In Sermon Illustrations: "Understandable"

The Guillemot Is A Small Arctic Sea Bird That ...  PRO

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Jul 5, 2008

The guillemot is a small arctic sea bird that lives on the rocky cliffs of northern coastal regions. These birds flock together by the thousands in comparatively small areas. Because of the crowded conditions, hundreds of females lay their pear-shaped eggs side by side on a narrow ledge, in a long ...read more

Tags: God's Omniscience

Denomination: Other

Francis Of Assissi Teaching On Perfect Joy

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 23, 2008

Francis of Assissi teaching on perfect joy: “Perfect joy he taught one of the brothers does not come when their groups succeeds in giving a great example of holiness and edification to all lands. Nor would a great ministry of healing and raising of the dead. Nor would possession of all languages ...read more

Tags: Joy

Do Not Be Ignorant

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Aug 20, 2008

Do Not Be Ignorant Paul opens Chapter 10 by telling the Corinthian Christians to not be ignorant to not be ag-no-eh-o which means the following: The Greek word for "ignorant" - ἀãíïέù, agnoeō, ag-no-eh'-o. Not to know (through lack of information or intelligence); by ...read more

Tags: Ignorance

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Doctrine: Be Like Moses

Contributed by Aubrey Vaughan on Sep 17, 2008

Doctrine: Be Like Moses James Packer writes: "Many of us would agree with Peter when he says that parts of Paul's letters are hard to understand! And there are difficulties and apparent discrepancies in other parts of the Bible too. On this matter of discrepancies, I remember reading something ...read more

Tags: Doctrine

Denomination: Baptist

Roller Coaster-Type Fear

Contributed by Jim Kane on Sep 27, 2008

Roller Coaster-Type Fear Fear comes when our equilibrium is knocked out of whack. When I think such experiences one word comes to mind – roller coasters! It took me a long to time (I was 21) to finally ride a coaster. I was afraid of them. (Not now!) I remember being coaxed on one at Six Flags in ...read more

Tags: Fear And Worry

Denomination: Church Of God

Taylor's Expectant ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 26, 2009

TAYLOR’S EXPECTANT PRAYER When Hudson Taylor went to China, he made the voyage on a sailing vessel. As it neared the channel between the southern Malay Peninsula and the island of Sumatra, the missionary heard an urgent knock on his stateroom door. He opened it, and there stood the captain of the ...read more

Tags: Prayer How To

I Have This Attic Over My House. There Are All ...

Contributed by Russell Brownworth on Feb 26, 2009

I have this attic over my house. There are all sorts of things up there; most of them non-life forms. Among the assorted things I do not understand is a myriad of electrical and mechanical devices. The most evil of those is a disconnect for the two zone heat and air units. It’s a safety device. ...read more

Tags: Restoration

Denomination: United Methodist

Believing Isn't Just Seeing

Contributed by Dennis Marquardt on Oct 18, 2000

BELIEVING ISN'T JUST SEEING A student wrote on a physics exam that he did not believe in the atom, so he did not write a paper on it like instructed. The professor called him up and asked him why he didn’t believe in atoms. The student’s response was, "I have never seen one, and no one else has ...read more

Tags: Doubt

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Jesus Was Not Just Another Rabbi Among Thousands. ...

Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Apr 27, 2009

Jesus was not just another rabbi among thousands. He was unique in so many ways, And here in Matthew’s gospel he reveals his ability to cut through the fog of legalism to give the essence of all law by boiling everything down to its most basic parts. He was able to take the Decalogue (10 ...read more

Tags: Law

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Beginning And Ending

Contributed by Johnny Wilson on Aug 11, 2009

BEGINNING AND ENDING A Connecticut Baptist named A. Roger Williams (a modern pastor, not the one who founded Rhode Island) once preached, "It is true that if religion begins with the individual--it begins, but if it ends with the individual--it ends." [A. Roger Williams, "The Kingdom of God," in ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Denomination: *other

Spurgeon Shown Grace By Fellow Minister

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 30, 2009

Spurgeon Shown Grace by Fellow Minister Charles Spurgeon and Joseph Parker both had churches in London in the 19th century. On one occasion, Parker commented on the poor condition of children admitted to Spurgeon's orphanage. It was reported to Spurgeon however, that Parker had criticized the ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:29-32

Tags: Grace

An Interesting Thing Happened One Day In A ...

Contributed by Davon Huss on Dec 14, 2009

An interesting thing happened one day in a church where the great American businessman Samuel Colgate was a member. During an evangelistic campaign a prostitute came forward and confessed her sins. She was broken-hearted and wept openly. She asked God to save her soul and expressed a desire to join ...read more

Tags: Sin General

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Encouragement Can Change A Life  PRO

Contributed by Jorge Acevedo on Feb 17, 2010

ENCOURAGEMENT CAN CHANGE A LIFE Stuart Briscoe tells a story of something that happened to Howard Hendricks when he was in elementary school. Howard had come from a broken family and was a problem kid. During his first day in fifth grade the teacher said, 'Oh, Howard Hendricks. I've heard a lot ...read more

Tags: Encouragement

Denomination: Baptist

Praying For Wind

Contributed by Donnie Martin on Jun 19, 2010

PRAYING FOR WIND When Hudson Taylor went to China, he made the voyage on a sailing vessel. As it neared the channel between the southern Malay Peninsula and the island of Sumatra, the missionary heard an urgent knock on his stateroom door. He opened it, and there stood the captain of the ship. ...read more

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Baptist

St. Augustine On The Trinity

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Nov 29, 2010

ST. AUGUSTINE ON THE TRINITY One day when St. Augustine was at his wits' end to understand and explain the Trinity, he went out for a walk. He kept turning over in his mind, "One God, but three Persons. Three Persons--not three Gods but one God. What does it mean? How can it be explained? How can ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:3-23

Tags: Trinity

Denomination: Brethren

Wise Men Came From Afar

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Dec 5, 2010

WISE MEN CAME FROM AFAR Most people know that Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, but they really do not understand as much as we think they do. In a small Southern town there was a "Nativity Scene" that showed great skill and talent had gone into creating it. One small feature ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Oswald Chambers On Conviction Of Sin  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 3, 2011

OSWALD CHAMBERS ON CONVICTION OF SIN Oswald Chambers: "Conviction of sin is one of the rarest things that ever strikes a man. It is the threshold of an understanding of God. Jesus Christ said that when the Holy Spirit came He would convict of sin, and when the Holy Spirit rouses the conscience and ...read more

Scripture: John 16:7-11

Tags: Holy Spirit General, Oswald Chambers

What Do You Have To Sing About?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 29, 2012

WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SING ABOUT? Clarence Darrow, the famous atheist lawyer – once took part in a debate at a church in Chicago. In his attack on the Christian faith, he tried to play on the emotions of the black people who were there, and on their social misery. This was the heart of the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:18-25

Tags: Atheism

Five Facts About Valleys

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Apr 17, 2017

God designs valleys for His sheep to grow and sometimes He has to "make us lie down" there to teach us how to trust Him. Here are 5 facts about valleys we need to remember: 1. Valleys are INEVITABLE. Jesus promised valleys would come in this world (John 16:33). 2. Valleys are UNPREDICTABLE. ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 23:1-4

Tags: Character, Tests, Trials, Valleys Of Life

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

When Unity Comes

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Dec 17, 2020

Psalms 133:1 A Song of degrees of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! Ephesians 4:3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 133:1, Ephesians 4:3, Ephesians 4:13

Tags: Unity, Maturity

Denomination: Baptist