In Sermon Illustrations: "Twelve Years"

The Importance Of Forgiveness

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 13, 2014

Life assurance is far more valuable and important than life insurance. One famous atheist said, "The one thing I envy about you Christians is that you have someone to forgive you." A man by the name of Val Patterson died on July 12th of this year due to cancer. He knew the end was coming, so he ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 32:1-5

Tags: Confession Of Sin, God's Forgiveness, Guilty Conscience

Pastor And Leadership Speaker John Maxwell Te...

Contributed by Tim Smith on May 28, 2015

Pastor and Leadership speaker John Maxwell tells the story of his brother who was called to active duty during the Pueblo crisis in Korea. He says he could remember standing in his father’s office when my father found out the news and went to his brother, hugged him and said, “Larry, I’m going to ...read more

Scripture: Luke 22:33-38

Tags: Perseverance, Conversion

Denomination: Methodist

Rescue The Perishing

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Feb 23, 2016

RESCUE THE PERISHING Fanny Crosby, the blind hymn writer, wrote so many hymns we love to sing. When she was up in years, she visited the Macaulay Rescue Mission in NYC. She stood before a crowd of homeless, drug-addicted, alcoholic men. She said, “is there a young man here who doesn’t have a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:19-20

Tags: Evangelism, Witnessing

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Bold Witness

Contributed by Tim Smith on Sep 25, 2016

Hugh Hewitt in his book “The Embarassed Believer” contends that most Christian are embarrassed believers. They do not talk about their faith or church. They don’t have Bibles on the corner of their desks. They never engage others in spiritual conversations. And the result has been the dramatic ...read more

Scripture: Luke 19:11-27

Tags: Witness, Witnessing, Embarrassed

Denomination: Methodist

Consecrated To Do God's Will

Contributed by Richard Tow on Jul 25, 2017

Years ago a young girl entered a little Presbyterian Church out of curiosity. There she heard the gospel for the first time and was converted. She later heard God’s call on her life to go to China as a missionary. She was the only daughter of a multi-millionaire. She was socially prominent and ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 16:24

Tags: Sacrifice, Consecrated Life

Denomination: Charismatic

From Baseball To Addiction To Redemption

Contributed by Matt Neace on Jun 13, 2018

Former baseball great Darryl Strawberry play 17 major league seasons with the Mets, Dodgers, Giants and Yankees. He won a World Series with the Mets in 1986. But off the field, Strawberry struggled with addiction for most of his adult life. He was recently asked by Sports Spectrum radio, "How ...read more

Tags: Addiction, Drugs, Emptiness, Fatherless, Protection Of God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Do Not Make An Excuse For Sin

Contributed by Daniel King, D. Min. on Jul 25, 2018

Main Idea: When a person is caught sinning, he or she often tries to make an excuse, but the reality is that no excuse can justify a person’s sin. Verse: “Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate” (Genesis 3:12 NKJV). One day my wife Jessica ...read more

Tags: Sin, Salvation, Excuses

Denomination: Charismatic

The Streams Of Mercy Are Still Flowing

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Aug 12, 2019

Robert Robinson was a wild young man who came to repentance listening to a George Whitefield sermon. He later became a pastor and wrote a couple of hymns, particularly the famous, "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing", which was written in 1757. Later in life, Robinson wandered from the ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:1

Tags: Promises Of God, No Condemnation, Backsliding, Mercy Of God, Come Thou Fount  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Mercy In A World War 2 Battle

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Feb 1, 2020

Here is a unique, moving story about "MERCY" from the Second World War: The American pilot glanced outside his cockpit and froze. He blinked hard and looked again, hoping it was just a mirage. But his co-pilot stared at the same horrible vision. “Dear God, this is a nightmare,” the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-12

Tags: Mercy, Beatitudes, War, Hate, Ww2  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Helping Others

Contributed by Roy Fowler on Jun 19, 2020

Years ago, my father coached a team of eight-year-olds. He had a few excellent players, and some who just couldn't get the hang of the game. Dad's team didn't win once all season. But in the last inning of the last game, his team was only down by a run. There was one boy who had never ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:2

Tags: Supporting Others, Supporting Each Other

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Servanthood

Contributed by Clarence Eisberg on Aug 4, 2022

As Christians can find all kinds of ways to minister in the name of Jesus. For example, there are 21,800 patients per year who receive chemotherapy treatments in Louisville, Kentucky, and most lose their hair. When Lynette Le Gette discovered this, it brought her to tears. She ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:10, Acts 9:32-43

Tags: Servanthood, Good Deeds

Denomination: Lutheran

Are You Carrying The World On Your Shoulders?

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 15, 2023

Bruce Larson tells how he helped people struggling to surrender their lives to Christ: "For many years I worked in New York City and counseled at my office any number of people who were wrestling with this yes-or-no decision. Often I would suggest they walk with me from my office down to the ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 55:22, Matthew 11:28-30

Tags: Burdens, Problems, Cares, Faith, Worry, Surrender  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Necrotizing Fasciitis

Contributed by Davon Huss on Aug 7, 2024

It sounds like something out of a horror movie, but it’s real. In recent years, scientists have discovered a kind of bacterial infection called necrotizing fasciitis, more commonly called flesh eating bacteria. Once this bacterium enters a human body, it can multiply rapidly. Within 24 hours, ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:15

Tags: Unforgiveness, Bitterness

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Little Girl Was Pushing The Limits Of Her ...  PRO

Contributed by Russell Brownworth on Dec 21, 2000

A little girl was pushing the limits of her mother’s very last nerve. Mom was nearing the end of a hectic season of cooking, cleaning, shopping, wrapping and church stuff. She was also nearing the breaking point with her little pre-schooler. Finally the little girl was bathed and ready for bed. ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:14, Luke 2:12-15

Tags: Peace, Christian Disciplines, Christmas Advent, Tabernacle

Denomination: United Methodist

Rabbi David A. Nelson Likes To Tell The Story Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Hensley on May 17, 2001

Rabbi David A. Nelson likes to tell the story of two brothers who went to their rabbi to settle a longstanding feud. The rabbi got the two to reconcile their differences and shake hands. As they were about to leave, he asked each one to make a wish for the other in honor of the Jewish New Year. The ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:12, Matthew 6:12

Tags: Forgiveness For Others, Christian Love, Cross, Judge, Judgement, Mote  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Some Of You Might Have Heard Of The Late Malcolm ...  PRO

Contributed by Michael Milton on Sep 25, 2001

Some of you might have heard of the late Malcolm Muggeridge. He was a British journalist and a noted atheist for many years of his life. But in his sin, in the very midst of about to commit yet another vile act of wickedness, he came face to face with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He repented and ...read more

Tags: Lordship Of Christ, Basics Of Christianity, Commitment To Christ

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Which Way You Went  PRO

Contributed by David Whitten on Nov 29, 2001

WHICH WAY YOU WENT Years ago a man was searching his family roots and visited several cemeteries and read many inscriptions on the tombstones. There was one tombstone on which was engraved "Pause now stranger as you pass by; as you are now, so once was I. as I am now , so soon you will be. Prepare ...read more

Tags: Death Nearness, Funerals Non-Christian, Heaven

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Abert Einstein Attended A Dinner Party. His ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 9, 2001

Abert Einstein attended a dinner party. His young, college student neighbor was seated beside him. The neighbor didn’t know who Einstein was. In the course of their conversation Albert Einstein’s young neighbor asked the white-haired scientist, "What are you actually by profession?" "I devote ...read more

John Wycliffe Had A Vision Of A Bible In The ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2001

John Wycliffe had a vision of a Bible in the common English tongue. But dogmatists anchored to the past killed him for it. John Huss dreamed a dream of a responsible Christian life guided by the scriptures. Traditionalists burned him at the stake. Martin Luther was awakened to a new reality of ...read more

Tags: Discipleship, Kingdom Of God, God's Provision

Finding One's Purpose With God Can Be A Strange ...

Contributed by N A on Apr 14, 2008

“Finding one’s purpose with God can be a strange and mysterious journey; or, it can be as plain as asking God for a task and then watching your desire for that task grow within you. Problem is, most of us forget to ask God to fill us with a fervent spirit to serve Him. Then, years later, we wake ...read more

Tags: Faith

Denomination: *other