In Sermon Illustrations: "Try Harder"

Bob Russell, A Preacher In Kentucky, Says That ...

Contributed by Timothy Smith on Aug 28, 2004

Bob Russell, a preacher in Kentucky, says that when he was 11-12 he wanted to build his brother, John, a toy wheel barrow for Christmas. He got some old broom handles and a wheel off a wagon and some old wood. Bob said he put together the most awful looking contraption you can imagine. One week ...read more

Tags: God's Provision

Denomination: Christian Church

During The American Revolution, Farmers Who ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2008

During the American Revolution, farmers who joined the Continental Army during the spring and summer went AWOL in the fall and winter. They were known as "summer soldiers". They signed up with the Army after their crops were planted, they fought the British over the summer, but then returned home ...read more

Tags: Prayer General

Jesus Issues The Same Call To All, But To ...  PRO

Contributed by Owen Bourgaize on Mar 24, 2001

Jesus issues the same call to all, but to different tasks. Someone put it rather quaintly: "to some, Christ calls ’leave boat and bay, and white-haired Zebedee.’" To ...read more

Tags: Christian Disciplines, Call Of The Disciples, Workplace

Denomination: Baptist

A Whole New Understanding Of Patience

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Mar 22, 2024

Hebrews 12:1 tells us to "run with endurance" the race set before us. George Matheson wrote, "We commonly associate endure or patience with lying down. We think of it as the angel that guards the couch of the invalid. Yet, there is a patience that I believe to be harder -- the ...read more

Tags: Patience, Prophets, Waiting On The Lord, Job, Endurance, Second Coming  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

High Seas

Contributed by Roy Fowler on Oct 13, 2020

The thunder roared like a waking dragon. As the water churned and the ship rocked wildly like a kite on a string. I watched helplessly as the splinter sized crack in the mast grew until I was sure it would snap. The crew on deck wallowed and struggled to move in the thigh deep water to try and keep ...read more

Scripture: Mark 4:35-41

Tags: Trust, Storms

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Many Of Us Are Like The Little Boy ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 26, 2007

Illustration: Many of us are like the little boy who told his mom he was going to grow up to be a preacher. He said, “I figure I’ll have to go to church all my ...read more

Like Eggs

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

C. S. Lewis – It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Greed Cost You More Than You Know. Here Is How, ...  PRO

Contributed by Jesse Bennett on Oct 4, 2008

Greed cost you more than you know. Here is how, by greed, an Eskimo catches a wolf. The Eskimo coats his knife blade with animal blood and allows it to freeze. He then adds layer upon layer of blood, until the frozen blood completely conceals the blade. The hunter next fixes the knife in the ...read more

Tags: Greed

Denomination: Baptist

An Egg

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Nov 27, 2007

C. S. Lewis, said, “It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on ...read more

Denomination: Pentecostal

Holiness And Red Buttons  PRO

Contributed by Mark Stepherson on Aug 6, 2011

HOLINESS AND RED BUTTONS In studying holiness as a prayer key, I got bogged down with trying to understand it. I had an even harder time trying to explain it. I felt like the Red Buttons character in the movie, "Hatari." In that movie, John Wayne led a team of hunters in Africa capturing wild ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 2:8, Matthew 22:15-22

Tags: Holy, Prayer, Holiness

Denomination: Baptist

Each Day Across The Usa 50,000 People Quit Their ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Hensley on Oct 31, 2002

Each day across the USA 50,000 people quit their jobs. In a recent survey of workers across the USA, nearly 85% said that they could work harder at their job. More than half claimed they could double their effectiveness "if ...read more

Tags: Workplace

Denomination: Baptist

Giving Questions

Contributed by Jim Kane on Feb 27, 2010

GIVING QUESTIONS What is harder for people to give these days: time, money, or possessions? Why? What is the biggest internal barrier for people investing what they have already have for God? What is the biggest external barrier for people investing what they have already have ...read more

Tags: Giving General

Denomination: Church Of God

Living In Sin Is Like Having A Running Car In A ...

Contributed by Sterling Franklin on Jun 22, 2010

Living in sin is like having a running car in a closed garage: the more we live in sin, the more Carbon Monoxide will inevitably come out. It is a byproduct of our exhaust as sinful people. The visible smoke will also build up over time, and it is harder to see that we need ...read more

Tags: Sin Bondage To

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Mom Stats  PRO

Contributed by Paul Barreca on May 12, 2012

MOM STATS These statistics are from Moms on their most difficult moments. These results were taken from a nation wide survey of moms with children under six. The "Worst place to have to change a diaper" 47% said a public restroom with no changing table 27% said the worst place to change a ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 22:6

Tags: Mother's Day

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Law And The Gospel Way

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 5, 2010

THE LAW AND THE GOSPEL WAY Charles Finney stated, "Ever more the Law and consequences of breaking it must prepare the way for the Gospel. To overlook this in instructing souls is almost certain to result in false hope, the introduction of a false standard of Christian experience, and to fill the ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 3:15-25, Galatians 3:15-18

Tags: Commandments General

How To Become Better Off ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 5, 2010

How To Become Better Off Financially An anonymous wise man once said, “If you want to get better off financially, Quit buying things.” And Henry David Thoreau said “Just about everyone knows how to make money, but very few ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:19-34

Tags: Money

You Know, When We Were In Florida We Went On A ...

Contributed by Sean Harder on Feb 17, 2010

You know, when we were in Florida we went on a little safari and saw elephants, and I remembered that an elephant’s trunk can uproot a huge tree, pick up a peanut, and hold an egg without breaking it. And I don’t know why, but the thought of God came to my mind. ...read more

Tags: Mercy

Holding On

Contributed by Sean Harder on Mar 18, 2010

HOLDING ON Let me share a story from Chuck Swindoll. "Four guys decided to go mountain climbing one weekend. In the middle of the climb, one fella slipped over a cliff, dropped about 60 feet and landed with a thud on the ledge below. The other three hoping to rescue him yelled, 'Joe, are you ...read more

Tags: Faith

But As We Leave Today I Want You To Forget ...

Contributed by Sean Harder on Jun 16, 2010

But as we leave today I want you to forget everything I said for a minute, and think about this (hold up a bag of coins). I have two dollars in change here and I’m giving it away to the first adult that runs up here and gets it. Hey let’s not trample each other. The majority of the world, 53% of ...read more

Tags: Money, Welfare

Before I Became A Counsellor, While I Was Still ...

Contributed by Sean Harder on Jun 16, 2010

Before I became a counsellor, while I was still going to school, I worked as a family support worker. Essentially I would pick up kids from troubled homes who social workers were involved with but hadn’t taken the children away yet, and I would spend a couple hours with them and take them back ...read more

Tags: Parenting