In Sermon Illustrations: "Twelve Years"

But As We Leave Today I Want You To Forget ...

Contributed by Sean Harder on Jun 16, 2010

But as we leave today I want you to forget everything I said for a minute, and think about this (hold up a bag of coins). I have two dollars in change here and I’m giving it away to the first adult that runs up here and gets it. Hey let’s not trample each other. The majority of the world, 53% of ...read more

Tags: Money, Welfare

The Absence Of A Loving Father  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 6, 2010

THE ABSENCE OF A LOVING FATHER Dr. Paul Vitz, Professor of Psychology at New York University, studied the lives of more than a dozen of the world's most influential atheists over the last four centuries. As a result, Vitz discovered they all had one thing in common: defective relationships with ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:1-4

Tags: Father's Day

Survival: What Would You Take?  PRO

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Jan 4, 2011

SURVIVAL: WHAT WOULD YOU TAKE? About 20 years ago I went on a training conference when I was working as a Patent Attorney for a Swiss multinational company called Sandoz. And one of the conundrums they set us to test our ingenuity was this: You are in a plane flying over the desert and as you are ...read more

Tags: Security

Denomination: Anglican

Two Men, Two Soils  PRO

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Jan 28, 2011

TWO MEN, TWO SOILS Two of the men have impacted my life. Both of them died of cancer. For many years one of these men allowed his CIRCUMSTANCES to harden him towards those in his family and towards God. I thought my dad was about as far away from God as he could be. He seemed to be represented ...read more

Tags: Parable Sower And Seed

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Mercy Me: Hold Fast

Contributed by Davon Huss on Feb 7, 2011

MERCY ME: HOLD FAST Mercy Me is a Christian band (I Can Only Imagine) and recently they sang a song called, "Hold Fast." Bart Millard tells the story of the inspiration for "Hold Fast": "I was standing in the back of the bus going to our next concert. We were in a traffic jam and we passed a ...read more

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Walt Disney's Leadership  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 30, 2011

WALT DISNEY'S LEADERSHIP Walt Disney was a remarkable man of vision. He never gave up. Early in his career a newspaper fired him because they thought he had "no good ideas". That just made Disney try harder. When he was starting out in Kansas City he couldn't sell his cartoons. Some hinted that he ...read more

Scripture: Ezekiel 37:1-14

Tags: Faith, Vision, Perseverance, Leadership General

Phil Sheldrake's Story

Contributed by Warner Pidgeon on Apr 10, 2011

PHIL SHELDRAKE'S STORY At the age of 14 Phil Sheldrake was invited by a school friend to attend an event called Festival ’89. The event was being held on Sun Corner in Billericay and hosted by the preacher J. John. That night, Phil came to find a personal faith in Jesus. With his best friend, ...read more

Tags: Youth

Denomination: Anglican

Seeing You For Real

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 3, 2011

SEEING YOU FOR REAL Just a few years ago, Leadership Journal did an interview with Saul Cruz, who along with his wife founded Armonia (Harmony) Ministries in Mexico City. They minister to hundreds of poor people all over Mexico today, but they began their ministry by planting a church on the edge ...read more

Scripture: Acts 20:17-19

Tags: Servanthood

God's Word Has Power

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 3, 2011

GOD'S WORD HAS POWER In an interview about his book The Folly of Prayer (IVP, 2009), author and pastor Matt Woodley shared a story about his friend Theresa. She had married the man of her dreams, but soon after that dropped into the pit of a deep depression. Everything went dark in her mind and ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:26-27

Tags: Bible Influence

It All Started By One Man Wanting To Pray  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 9, 2011

IT ALL STARTED BY ONE MAN WANTING TO PRAY In 1857 there was a 46 year old man named Jeremiah Lamphere who lived in New York City. Jeremiah loved the Lord tremendously, but he didn’t feel that he could do much for the Lord until he began to feel a burden for the lost and accepted an invitation ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 85:1-7

Tags: Revival, Starting Over

The Ram In The Bush

Contributed by Preacher Fo Real on May 14, 2011

THE RAM IN THE BUSH Jeffery is not an avid cook, but he can hold his own in any kitchen. As the youngest child in the Honiara extended dysfunctional family, he spent many hours reluctantly tied to his mother’s apron springs. Often, he would find himself assisting her in the daily chores around the ...read more

Scripture: Joel 2:28-32

Tags: Doing God's Will

Denomination: *other

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

Who Should Get The Credit?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 12, 2011

WHO SHOULD GET THE CREDIT? I had the pleasure of coaching Little League for about 5 years and did so during the time my 3 boys played, so I coached the team they played on. On one occasion we were two runs behind in the final inning with a runner on 2nd. And who was coming to bat? Brian. Brian was ...read more

Scripture: Romans 13:7

Tags: Pride

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

Right On The Edge

Contributed by Ed Sasnett on Jul 29, 2011

RIGHT ON THE EDGE A veteran Buffalo, N.Y. police officer found the handwritten note on the ice along with a brown wallet and a baseball cap with a pen stuck through it. The note was short and to the point, "Please tell my parents I'm sorry." A 48-year-old man in a thin blue jacket, on a cold, ...read more

Tags: Suffering Loneliness

Denomination: Baptist

True Beauty

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 18, 2011

TRUE BEAUTY Carre Otis was once among the world’s top super models for 17 years, beginning her career at the age of 14. To prepare for each photo shoot, she routinely binged and purged, took laxatives and diet pills, and exercised intensely. Being extremely thin made possible a modeling career ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:1-2

Tags: Servanthood

What Is Needed For Joy?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 22, 2011

WHAT IS NEEDED FOR JOY? Max Lucado tells the following story about Robert Reed: "I have everything I need for joy!" Robert Reed said. His hands are twisted and his feet are useless. He can't bathe himself. He can't feed himself. He can't brush his teeth, comb his hair, or put on his underwear. ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:22-24

Tags: Joy

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

To Be Needed

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 8, 2011

TO BE NEEDED Stu Weber, in his book Tender Warrior, includes an article written by a woman. She writes: One day the doorbell rang and there stood my beloved brother. It was a delightful surprise. His work as an executive of an international petroleum company keeps him out of the country most of ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 17:17

Tags: Friendship General

Lucado On Thankfulness

Contributed by Derrick Tuper on Nov 23, 2011

LUCADO ON THANKFULNESS Max Lucado tells about living as an American in Brazil. One day, as he was walking along the street on his way to the University to teach a class, he felt a tug on his pants leg. Turning around, he saw a little boy about 5 or 6 years old with dark beady eyes and a dirty ...read more

Tags: Thanksgiving Holiday

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