In Sermon Illustrations: "Unknown People"

Pavarotti's Grandmother

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 8, 2011

PAVAROTTI'S GRANDMOTHER Luciano Pavarotti, the famous opera star, almost missed his calling. As a young man, he taught elementary school and sang only occasionally. But several people made the difference for him. One was his grandmother who, when he was a boy, would hold him in her lap and say, ...read more

Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 1:3-4

Tags: Encouragement

Good God, Good News

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Oct 3, 2011

GOOD GOD, GOOD NEWS Promoting his recent book "Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived", Rob Bell asked these questions: "How could that God (who condemns people to eternal punishment) ever be good? How could that ever be good news?" Well, let’s ask the ...read more

Tags: Hell

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Know Why You Worship As You Do  PRO

Contributed by Tim White on Dec 5, 2011

KNOW WHY YOU WORSHIP AS YOU DO Why would some people buy a cat and tie it to the bedpost to show their reverence to God? Many years ago, a very poor holy man lived in a remote part of China. Every day before his time of meditation, in order to show his devotion, he put a dish of butter up on the ...read more

Tags: Worship General

Denomination: Baptist

Roosevelt's Grandmother

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Jan 24, 2012

ROOSEVELT'S GRANDMOTHER I like the story I read about US President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Apparently President Roosevelt got tired of the same inane small talk and smiles that he had to put up with at the innumerable White House receptions that he attended. So, one evening he decided to find out ...read more

Tags: Murder

Denomination: Anglican

Wearing 30,000 Bibles

Contributed by Chuck Sligh on Feb 26, 2012

WEARING 30,000 BIBLES Years ago a missionary returned to England for a brief furlough after many years of faithful service in India. He was invited to a dinner at a great summer resort where he met many women of prominence and position. After dinner he went to his room and penned a ...read more

Tags: Missions

Denomination: Baptist

He Knows About Me

Contributed by Tim White on Apr 2, 2012

HE KNOWS ABOUT ME When I was talking with another counselor once, he asked if he could take me through an exercise that he uses to help people struggling with assurance or attaining victory, and/or were stalled in Christian growth. He had me close my eyes and imagine that Jesus Christ walks into ...read more

Tags: Guilt

Denomination: Baptist

Faithful Unto Death

Contributed by Mark Stepherson on May 29, 2012

FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH When Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, the city was buried for 1700 years. When it was rediscovered, artifacts left a detailed picture of what was happening in the city at the time. For example, archeologists could identify the time by the clothes people were wearing, the produce ...read more

Tags: Obedience

Denomination: Baptist

What Commitment?

Contributed by Tim Smith on Jul 1, 2012

WHAT COMMITMENT? When I was in my first year of ministry, I walked into our District preachers meeting at the same time as Bobbie Potter, who was pastor of Munholland UMC in Old Metairie. He asked if I preach last Sunday which I did. Then he asked, "What did you ask them to commit to?" I said I ...read more

Tags: Worship General

Denomination: Methodist

10,000 Hours

Contributed by Hal Seed on Nov 9, 2012

10,000 HOURS Author Malcolm Gladwell found that the one thing that made people better at whatever it was they were working on was the time they spent with that thing or activity or pursuit. In a study of college music majors, he found that those who had put in a 4 to 6 thousand hours on their ...read more

Tags: Bible Study

Denomination: Baptist

Death

Contributed by Jeffrey Rowe on Dec 29, 2012

In Psalm 23, death is described as casting a shadow. Let’s look at that for a moment. Have you ever been enjoying a nice sunny day when all of a sudden a dark cloud hides the sun? All of a sudden you’re in this shadow! What does the shadow do? It hides the light. It makes it more difficult to ...read more

Tags: Death

Denomination: Holiness

Critics

Contributed by David Simpson on Jan 18, 2013

If there is one glaring fault in my ministry, it has been to allow others to blur my vision and that of the church. To take away any enthusiasm and joy. No matter what you do in life, you are going to have critics. The only people who don’t hear criticism are the ones not doing anything. Paul ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:29

Tags: Discouragement, Complaining

Denomination: Christian Church

Where Are The Happiest Kids?

Contributed by Ed Sasnett on Feb 7, 2013

WHERE ARE THE HAPPIEST KIDS? Where do the happiest kids in the world live? A study released in 2012 titled "The New Definition of Childhood" produced by an agency headquartered in Chicago found that the happiest kids in the world live in Mexico--despite its many social ills and widespread ...read more

Tags: Happiness

Denomination: Baptist

Riches Are A Mess  PRO

Contributed by Davon Huss on Oct 8, 2013

RICHES ARE A MESS John Alexander-- "Consider this paraphrase: You think it’s good to be rich? Well, you’re wrong. Riches are a mess. It’s you poor who are fortunate. You think it’s good to be well fed now? You’re wrong. You’d be better off hungry. You think you should pursue laughter? ...read more

Scripture: Luke 6:20-26, James 5:1-6

Tags: Hungry, Poor, Popularity, Mourner

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Power Of Snowflakes  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 20, 2014

THE POWER OF SNOWFLAKES We can learn great lessons of unity and its power simply by observing the nature. For example a single snow flake that looks beautiful and innocent. If it remains on its own it can easily fly away or quickly melt away. On it's own it does no harm and poses no threat to any ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 11:1-9, Luke 10:38-42, Ephesians 4:13-14

Tags: Power, Unity, Power Of Unity

The Two Upper Rooms

Contributed by Davon Huss on Apr 24, 2014

In his book Life Looks Up, Charles Templeton remarks how ironic it is that the course of human history has been affected so positively and negatively by events that have occurred in two small upper rooms. One of them is a drab apartment in London's Westside, dirty, curtain less, with stacks of ...read more

Scripture: Mark 14:22-28

Tags: Last Supper, Lord's Supper, Upper Room

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Body Of Christ Is Not Divided  PRO

Contributed by Silas Eke on Feb 26, 2015

A Baptist Pastor had a dream and found himself fully dressed with a Bible in hand at the gate of heaven. As he was about to enter, he heard so many people crying and wailing in hell. He went to the gate and met the gate-keeper. He asked the gate-keeper “Who are those crying? Is there a Baptist ...read more

Tags: Denominationalism, Unity In Christ

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I Was Driving Home One Sunday From Trinity Of...

Contributed by Tim Smith on May 28, 2015

I was driving home one Sunday from Trinity of Gentilly, where I was serving. I was on Napolean headed toward the river and had just passed Pascale Manales when I saw Covenant Presbyterian Church at the corner of St. Charles Ave. I then had a vision of younger families in the Uptown and Garden ...read more

Scripture: Acts 16:1-10

Tags: Holy Spirit, God's Guidance, Visions

Denomination: Methodist

Tithe And Offiering

Contributed by Rev. Vinod Rasaily on Oct 19, 2016

"I also learned that the portions assigned to the Levites had not been given to them, and that all the Levites and musicians responsible for the service had gone back to their own fields." Nehemiah 3:10 The Pastors and Worship team of Jerusalem Church were no where to be found. The reason? They ...read more

Scripture: Nehemiah 3:10-13

Tags: Tithes And Offering, Giving In Love, Support Mission, Financial Support

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Letters To The Pastor From Kids

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Apr 18, 2017

LETTERS TO THE PASTOR FROM KIDS: Dear Pastor, I would like to go to heaven someday because I know my brother won’t be there. Stephen. Age 8 Dear Pastor, I know God loves everybody but He never met my sister. Yours sincerely, Arnold. Age 7 Dear Pastor, I think a lot more ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:1-4

Tags: Kids, Pastors, Funny Questions

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Jesus Road A Donkey

Contributed by Barry O Johnson on Jun 25, 2018

Whenever a city was conquered in the ancient world, the type of animal the victorious king would ride as he entered a defeated town would make all the difference in the world to the people. If he was seated on a horse, the city was doomed; it was a sign that he had come in war, riding his ...read more

Tags: Horse, Justified, Enemies, Life, Reconciliation, Conquer, Donkey, King, Saved, Death, Afraid, Forgiveness, Jesus, Peace  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational