In Sermon Illustrations: "Twelve Years"

Church As A Spectator Sport

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 5, 2011

CHURCH AS A SPECTATOR SPORT A British pastor and author made this observation a few years ago. I think it’s still accurate. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones said, "Men and women no longer...exercise in sport as they used to. Instead, people tend to sit in crowds and just watch other people play. ...And I ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-16, 1 Corinthians 12:27

Tags: Church Practices

Truman's Faithfulness

Contributed by Ken Pell on Aug 28, 2011

TRUMAN'S FAITHFULNESS A number of years ago, the Harry S. Truman Library in Independence, MO made public 1,300 letters that the late President wrote to his wife, Bess, over the course of a half-century. Mr. Truman had a lifelong rule of writing to his wife every day they were apart. He followed ...read more

Tags: Marriage Faithfulness

Denomination: Nazarene

Perfect Day For Evil

Contributed by Brad Henry on Sep 13, 2011

PERFECT DAY FOR EVIL As I gave the opening prayer at Charlotte Motor Speedway to Honor 9/11, I met this man in a Fireman’s’ uniform with a New York accent. The Speedway had flown in three men who had been First Responders that day 10 years ago. This man gave me a chilling account of his day. His ...read more

Tags: Holidays Civic

Despair Default

Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Nov 18, 2011

DESPAIR DEFAULT I remember a woman years back who used to come to me about once a month ... to rehearse her troubles. And I use the word "rehearse" on purpose, because that's exactly what she did. Every time, she'd tell me the same set of complaints over and over and over again. She had her ...read more

Tags: Mercy

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Too Much Of A Good Thing

Contributed by Johnny A. Palmer Jr. on Dec 8, 2011

TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING Reuters, had a rather strange story: Heat Wave Claims a Frostbite Victim. While the rest of Europe suffered under a record heat wave, back in August 2003, 46 year-old Mike Ball literally froze his foot driving 250 miles with his toes too close to the air conditioning ...read more

Tags: Ignorance

Denomination: Baptist

More From Technology, Less From One Another

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Jul 18, 2012

MORE FROM TECHNOLOGY, LESS FROM ONE ANOTHER Sherry Turkle, a professor at M.I.T. and author of Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other, has spent the last 15 years studying how our "plugged-in lives" have changed who we are. She claims that all of our ...read more

Tags: Communication General

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Like A Child

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 17, 2012

LIKE A CHILD Yo-Yo Ma, one of the most famous cellists in our day, once said, "When people ask me how they should approach performance, I always tell them that the professional musician should aspire to the state of the beginner. In order to become a professional," he says, "you need to go through ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 18:4

Tags: Humility

Kyle Idleman On Dying To Self

Contributed by Kevin Karhoff on Mar 18, 2013

What’s it look like to die every day? Well, dying to yourself today may mean spending your lunch hour serving food to the homeless at the shelter down the street from your office. It may mean the next time you talk to your neighbor, instead of playing it safe and keeping comfortable you bring ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:23

Tags: Surrender, Jesus Christ, Dying To Self, Commitment To Christ

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Someone The Shepherd Brought Home  PRO

Contributed by Davon Huss on Oct 22, 2013

Someone the Shepherd Brought Home Carl Ketcherside served with and was instrumental in a strict branch of the Restoration Movement. However, the Lord made a lot of changes in his life. In his later years he moved to St. Louis and ministered among the down and out. At this time, Ketcherside ...read more

Scripture: Ezekiel 34:1-31

Tags: Good Shepherd, False Shepherds, Great Shepherd

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Baptistry

Contributed by Davon Huss on Sep 13, 2014

Bob Russell wrote of a church who, years ago, bickered over the use of a piano. Some wanted to use a piano during Sunday worship, others did not. The disagreement grew sharp, and the church divided into two sides over the issue. One Sunday, when members arrived for church, they discovered a new ...read more

Scripture: John 17:20-23

Tags: Disagreeable, Church Unity, Church Conflict

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The New Never Gets Old

Contributed by Charlie Roberts on May 5, 2019

Saw a guy with his new car the other day, or at least it sure seemed new the way he admired it walking away backwards from it almost to the point of stumbling over the curb. You know one thing we like to do, is show off the new. I could relate with the man, he couldn’t stop looking at the shiny ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17, 2 Chronicles 7:14

