In Sermon Illustrations: "Two Destinies"

The Holmes Brothers On Pride

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Sep 2, 2012

THE HOLMES BROTHERS ON PRIDE The brilliant physician and writer Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., and his brother John represent two radically different views on the subject of flattery. Dr. Holmes loved to collect compliments, and when he was older he indulged his pastime by saying to someone who had ...read more

Tags: Pride

Denomination: Brethren

Very Few Things Take Away The Power Of Someone As ...

Contributed by Kevin Barron on Dec 30, 2012

Very few things take away the power of someone as much as being ridiculed. In Von Ryan’s Express by David Westheimer, they do it by burning their clothes. The book is an account of Allied prisoners during World War Two. One of the trials of prison camp is that their Italian guards will not give ...read more

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Denomination: Methodist

Everything We Need

Contributed by Sylvester Fergusson on Jan 22, 2013

EVERYTHING WE NEED The story is told about an American company which opened a new plant in Central America because the labour was plentiful and inexpensive. Everything went well until the villagers received their first pay cheque; afterward they did not return to work. Several days later the ...read more

Tags: Change

Denomination: Adventist

The Only Sunlight They See

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Feb 4, 2013

THE ONLY SUNLIGHT THEY SEE Two orphaned brothers stay in a slum district of New York City. One of them is crippled and hardly leaves the room. The older brother has to take care of him and buys him food. His younger brother lamented one day that he has not seen the sunlight for a long time. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:14

Tags: Evangelism, Witness, Evangelism How To, Light Bearers

Denomination: Independent/Bible

A Woman Sees A Father Shopping With A Fussy ...  PRO

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Jun 3, 2013

A woman sees a father shopping with a fussy two-year-old in his grocery cart. “Be patient, Billy,” he whispers. “You can handle this, Billy. It’s okay, Billy.” The woman said to him, “I don’t mean to interrupt your shopping, but I just had to tell you how wonderfully loving and patient you are ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:22-33, Genesis 15:1-6

Tags: Holy Spirit In Believers

Denomination: Baptist

Daddy Has All Of Me

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 28, 2014

DADDY HAS ALL OF ME! Alan Redpath had two daughters who loved to swarm him as soon as he came home at night. As he came in the door one evening, his little girls ran to be the first to hug Daddy. One grabbed his leg and hugged him with all of her might. He snatched the other daughter up in his ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:20-23

Tags: Consecration, Worship, Commitment, Surrender

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Audrey Hepburn's Beauty Tips

Contributed by Perry Greene on Aug 18, 2014

Below is a wonderful poem Audrey Hepburn wrote when asked to share her ’beauty tips.’ It was read at her funeral years later. For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. For ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:8-9

Tags: Beauty, Hands, Inner Beauty

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Real Story Of Unequally Yoked.  PRO

Contributed by Davon Huss on Jan 31, 2015

David Slagle, a minister at a small church in Atlanta, tells the story of a woman in her late 20’s. The woman had befriended a man living in her apartment complex. Slagle and his wife asked whether the two were dating. The man in question was a known atheist. The young woman answered, “No, I’m ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:1-10

Tags: Marriage, Premarital, Unequally Yoked, Pre-Marital Counsel

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Conformity

Contributed by Don Berry-Graham on Feb 29, 2016

I first noticed this in leading people to Christ. They were beautiful before they were “church broke.” Great young converts often start out as radiant Christians and end up only as carbon-copy Baptists. Great young ministers start out as adorable mavericks, but after a business meeting or two and a ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:1-2, Romans 12:2-5

Tags: Conformity, Accepting

Denomination: Baptist

From Atheism To Ben Hur

Contributed by Garris Hudson on May 19, 2016

FROM ATHEISM TO BEN HUR "After six years given to the impartial investigation of Christianity as to its truth or falsity, I have come to the deliberate conclusion that Jesus Christ was the Messiah of the Jews, the Savior of the world and my own personal Redeemer." -- General Lew Wallace, one-time ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 18:1

Tags: Conversion, Testimony, Jesus Christ, Atheism

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Where Adam Used To Live

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Apr 18, 2017

Adam and his two sons, Cain and Abel, were out hunting one day when Adam turned and started staring at something beautiful afar off. It was the Garden of Eden. Then Adam broke down and starting weeping. The boys didn’t understand. Finally, Abel asked his father, "Dad, why are you crying over ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:12

Tags: Marriage, Sin, Adam And Eve, Garden Of Eden

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

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

Billy Graham's Great Regret

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Dec 2, 2020

Billy Graham was once asked, "If you had to live your life over again, what would you do differently?" He answered: “One of my great regrets is that I have not studied enough, I wish I had studied more and preached less. People have pressured me into speaking to groups when I should ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Timothy 2:15

Tags: Bible, Scripture, Bible Study, Word Of God, Pastors, Sermon Preparation  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Monkey Reading The Bible

Contributed by John Bright on Jan 17, 2021

One day the zoo-keeper noticed that the monkey was reading two books - the Bible and Darwin's The Origin of Species. In surprise he asked the ape, "Why are you reading both those books"? "Well," said the monkey, "I just wanted to know if I was my brother's keeper ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 1:25

Tags: Evolution, Darwin

Denomination: Methodist

The Sad Story Of Stephen Foster

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Feb 1, 2021

One cold January morning in 1864 a man was found lying in a heap in the seedy Bowery section of New York, bleeding from a slashed throat. He had staggered to a wash basin, which fell and shattered. A doctor at the scene used black sewing thread somebody found to suture the wound. The man—an almost ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:10

Tags: Depression, Loneliness, Alcholism, Homelessness, Drugs  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Conditional Promise

Contributed by John Bright on Mar 4, 2025

This is the beginning of that story where God tells them what they needed to do: 1 – Kill the Passover lamb 2 – Collect the blood in a bowl 3 – Put the blood on the two sides and top of the door The result would be what God promised to do – pass over their houses with the final plague of the death ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 12:21-28

Tags: Passover, Conditional Promise

Denomination: Methodist

The House God Moved

Contributed by David Dunn on Nov 12, 2025

The story of that little church in Swan Quarter, North Carolina, still stirs my heart. In 1874 the congregation built a modest wooden building, but the land they truly wanted had been refused by its owner. Two years later a storm struck the town, the kind of storm that tears apart homes and ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 3:7-8, Psalm 127:1

Tags: Guidance, Providence

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Push Or Pull

Contributed by David Dunn on Jan 26, 2026

Two people were trying to move a heavy piece of office furniture—a large cabinet—from one room into another. It was solid, awkward, and just wide enough to be a problem. They managed to get it to the doorway, and then everything stopped. They strained. They pushed harder. They adjusted their ...read more

Scripture: Romans 15:1-2

Tags: Fellowship, Unity

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

You Be The Judge?  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 10, 2002

YOU BE THE JUDGE? "A money belt is one thing you just can’t do without," my friend told me. ’Make sure you take travelers’ checks with you and maybe a few twenties, and tuck them in your money belt before you leave. And don’t ... DON’T go pawing through your money when you’re out on ...read more

Scripture: Luke 21:1-4

Tags: Character, Disease, Compassion, Faith, Leprosy, Obedience  (view more)  (view less)

Elizabeth Griscom: Freedom Creates Courage  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 13, 2009

ELIZABETH GRISCOM: FREEDOM CREATES COURAGE On January 1, 1752, Samuel and Rebecca Griscom gave birth to a baby girl they named Elizabeth. Elizabeth grew up a Quaker in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After completing her formal education, Elizabeth went on to work as an apprentice to John Webster, a ...read more

Scripture: Luke 4:18-19

Tags: Independence Day