In Sermon Illustrations: "Unless You Become Like A Child"

If You Want It Bad Enough

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 10, 2011

IF YOU WANT IT BAD ENOUGH When a person first comes to faith in Christ and gets a taste of His grace, they can’t get enough of the Bible. Pat Summerall, the well-known sports announcer, trusted Christ with his life and overcame alcohol in the late 60’s. As he describes his life with Christ, he ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:2-3

Tags: Growth In Christ

The Problem With Being Retired Is That You ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"The problem with being retired is that you never know what day it is, what time it is, where you're supposed to be, or what you're supposed to be ...read more

Tags: Hardship Of Life

Are You Familiar With Bill Cosby’s ...  PRO

Contributed by Melvin Newland on Feb 14, 2001

ILL. Are you familiar with Bill Cosby’s book, "Time Flies"? In it, Cosby says that something happens to you when you turn 50 years old. When his father turned 50, Cosby says that for the first time he remembers noticing his father’s "love handles," those rolls of fat which develop around your ...read more

Scripture: Romans 13:11-14

Tags: Fulfillment, Money, Temptation General

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Your Grumbling Goes With You

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Jun 15, 2009

YOUR GRUMBLING GOES WITH YOU There was a boy named Grumble Tone who ran away to sea, "I’m sick of things on land," he said, "as sick as I can be; A life upon the bounding wave will suit a lad like me!" The seething ocean billows failed to stimulate his mirth, For he did not like the vessel, nor ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:14-18

Tags: Complaining

Denomination: Other

You Don't Know What You're Talking About!  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 23, 2005

YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT! Rejection comes in all forms. Steven was a young man that felt the call of God on his life. He came from a really close family. He finished his college and then went off to seminary. After finishing seminary he came back before going to his first church. ...read more

Scripture: Mark 6:1-6

Tags: Rejection, Jesus Teachings, Jesus' Ministry, Send

What Are You Looking For?  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 2, 2008

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? A certain man went to Church one Sunday. He frowned when the organist missed a note during the opening hymn. He gave a mean stare at two teenagers talking to each other when the congregation was at prayer. During the Scripture readings, he kept looking impatiently at his ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:21-52

Tags: Weeds, Tares, Church General

I'd Like To Share A Poem I Found. It's Called ...  PRO

Contributed by Pat Cook on May 16, 2005

I’d like to share a poem I found. It’s called “The Perfect Church,” written anonymously. It says: “I think that I shall never see A church that’s all it ought to be; A church that has no empty pews, Whose preacher never has the blues; A church whose deacons always “deke”, And none is proud but ...read more

Tags: Church Purpose Of, Church Body Of Christ

Denomination: Baptist

Where's Your Faith?  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Oct 17, 2003

WHERE'S YOUR FAITH? Television interviewer and journalist Larry King describes three farmers who gather daily in a field during a horrible drought. The men are down on their knees, looking upward, and praying the skies will open and pour forth a much-needed rain. Unfortunately, the heavens are ...read more

Scripture: Luke 11:1-13, Luke 11:1-13

Tags: Faith General, Becoming A Christian, Apologetics General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Silence: Taking Your Soul With You  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 25, 2009

SILENCE: TAKING YOUR SOUL WITH YOU Author Kathleen Norris used to play a game with elementary-school children in which she would make a deal with them. "First you get to make noise," she would bargain, "and then you’ll make silence." The time of noise was always predictably chaotic -- shouting, ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 46:10

Tags: Maturity, Disciplines Silence

Top 10 Ways You Know You’re In A Bad ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 14, 2001

Top 10 Ways You Know You’re In A Bad Church 10. The church bus has gun racks. 9 . The church staff consists of Senior Pastor, Associate Pastor and Socio-pastor. 8. The Bible they use is the "Dr. Seuss Version." 7. There’s an ATM in the lobby. 6. The choir wears leather robes. 5. Worship ...read more

You Cannot Go On Being A Good Egg Forever. You ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 10, 2001

You cannot go on being a good egg forever. You must either hatch or ...read more

Tags: Faith Vs. Works, Apologetics General, Commitment To Christ

Would You Live With Ease? Do What You Ought, And ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 20, 2002

Would you live with ease? Do what you ought, and not what you ...read more

Tags: Christian Disciplines, Money, Workplace

If You Keep Doing What You've Always Done, ...  PRO

Contributed by Don Hawks on Mar 5, 2002

If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve ...read more

Tags: Love Of The Disciples, Church Practices

Denomination: Methodist

When You Read A Book You Have A Desire To Ask The ...  PRO

Contributed by Ed Wood on Jun 5, 2002

When you Read a book you have a desire to ask the author what he meant. The Holy Spirit, the Author of the Bible, is in your heart. When you’re studying the Scriptures and you get into something you don’t understand, you’ve got the privilege of talking to the Author and asking the Holy Spirit to ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Have You Ever Lived Somewhere You Hated? In My ...

Contributed by Robert Leroe on Jul 5, 2002

Have you ever lived somewhere you hated? In my Army days, soldiers often said their favorite assignment was “the last one and the next one.” A ...read more

Tags: Disappointment, Peace

Denomination: Congregational

If You Give What You Do Not Need, It Isn't ...  PRO

Contributed by Jonathan Busch on Oct 28, 2002

"If you give what you do not need, it isn’t ...read more

Tags: Christian Disciplines, Giving General

Denomination: Pentecostal

Does It Shock You When I Tell You, That According ...  PRO

Contributed by Douglas Sherwood on Aug 9, 2003

Does it shock you when I tell you, that according to Barna Research, only 6% of those in America who claim to be born again ...read more

Tags: Giving General

Denomination: Nazarene

If You've Ever Bought A Used Car, You Have ...  PRO

Contributed by Peter Schmidt on Mar 23, 2004

If you’ve ever bought a used car, you have illustrated this truth. Someone got rid of that car for whatever reason: they got a new one, they wanted something bigger, or they simply just got tired of it. But that old car that they wanted to get rid of was just what you were looking for. It was trash ...read more

Tags: Jesus Christ

Denomination: Lutheran

When You Were Growing Up, Do You Remember The ...  PRO

Contributed by Robbie Shivar on Jun 4, 2004

When you were growing up, do you remember the phrase "Do-Over" that was often used during playtime? It would happen during a game of kick ball. The kicker would wallop the ball into the air over toward the trees. The ball would then bounce it way down through the branch and then get stuck. The ...read more

Scripture: John 21:12-19

Tags: God's Provision

Denomination: Baptist

Obedience Doesn't Allow You To Decide What You ...

Contributed by Stephan Brown on Nov 16, 2004

Obedience doesn’t allow you to decide what you will and won’t obey. The Words of Christ are not suggestions or advice: ...read more

Tags: Lordship Of Christ, Faith

Denomination: Assembly Of God