In Sermon Illustrations: "Turn The Lights On"

Automatic Focus  PRO

Contributed by Nigel Heath on Mar 22, 2009

AUTOMATIC FOCUS Liz has a digital camera that focuses automatically on the object she want to photograph. But one day it went faulty, and the automatic focus mechanism began to drift every time, leaving everything in a blur. Our Christian lives can be like this. GOD DIRECTS US TO FOCUS ON THE ...read more

Tags: Anxiety

Denomination: Baptist

Getting Organized  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 28, 2009

GETTING ORGANIZED In a Peanuts cartoon, Lucy demands that Linus change TV channels and then threatens him with her fist if he doesn’t. "What makes you think you can walk right in here and take over?" asks Linus. "These five fingers," says Lucy. "Individually they are nothing, but when I curl ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 10:25

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Ask Jesus To Come To Your ...

Contributed by Tim Harlow on May 13, 2009

ASK JESUS TO COME TO YOUR MARRIAGE Some years ago on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson an 8 year old boy from West Virginia and who was rescued from a coal mine was a guest. Through their conversation it became obvious he went to church a lot, so Johnny asked him if he attended Sunday school ...read more

Tags: Marriage General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

On Our Vacation One Year, We Borrowed My Dad's ...

Contributed by Tim White on Jun 19, 2009

On our vacation one year, we borrowed my dad’s boat and went up to a beautiful mountain lake in Western Arkansas. It was narrow with fingers reaching into the mountains and piny woods. It was beautiful. The problem arose when we decided to head back to the boat landing. We missed a turn and headed ...read more

Tags: Evangelism The Lost, Trials And Difficulties

Denomination: Baptist

From Aaron Saufley- My New Book

Contributed by Davon Huss on Aug 3, 2009

From Aaron Saufley- My new book "The Jumbo Shrimp Gospel" was inspired by a conversation I had with my 7 year old. I read her the part of Jesus’ sermon on the mount where Jesus talked about turning the other cheek and getting undressed when someone takes your shirt (yeah, that’s what he said). ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:39-40

Tags: Sermon On The Mount

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Hey, I Can Hear ...

Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Sep 2, 2009

"Hey, I can hear you!" The other day, Susan and I were eating out and some guys at a nearby table were talking about some of their experiences with women. They were getting louder and louder, and it seemed like they were trying to one-up each other with who could say the most inappropriate thing. ...read more

Tags: God's Omniscience, Prayer Persistence

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Twas The Night Of Thanksgiving, I Just Couldn't ...

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Oct 27, 2009

‘Twas the night of Thanksgiving, I just couldn’t sleep.. I tried counting backwards, I tried counting sheep. The leftovers beckoned - the dark meat and white But I fought the temptation with all of my might Tossing and turning with anticipation The thought of a snack became infatuation. So, I raced ...read more

Tags: Thanksgiving Holiday

Denomination: Pentecostal

Chrysostom On Prayer--Without The Spirit Our ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 4, 2009

Chrysostom on Prayer--Without the Spirit Our Prayer Bouquets are Like Weeds Chrysostom, a 4th century preacher, used this analogy for prayer. A young boy wanted to give a gift to his father who had been away a long time. His mother sent him to the garden to pick a bouquet of flowers. The boy ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:5-13

Tags: Prayer In The Spirit

Old-School Church Discipline

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 23, 2010

OLD-SCHOOL CHURCH DISCIPLINE The Amish practice shunning – ignoring, turning away from, avoiding. When a person is disciplined by the community, relationships are severed between parents and children, or brother and sister, or even husbands and wives. Because the Amish are so isolated from those ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 18:15-17

Tags: Church Discipline

Loss Of Original Purpose

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 23, 2010

LOSS OF ORIGINAL PURPOSE In the town of Delburne, Alberta, there was an old water tower built in 1926. Standing empty, the building was bought by two men who wanted to turn it into a dining and cocktail lounge. Plans called for a bar to be built on the second floor. Something similar has already ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 30:1-2

Tags: Church Purpose Of

Only Name In Heaven Is "Christian"

Contributed by Rodelio Mallari on Dec 12, 2010

ONLY NAME IN HEAVEN IS "CHRISTIAN" John Wesley once dreamed that he was at the gates of hell. He knocked and asked, "Are there any Roman Catholics here?" "Yes, many," was the reply. "Any Church of England men?" "Yes, many." "Any Presbyterians?" "Yes, many." "Any Wesleyans here?" ...read more

Tags: Christian Values

Denomination: *other

Only One Opinion Counts

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 22, 2011

ONLY ONE OPINION COUNTS An umpire named Babe Pinelli once called Babe Ruth out on strikes. When the crowd booed with disapproval, the legendary Ruth turned to the umpire and said, "How could you call that a strike? There are 40,000 people here who are of the opinion that the last pitch was a ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 16:7

Tags: God's Judgment

A Young Man Had Finished His First Semester In ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 25, 2011

A young man had finished his first semester in college, and was spending the weekend at home. Somewhat bored with the old place, he was regaling his father with the wonders of his campus and the enlightened people there. After getting up a head of steam and warming up to his subject he said, "Why, ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 11:2

Tags: Arrogance

Gratitude For A Savior

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 5, 2011

GRATITUDE FOR A SAVIOR A lady was on a lake steamer when her little girl fell overboard, and the woman was almost frantic. A gentleman on the boat had a large Newfoundland dog. The dog was directed to leap into the water and save the child. He did so and swam ashore with the little girl, part of ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:13-15

Tags: Gratitude

Answered Prayer

Contributed by Brad Henry on Jul 28, 2011

ANSWERED PRAYER When I say YOUR prayers to our Lord Jesus who has the power to do anything, let me tell you this. The MRI clearly showed 4 tears to different tendons and ligaments. But when the doctor got in he could not see them! What he did see were some large spurs that we rubbing against my ...read more

Tags: Prayer Answered

Praying For Your Prosperity

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 18, 2011

PRAYING FOR YOUR PROSPERITY One day a man was walking with this pastor. He knew this pastor was living in horrible poverty in Ethiopia, and he made the mistake of showing a little bit of what he thought would be gracious sympathy. He told the Ethiopian pastor, brother, we pray for you in your ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 30:7-9

Tags: Poverty

Do You Know Who I Am?

Contributed by Jimmy Haile on Oct 9, 2011

DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM? At an evening social for army officers and their wives, the commanding general of the base had been given a special award and proceeded to drone on in a long speech of thanks. A lieutenant mumbled to the woman at his side, "Why they would award him a prize is beyond me. He's ...read more

Tags: Tongue

Denomination: Baptist

The Lord's Prayer...?

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Jan 15, 2012

THE LORD'S PRAYER...? Two men were drinking in a bar when the topic of conversation got round to religion. One man turned to his friend and said; “I bet you don't even know the Lord's Prayer." "Wait a minute," said his friend, "I do too know the Lord's Prayer." So his friend pulled out a £20 and ...read more

Tags: Ignorance

Denomination: Brethren

Count Your Many Blessings  PRO

Contributed by Guy Mcgraw on Feb 16, 2012

COUNT YOUR MANY BLESSINGS While on a short-term missions trip, Pastor Jack Hinton was leading worship at a leper colony on the island of Tobago. A woman who had been facing away from the pulpit turned around. "It was the most hideous face I had ever seen," Hinton said. "The woman's nose and ears ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 1:1

Tags: Encouragement

The "Wrapping" Of Pentecost

Contributed by Davon Huss on Mar 5, 2012

THE "WRAPPING" OF PENTECOST We must put this in proper perspective. Those who see Pentecost's main significance as miraculous powers are missing the new thing that was being done, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It is like someone who receives a beautifully wrapped birthday gift. After ...read more

Tags: Holy Spirit In Believers

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