In Sermon Illustrations: "Turn The Lights On"

Joy And Phyllis Diller  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 21, 2009

JOY AND PHYLLIS DILLER A thirty-eight-year-old scrubwoman (cleaning lady) would go to the movies and sigh, "If only I had her looks." She would listen to a singer and moan, "If only I had her voice." Then one day someone gave her a copy of the book, The Magic of Believing. She stopped comparing ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 126:2

Tags: Joy

Cultural Desensitization

Contributed by Terry Barnhill on Oct 24, 2009

CULTURAL DESENSITIZATION One evening Ardie and I decided we needed to get out of the house. On an impulse, we went looking for a good movie. When we got to the theater, we didn't recognize any of the movies that were playing, so we just picked one. It was titled "District 13" . . . big mistake! ...read more

Tags: Entertainment

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

God's Grace Is Like Lightning And Transforms ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 19, 2009

God’s Grace Is Like Lightning and Transforms Whoever it Strikes Martin Luther found that out. Walking through the forest one day, praying and working through spiritual torment, literally, the lightning did strike close by. And he felt that as the summons of God. Luther came closer, and when God ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 18:20-39

Tags: Grace, God's Grace

The Blood Of Lambs

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2009

THE BLOOD OF LAMBS I just finished a very moving book called, "The Blood of Lambs" by Kamal Saleem (Howard Books, 2009). He describes his life as a terrorist and how he hated Israel and America. He also couldn't stand Christians--that is, until God brought some Christian men into his life after he ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17

Tags: Islam

Wilma Rudolph, Stricken As A Child With Polio, ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 6, 2010

Wilma Rudolph, Stricken as a Child with Polio, Achieves Olympic Gold Wilma didn’t get much of a head start in life. A bout with polio left her left leg crooked and her foot twisted inward so she had to wear leg braces. After seven years of painful therapy, she could walk without her braces. At age ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-2

Tags: Endurance

Thirst ---- Believe It Or Not I Played Football ...

Contributed by Peter Loughman on Apr 3, 2010

THIRST ---- Believe it or not I played football in high school. Football started in August where I grew up, and in August the daily temperatures were usually 100 - 120 degrees. That’s hot. Of course our brilliant coaches insisted we wear full padding for practice. Further, some einstein purchased ...read more

Tags: Stress

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Mitch Albom: Testimony

Contributed by Ken Pell on Jul 19, 2010

MITCH ALBOM: TESTIMONY Mitch Albom is the author of the bestselling book titled, "Tuesdays with Morrie." He wrote another book recently called "Have a Little Faith." In describing his motivation for writing it, he will tell you that up until a few years ago he would have been among the many that ...read more

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Nazarene

Funambulist - Jean Francois Gravelot (The Great ...

Contributed by Gaither Bailey on Oct 2, 2010

Funambulist - Jean Francois Gravelot (The Great Blondin) On June 30, 1859, at 5 pm, Blondin made his first journey across the Falls. Blondin utilized a 1,300 foot long, 3 inch diameter manila rope stretched from what is now Prospect Park in Niagara Falls, New York to what is now Oakes Garden in ...read more

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

"No Daddy, Just One More...please!"  PRO

Contributed by John Mcphail on Oct 12, 2010

"JUST ONE MORE, DADDY! PLEASE!" Children have a simple way of teaching the profound things of God. The moment my twin girls were born I knew two things immediately: 1) My life was going to be a whole lot more busy and 2) God had something very precious to share with me. When ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 6:2, John 3:16

Tags: Evangelism Urgency, Call To Salvation

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Gladstone: Risk For The Greater Victory  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 27, 2010

GLADSTONE: RISK FOR THE GREATER VICTORY WILLIAM GLADSTONE, a prime minister of England in the nineteenth century, one night was working late on an important speech he was to give to the House of Commons the next day. At about two o'clock in the morning a woman knocked on his door, asking the ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:3-5

Tags: Christian Love

How Much Is A Body Worth?

