodist

End Of The World Predictions

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 1, 2012

END OF THE WORLD PREDICTIONS It's hard to believe it was just a year ago that the head of The Family Radio Broadcasting Network--Harold Camping--predicted, through 2,000 billboards worldwide, that on May 21, 2011 the righteous, which totaled 3 percent of humanity, was to be whisked away to heaven, ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:6-8

Tags: Prophecy

Jesus Changes Life

Contributed by Rev. Dr. Andrew B Natarajan on May 16, 2017

The word of God is Alive Half a century ago, in one of the Indian villages, there was a family. the family size was five( Husband, wife and three children). The Husband was a drunkard and notorious man. His wife was a home maker and simple lady. The man had all kinds of bad habits such as ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 55:11

Tags: Changed Life, Jesus Is The Life, Useful Earthern Pot

Denomination: Methodist

We Are Not A Political Kingdom

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 15, 2020

Various groups of people expected the Messiah to come, but they did not anticipate His coming humbly and meekly. Yet those were the very attitudes that Jesus, the one whom John the Baptist had announced as the Messiah, was both teaching and practicing. The idea of a meek Messiah leading meek people ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-12

Tags: Humility, Prayer, Politics, Meekness, Righteousness, Beatitudes, Government, Brokenness, Sovereignty Of God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational