In Sermon Illustrations: "Turned Away"

An Odd Number

Contributed by Rodelio Mallari on Dec 12, 2010

AN ODD NUMBER A real Christian is an odd number anyway. He feel supreme love for One whom he has never seen. Talks familiarly every day to Someone he cannot see. He expects to go to heaven on the virtue of Another, empties himself in order that he might be full, admits he is wrong to he can be ...read more

Tags: Faith

Denomination: *other

Cut-Off Forgiveness

Contributed by Davon Huss on Aug 15, 2011

CUT-OFF FORGIVENESS John MacArthur: "I'll never forget one time when I cut off a guy in a Porsche. I was driving a Volkswagen bus. He had a convertible with a hat and the whole routine- Sunglasses, leather jacket, everything. So he pulled up beside me. He started to curse. He just cursed and ...read more

Tags: Peace

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Relax And Lower Your Branches  PRO

Contributed by Perry Greene on Nov 2, 2011

RELAX AND LOWER YOUR BRANCHES Several years ago, the Wall Street Journal carried a story about Sally, an overly conscientious youngster who made herself miserable over the smallest failures and setbacks. Early one fall, while the leaves were still on the trees, there was an exceptionally heavy ...read more

Tags: Worry

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Trip To Beijing

Contributed by Johnny A. Palmer Jr. on Dec 12, 2011

THE TRIP TO BEIJING Ralph and Janice who were celebrating their 50th weddng anniversary. The church was honoring the couple. The pastor asked Ralph to come forward and give a testimony. Ralph said, "Well, the secret to our marriage is that I always treated her with respect; and I spent a ...read more

Tags: Family

Denomination: Baptist

Depressions Of Spirit  PRO

Contributed by Guy Mcgraw on Mar 7, 2012

DEPRESSIONS OF SPIRIT One Sunday morning in 1866, the famous preacher C. H. Spurgeon shocked 5,000 listeners from the pulpit of London's Metropolitan Tabernacle he announced, "I am the subject of depressions of spirit so fearful that I hope none of you ever gets to such extremes of wretchedness as ...read more

Tags: Disappointment

Picking And Choosing  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 28, 2012

PICKING AND CHOOSING An extremely nervous patient came to his dentist for root canal surgery. He was brought into the examining room and made comfortable in the reclining dental chair. The dentist then injected a numbing agent around the patient's tooth, and left the room for a few minutes while ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:17-30

Tags: Bible Truth

Eastern Religious Beliefs About Hell

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 28, 2012

EASTERN RELIGIOUS BELIEFS ABOUT HELL Buddhists believe in 7 "hot hells" which await the evildoers - each flanked by 4 torture chambers that include a fiery pit and a quagmire. Tibetan Buddhists also speak of eight cold hells and certain "Frontier" hells for those guilty of lesser sins. Hindus ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 18:1-9

Tags: Hell

From The Olympics I Found Some Really Sad Stuff, ...

Contributed by Andrew Moffatt on Aug 3, 2012

From the Olympics I found some really sad stuff, there was a report about a swimmer and a gold medal swimmer to boot whose own mother said that he had no time for meaningful relationships and could only have one night stands, or the cyclist who crashed deliberately to get a restart and went on to ...read more

Tags: Righteousness

Denomination: Salvation Army

Stressed Santa

Contributed by Tim Smith on Jan 6, 2013

STRESSED OUT SANTA A shopping mall Santa Claus in California had a meltdown after refusing to cuddle a bawling toddler, calling the mother evil and ripping off his beard and costume in front of startled children. Kelly Fornatoro, 33, said she told Santa her 19 month old son, Brian, would stop ...read more

Tags: Christmas, Stress

Denomination: Methodist

So The Blind Could See  PRO

Contributed by Lalachan Abraham on Mar 27, 2013

SO THE BLIND COULD SEE There was a blind girl who hated herself just because she was blind. She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her. She said that if she could only see the world, she would marry her boyfriend. One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her ...read more

Tags: Salvation

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Casualties Of War

Contributed by Davon Huss on Jan 13, 2014

In the movie Casualties of War, Michael J. Fox plays Private Erikson, a soldier in Vietnam who is part of a squad that abuses a young Vietnamese girl. Though Private Erikson doesn’t participate in the crime, he still struggles with what has happened. He tells "Just because each of us might at any ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 12:14

Tags: Death, Judgment

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Pure Love Brings Joy

Contributed by Christopher Sweeney on May 19, 2017

Many of you may have experienced this but I have from my two nephews and my time in youth ministry that there are times when you are having the worst days and then a child will run up to you and give you a hug or say I love you and everything goes away. Why, why is it that a hug can help erase the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:16, Philippians 4:4

Tags: Love, Joy

Salvation Is About Relationship

Contributed by Richard Tow on Jul 18, 2017

On May 31, 1975 Jeanie and I were legally married. A record of that translation is documented at Potter County in Amarillo, Texas. Because of that, I can introduce her as my wife. She can sign papers as Jeanie Tow. A legal transaction occurred. But what if that were all there is to our marriage? We ...read more

Scripture: Titus 2:11-14, 2 Corinthians 6:1

Tags: Grace, Relationship To God, Love And Faith

Denomination: Charismatic

When You Don't Have To Pray....

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Aug 12, 2019

Little Johnny and his family were having Sunday dinner at his Grandmother' s house. Everyone was seated around the table as the food was being served. When little Johnny received his plate, he started eating right away. "Johnny! Please wait until we say our prayer," said his ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 33:3

Tags: Prayer, Grandma, Grace At Meals

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Parable Of The Sower

Contributed by Polimetla Joy on Jan 30, 2023

In this parable, Jesus teaches about the importance of having a receptive heart to receive the word of God. He explains how the seed (word of God) can fall on different types of soil, representing different hearts. Some seed falls on the wayside, representing those who hear the word and do not ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:1-9, Luke 8:4-8

Tags: Scripture, Word Of God, Hearing, Responding

Seven Things To Be Thankful For At Christmas

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Oct 24, 2025

Seven Things To Be Thankful For at Christmas * for automatic dishwashers. They make it possible to get out of the kitchen before the family come in for their after-dinner snacks. * for husbands who attack small repair jobs around the house. They usually make them big enough to call in ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:22-33

Tags: Husbands, Teenagers

Denomination: Anglican

Here Is A Parody Of Luke's Account Of The Birth ...  PRO

Contributed by Steve Malone on Nov 13, 2001

Here is a parody of Luke’s account of the birth of Christ, that really underscores just how far our world has let the true meaning of Christmas slip away from them. "And there were in the same country children keeping watch over there stockings by the fireplace. And lo! Santa Claus came upon ...read more

Tags: Birth Of Jesus, Christmas

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Sanctification Is A Fancy Church Word That Simply ...  PRO

Contributed by David Wilson on Jan 20, 2005

Sanctification is a fancy church word that simply means cleaned up and ready to use. Your laundry that has been washed, dried, and ironed is sanctified because it has been cleaned and prepared for use. My son is a tennis shoe freak. It started out with a pair of Jordan sneakers. He has lots and ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:10

Tags: Holy Spirit In Believers

Denomination: Baptist

A. W. Tozer In His Priceless Book The Root Of The ...  PRO

Contributed by Lynn Malone on Jun 13, 2005

A. W. Tozer in his priceless book The Root of the Righteous shares the story of Rutherford who could shout in the midst of serious and painful trials, “Praise God for the hammer, the file, and the furnace.” The hammer is a useful tool, but the nail, if it had feeling and intelligence, could ...read more

Tags: Endurance, Joy

Denomination: Methodist

Love Means To Joining Who Are Different (Opposing ...  PRO

Contributed by Won Lee on Sep 29, 2005

Love means to joining who are different (opposing view) than me and having the Father’s heart Adopted boy’s last wish A Korean boy was adopted by joyous American family. While he was growing up, they realized that he was loosing hearing. Soon, his ability to speak was dying away as well as ...read more

Tags: Christian Love, Romantic Love, Unconditional Love

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed