In Sermon Illustrations: "Useful Earthern Pot"

It Shows You What You Don't Know

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Jun 15, 2010

IT SHOWS YOU WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW Robert Phillips (Biblical Preaching Journal/Winter 1994, wrote of his first college course in chemistry. His first exam came after one week. Of the twelve in the class 6 got "D's" and six failed. The professor told them, "I did not give you this test so that you ...read more

Tags: Judgment

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Would You Become A Dog?

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Dec 30, 2010

WOULD YOU BECOME A DOG? C. S. Lewis: “Lying at your feet is your dog. Imagine, for the moment, that your dog and every dog is in deep distress. Some of us love dogs very much. If it would help all the dogs in the world to become like men, would you be willing to become a dog? Would you put down ...read more

Tags: Jesus Christ

Denomination: Brethren

Hope Is

Contributed by Jason Bonnicksen on Apr 25, 2011

HOPE IS Hope is faith in the immutable promise that miracles prevail when the darkness tries to win-out with cries of despair. Hope is a gift from God that helps us yearn, and live a life that believes and moves with the pledge of a better tomorrow. And what’s more, hope springs-forth ...read more

Tags: Easter Resurrection

Denomination: Lutheran

Room On The Prayer List

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Jul 2, 2011

ROOM ON THE PRAYER LIST Readers’ Digest Magazine contains the story of an employee who confided in a co-worker: "I told her about a problem in our office and my fear that I would lose my job. She was concerned and said she would pray for me. I know she keeps a list of 10 people she believes need ...read more

Tags: Intercession

Denomination: Brethren

Achieving Virtue

Contributed by Michael Walther on Jul 4, 2011

ACHIEVING VIRTUE The word "virtue" is taken from the Latin word virtus and actually means "strength" or "manliness." So you see that the real strength of this life is found by successfully winning the inner war of faith. It is because of weakness that we are ruled by passions and controlled by ...read more

Tags: Sanctification

Denomination: Lutheran

Phobias Into Faith

Contributed by Brad Henry on Aug 5, 2011

PHOBIAS INTO FAITH As most of you have read in my past e mails I hate to camp. I hate the dark. I hate spiders and you show me a snake I am finished. But the Lord has used all these phobias for me to put my faith into practice. If we had everything we ever needed we wouldn’t need God. Left to ...read more

Tags: Fear And Worry

The Reverend And The Rose

Contributed by Larry Wilson on Aug 30, 2011

THE REVEREND AND THE ROSE Rev. Jerry Parnell, pastor of the Canaan Baptist Church of Anderson, South Carolina, will often conclude one of his sermons with an illustration using a live rose. He tells how that God gives us a fresh flowing in life, but that over the course of time we make bad ...read more

Tags: Grace

Denomination: Baptist

Trespasses And Debts  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 31, 2011

TRESPASSES AND DEBTS The story is told of two congregations that were located only a few blocks from each other in a small community. They thought it might be better if they would merge and become one united, larger, and more effective body rather than two struggling churches. Good idea ... but ...read more

Scripture: Romans 15:1-7

Tags: Divisions

Destiny Around The Corner

Contributed by Kevin Taylor on Sep 10, 2011

DESTINY AROUND THE CORNER Sometimes emergency intersects with the anointing! God can use the most humble servant to speak some great directions into our lives. God sometimes puts very big messages in very little packages. Samuel spoke into Saul’s life because he heeded the word of his servant ...read more

Tags: Opportunity

Gluttony Pants

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 8, 2011

GLUTTONY PANTS Chef Chris Cosentino, Food Network star and executive chef at Incanto restaurant in San Francisco, has created the Gluttony Pants for those of us who occasionally indulge and engorge without the post-meal awkwardness. The pants have three buttons, allowing you to expand the pants' ...read more

Tags: Sin General

Denomination: Methodist

Pouring Out Like Sweat  PRO

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 8, 2011

POURING OUT LIKE SWEAT Several years ago, Gatorade had an ad with Michael Jordan where he was covered in orange drops of sweat. The image says clearly that Michael Jordan is so full of Gatorade that it is literally pouring out of him like sweat. That’s an appropriate image of the Holy Spirit in ...read more

