In Sermon Illustrations: "Volunteer Day"

D.l. Moody And The Shoes  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 25, 2011

D.L. MOODY AND THE SHOES A large group of European pastors came to one of D. L. Moody’s Northfield Bible Conferences in Massachusetts in the late 1800s. Following the European custom of the time, each guest put his shoes outside his room to be cleaned by the hall servants overnight. But of course ...read more

Scripture: John 13:1-17

Tags: Servanthood

"Example Of Ministry Team Work

Contributed by Clarence Eisberg on Aug 25, 2018

It is a story about the friends of Herman Ostry, who lived near Bruno, Nebraska, and what did for him. From what I was told, a number of years ago Herman purchased a piece of property and put up a barn. Thins went well until the nearby creek flooded and put the floor of Herman’s new barn under 29 ...read more

Scripture: John 15:9, Romans 16:1-2

Tags: Serve One Another, Team Work

Denomination: Lutheran

Let God Do The Watering!" Mark 4: 1-20: Key ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Aug 4, 2004

“Let God Do the Watering!” Mark 4: 1-20: Key verse(s): 11-12 “He told them, ‘The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that “‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and every hearing but never understanding; ...read more

Scripture: Mark 4:10-20

Tags: Evangelism Fear Of, Evangelism How To

Denomination: Lutheran

I Sat Down With Our Senior High Kids Awhile Ago ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

I sat down with our senior high kids awhile ago to discuss our plans for youth activities for this year. I expected to get some ideas of fun things to do, lets go bowling and to laserquest and whitewater rafting yadda yadda yadda… You know what they decided? They asked me to find two Friday night ...read more

Tags: Servanthood

Stupid Idea

Contributed by Tyler Edwards on Apr 14, 2009

STUPID IDEA As far as stupid ideas go, this was one of my better moments. I stayed after church one Tuesday night with a number of other kids in the youth group. We were just hanging out and talking for a bit. We were a pretty wild youth group to begin with, but if you know anything about young ...read more

Tags: Fool

Denomination: *other

Thankful People Are Happy People  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 19, 2011

THANKFUL PEOPLE ARE HAPPY PEOPLE I read a news story once of a woman who was getting ready to jump off a 44 story building in New York City. Witnesses said that she did not look like the type of person who would do such a thing. She was very distinguished and well dressed. All the attempts ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 103:1-5

Tags: Family, Gratitude, Share

Unsung Heroines

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 6, 2011

UNSUNG HEROINES In Tom Brokaw’s book "The Greatest Generation Speaks," Veronica Mackey Hulick tells of her service during World War II. Veronica was 20 when she joined the Navy WAVES [Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service]. She and about 1500 other bright young women worked for hours at ...read more

Scripture: Mark 9:35, Mark 9:33-35

Tags: Servanthood

A Ship Is Safer In The Harbor, But That's Not ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 25, 2007

“A ship is safer in the harbor, but that’s not what a ship was made for.”-Dad The truth of those words sunk into my heart… and I believe they’ve helped to direct the course of my life. Imagine a beautiful ship… built with the best wood, and decorated with great sails and flags honoring the ships ...read more

Tags: Flag, War

The Nursing Aides For The 89-Year-Old Man ...  PRO

Contributed by Charles R. Swindoll on Oct 13, 2004

The nursing aides for the 89-year-old man planned a surprise party for him. This active and alert retired doctor had his leg amputated two years ago. It had been a struggle to adjust to living his life with only one leg, spending most of his time in a wheelchair. Family, friends and volunteers ...read more

Tags: Disappointment, Emotions

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Directions Were Wrong  PRO

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Jan 13, 2008

The Directions Were Wrong The doubleheader train was bucking a heavy snowstorm as its steam engines pulled it west. A woman with a baby wanted to leave the train at one of the little stations along the route. She repeatedly called, “Don’t forget me!” to the brakeman responsible to call out the ...read more