Tags: New, Salvation, Relationship

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Misusing The Good

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Sep 23, 2019

The Gospel does not alter God's promises for Israel. It is not meant for that, just as a laser light has specific purposes but can be misused. Laser pointers are not toys. [https://phys.org/newsstory below:] Concern is growing over the safe use of small, battery powered, hand held lasers. For ...read more

Scripture: Romans 3:1-20

Tags: Expense Of Others, Wreckless, Israel, The Gospel, Damage, Ignorance, Mischief, Charlatans  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Don't Go Back

Contributed by Shawn Drake on Feb 20, 2021

Several years ago, Karen and I was up in the Ruidoso area; and I decided to try a short cut that I thought I knew about. The problem was, the road turned into a very rough dirt road; and the further we went, the worse the road became. We came upon a farmer’s house and land; and there was a ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 4:8-9

Tags: Freedom, Forward

Denomination: Baptist

The Wrong Target

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on May 31, 2021

Emmons loses gold medal after aiming at wrong target! 2004 Washington Post: Matt Emmons of the United States shoots at wrong target, finishes eighth. (Douglas C. Pizac -- AP) Matthew Emmons is an elite athlete ! He was an accounting major from Browns Mill, New Jersey. He was a four-year ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 22:26-30, 1 Corinthians 9:24, 2 Timothy 2:5, Hebrews 12:1-3

Tags: Purpose, Priorities, Idolatry

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Meekness: Personal Restraint For The Sake Of Others

Contributed by Richard Tow on Mar 20, 2023

Years ago, a young man named George Atley was serving in the Central African Mission. He was attacked by a group of natives. He had with him a Winchester repeating rifle with ten loaded chambers. The group was completely at his mercy. He could have killed every one of them. But as he assessed the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:15, Psalm 37:11

Tags: Evangelism, Love, Missions, Meekness, Restraint  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Charismatic

I Am More Alive Than Ever - D. James Kennedy

Contributed by Timothy Lueking on Apr 3, 2023

D. James Kennedy wrote a book called "Skeptics Answered" and in this book, he made this observation that has always stuck with me. It reminds me of a quote from D.L. Moody many years before. Kennedy wrote, "There will, in fact, come a time when some of you will probably be standing ...read more

Scripture: John 11:25-26

Tags: Eternal Life, Death, Easter, Resurrection, Life  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Most Important Part Of Christmas

Contributed by Loyd C. Taylor on Dec 8, 2023

What is the most important part of Christmas? What do we celebrate each year? Is it the change of heart we notice in people? Is it the spreading of Christmas cheer? Is it wishing for falling snow flakes? Is it picking out a Christmas tree? Is it the laughter of little children? Is it people singing ...read more

Tags: Christmas Poems, Poems, Poetry About Christ's Birth, Christmas, Birth Of Christ, Reason For The Season  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

General Macarthur Said, I Will Return!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Apr 6, 2024

General Douglas MacArthur, during World War II, famously declared to the people of the Philippine Islands, “I shall return.” This resolute statement was made after he was ordered to leave the Philippines, which were under Japanese invasion. His promise echoed the determination of our Lord Jesus ...read more

Tags: Rapture, Signs, Return Of Christ, Promises, End Times, Prophecy, Second Coming, Last Days  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Joke To Share When Attendance In The First Service Begins To Drop

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Nov 12, 2024

One Sunday morning, the pastor noticed little Alex staring up at the large plaque that hung in the foyer of the church. The plaque was covered with names, and small American flags were mounted on either side of it. The seven-year-old had been staring at the plaque for some time, so the pastor ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 10:25

Tags: Church, Worship, Pastors, Attending Church, Dead Churches  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Strong Foundation

Contributed by John Bright on Feb 2, 2025

The foundation of your house is important to making sure it continues to stand. The foundation of a skyscraper is even more important. Years ago, I read that the challenge for making buildings taller and taller was not adding floors on top – the challenge is adding to the base. Three ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:24-27

Tags: Bible, Foundation

Denomination: Methodist