In Sermon Illustrations: "Trials Mature Us"

I Recently Read An Insightful Story That Would ...  PRO

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Feb 8, 2012

I recently read an insightful story that would serve as a good reminder for us both as we prepare to part ways. The story is about a group of climbers who set out to scale a large mountain in Europe. The view boasted a breathtaking peak of snowcapped rocks. On clear days the crested point reigned ...read more

Scripture: Luke 24:13-35

Tags: Complaining, God Brings Purpose

Denomination: Baptist

The Story Is Told Of A Prosperous, Young ...  PRO

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Feb 13, 2012

The story is told of a prosperous, young investment banker who was driving a new BMW sedan on a mountain road during a snowstorm. As he veered around one sharp turn, he lost control and began sliding off the road toward a deep precipice. At the last moment he unbuckled his seat belt, flung open his ...read more

Scripture: Luke 16:13-15

Tags: Money, Materialism

Denomination: Baptist

Mary's Choice

Contributed by Tim Hinrichs on Mar 22, 2012

MARY'S CHOICE Mary Khoury, 17 from Damour, Lebanon and her family were forced to their knees before their home. The leader of the Muslim fanatics who had raided their village waved his pistol carelessly before their faces. His hatred for Christians burned in his eyes. "If you do not become a ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness For Others

Denomination: Lutheran

The Salvation Of Karla Faye Tucker

Contributed by Tim Hinrichs on Mar 29, 2012

THE SALVATION OF KARLA FAYE TUCKER Many of you probably remember Karla Faye Tucker. She was the first woman to be executed in the US since 1984. She was an accomplice to a brutal ax murder of two people in the early eighties. Soon after being imprisoned, Tucker took a Bible from the prison ...read more

Tags: Salvation

Denomination: Lutheran

The Ram And The Cowboy

Contributed by Perry Greene on Apr 4, 2012

THE RAM AND THE COWBOY A couple of years ago in the Rocky Mountains a bighorn ram approached the home of a man named Ed Bailey while he was watching football on television. The bighorn stopped suddenly, seeing its reflection in a plate glass window. Thinking it was another ram, the bighorn bowed ...read more

Tags: Self

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Love Your Neighbor

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Apr 16, 2012

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR I stepped outside my hotel room yesterday and saw a thin elderly woman taking small steps in a circle. She seemed to be mumbling. Our eyes connected. She said, "They left me here and I don't know where they have gone. I don't know what room I am in." I held out my hand. She ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 23:4-5

Tags: Neighbor

Denomination: Baptist

Is Your Name In The Bible?--The Case Of A New ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 5, 2012

IS YOUR NAME IN THE BIBLE?--THE CASE OF A NEW YORK CITY BAG LADY Years ago, there was a bag lady in New York City who attended a preaching service at a Manhattan Rescue Mission. Afterwards in the line to receive soup, she mentioned to the preacher she was now ready to give her life to Jesus. She ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:1-7

Tags: Sunday, Parable Lost Sheep

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

Could It Happen Every Day?

Contributed by Tim Smith on Jul 1, 2012

COULD IT HAPPEN EVERY DAY? Jeff Ingle tells the story of spending four days with 75 other pastors in a Pastor's Prayer Summit in Wisconsin. He writes, "In my time I've been to many camps, conferences and retreats but never have I been to anything like this. For four days, we met together with no ...read more

Tags: Worship General

Denomination: Methodist

The Missionary Service Of Henry ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 16, 2012

THE MISSIONARY SERVICE OF HENRY MARTYN Henry Martyn had already done more than his share of missionary service in India by his late 20s when he announced he was going to Persia. Doctors had told him that the heat would kill him if he stayed in India, and the heat in Persia was worse. Martyn ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:42-45

Tags: Servanthood

Tarzan Story: Failure To Recognize

Contributed by Suresh Manoharan on Sep 2, 2012

TARZAN STORY: FAILURE TO RECOGNIZE Johnny Weissmuller, the champion Olympic swimmer who donned the role of Tarzan the Ape Man in the silver screen with as much aplomb in 1930s and 40s as he dominated the Olympic swimming lanes in 1920s, had "a close encounter of a different kind" with the ...read more

Tags: Second Coming

Denomination: *other

Ridiculous Gifts  PRO

Contributed by Ken Henson on Sep 11, 2012

RIDICULOUS GIFTS There is a program in the US called “Good Morning America.” This was about 10 years ago, there was a lady named Joan London, who did a segment on Christmas Gifts and made some suggestions about the list: “You may want to include these in your list: • Jaguar 220 – this is a ...read more

Tags: Christmas, Gift, Value, Gifts General

Denomination: *other

Death And Resurrection

Contributed by David Simpson on Jan 15, 2013

Our son, John learned a valuable lesson about death when he was a child. One day he took aim with his new BB gun at a little bird sitting on a limb near our back deck. He aimed and fired and hit his target and the bird collapsed to the ground. Dead. At first there was the excitement of being a ...read more

Scripture: John 14:19

Tags: Death, Resurrection

Denomination: Christian Church

Protecting His Bats

Contributed by Ken Pell on May 19, 2013

PROTECTING HIS BATS Japanese-born big-leaguer Ichiro Suzuki is one of the best hitters in baseball. He has led the Major Leagues in regular season hits on seven occasions. To state the obvious, you hit a baseball with a bat. Ichiro Suzuki seems to be more aware of that obvious fact than other ...read more

Tags: Bible Influence

Denomination: Nazarene

Praying To People

Contributed by Perry Greene on May 28, 2013

PRAYING TO PEOPLE Two young boys were spending the night at their grandparents. At bedtime, the two boys knelt beside their beds to say their prayers when the youngest one began praying at the top of his lungs. "I PRAY FOR A NEW BICYCLE... I PRAY FOR A NEW PLAYSTATION... I PRAY FOR A NEW VCR..." ...read more

Tags: Prayer General

Denomination: Independent/Bible

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

Authority Vs. Power  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 12, 2014

AUTHORITY VS. POWER There's a difference between power and authority. If you have authority, but no power, your authority is useless. A government man was taking geological readings for the Department of the Interior. He approached one farmer and said, "I've been authorized by the government to ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:1-8

Tags: Great Commission, Authority

Surrendering To God

Contributed by Tim Smith on May 28, 2015

Ravi Zacharias tells the amazing story of a young Christian, Hien Pham, whom he met in Vietnam who served as an interpreter with the American forces. Shortly after Vietnam fell, Hien was imprisoned on accusations of helping the Americans. His jailers tried to indoctrinate him against democratic ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:13-16

Tags: Grace, Persecution, Prayer, Surrender, Standing On Promises  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Methodist

Bold Witness

Contributed by Tim Smith on Sep 25, 2016

Hugh Hewitt in his book “The Embarassed Believer” contends that most Christian are embarrassed believers. They do not talk about their faith or church. They don’t have Bibles on the corner of their desks. They never engage others in spiritual conversations. And the result has been the dramatic ...read more

Scripture: Luke 19:11-27

Tags: Witness, Witnessing, Embarrassed

Denomination: Methodist

Recognising Conflict, Where An Enemy Sowing Bad Seed

Contributed by Gordon Mcculloch on Jul 24, 2017

1. Be Perceptive to the enemy. The first way to deal with conflict is to be perceptive to the enemy. Verse 25 “but while everybody was asleep, an enemy, (that is Satan), came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away”. Notice he went away, he was sly; he did not stay to watch, or say, “I ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:25

Tags: Satan's Deception, Bad Seed, Satans Tactics

Denomination: Episcopal