In Sermon Illustrations: "Wasted Life"

The Unfair Contest

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Mar 6, 2012

THE UNFAIR CONTEST A Christian university student shared a room with a Muslim. As they became friends, their conversation turned to their beliefs. The believer asked the Muslim if he'd ever read the Bible. He answered no, but then asked if the Christian had ever read the Koran. The believer ...read more

Tags: Bible Influence

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

An Outward Expression Of An Inward Experience

Contributed by Christian Cheong on May 11, 2012

AN OUTWARD EXPRESSION OF AN INWARD EXPERIENCE David Ring was born with cerebral palsy. He had complications at birth and he was technically dead for 18 minutes after delivery. No oxygen reached his brain and a portion was permanently damaged. His family’s story was catastrophic – his father had ...read more

Tags: Joy

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Avoid ...

Contributed by Joe Bertone on Aug 1, 2012

AVOID TRAGEDY David Bloom, Today show co-host on weekends, died on April 6, 2003, while covering Operation Iraqi Freedom. Ironically, Bloom did not die from injuries sustained in conflict, but rather of a pulmonary embolism. Pulmonary emboli occur among those who sit for long periods of time, and ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 4:7

Tags: Tragedy, Ignorance, Counsel, Precautions, Parable Ten Virgins  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Story Of Open Table

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 21, 2012

THE STORY OF OPEN TABLE Open Table started with a chance encounter with a homeless man named Ernie who simply asked a youth group serving him a meal if he could come worship at their church. The adult youth workers were moved to agree to come the very next day to bring Ernie to their church ...read more

Denomination: Methodist

The Unreligion

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 3, 2013

THE UNRELIGION When Jesus hung on the cross, He cried out, “It is finished!” Jesus did all the work. All that remains for us to do is depend on Him. You see, not only our salvation, but our success in this life is all up to Him. I like the way Dane Ortlund put it in his book, Defiant Grace. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 11:28-30

Tags: World Religions

The Lamb With The Broken Leg

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Feb 7, 2014

A tour bus was journeying through Israel with a group of Americans when they saw a unique sight. An Israeli shepherd was carrying a lamb in his arms. The bus stopped to talk with the shepherd and to give tourists a chance to take pictures. A little boy asked the shepherd, "Why are you carrying ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 13:1-10

Tags: Discipleship, Shepherd, Brokenness

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Mom, That Was For You!

Contributed by Nickolas Kooi on Aug 30, 2017

A pastor went to the hospital to visit Maggy, one of his members. She was in the last stages of her life because of cancer, and was heavily medicated, and unresponsive. He went to support her family, who was taking it hard. When he got there, he was surprised with what he saw. Her daughter, ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:9-13

Tags: Service, Love, Honor, Sacrificial Love

Denomination: Lutheran

Wrong Reasons For Study Of Bible

Contributed by Tony Abram on Jan 21, 2018

At the village church in Kalonovka, Russia, attendance at Sunday school picked up after the priest started handing out candy to the peasant children. One of the most faithful was a pug-nosed, lad who recited his Scriptures with proper piety, pocketed his reward, then fled into the fields to munch ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:1-3

Tags: Holy, Sanctification

Gun Laws

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Mar 18, 2018

Gun Laws Laws - "are sent by Him to punish those who do wrong and commend those who do right." 2 Peter 2:14 - Keeping this truth in the context of guns. Nothing wrong with making sure there are laws which make it hard for wicked or mentally ill people from getting guns. Those (mentally ill or ...read more

Tags: Gun Laws, Guns, Laws

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Vine

Contributed by Michael E. Bartee Sr. on Oct 19, 2018

When I was growing up I was one of six children. Our house was very small, only four rooms. And without any of the convieniences most houses had in those days. We did not have a bathroom,running water, or a furnace. There were two boys, about my age, that lived close by. In my mind they were ...read more

Scripture: John 5:15

Tags: Trusting God, Faith In Christ

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Close Encounter

Contributed by Steve Kinnard on Feb 15, 2019

A Close Encounter As the great hunter stalks his prey thru the sultry jungle of Africa, the prey is running for his life; but to no avail because nothing escapes the skills of the great white hunter. The prey is trembling with fear as the hunter closes in. Can you see the evil leer in the ...read more

Scripture: Acts 4:1-13

Tags: Grace, Mercy

Denomination: Pentecostal

Discerning Prophecy

Contributed by Richard Tow on Apr 26, 2021

I was once in charge of a meeting where I was confronted with this situation. A lady gave forth a powerful and anointed utterance in an unknown tongue. We all waited for the interpretation. Quite soon a man began to give forth what he obviously wanted us to accept as the interpretation. It was, in ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 3:6, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, 1 Corinthians 14:29, 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21

Tags: Deception, Discernment, Prophecy, Charismatic, Tongues, False Prophet  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Charismatic

Humility

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Jun 27, 2021

The Western meaning of humility derives from the usage of the Hebrew speaking Jews, Latin speaking Romans and the Greeks, in particular Greek speaking Christians of the first century. In all three languages the word used to describe humility means "low", as in low to the ground: the ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:1-11

Tags: Service, Humility, Power

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Love Your Neighbour

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Oct 12, 2021

Canadian Folk singer (and believer) Bruce Cockburn wrote this song for his church in San Franciso. The story is told in Christianity Today, October 12, 2021. ORDERS; (Bruce Cockburn) The just the merciful the cruel The stumbling well-intentioned fool The deft the oaf the witless pawn The golden ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:25-37

Tags: Parables, Neighbor, Love

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Simplicity Of The Gospel

Contributed by Jerry Cosper on Jan 31, 2022

How does the thief on the cross fit into your theology? I think many times we complicate the issue of getting into heaven. What is required? Let's think about the the thief on the cross. No baptism, no communion, no confirmation, no speaking in tongues, no mission trip, no volunteerism, and ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16

Tags: Gospel, Cross

Denomination: Baptist

God's Assurance

Contributed by Jerry Cosper on Feb 13, 2023

Have you ever been in a store and see a child that has gotten separated from his parents? The fear is very evident on the child's face as well as the parents’ face. It's a horrible feeling when the child turns around and can't find his parents. They frantically look through every ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 24:15-22

Tags: Assurance, God's Plan

Denomination: Baptist

Evel Knievel Fell Short Of The Goal

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Mar 19, 2023

One of the fads of 1970s America was the motorcycle jump. This trend reached its high (and low) point on September 8, 1974. Thousands of spectators gathered around the Snake River Canyon in Idaho to see if Evel Knievel could jump across the chasm in a specially designed “sky cycle.” In the end, ...read more

Scripture: Romans 3:23

Tags: Sinners, Sin, Judgment, Failure, Sinful Nature, Glory Of God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Heaven, Not Earth Is My Home.

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Jul 4, 2023

In his book, "The Treasure Principle" Randy Alcorn says that the greatest deterrent to giving is the illusion that Earth is our home. He tells the following story. Suppose your home is in France and you're visiting America for three months, living in a hotel. You're told that you ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 11:13, 2 Corinthians 5:20, Luke 12:15, Revelation 19:7-9

Tags: Rewards, Treasures, Money, Heaven, Home  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Larry Norman Funeral Was A Going Away Party

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Mar 25, 2024

What a gathering! Over 500 poured into a church this morning to pay our respects to Larry Norman. As we entered, we were handed ‘circus programs’ (instead of a boring pamphlet) that read: "Larry Norman Presents: A Going Away Party." It was a gathering of friends, family and fans ...read more

Tags: Funerals, Christian Music, Death, Celebration, Heaven, Mourning  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Superior Love

Contributed by David Tack on Sep 18, 2024

“The strenuous Christian mandate to extend unconditional love towards those that hate you is a fatiguing duty for the soldiers of the cross of Christ! In the heat of a damning spiritual warfare, when the spiritual defensive battlefronts are diminishing, the fleshly armaments derived from the human ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16, Romans 5:7-8, Ephesians 2:4-7

Tags: Love, Unconditional, Soldier

Denomination: Baptist