Denomination: Other

Touching The Untouchable

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 10, 2009

TOUCHING THE UNTOUCHABLE I have served as a volunteer Chaplain for the Havelock Police Dept for many years. Still, I will never forget my first night out with them. I was completely green and had no idea how to act. I was trying to follow the lead of the other officers. We were called to the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:25-37

Tags: Christian Love

Focus On Christ

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 6, 2010

FOCUS ON CHRIST This bit of strange news was released by the Associated Press this past week: RIVERTON, Wyo. -- Officials say a magnifying glass set on a stand in a sunny room started a small blaze in a Wyoming home. UPS worker Buddy Armstrong was delivering a package to 84-year-old Thomas ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 1:1-2

Tags: Growth In Christ

The Importance Of Friends  PRO

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Feb 29, 2012

THE IMPORTANCE OF FRIENDS One of the most thorough research projects on relationships is called the Alameda County Study. Headed by a Harvard social scientist, it tracked the lives of 7,000 people over nine years. Researchers found that the most isolated people were three times more likely to die ...read more

Scripture: John 15:12-15

Tags: Friendship General

Denomination: Baptist

Two Men Were Flying To Orlando From California ...

Contributed by Michael Gardner on Mar 2, 2006

Two men were flying to Orlando from California and met on an airplane. After exchanging pleasantries, conversation turned to the needs of their community. One of them was a pastor who shared his vision for a soup kitchen just starting up in downtown Orlando. He also told of local churches that ...read more

Scripture: John 8:1-11

Tags: Forgiveness General

Denomination: Methodist

The Persuasion Of A Changed Life

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 18, 2011

THE PERSUASION OF A CHANGED LIFE The power of your changed life can be very persuasive even to those who refuse to be persuaded by the word itself. Just a few years ago, Decision magazine told the story of Rick and Shawna Pilat, a Winnipeg couple who had recently come to faith in Christ. For ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:1-2

Tags: Character

One Life At A Time: Rudy's Story

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 8, 2011

ONE LIFE AT A TIME: RUDY'S STORY Rudy Rasmus learned the family business from his father when he was just five years old. His dad brought home a set of blueprints and unveiled his business plans. He said, "This a motel and other people's husbands are going to come and give us money to spend time ...read more

Scripture: Acts 9:1-31

Tags: Conversion, Testimonies About Jesus

Denomination: Methodist

The Gift Of Grace And Forgiveness In Our Time Of Greatest Need

Contributed by Tim Smith on Aug 13, 2017

Julian Silva tells the story of working in a Volunteer Corp’s Chaplain Office in Frankfurt, Germany where he met a German named, Carl Scholtz. During WW II, Carl served as a Nazi soldier but not believing in what he was doing, he tried to desert. He failed in his attempt, was captured and thrown ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-10

Tags: Grace, Forgiveness

Denomination: Methodist

Spite Fences: Isolation

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on May 4, 2021

THE ISOLATION OF SPITE FENCES… Years ago I build a very close relationship with a pastor in our community. We often visited and had sweet communion together. We would exchange ideas and notes with each other. Our friendship grew. This man pastored a larger church than I did. His church was in ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 2:18, Proverbs 18:24

Tags: Isolation, Seperation

Denomination: Assembly Of God

In The Movie Saving Private Ryan, A Group Of Army ...

Contributed by Paul Wallace on Feb 22, 2007

In the movie Saving Private Ryan, a group of Army Rangers receive a mission to go deep into enemy territory to save Private Ryan. They hit skirmish after skirmish, and some of them are killed along the way. They finally get to where Private Ryan is holed up, and they say, “Come with us. We’re here ...read more

Denomination: Wesleyan

The Value Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 1, 2010

The Value of Water Colonel Nick Rowe is not a name most of you have probably heard of before. He was a war hero, in a war that had so few heroes. He was killed in the Philippines by an assassin. His funeral was one to be remembered. He is buried in Arlington national Cemetery. In all the history of ...read more

Scripture: Luke 3:15-16

Tags: War