In Sermon Illustrations: "Tree"

Like The Famous Story Of The Blind Men And The ...

Contributed by Fran Van Hoven on Aug 11, 2007

Like the famous story of the blind men and the elephant. They gather around this huge animal and by feeling it, try to identify what an elephant is like. One, grabbing the trunk, said an elephant is like a snake. Another, feeling the leg, said an elephant is like a tree. Still another, feeling the ...read more

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Under The Law With Its Ten-Fold ...

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Jul 8, 2009

Under the law with its ten-fold lash Learning, alas, how true That the more I tried The sooner I died While the law cried, "You! You! You!" Helplessly still did the battle rage, "Oh, wretched man," my cry. And deliverance I sought By some penance bought, While my heart cried, "I! I! I!" Then ...read more

Tags: Salvation

Denomination: Pentecostal

The Boy Scout

Contributed by Donnie Martin on Feb 6, 2010

The Boy Scout A noted brain surgeon, Dr. Bronson Ray, was taking a stroll when he saw a boy on a scooter smash headfirst into a tree. Realizing that the boy was seriously injured, the doctor told a bystander to call an ambulance. As he proceeded to administer first aid, a boy not much older than ...read more

Tags: Zeal

Denomination: Baptist

Not Complete In Ourselves

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Feb 23, 2010

NOT COMPLETE IN OURSELVES Hear this from Professor Edward Everett in the 19th century: We ask the leaf, "Are you complete in yourself?" and the leaf answers, "No, my life is in the branches." We ask the branch, and the branch answers, "No, my life is in the trunk." We ask the trunk, and it ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Denomination: Pentecostal

Christmases Past  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 10, 2002

CHRISTMASES PAST Christmas was not celebrated during the 1st 2 centuries after Christ’s life on earth. In AD 245, when a group of scholars attempted to pinpoint the exact date of Christ’s birth, a church council denounced the endeavor, declaring it wrong to celebrate the birthday of Christ "as ...read more

Tags: Christmas, Birth Of Jesus

Disneyland

Contributed by Peter Loughman on Dec 29, 2008

DISNEYLAND When I was a college kid in the San Francisco Bay Area, I would drive down with my friends to Disneyland at least once a year. We would leave late Friday night and take turns driving and sleeping during the eight hour drive. We would arrive in town early, have breakfast at Denny's and ...read more

Tags: Finding Fulfillment

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Beautification Project

Contributed by Daniel Harman on Mar 5, 2008

BEAUTIFICATION PROJECT ILLUSTRATION A farmer noticed a highway department truck pulling over on to the shoulder of the road. A man got out and dug a hole, then got back into the truck. Then the other occupant got out, filled up the hole and got back in the truck. Every fifty yards this amazing ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Heart Buried In Africa

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Mar 29, 2008

Illustration: Heart Buried in Africa There is a story of the great missionary David Livingstone. The body of David Livingstone was buried in England where he was born, but his heart was buried in the Africa he loved. At the foot of a tall tree in a small African village the natives dug a hole and ...read more

Denomination: Other

When We Try To Figure Everything Out Instead Of ...

Contributed by Charles Wallis on Feb 8, 2009

When we try to figure everything out instead of trusting God, we get cynical and miss out on miracles. "The Logical Song" by Supertramp: "When I was young, it seemed that life was so wonderful, a miracle, oh it was beautiful, magical. And all the birds in the trees, well they’d be singing so ...read more

Tags: Doubt

Denomination: Pentecostal

It Always Seems To Me That Christmas Is A Time ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"It always seems to me that Christmas is a time of magic. Each December we celebrate a Prince, the Prince of Peace, born in utter poverty. And the fact of his birth makes hearts turn warmest at the coldest time of the year...One of the great messages of this season is that its never too late to ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Christmas Giving To Others

Contributed by Tim Smith on Aug 13, 2017

Ann Voskamp writes, “It’s almost a dozen years now, nothing under the Christmas tree here. Strange, the way children teach adults. It started at bedtime one year, I do remember that. Smoothing back hair, kissing foreheads, pulling up the blankets over my kids. Tucking them in. Prayers said all in a ...read more

Scripture: Titus 3:4

Tags: Christmas, Gift Giving

Denomination: Methodist

It's An Ongoing Battle At The Twitchell ...

Contributed by Jonathan Twitchell on Dec 7, 2006

It’s an ongoing battle at the Twitchell household. We have a great number of beautiful songbirds that come to our birdfeeders in the front yard: goldfinches, house finches, red-winged blackbirds, orioles, and cardinals are accompanied by chickadees, mourning doves, blue jays. We tolerate the ...read more

Denomination: Nazarene

Malcolm, A Man With A Terrible Temper, Was ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 1, 2002

Malcolm, a man with a terrible temper, was playing a round of golf with his pastor. After leaving three straight putts on the edge of the cup, Malcolm exploded. "I missed!" he screamed. "How could I miss?" With that he heaved his putter into a nearby lake, kicked a wheel on the golf cart and drove ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:26-27, Ephesians 4:26-27, Ephesians 3:19

Tags: Adoption, God's Omniscience, God's Judgment

2. Cal And Rose Samra Share This Story From Holy ...  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Jan 8, 2005

2. Cal and Rose Samra share this story from Holy Hilarity: From Rev. John L. Wallace. Christmas: It wasn’t long ago that a psychologists started telling us that the ‘holidays’ are not a source of joy for everyone. Like the drunk I encountered on the subway on Christmas Eve, they’ve been told the ...read more

Tags: Christmas Advent

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Twas The Month Before Christmas When All Through ...  PRO

Contributed by Matthew Sickling on Dec 10, 2007

’Twas the month before Christmas when all through our land, Not a Christian was praying nor taking a stand. Why the PC Police had taken away, The reason for Christmas - no one could say. The children were told by their schools not to sing, About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things. ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Some Early Settlers Were Traveling Together ...

Contributed by Dennis Davidson on Jul 14, 2008

Some EARLY SETTLERS were traveling together across the western prairies of the United States. One day they were horrified to see a fire fanned by strong wind coming their way. As the flames raced closer and closer, one man, to the amazement of the others, set fire to a large patch of grass ...read more

Tags: Atonement

Denomination: Baptist

Why Fruit?  PRO

Contributed by John Tung on Feb 12, 2009

WHY FRUIT? Why are these character traits called fruit of the spirit? Why not other food groups: like meat of the spirit or bread of the spirit or dairy of the spirit? There are four reasons why it’s called fruit of the spirit: because fruit is healthy, sweet, living and whole. Fruit is healthy ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23

Tags: Spirit, Fruit, Fruit Of The Spirit

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Four Blindfolded Men Were Asked To Describe An ...

Contributed by Mark Kennicott on May 11, 2006

Four blindfolded men were asked to describe an elephant. One got ahold of its tail and said "an elephant is like a rope!" Another wrapped his arms around a leg and said "no, an elephant is like a tree!" The third had come in contact with an ear and said "you’re both wrong, an elephant is like a ...read more

Tags: Faith General

Denomination: Pentecostal

A Man Fell Off A Cliff, But Managed To Grab A ...  PRO

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Jun 11, 2001

A man fell off a cliff, but managed to grab a tree limb on the way down. The following conversation ensued: "Is anyone up there?" "I am here. I am the Lord. Do you believe me?" "Yes, Lord, I believe. I really believe, but I can’t hang on much longer." "That’s all right, if you really believe ...read more

Tags: Faith, Doubt

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I Read A Book Called Return With Honor. The ...  PRO

Contributed by Jeff Kolk on Oct 26, 2000

I read a book called Return with Honor. The book is about Captain Scott O’Grady the U.S. Air Force pilot shot down over Bosnia in June of 1995. Shortly after he landed hostile enemy troops stood as close as five feet from O’Grady who was hiding behind a small tree root. Miraculously he remained ...read more

Tags: God's Provision, Faith General, Descriptions Of God

Denomination: Baptist