In Sermon Illustrations: "Turn The Lights On"

The Craigslist Murder

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 29, 2011

THE CRAIGSLIST MURDER When Charlene Sanders drove home from a routine day of work April 28, the last thing she expected was that she would be telling family of her husband's death later that night. At about 9 p.m. on April 28, Jim Sanders invited a young man and women into his home to view a ring ...read more

Scripture: John 15:12-13

Tags: Heroism

Please Come Back  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 6, 2011

"PLEASE COME BACK" Max Lucado tells us about a girl named Christina. She lives in a small dusty village in Brazil. She’s bored. She feels like her strict parents have cheated her out of the joys of life. She longs for the excitement of the big city of Rio. One morning her mother Maria finds ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:11-32, Mark 4:1-9

Tags: Parable Prodigal Son, Parable Sower And Seed

Face Your Fears, Don't Run From Them

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 11, 2011

FACE YOUR FEARS, DON'T RUN FROM THEM A few years ago, a canoeing friend of mine and I went to a talk one evening at the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Center. I could hardly wait to hear the couple that was to speak. It was Verlen and Valerie Kruger. They had recently completed a 21,000 mile ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:6-7

Tags: Fear And Worry

The Friendship Of John Newton

Contributed by Davon Huss on Jul 3, 2011

THE FRIENDSHIP OF JOHN NEWTON While John Newton is best-known as the author of the famous hymn, "Amazing Grace," his life teemed with spiritual fruit. A new biography on his life by Jonathan Aitken gives us a peek into the legacy of the man who described himself with one simple sentence: "I am a ...read more

Tags: Friendship General

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

God Stands By His Promises

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Jul 28, 2011

GOD STANDS BY HIS PROMISES Oswald Chambers once wrote, "Faith is unutterable trust in God, trust that never dreams that He will not stand by us." Missionaries Dick and Margaret Hillis found themselves caught in China during the Japanese invasion. The couple lived with their two children in an ...read more

Tags: Promises Of God

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Example Of Bethany Hamilton

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 26, 2011

THE EXAMPLE OF BETHANY HAMILTON That word for "commit" is actually a banking term. It means to deposit something for safekeeping. Well, that's what we're to do with our lives when we go through times of suffering. Deposit your life in God's bank (so to speak) for safe-keeping. Trust Him to ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 4:12-19

Tags: Trust

Angels Of Reconciliation  PRO

Contributed by Tim Smith on Feb 26, 2012

ANGELS OF RECONCILIATION With his life in disarray, Steven Lavaggi sat on his bedroom’s wooden floor, and began searching his Bible for answers. His wife had just left him to marry a writer for The Rolling Stone Magazine. Ten days later, Steven discovered his son was stricken with Juvenile ...read more

Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17, James 2:15-20

Tags: God Brings Purpose

Denomination: Methodist

The Process Is The Point  PRO

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Mar 9, 2012

THE PROCESS IS THE POINT Steven Furtick (Founder of Elevation Church) in SUN STAND STILL, p. 195-96: It's human nature to want to skip straight from the promise to the payoff. Who doesn't want to get right to the good stuff? But the process is invaluable. The process is a time of ...read more

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Artist, Steven Lavaggi

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 21, 2012

With his life in disarray, Steven Lavaggi sat on his bedroom’s wooden floor, and began searching his Bible for answers. His wife had just left him to marry a writer for The Rolling Stone Magazine. Ten days later, Steven discovered his son was stricken with Juvenile Diabetes. Then he lost his ...read more

Tags: Gifts Discernment

Denomination: Methodist

Julie Hadden: Precious To God

Contributed by Davon Huss on Mar 12, 2013

JULIE HADDEN: PRECIOUS TO GOD Julie Hadden, Winner of Season 4 of the TV show the Biggest Loser, told her story in a 2009 issue of Guideposts: I went to the auditions and made it on the show. Our first challenge was a race across California's Mojave Desert. First two contestants to get to the ...read more

Tags: God's Love, Human Life

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

You Have To Stop Trying To Save Yourself

Contributed by Davon Huss on Jan 13, 2014

You Have to Stop Trying to Save Yourself Watchman Nee relates a story from one of his experiences as a Christian leader in China. A group of young Christian brothers were gathered together to take a swim in one of the many creeks that run throughout the countryside there. Since most were not good ...read more

Tags: Self-Sufficient, Rock Bottom

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Lesson On Mahatma Gandhi

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Jan 27, 2017

I HAVE MANY PEOPLE I GREATLY RESPECT... ONE OF THOSE MEN I RESPECT FROM THE TWENTIETH CENTURY IS: MAHATMA GANDHI... Several stories have made an impression in my heart. I read once that Mahatma Gandhi attended a church in Northern Africa. Gandhi had read about Jesus' teachings and he loved ...read more

Scripture: Jude 1:22

Tags: Respect, Gandhi Makes A Difference

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Lessons Walter Payton Taught Us. Never Die Easy.

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Jan 27, 2017

WE MUST LEARN THE BATTLE IS BEFORE US... I HAVE ANOTHER HERO: HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF WALTER PAYTON? Walter Jerry Payton from the state of Mississippi. Payton lived from July 25,1954 until November 1, 1999. He was 45 years old when he died of a liver disease. Mike Ditka was Payton's coach and ...read more

Scripture: Romans 13:12

Tags: Perseverance, Never Die Easy, Walter Payton

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Connotations For Us As Disciples Of Christ

Contributed by Gordon Mcculloch on Feb 11, 2018

Jesus also tells us in Matthew 28, (the most familiar version of the Great Commission), that, “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:16-20, Mark 9:2-9

Tags: Transfiguration, Great Commission

Denomination: Episcopal

Do You Believe?

Contributed by Steve Kinnard on Feb 13, 2019

DO YOU BELIEVE? That the bible is the inspired word of God That God created the everything in 6 days That God rested on day 7 That God created man and put him in the garden of Eden (a perfect Place) That God took a rib from Adam and made Eve to be a helper and companion to Adam That Satan entered ...read more

Scripture: John 11:25-26

Tags: Faith, Believe

Denomination: Pentecostal

Broken

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on May 6, 2019

Broken Windows … (Little improvements can make a big difference) Social psychologists and police officers tend to agree that if a window in a building is broken and is left unrepaired, all the rest of the windows will soon be broken. This is as true in nice neighborhoods as in rundown ones. One ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:13

Tags: Community, Hope

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Fix The Dishwasher

Contributed by Roy Fowler on Sep 13, 2020

A Mother and her son were talking. His mother lived for nearly 94 years. One day around her 90th year she said something like, "If I had known I would live this long, I would have fixed the dishwasher." It had stopped working. So there it sat quietly waiting to be fixed. She thought it ...read more

Scripture: James 5:7, Isaiah 64:4, Exodus 14:15

Tags: Fix Our Problem, Now Is The Time

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Faith Of Stonewall Jackson

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 8, 2021

There is a scene in the Civil War motion picture Gods and Generals that is telling. The movie follows the rise and fall of Civil War hero General Thomas Jackson, and does not try to hide his Christianity. Throughout the picture, Jackson's dependence on God is shown, but never more strikingly ...read more

Tags: Courage, Will Of God, Civil War, Sovereignty Of God, Faith  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Danger: Listen

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Aug 21, 2021

DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE YOUNG GIRL CUTTING THROUGH THE WOODS TO TAKE HER GRANDMOTHER SOME FOOD? The weather had turned very cold. The snow was coming down. The cold north wind was blowing so hard. The young girl was walking through the field returning home. She heard someone calling to her. ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 107:8-9, John 10:10, Judges 20:18

Tags: Listen, Danger, Ready

Denomination: Assembly Of God

What Is Possible When There Is Hope  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

WHAT IS POSSIBLE WHEN THERE IS HOPE Joyce Hollyday tells the story of a school teacher who was assigned to visit children in a large city hospital who received a routine call requesting that she visit a particular child. The teacher took the boy’s name and room number, and was told by the teacher ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 62:5-8, Colossians 1:27

Tags: Witness, Faith, Power, Life, Simple, Easter Resurrection, God's Faithfulness, Integrity, Difference, One, Brokenness, Live, Pathfinder  (view more)  (view less)