In Sermon Illustrations: "Understand"

Each Day The Young Pastor Stopped At A ...  PRO

Contributed by Kenneth Squires on Jul 19, 2004

Each day the young pastor stopped at a deli-market for fruit juice on the way to work. Each day, with kindness in his voice, he greeted the man behind the counter, a middle-eastern man with Islamic beliefs. On many occasions the young pastor shared his faith in Jesus Christ with the man behind the ...read more

Tags: Ritual, Confession Of Sin

Denomination: Pentecostal

The Circumstances Of Life Often Speak To Us Like ...  PRO

Contributed by Dave Mcfadden on Oct 20, 2004

The circumstances of life often speak to us like Lucy one day spoke to Charlie Brown. Lucy said to Charlie Brown "Sometimes, I feel we are not communicating: You, Charlie Brown, are afoul ball in the line drive of life. You’re often in the shadow of your own goal post you’re a miscue. You ‘re 3 ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:46-52

Tags: Faith General, Entering Heaven

Denomination: Baptist

Many Of These Rules For Evaluating The Behavior ...

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Dec 8, 2004

Many of these rules for evaluating the behavior and social skills of children in public schools are exemplery for how Christians should behave in the church family: Caring Cooperative Respectful Classroom • Being inclusive • Thoughfful, kind• Recognize feelings• Understand others’ feelings • ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Denomination: Independent/Bible

On April 20th Of This Year ...  PRO

Contributed by Larry Sarver on May 10, 2001

Illustration: On April 20th of this year Missionary Veronica ``Roni’’ Bowers, 35, and her 7-month-old daughter, Charity, seated in her lap, were killed by a single bullet when the jet fired on the Cessna plane they were riding in. The Peruvian Air-force had shot at the plane because it mistakenly ...read more

Tags: God's Sovereign Will, Human Body, Emotions

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Only Survivor Of A Shipwreck Was Washed Up On ...  PRO

Contributed by Mary Lewis on Sep 19, 2001

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. He eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and ...read more

Tags: Faith, God In The Hardships, God's Omniscience

Denomination: Baptist

God's Other Names  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 20, 2001

GOD'S OTHER NAMES A mother walked by her young son’s room one night and heard him praying, "Andy, please forgive me for my sins". This worried the mother; so she asked her son why was he praying to "Andy", not God. The son responded, "I was praying to God, Andy is his nickname." This really ...read more

Tags: Children, Prayer General, Prayer How To

The New Dishwasher  PRO

Contributed by David Dewitt on Dec 12, 2001

THE NEW DISHWASHER In the fourth year of his layoff from his job, Dad gave Mom a dishwasher for Christmas. You have to understand the magnitude of the gift: Our old house had its original wiring and plumbing, and neither could handle the required installation. There was no spot in the ...read more

Tags: Christian Love, Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Church Of God

A Traveling Salesman Who Was In A Terrible Rush, ...  PRO

Contributed by Byron Sherman on Jan 16, 2002

A traveling salesman who was in a terrible rush, drove up to the only bridge across a wide but lazy river. The bridge had been washed out by a recent storm & the water was murky. The salesman stoppped his 4X4 at the water’s edge & noticed a local(a very short man) sitting on the bank perched upon ...read more

Tags: Descriptions Of God, God's Omniscience

Denomination: Baptist

Don Richardson Was A Missionary To The ...  PRO

Contributed by David Yarbrough on Feb 11, 2002

: Don Richardson was a missionary to the cannibalistic, headhunting Sawi tribe of Irian Jaya, Indonesia. Try as he would, he could not find a way to make the people understand the gospel message, especially the significance of Christ’s atoning death on the cross. Sawi villages were constantly ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:11-21, Genesis 37:1-36

Tags: God Brings Hope, Forgiveness In Jesus

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Martin Moore-Ede, In His Book Twenty-Four Hour ...  PRO

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on May 7, 2007

Martin Moore-Ede, in his book Twenty-Four Hour Society: Understanding Human Limits in a World That Never Stops, says, “Our most notorious industrial accidents in recent years — Exxon Valdez, Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, the fatal navigational error of Korean Air Lines 007 — all occurred in the ...read more

Denomination: Methodist

However, Gordon Macdonald Has Provided A Very ...

Contributed by Jim Kane on May 17, 2007

However, Gordon MacDonald has provided a very clear set of descriptors in understanding what it means to fully follow the Lord. (10A) The first descriptor is spectator. MacDonald notes that there many spectators around Jesus because they were curious about what He had to say and offer. They were ...read more

Denomination: Church Of God

A Father Was Having A Particularly Stressful Day ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

A father was having a particularly stressful day at work. So, he decided to take off work a few hours early to watch his son play soccer. His son’s team was made up of boys and girls who were still trying to learn how to play. After a few minutes, the coach blew the whistle and called the players ...read more

Tags: God Brings Purpose

Responding To A Survey That Showed That ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Responding to a survey that showed that Alabamans had the most bible knowledge, but being dismayed at the general lack thereof, Cecil R. Taylor, dean of the School of Christian Studies at the Southern Baptist-affiliated University of Mobile, said it upsets him to know “how biblically illiterate ...read more

Tags: Second Coming

It's Interesting How We Share Faith. We All Have ...

Contributed by Anne Benefield on Jan 24, 2008

It’s interesting how we share faith. We all have our own way based on our own abilities. I have always been impressed with those who can quote the appropriate scripture in times of crisis. My sister, Jean, can do that. My pastor in San Antonio, Texas, could do that. I just can’t do that. I’m ...read more

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Too Busy To Love

Contributed by Bill Butsko on Jul 21, 2008

TOO BUSY TO LOVE A father and his young daughter were great friends and much in each other's company. Then the father noted a change in his daughter. If he went for a walk, she excused herself from going. He grieved about it, but could not understand. When his birthday came, she presented him ...read more

Tags: Discipleship

Denomination: Christian Church

The Tough Questions

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Sep 11, 2008

The Tough Questions Sandy Perry wrote me on Aug. 15, 2008: Today's paper had an article about the decision of Hope Presybterian to host a tribute to Isaac Hayes. Christians were opposed to the idea of hosting a tribute to a prominent, active Scientologist. One of my coworkers mentioned that all ...read more

Tags: Evangelism How To

Denomination: Pentecostal

Love As Evangelism

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 9, 2008

Love as Evangelism When Henry Stanley went out in 1871 and found Dr. Livingstone, (remember: "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?") he spent some months in his company, but Livingstone never spoke to Stanley about spiritual things. Throughout those months Stanley just watched the old man. Livingstone’s ...read more

Tags: Evangelism The Lost

You Didn't Get Him From Here

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 13, 2009

"YOU DIDN’T GET HIM FROM HERE" One Sunday morning a stranger wandered into a small country church in the middle of the sermon. The man was unkempt and dirty. The usher tried his best to seat him off in a far corner, but instead the man walked to the very first pew and sat directly in front of the ...read more

Tags: Church Purpose Of

Does He Show?  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 17, 2009

DOES HE SHOW? One Sunday as they drove home from church, a little girl turned to her mother and said, "Mommy, there’s something about the preacher’s message this morning that I don’t understand." The mother said, "Oh? What is it?" The little girl replied, "Well, he said that God is bigger than ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 2:20

Tags: Christian Witness

The Noted Historian And Oxford Professor Thomas ...

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Apr 13, 2009

The noted historian and Oxford professor Thomas Arnold wrote: "The evidence for our Lord’s life and death and resurrection may be, and often has been, shown to be satisfactory; it is good according to the common rules for distinguishing good evidence from bad. Thousands and tens of thousands of ...read more

Tags: Easter Resurrection

Denomination: Other