In Sermon Illustrations: "Training Preachers"

Stress-Free Amoeba

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Dec 31, 2003

Stress-free Amoeba Too much comfort is dangerous. Literally. Researchers at the University of California at Berkeley did an experiment sometime ago that involved introducing an amoeba into a perfectly stress-free environment. Ideal temperature, optimal concentration of moisture, constant food ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 10:12

Tags: Christian Disciplines, Faith

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

When I Went To Honduras, Through Your ...

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Sep 6, 2004

When I went to Honduras, through your generosity, I was able to take over 100 Evangecubes (see www.Evangecube.org) to the churches there. Evangecubes are little cubes that tell the story of the Gospel with pictures. I remember going to one little church and showing the people how to use them. ...read more

Tags: Church Purpose Of, Evangelism Urgency

Denomination: Methodist

Three Children Left Home And Worked So Hard That ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 14, 2007

Three children left home and worked so hard that they didn’t spend much time with their parents. The father passes a way and they all went home. They were all very prosperous and had accumulated vast amounts of money. They discussed what gifts they were going to give their elderly mother. The ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 15:21, Matthew 15:21-30

So How Do We Avoid Deception? There's Only One ...

Contributed by Brian La Croix on Apr 27, 2009

So how do we avoid deception? There’s only one main way to do that: By studying the truth. I had heard years ago that bank tellers and such are trained to spot counterfeit money by studying the real stuff so much that they can spot the phony stuff right away. I wasn’t sure if that was really ...read more

Tags: Truth Of Christ

Denomination: Wesleyan

What Do You See?  PRO

Contributed by Charles Wilkerson on Jul 7, 2009

WHAT DO YOU SEE? I don’t know if you’ve heard of Scott Ginsburg, but he is known for something very strange. As of today, he has worn a "Hello my name is..." tag for 3140 days. On one occasion he had given a speech to an employee group in South Dakota and told how he started wearing the name tag. ...read more

Tags: Opportunity

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Several Years Ago I Was Walking To Work From The ...

Contributed by Sean Harder on Dec 4, 2009

Several years ago I was walking to work from the train back in BC. I pretty much set my own schedule so it didn’t matter if I was a little late. I was walking across a quiet intersection where there were a few broken bottles, with the really jagged pieces that would shred a tire. A middle aged ...read more

Tags: Kindness

The Good Outcast: Longhaired Biker

Contributed by Otis Mcmillan on Dec 16, 2009

THE GOOD OUTCAST-LONGHAIR-BIKER Now it came to pass that a certain man was traveling Lonesome Street, a lonely and dark road from Tom's Tavern to Bill's Bar. After many visits to this bar, the consumption of liquor got a hold of him, stripped him of all his goods and left him destitute and dying ...read more

Tags: Parable Good Samaritan

Denomination: Methodist

Prayer And Chopping Vegetables

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Feb 26, 2010

PRAYER AND CHOPPING VEGETABLES Jan and I were watching a cooking show the other day -- Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa, I think it was -- and I commented on how Ina chops vegetables. In this instance, she was chopping parsley, and she held the knife in one hand while resting her other hand on top ...read more

Tags: Disciplines General

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Your Best Isn't Good Enough

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 28, 2010

YOUR BEST ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH A pastor once went to a barber to get a haircut. All through the haircut, the pastor wanted to witness to the barber, but the barber kept talking non-stop and gave the pastor no chance to interrupt. Later, when the pastor was paying for the haircut, he asked the barber ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-9

Tags: Faith Vs. Works

You Are Not Alone

Contributed by Jim Kane on Mar 14, 2010

YOU ARE NOT ALONE Reed Lessing tells the story of a Native American ritual for training young braves: "On the night of a boy’s thirteenth birthday, he was placed in a dense forest to spend the entire night alone. Until then he had never been away from the security of his family and tribe. But on ...read more

Tags: Suffering Loneliness

Denomination: Church Of God

Reality Therapy

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 21, 2011

REALITY THERAPY Aaron was an eleven-year-old boy whose behavior was described by Dr. William Glasser, his psychiatrist, as horrible. In his book, Reality Therapy, Glasser says Aaron was the most obnoxious child he had ever met. The boy would kick, scream, run away and hide, become withdrawn, ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 22:6

Tags: Parenting

Fear Of Witnessing

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 31, 2011

FEAR OF WITNESSING Leighton Ford, Good News is for Sharing, 1977, David C. Cook Publishing Co., Page 15: In preparing for this book, I have talked to a lot of people, and the fear issue comes up front again and again. What makes people hesitate to share their faith? Here are some of the fears ...read more

Scripture: John 20:21-22

Tags: Evangelism Fear Of

Predestination  PRO

Contributed by Chuck Sligh on Mar 19, 2012

PREDESTINATION Rather than predetermining a person’s FATE, predestination predetermines a believer’s FOCUS—that is, God’s eternal purposes, goals and privileges for him. Every instance of the word “predestinate” in the New Testament refers to some purpose, goal or privilege that God has ...read more

Tags: Election

Denomination: Baptist

Horse Sense

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on May 7, 2012

HORSE SENSE I like horses okay, but I am not a horse-person. But for much of history, horses were crucial. As a result, we have developed a lot of idioms involving horses. "Many terms and phrases in the English language harken back to a time not so long ago when horses were of extreme ...read more

Tags: Wisdom

Denomination: Independent/Bible

My Friend Will Find Me

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 16, 2012

MY FRIEND WILL FIND ME Sam was a great bird dog. If he pointed to a clump of bushes, there surely was a bird in there. He was much more than just a bird dog. Often we’d share together lazy lunches in an abandoned apple orchard, and the snooze that followed. Late one afternoon, Sam and I became ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 4:7-9

Tags: Trust

The Word Of God Sent Through The Prophets

Contributed by Pastor Amos Dele Dada on Jun 7, 2013

THE WORD OF GOD SENT THROUGH THE PROPHETS You want success - believe the word of God he has sent through his prophets. Period. Imagine The German Army and the USA Army and United Kingdom Army gathered against Canadian Army. And God sends Pastor Dada, call him a Prophet for this purpose to the ...read more

Tags: Basics Of Christianity

Denomination: Pentecostal

There's An Interesting New Phenomenon In The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

There’s an interesting new phenomenon in the church world today. Churches are starting to hire Church Consultants --- the same way companies have hired consultants for years. Consultants are trained as problem solvers. They provide fresh eyes and new perspectives when businesses or churches face ...read more

Tags: Promises Of God

Don't Trust Feelings  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 31, 2008

DON'T TRUST FEELINGS I read of a helicopter pilot who flew from an aircraft carrier in the Pacific told this story. He said, "I was flying the helicopter back to the ship when a blinding fog rolled in. Flying at a low altitude, I knew that a single mistake would plunge my crew and me into the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 14:22-36, Matthew 9:14-18

Tags: Faith, Guidance, Feelings, Hardship Of Life, Facts  (view more)  (view less)

Who Was Gamaliel?

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Oct 15, 2008

Who was GAMALIEL? 1. Not thought to be present when the Sanhedrin met to condemn Jesus 2. In that era, only about 3 or 4 members of the Sanhedrin were Pharisees; mostly Sadducees…but Gamaliel was respected as the greatest Rabbi in the land 3. A descendent of King David, very distantly related to ...read more

Tags: Paul

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Powerhouse  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 22, 2008

The Powerhouse Stephen Kuusisto grew up feeling a stigma about being legally blind. For him, sight consisted of a kaleidoscope of shapes, colors, and shadows. Privately he would press his face close to the page of a book and memorize street names in an exhausting attempt to appear more able to see ...read more

Scripture: John 16:13

Tags: Holy Spirit In Believers