Scripture: John 14:15-24

Tags: Holy Spirit In Believers

Denomination: Methodist

Allow The Word To Disturb You  PRO

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Nov 4, 2011

ALLOW THE WORD TO DISTURB YOU "We need to repent of the haughty way in which we sometimes stand in judgment upon Scripture and must learn to sit humbly under its judgment instead. If we come to Scripture with our minds made up, expecting to hear from it only an echo of our own thoughts and never ...read more

Tags: Bible Truth

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Porn Stats

Contributed by Davon Huss on Sep 24, 2012

PORN STATS The Internet is a good tool but it can also be used to fuel heat of sexual lust. Statistics are truly staggering. This is from 2006 and worldwide statistics: According to compiled numbers from respected news and research organizations, every second $3,075.64 is being spent on ...read more

Tags: Temptation Sex

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The "Stream Of Forgiveness"  PRO

Contributed by Ken Pell on Apr 14, 2013

THE "STREAM OF FORGIVENESS" Mirosalv Volf wrote a fantastic book on forgiveness titled "Free of Charge: Giving and Forgiving in a Culture Stripped of Grace." In the book he uses the beautiful imagery of a stream to show how God's character (love) is poured into us by His Spirit and becomes our ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:13

Tags: Forgiveness For Others

Denomination: Nazarene

Eat Twinkies Together

Contributed by Davon Huss on Nov 23, 2019

A Harvard study of 7,000 people found that the most isolated people were 3 times more likely to die than those with strong relationships. Reporting on the study, John Ortberg writes that “people who had bad health habits (such as smoking, poor eating habits, or alcohol use) but strong social ties ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:15

Tags: Church, Relationships, Synergy

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Flu

Contributed by Roberta Karchner on Feb 21, 2020

After one of our members came down with the flu, was in intensive care for 10 days, we became very aware of how easily it is passed, especially to our elderly members. Which brought about these thoughts. 1) You are 70% Less likely to get the flu (or pass it) if you wash your hands properly. ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 40:30-32, Leviticus 14:8-9, Matthew 15:17-20

Tags: Wash, Avoiding Sin, Coronavirus, Covid19, Influenza A, Spreading The Gospel, Wash Hands  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Anxiety And Relationships

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Dec 27, 2020

Anxiety can be the ruin or the salvation of our relationships. It is an alarm mechanism. It alerts us to potential danger. But sometimes it goes off too often or quickly. Sometimes we do not seem able to regulate it. Shocked, we lash out, hold our ground, or retreat. However, anxiety can be our ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:11-32

Tags: Anxiety, Relationships

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

And We Can't Even Preach Without A Sound System Today???

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Feb 19, 2022

Peter's sermon to such a large crowd of Jews reminds us of stories of how God's Spirit used George Whitefield in the 1700's as an instrument to bring about the First Great Awakening in America. John MacArthur says that "Whitfield preached in Bristol to 20,000 people regularly, ...read more

Tags: Preaching, Revival, Word Of God, Whitfield, Simon Peter, Power Of God's Word, Evangelism, Pentecost, Gospel, Missions  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

When I Was In Amsterdam, Working As A Missionary ...

Contributed by Mark Schaeufele on Mar 19, 2009

When I was in Amsterdam, working as a missionary with YWAM, a Christian music group came to the city to play at a place called "The Last Watering Hole." A number of us went to hear them play and support them in their mission. While we were there, a who was not a Christian light up a joint. Out of ...read more

Tags: Purity

Denomination: Methodist

On ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 27, 2009

ON PERSPECTIVE An airline pilot flying over the southeastern U.S. called the local tower and said, "We are passing over at 35,000--give us a time check." The tower said, "What airline are you?" "What difference does it make? I just want the time." replied the pilot. The tower responded, "Oh, ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:19-24

Tags: Unbelief, Time