In Sermon Illustrations: "Used For Good"

It’s All ...

Contributed by Donnie Martin on Jul 7, 2010

It’s All Mine George W. Truett, a well-known pastor, was invited to dinner in the home of a very wealthy man in Texas. After the meal, the host led him to a place where they could get a good view of the surrounding area. Pointing to the oil wells punctuating the landscape, he boasted, “Twenty-five ...read more

Tags: Possession

Denomination: Baptist

Not Raising Grass But Kids

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 6, 2010

NOT RAISING GRASS BUT KIDS Dr. Tony Evans talks about a major league baseball superstar's recollection of his boyhood home. He, his friends, and his father played baseball quite often in their backyard. As a result, the grass had really taken a beating. It didn't look good anymore, unless you were ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:1-4

Tags: Father's Day

Active Vs. Passive Hardening Of The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 13, 2010

ACTIVE VS. PASSIVE HARDENING OF THE HEART We have to distinguish between active hardening and passive hardening (of the heart). What we have in this verse is an example of God’s punitive judgment against a wicked man. Pharaoh was already wicked. Pharaoh already had an evil heart, out of which came ...read more

Scripture: Romans 1:24-28

Tags: Hard Heart, Sin General

Paul Tournier On Persisting In Prayer

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 13, 2011

PAUL TOURNIER ON PERSISTING IN PRAYER Paul Tournier, the great psychiatrist and Christian counselor, tells in one his essays about the first time he tried to pray for a solid hour. He says that he set his watch on the table and began to pray, and after what he thought was a good while, checked the ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:18

Tags: Prayer Persistence

Be Like Mike...?  PRO

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Jun 2, 2011

BE LIKE MIKE...? Gary Thomas, in his book Authentic Faith, describes a friend of his named Mike. He met Mike when he went to college. Mike was a leader among students. He had everything: a contagious personality, athletic ability, good looks, and natural appeal. And everybody wanted to be around ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 24:10-14

Tags: Christian Witness

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

King Henry Ii's Anger

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Jun 10, 2011

KING HENRY II'S ANGER King Henry II of England, back in around 1200, had a lot of power. He put an end to a long and bloody civil war, and ruled both England and a large chunk of France for many years. He was so famous that a movie was made about him, about 25 yrs ago, starring Richard Burton and ...read more

Tags: Anger

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Bill Hybels: Why People Are Lonely

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 14, 2011

BILL HYBELS: WHY PEOPLE ARE LONELY Why do we have a sense of loneliness today? Bill Hybels explains it this way: "It is a "me-first” mind-set. This mind-set says indulge yourself, fulfill your desires, satiate your appetites, pursue pleasure, take off all restraints. As much as we might want to ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:3-8

Tags: Servanthood

Tree Toppers  PRO

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Dec 19, 2011

TREE TOPPERS I visited a blog that was selling some of these tree toppers and the variety astounded me: Some were wintery decorations. Things like: * Snowmen * Ginger bread men * Spires that looked like the steeples of a Russian church buildings. Then, there were some peculiar decorations ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Message To Baylor Students

Contributed by Rodelio Mallari on Jan 10, 2012

MESSAGE TO BAYLOR STUDENTS Dr. Samuel Palmer Brooks was president of Baylor University in Texas from 1902 until his death in 1931. On his deathbed he wrote a message to the senior class of 1931 which has become immortal to the students of Baylor. "I stand on the border of mortal life but I face ...read more

Tags: Hardship Of Life

Denomination: *other

John Newton's Self-Assessment  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 4, 2012

JOHN NEWTON'S SELF-ASSESSMENT Two or three years before the death of John Newton (former slave ship captain and eventual author of the song, "Amazing Grace"), when his sight was so dim that he was no longer able to read, a friend and brother in the ministry called to have breakfast with him. ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 1:12-17

Tags: Grace

Love Your Enemies  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 22, 2012

LOVE YOUR ENEMIES An Armenian nurse had been held captive along with her brother by the Turks. Her brother was slain by a Turkish soldier before her eyes. Somehow she escaped and later became a nurse in a military hospital. One day she was stunned to find that the same man who had killed her ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:38-48

Tags: Christian Witness

If He Had Different Gods  PRO

Contributed by Perry Greene on Jul 1, 2013

IF HE HAD DIFFERENT GODS James Michener, writing in his book, The Source, tells the story of a man named Urbaal, who, was a farmer living about 2200 B.C. He worshiped two gods, one a god of death, the other a goddess of fertility. One day, the temple priests tell Urbaal to bring his young son to ...read more

Scripture: Numbers 25:1-18

Tags: Idol, Other Gods

Denomination: Independent/Bible

I'm That Clown!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Mar 1, 2016

I’M THAT CLOWN It is said that in a great city there was a physician famous for his wisdom. A man came to him one day and said, "Doctor, I want you to see what is wrong with me." The doctor checked him over and said, "Your heart is all right. Your lungs are all right. Your blood pressure is ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:1-12

Tags: Happiness, Joy, Emptiness

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

When You Have Nothing Left But God, Then Fgod Is Enough

Contributed by Tim Smith on Aug 13, 2017

Pastor Norm Johnson tells the story of Bill who was gravely ill in the hospital. Norm was visiting him when the doctor came in and point blank said, “Bill, you're dead. There’s no hope. You’d better get your things in order.” Just that bluntly, no hope, no comfort, no, “How are you doing?” After ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-10

Tags: Hope, God Is Enough

Denomination: Methodist

Rescue

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Oct 16, 2018

I am really struck by the lyrics of Lauren Daigle’s recent song “Rescue.” The singer is speaking from God’s perspective and says: “I hear the whisper underneath your breath I hear you whisper, you have nothing left I will send out an army to find you In the middle of the darkest night It’s true, ...read more

Scripture: Romans 3:23

Tags: Salvation, Rescue

Denomination: Baptist

He's Back

Contributed by Paul Steen on Dec 24, 2018

A woman looked out of her window and saw her German shepherd shaking the life out of her neighbor's rabbit. Her family did not get along well with these neighbors so this was going to be a disaster. She grabbed a broom and pummeled the dog until he dropped the rabbit. Then she panicked. The ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:5, Hebrews 13:20

Tags: Confidence, Return, Dead, Expectations, Disappoint, Death, Glory, Hope  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

Here's A Funny New Approach To Evangelism!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Apr 10, 2022

There was a barber that thought that he should share his faith with his customers more than he had been doing lately. So. the next morning when the sun came up and the barber got up out of bed he said, "Today I am going to witness to the first man that walks through my door." Soon after ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:8

Tags: Sermon Intro, Barbers, Evangelism, Gospel, Humor, Witnessing  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Remembering Our Heavenly Connection

Contributed by Jung Lee on Jan 19, 2024

In one of the YouTube videos, Neil deGrasse Tyson shares his observation that humans, unlike most animals, sleep on their backs, naturally facing the sky. This position may have fostered a deep connection with the heavens. However, from a Christian perspective, this curiosity and upward gaze might ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 1:16-18

Tags: Celestial Connection, Spiritual, Genesis, Creation, Adam And Eve, Remembrance, Night Sky  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Struggling With God?

Contributed by Andrew Moffatt on Jun 17, 2024

Here is a wee question, is struggling with God a bad thing? Where is a person's character developed? Did the saints of God become saints before or without struggling with God, without responding to those things in the scriptures or the words of Jesus that offended them, before they repented of ...read more

Tags: Faith, Fear, Holy Spirit, Pentecost, Abraham, Disciples, Becoming The Church, Journey, Jacob, Isaac, Struggling, The Upper Room, Character Development  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Salvation Army

Come With Me For A Moment. Come With Me As We ...  PRO

Contributed by Gene Gregory on Mar 13, 2008

Come with me for a moment. Come with me as we leave here and drive down Elizabeth Street. At the end of Elizabeth Street, you take a left on Debary Ave. Drive on Debary Ave. until to reach Providence and take a left. Drive down Providence until you reach Saxon. Take a right on Saxon and drive ...read more

Denomination: Baptist