In Sermon Illustrations: "Turn The Lights On"

Thank You, Daddy!  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 13, 2009

"THANK YOU, DADDY!" To illustrate how we often fail to give God the thanks he deserves, Chuck Swindoll told the following story of a man he visited in a dismal veterans hospital: The day I arrived to visit, I saw a touching scene. This man had a young son, and during his confinement in the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 17:11-19

Tags: Gratitude

The Cross: Solution To Alignment Problems  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 18, 2009

THE CROSS: SOLUTION TO ALIGNMENT PROBLEMS I remember when my first car, a beautiful 92 Chevy Cavalier, developed and alignment problem. I would be driving down the freeway, and it pulled to the right pretty hard. In fact, you really had to work against the car to make it get in the left lane. On ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 19:25-26

Tags: Cross

Courage: Breaking The Barrier

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 19, 2009

COURAGE: BREAKING THE BARRIER Seek courage and strength to move out of your comfort zone. You will need it. Even the smallest of changes even if they are for the best disrupts our relational systems. Without courage, without trusted companions, and with strength, growth and maturity will never ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 16:13

Tags: Growth In Christ

I Used To Have 1982 Volkswagen Golf. It Was Cute ...

Contributed by Eduardo Quintana on Oct 20, 2009

I used to have 1982 Volkswagen Golf. It was cute car and I liked the engineering. I am not a mechanic, so when the car broke down, I would take it to an expert. Not just a mechanic, but also a foreign car specialist. You see this car was a Wolf berg edition made in Germany and I new that a mechanic ...read more

Tags: Stewardship

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Are You A Big-Godder Or A Little ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 29, 2009

Are You a Big-Godder or a Little Godder? Many years ago, there was a learned Hebrew professor at Princeton Seminary named Robert Dick Wilson. He could read more than 30 Semitic languages! One time about twelve years after Donald Grey Barnhouse had graduated; he went back to the seminary to preach ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:1-26

Tags: Sanctification

1950's Game,

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 5, 2009

1950’s Game, "Going To Jerusalem," Misrepresented the Christian Life Mark 8:33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter – same word. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” (NIV) Peter’s attitude was not only ...read more

Scripture: Mark 8:34-38

Tags: Discipleship, Playing Games

The Missed Opportunity In Mongolian ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 4, 2009

The Missed Opportunity in Mongolian History A 13-year-old Mongolian inherited land from his father. Through great strategy and awesome fighting ability, he formed fighting bands that conquered village after village. Eventually he became known as Genghis Khan and ruled over 2 million people. His ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:19-20

Tags: Evangelism Urgency

Occasionally I Meet Christians Who Say

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Jan 8, 2010

Occasionally I meet Christians who say “God is telling me to go and do this or that” and then the next minute God seems to have changed His mind. I remember one guy who made God look like He didn’t know how to make up His mind at all! One day it was “God wants me to do this.” and the next day it ...read more

Tags: Words, Oath

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Eichmann Is In All Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 18, 2010

Eichmann Is In All Of Us In 1960, Israeli undercover agents orchestrated the daring kidnapping of one of the worst of the Holocaust’s masterminds, Adolf Eichmann. After capturing him in his South American hideout, they transported him to Israel to stand trial. There, prosecutors called a string of ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:12

Tags: Sin Fall Of Man

Learning To Play One's Instrument To God's ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 27, 2010

Learning to Play One’s Instrument to God’s Glory Does anyone here remember taking music class in grade school? When you first join a music class you are given an instrument to play. You really don’t have much of a choice in what you play. The instructor simply assigns you the instruments based on ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:1-31

Tags: Body Of Christ, Gifts General

Older Brother Takes The Blame And Dies For ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 28, 2010

Older Brother Takes the Blame and Dies for Younger Brother The story is told of two Chinese brothers who lived in Chinatown just after the turn of the century. One brother, the eldest of the two, was a very honest and hardworking individual, while the younger brother was rebellious, and often ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:21

Tags: Christian Love, Substitute

A Change Of Words, A Change Of Focus  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 23, 2010

A CHANGE OF WORDS, A CHANGE OF FOCUS Here is a story that I believe show how our journey is made better simply by a change in words. A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign, which said: "I am blind, please help." There were only a few coins in the hat. ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Tags: Gratitude

Serving Saves A Soul

Contributed by Rick Crandall on Jul 8, 2011

SERVING SAVES A SOUL One of the best ways to do these good things is to get involved in Vacation Bible School: Praying for VBS, inviting kids to come, serving in VBS, and following up on our guests. Kids will get saved. Sometimes even parents get saved through VBS. Florence Lee can tell you that. ...read more

Tags: Evangelism The Lost

Denomination: Baptist

The Wrong Oil  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 8, 2011

THE WRONG OIL Phil (a member of our congregation) owns a stunning sports car. It's a Viper. It's a thing of beauty. And it has a powerful engine with 10 cylinders. Most of us common folks have cars with 6 and 8 cylinders... but this car has TEN cylinders. I'm pretty sure it can take you anywhere ...read more

Scripture: Jude 1:3-4

Tags: Doctrine

Fervent Prayer  PRO

Contributed by Mark Stepherson on Aug 29, 2011

FERVENT PRAYER George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, future US Presidents, were among the delegates meeting at St. John's Church in Richmond, Virginia, on March 23, 1775, considering a resolution sending Virginia troops to the Revolutionary War. The Virginia House of Burgesses was unconvinced. ...read more

Scripture: James 5:17-18

Tags: Prayer, Fervent, Effectual, Earnest, Prayer How To  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

The First Thanksgiving

Contributed by Paul Barreca on Nov 19, 2011

THE FIRST THANKSGIVING Let's consider the first Thanksgiving in America. It was in the fall of 1621, one year after the Pilgrim’s landed. There was great affliction in their voyage. 102 Pilgrims the left Holland, stopped briefly in England before sailing to America. They were at sea for 66 ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Tags: Thanksgiving Holiday

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Because The Prince Had Come  PRO

Contributed by J.d. Tutell on Jan 13, 2012

BECAUSE THE PRINCE HAD COME A man named Phillip Keller was born in Kenya and then moved to the United States. To describe this principle he tells the story of the growing up there. The majority of people did not really think of themselves as subjects of the King of England. After all they ...read more

Tags: Kingdom Of God

Denomination: Baptist

Forgive Me When I ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 24, 2012

FORGIVE ME WHEN I WHINE Today upon a bus, I saw a lovely maid with golden hair; I envied her -- she seemed so gay, and how, I wished I were so fair; When suddenly she rose to leave, I saw her hobble down the aisle; she had one foot and wore a crutch, but as she passed, a smile. Oh God, forgive me ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:12-18

Tags: Complaining

Little Gifts

Contributed by Gerald Manning on Dec 14, 2015

The man was quite obviously hard pressed by life .. his clothing was a bit tattered, he hadn’t shaved for several days, his face was gaunt, his eyes vacant. He was hungry, no doubt, and all I had in my pocket was a quarter. I knew that it wouldn’t buy much, but perhaps it was a start, and I ...read more

Scripture: Mark 12:41-44

Tags: Offering, Giving, Small Gifts, Poor People

Denomination: Nazarene

A Handful Of Suckers

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Apr 10, 2018

The woman in the red skirt walked up to the counter and laid down two bags of flour. There beside the register were the rest of her groceries. "That everything?" asked the man behind the counter. He owned the general store, waited on her every Thursday as she came to town to do her shopping. He ...read more

Tags: Prayer, Generosity, Abundance, Asking

Denomination: Baptist