Contributed by Rodelio Mallari on Nov 20, 2010

HOW MUCH IS A BODY WORTH? When biochemist Harold J. Morowitz of Yale University received a humorous birthday card from his daughter that read: "According to biochemists, the materials that make up the human body are worth only ninety-eight cents," he reached for a catalog of a supply company ...read more

Tags: Human Body

Denomination: *other

Knots In Your Life

Contributed by Davon Huss on Feb 21, 2011

KNOTS IN YOUR LIFE The Baxter boys, Paul and John, liked to play in the woods near their home. They like the woods because they always found something they had never seen before. That's the way it was when they discoverd the tree with the knot tied in it. The knot was about halfway up the tree. ...read more

Tags: Parenting

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Sing A New Song

Contributed by Jason Bonnicksen on Mar 21, 2011

SING A NEW SONG Boom! Boom! The two-fold pounding of the avalanche cannon awoke me from my slumber. No, we didn't get snow last night, I mused. But sure enough, God dumped nine inches of fresh snow onto the mountains above. Now, I love winter; it's great skiing on fresh powder. However, I ...read more

Tags: Joy

Denomination: Lutheran

During World War Ii A Marine Was Serving In The ...

Contributed by Jonathan Campbell on Jun 23, 2011

During World War II a Marine was serving in the South Pacific. His platoon was under fire and they were trying to signal their comrades that they had taken a certain hill. Their sergeant issued an order for a man to take the American flag and raise it up on a pole to let other units know they had ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 17:9-15, Exodus 17:11

Tags: Prayer General

Mom's Church  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 6, 2011

MOM'S CHURCH Four scholars were arguing over Bible translations. One said he preferred the King James Version because of its beauty, eloquent old English. Another said he preferred the American Standard Bible for its literalism, the way it moves the reader from passage to passage with confident ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:5

Tags: Mother's Day

Repentance In The White House  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 10, 2011

REPENTANCE IN THE WHITE HOUSE In 2001, Tim Goeglein started running the White House Office of Public Liaison, providing him almost daily access to then President George Bush for seven years. Then it all ended abruptly on February 29, 2008. A well-known blogger revealed the startling fact that 27 ...read more

Scripture: Romans 2:4

Tags: Compassion, Repentance

Tonsillitis: Growing With God

Contributed by Ronnie Miller on Sep 8, 2011

TONSILLITIS: GROWING WITH GOD I remember when I was growing up as a small boy I had problems with my tonsils. During the winter months I would get tonsillitis and that would turn into strep throat. Mom and Dad would take me to Dr. Newsom in Pilot Mountain. He would always give me a shot of ...read more

Scripture: Romans 11:33-36

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Denomination: Baptist

Ownership Of The Gift  PRO

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 27, 2012

OWNERSHIP OF THE GIFT A humanitarian group in Africa, noticing the filthy water, sewage, and disease, built clean water and sewage system for a village. Months later, they visited the village, but it was back to square one with filthy water, sewage and disease. [from Pickthebrain.com] The chief ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 8:20

Tags: Stewardship

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Two Women Praying

Contributed by Robert Sickler on Mar 6, 2012

TWO WOMEN PRAYING There were two widow women, each with only a single son. The two young men both got involved in drugs and they both ended up in prison. The women were devout Christians and both had been in constant prayer for many years. When their two boys were sent to prison the one woman ...read more

Tags: Prayer Answered

Denomination: Christian Church

Kyle Idleman: I Cheapened The Gospel  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Apr 15, 2012

KYLE IDLEMAN: I CHEAPENED THE GOSPEL "Many of the fans turn to go home. I was struck by the fact that Jesus doesn't chase after them. He doesn't soften his message to make it more appealing. He doesn't send the disciples chasing after them with a creative handout inviting them to come back for a ...read more

Scripture: John 6:60-69

Tags: Easter Palm Sunday

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational