In Sermon Illustrations: "Training Preachers"

A. How Many Of You Have Ever Built A ...

Contributed by Duane Smith on Sep 29, 2008

A. How many of you have ever built a model? 1. There are all kinds: a. Cars & Trucks b. Military vehicles & Trains c. Planes & boats 2. At present I am working on a ship, the HMS Bounty. a. There are many reasons a ship can become famous, usually because of a great battle or ...read more

Tags: Unity

Denomination: Baptist

Famous Firsts

Contributed by Bob Gillchrest on Dec 1, 2008

FAMOUS FIRSTS Let me share with you some of famous firsts that have happened throughout history. Virginia Dare 1587 --- 1st child born in the American colonies, on August 18th, on what is now Roanoke Island, North Carolina. André-Jacques Garnerin 1797 --- 1st parachute jump. Dropped from about ...read more

Tags: Goals

Denomination: Baptist

Albert Einstein - Ticket For The Journey

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Dec 22, 2008

Albert Einstein, the great physicist, was once travelling from Princeton on a train when the conductor came down the aisle, punching the tickets of each passenger. When he came to Einstein, Einstein reached in his vest pocket. He couldn’t find his ticket, so he reached in his other pocket. It ...read more

Scripture: John 14:3

Tags: Heaven, Salvation, Destination

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Supreme Sacrifice

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 21, 2011

SUPREME SACRIFICE In January 2001, Seiko Sakamoto, a Japanese plasterer in a Tokyo subway station, fell into the path of an oncoming train. Lee Su Hyun, a Korean student in Japan, leaped down on the tracks to save Sakamoto. Both Hyun and Sakamoto were killed. This selfless act by the Korean ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 5:7-9, Hebrews 1:3-4

Tags: Forgiveness For Others

Stain Removal: Homeboy Industries

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Sep 9, 2011

STAIN REMOVAL: HOMEBOY INDUSTRIES Father Greg Boyle is in the business of erasing the past. A Jesuit priest, he is the founder and director of Homeboy Industries in East Los Angeles. Father Boyle put together a team of physicians trained in the laser technology of tattoo removal. The team is ...read more

Tags: Blood Of Christ

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Giving Brings Hope And Purpose

Contributed by Brad Henry on Sep 29, 2011

GIVING BRINGS HOPE AND PURPOSE I have a friend that called me last night. I have known him for many years and he has been struggling with uncertainty like most folks in his business. He was also questioning, "Is this what the Lord wants me to do?" Well, he just came back from a trip where he was ...read more

Tags: God Brings Purpose

The Gates Will Not Prevail

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Oct 17, 2011

THE GATES WILL NOT PREVAIL Jesus said: "Upon this rock (of Peter's testimony that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God) I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" Matthew 16:18 Now the odd thing about Jesus' statement was this: Gates don't attack. ...read more

Tags: Hell

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Defusing A Bomb

Contributed by Tim Hinrichs on Nov 29, 2011

DEFUSING A BOMB The setting is modern day Iraq. A soldier specially trained is cautiously approaching a large cigar-shaped bomb capable of destroying the lives of anyone within half a block. He has good intentions of defusing it and making peace instead of destruction. But the bomb is a real ...read more

Tags: Dealing With Conflicts

Denomination: Lutheran

Michael Jordan: Persevere

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 17, 2012

MICHAEL JORDAN: PERSEVERE In the fall of 1978, fifteen-year-old Michael Jordan tried out for the varsity basketball team at Emsley A. Laney High School in Wilmington, North Carolina. The sophomore was 5 feet 11 inches and with his skills, the coach told him that he was not good enough, and Michael ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-12

Tags: Endurance

Abraham Lincoln And Criticism

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 2, 2013

ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND CRITICISM A practicing lawyer loved to attack his opponents through scathing letters printed in newspapers. In 1842, he ridiculed the wrong man. James Shields did not take kindly to the anonymous writer who lampooned him in the Springfield Journal. Mr. Shields tracked down ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:1-5

Tags: Criticism, Tongue

Love

Contributed by Roy Fowler on Sep 19, 2020

A young teenage boy and girl were setting in a swing on her parents front porch way up in the mountains of North Carolina. They spent a lot of time there away from everyone just them. They would talk about all kinds of things. Things about when they had grown up. What would they do: go to college ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 4:9-10

Tags: Love For God, Love Like God

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Lighthouse Laws

Contributed by Doyle Hayes on Jul 7, 2009

LIGHTHOUSE LAWS In U.S. Navel Institute Proceedings, the magazine of the Naval Institute, Frank Koch illustrates the importance of obeying the Laws of the Lighthouse. Two battleships assigned to the training squadron had been at sea on maneuvers in heavy weather for several days. I was serving on ...read more

Tags: Authority

Denomination: Baptist

The Cost Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 16, 2009

The Cost of Salvation Several years ago, there was 14 year-old girl (Laura Montero) whose appendix burst while she and her family vacationed on a cruise ship off the Baja Coast. The ship was hundreds of miles from help, and the crew sent out a distress call looking for the nearest surgical ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16

Tags: Salvation, Gift Of Salvation

Why Do So Few Christians Share Their Faith?

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Apr 4, 2022

What makes people hesitate to share their faith? Here are some of the fears that have been mentioned to me: "I am afraid I might do more harm than good." "I don't know what to say." "I may not be able to give snappy answers to tricky questions." "I may ...read more

Tags: Great Commission, Fear Of Man, Great Supper, Man Pleasing, Evangelism, Fear, Gospel, Parables, Excuses, Witnessing  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Dirty Windows

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jun 12, 2023

"A friend of mine, Bud Wood, founded Shepherds Home in Wisconsin for boys and girls with developmental disabilities. The original ministry opened its doors in 1964 to 36 children, providing them a loving residential environment and a school that would focus on their unique needs, helping them ...read more

Scripture: John 14:1-6, Philippians 3:20, 1 John 3:1-3

Tags: Return Of Christ, Disabled Children, Revelation, Children, Heaven, Second Coming, Rapture  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Many Years Ago C.s. Lewis Wrote The Screwtape ...  PRO

Contributed by Tim Zingale on Dec 4, 2003

Many years ago C.S. Lewis wrote the Screwtape Letters. Screwtape was an assistant devil writing to his nephew Wormwood. Screwtape was telling his nephew how to make the "patient" leave the camp of the arch enemy, the Prince of Peace, and dwell in the camp of the real boss, the prince of darkness. ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:4, Matthew 3:1-12

Tags: Temptation Pride

Denomination: Lutheran

Brother Of John Wilkes Booth, Edwin Booth, Saves ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 28, 2009

Brother of John Wilkes Booth, Edwin Booth, Saves Abraham Lincoln’s Son The story is told of two brothers. One of them would carry a letter to the grave that could have set the record straight, but I will tell you about that later. There was a man whose name was Edwin Thomas, a master of the stage ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 12:11-12

Tags: Heroism

Letter Home From A W Va Farm Kid Enduring Marine ...  PRO

Contributed by C. Scott Ghan on Aug 5, 2013

Letter home from a W VA farm kid enduring Marine Basic Training on Paris Island. Dear Ma and Pa, I am well. Hope you are. Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer the Marine Corps beats working for old man Minch by a mile. Tell them to join up quick before all of the places are filled. // I was ...read more

Scripture: Ezra 3:1-13, Hebrews 12:7-11

Tags: Restoration, Rebuild

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Unsung Heroes: He Told Abram That Lot Was Captured

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Jan 6, 2021

After leaving Egypt, Abram and Lot, his nephew, decided to separate from each other so that there would be enough to sustain each respective household. Genesis 13 tells the story, where, from Bethel, Lot went to the south and east, towards Sodom. Abram went south and west, settling near Hebron. At ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 14:13-16

Tags: Unsung Heroes, Abram, Lot, Sodom

Denomination: Baptist

The Book Of Daniel Is About Teenagers.

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 1, 2022

HOW MANY MISS THE POINT THAT THESE ARE TEENAGERS! The Book of Daniel is about a young man and his teenage friends who grew up in a time when his country, Judah, southern tribes of Israel, was judged by God for their idolatry. God allowed the most ungodly leader and nation in the world, King ...read more

Tags: Mothers, Fasting, Fathers, Teenagers, Daniel, Family, Prayer, Revival  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational