In Sermon Illustrations: "Ups And Downs"

Why Did God Become A Man?  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2008

WHY DID GOD BECOME A MAN? Why would the Son of God want to become human? What would possess Him to leave His eternal home to enter this world plagued by pain and sorrow? Why would He give up the worship of angels to endure abuse at the hands of sinful man? Why did God become a man? Max Lucado in ...read more

Tags: Christmas

On Anger

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 11, 2009

ON ANGER The late great writer, Bede Jarrett (1881 - 1937), once wrote: "The world needs anger. The world often continues to allow evil because it isn’t angry enough." The late great Indian political and spiritual leader, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869 - 1948), once said, "Man should forget ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:25-27

Tags: Anger

Common-Ism In The Church  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 16, 2009

COMMON-ISM IN THE CHURCH Years ago I ran across this following definition of the various forms of government. They compared capitalism (the economic model we try to follow in our country) with communism and socialism, and they used a simple illustration to drive their point home. In a capitalist ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:42-48

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Bears, Caps And Bags

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 16, 2009

BEARS, CAPS AND BAGS Two hunters came across a bear so big that they dropped their rifles and ran for cover. One man climbed a tree while the other hid in a nearby cave. The bear was in no hurry to eat, so he sat down between the tree and the cave to reflect upon his good fortune. Suddenly, and ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:6-9

Tags: Hardship Of Life

Servants And Sons

Contributed by Jim Blevins on May 1, 2009

SERVANTS AND SONS Imagine at Mt. Sinai with all the lightning, thunder, smoke and the threat of death to any person or animal that even came close to the mountain, and how the people shuddered with fear as God was soon to speak His commandments. How would it have been if, after God had spoken ...read more

Tags: Arrogance

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Our God Is Still Able

Contributed by Bill Butsko on May 14, 2009

OUR GOD IS STILL ABLE An officer in the first World War gives this account of God’s willingness and ability to save men from shot and shell when they pray. A German machine gun crew had their gun trained on an angle of our trenches where troops frequently passed back and forth and the casualties ...read more

Tags: Prayer Answered

Denomination: Christian Church

Subjective Truths

Contributed by Charles Worth on Aug 7, 2009

SUBJECTIVE TRUTHS The following story actually happened to me in 2005 at a state wide meeting. We had a wonderful time of fellowship the first night, a time of worship and a great message. My spirit was soaring until breakfast on the second day. As I came into the hotel dining room several of my ...read more

Tags: Apologetics The Bible

Denomination: Baptist

Andrew Jackson Needs To ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 12, 2009

ANDREW JACKSON NEEDS TO REPENT I heard about a famous preacher by the name of Peter Cartwright. He became one of the leaders of what we now refer to as the 2nd Great Awakening. Cartwright personally baptized over 12,000 people during his ministry. He was a Circuit rider and spent most of his ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:38

Tags: Revival

J. Wilbur Chapman Meets General Booth Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 28, 2009

J. Wilbur Chapman Meets General Booth of Salvation Army A willingness to obey is the first step toward spiritual understanding John 7:17 Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. When J. Wilbur Chapman was in London, he had an opportunity to meet General ...read more

Scripture: John 7:16-17

Tags: Obedience

Stowell: How People Go Astray  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 28, 2009

STOWELL: HOW PEOPLE GO ASTRAY Dr. Joseph M. Stowell, in his book, Following Christ, asks the question: HOW DO PEOPLE GO SO FAR ASTRAY SPIRITUALLY? The question was prompted when Dr. Stowell read an article given to him from the local paper the about Tom Wilson who died, gunned down as a member ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:12

Tags: Apostasy

Chief Justice Of Supreme Court Humble Enough To ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 17, 2009

Chief Justice of Supreme Court Humble Enough to Stand Next to a Chinese Laundryman As Christians, we are to trust God the Holy Spirit by being completely humble. Let me share a story which gives us a picture of humility; maybe you will see yourself in this story: When Charles Evans Hughes was ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-6

Tags: Humility

Newsman Clarence W. Hall Sees The Impact Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 29, 2009

Newsman Clarence W. Hall Sees the Impact of Missions on Okinawa in 1945 A newsman, named Clarence W. Hall, followed American troops through Okinawa in 1945. He and his jeep driver came upon an Okinawan village that stood out as a beautiful example of a Christian community! The entire village had ...read more

Scripture: John 12:44-46

Tags: Missions

The Longer I Walk With Christ The Uglier My Sin ...

Contributed by Chris Surber on May 9, 2010

The longer I walk with Christ the uglier my sin seems to me. The closer into communion with God I am the more desperately thankful to God I am for having forgiven this broken, brazen, bold, sinner’s heart. It is only when we have been in the light that darkness is well defined. Interestingly ...read more

Tags: Sin Hurtful To God

Denomination: Christian Church

Oscar Greene Learns About Compliance And ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 2, 2010

Oscar Greene Learns About Compliance and Exercising Due Diligence As I start to sit down, now, listen to the story of the African-American Episcopalian lay leader, Oscar Greene, of West Medford, Massachusetts! One day, he was invited to serve as a Bank Director! He was hesitant to accept the ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 20:7

Tags: Christian Values

We Don't Know Her Story

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 22, 2011

WE DON'T KNOW HER STORY They called her their troubled one, or their feisty one. She had wild flyaway hair much like that of a punk rocker, but jet-black. And she was only, at the oldest, a couple of weeks old. So small, she looked as if she could fit in one hand. The ICU nurses all took turns ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 19:13-15

Tags: Prayer Supplication

Looking At The Light

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 6, 2012

LOOKING AT THE LIGHT A pastor told a story of a man in his congregation who had lost literally hundreds of thousands of dollars. He owed everybody. One day the pastor asked him, "How in the world are you even surviving? How can you smile? How can you be enthusiastic about Jesus and about life when ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 19:1-21

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

The Heritage Tree  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 11, 2012

THE HERITAGE TREE The Heritage Tree, Cape Perpetua, Central Oregon coast. This giant spruce is called The Heritage Tree because it stands almost 200 feet tall and because it started to grow as a seedling about the same time Martin Luther was pounding his theses on the church door at Wittenberg. ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:1-2

Tags: Discipleship

Christ Brings Unity

Contributed by David Ward on Aug 15, 2012

CHRIST BRINGS UNITY Every three years InterVarsity Christian Fellowship sponsors the Urbana Conference, a gathering that challenges university students to get involved in world evangelization. About 16,000 students from around the world attended the 2009 conference. After the main session each ...read more

Tags: Unity

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Great Chicago Fire

Contributed by Gene Gregory on Aug 27, 2012

The fire started at about 9 p.m. on Sunday, October 8, in or around a small barn that bordered the alley behind 137 DeKoven Street.[3] The traditional account of the origin of the fire is that it was started by a cow kicking over a lantern in the barn owned by Patrick and Cahterine O’Leary. Michael ...read more

Tags: Tongue

Denomination: Baptist

Peace And The Chicken

Contributed by David Simpson on Jan 15, 2013

PEACE AND THE CHICKEN As you and I well know, there are so many times when the circumstances around us are not peaceful. There is tension and turmoil that is so unsettling. It reminds me of the chicken that fell out of the chicken truck a few years ago. I pulled into the church driveway one ...read more

Tags: Peace

Denomination: Christian Church