In Sermon Illustrations: "Ways To Live"

The Lost Son

Contributed by Brent Kirby on May 27, 2011

THE LOST SON A young boy, around the age of eight, lived in Alaska with his parents. His dad was the Boy Scout leader of the area. The troop of the young boy decided to go mountain climbing up a two mile high mountain called Bald Eagle. The boy loved to climb and made a competition with the other ...read more

Tags: Parable Prodigal Son

Denomination: Wesleyan

Can't Miss

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 20, 2011

CAN'T MISS Every so often, in the world of high school boys' basketball, there comes a player with incredible talent and skill. He and his team become the focus of a lot of media attention. That player becomes one of the most talked about high school athletes in the nation. Recruiters from the ...read more

Scripture: Haggai 1:9

Tags: Humility

Hold That Thought!

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Jan 23, 2020

One church where I served as pastor has a ping-pong table in the fellowship hall, and sometimes a younger member or two asked me to join them in a game. Now, I was old enough to be their grandfather but that doesn’t stop them from asking! I did appreciate the fact that these youngsters, aged around ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:8

Tags: Children, Thoughts, Fun And Games

Denomination: Baptist

At What Age Should A Pastor Retire?

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jun 3, 2020

AT WHAT AGE SHOULD A PASTOR RETIRE? TEN DIAGNOSTIC QUESTIONS There are a lot of Baby Boomer pastors and Christian leaders around. And it’s cliché, but they aren’t getting any younger. It’s a quiet question that many are asking, but they are asking it nonetheless: What age should I ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:7-8, Hebrews 12:1-3

Tags: Retirement, Aging, Pastors, Missionaries, Paul And Timothy, Baby Boomers  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Growing Through Pain

Contributed by Ed Sasnett on Oct 2, 2020

Paul Tournier, the famous Swiss physician and counselor, reported his surprise in his book Creative Suffering upon reading an article entitled “Orphans Lead the World.” The article appeared in a respected medical journal and surveyed the lives of 300 leaders who had an impact on world history. ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:14-27

Tags: Holy Spirit, Suffering

Denomination: Baptist

A Man Did Not Believe In All That Incarnation ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2008

A man did not believe in all that incarnation stuff that the Churches proclaim at Christmas time, so he stayed home while his family went to church on Christmas Eve. Shortly after the family drove away in the car, snow began to fall. He went to the window to watch the flurries getting heavier and ...read more

Tags: Christmas

If I Could Be One Of Them...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 5, 2009

If I Could Be One of Them... A man stayed home as his family went off to church one Christmas Eve. He just could not swallow the Jesus story about God coming to earth as man. Shortly after the family drove away in the car, snow began to fall. He went to the window to watch the flurries getting ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 1:23, John 1:14, Colossians 2:9

Tags: Emmanuel, Christmas, Incarnation

The Star In The East

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Dec 19, 2023

On November 28 of this year, I was driving west from my house at about 7 in the evening. It was quite dark already. As I looked through the windshield of my vehicle, I saw a line in the sky. A bright white line. Because it was so far away, this line in the sky must’ve been half a kilometre long. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 2:1-18, Numbers 24:17

Tags: Birth Of Jesus, Wiseman, Christmas, Bethlehem, Magi, Star  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

"a Candle In The Window: Embracing Hope This Advent"

Contributed by Jessie Manuel on Dec 22, 2024

As the evening wore on and the fire crackled gently in the hearth, Old Thomas gathered his family close, the soft glow of the candle illuminating their faces. It was a time for connection, reflection, and the cherished rituals of Advent that had been passed down through generations. “Now, let’s ...read more

Scripture: Luke 3:1-6

Tags: Love, Hope

Denomination: Methodist

Corrie Ten Boom

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Nov 28, 2025

Corrie Ten Boom was a Jew that worked with the underground resistance against Hilter. 6 million died. Corrie, her dad Caspar and sister, BETSY were arrested. They were taken into captivity by the Germans in the Jewish Death Camps. Corrie and her sister were captives. In her book THE HIDING PLACE, ...read more

Scripture: Job 42:10, Matthew 11:28-30

Tags: Faith, Plan, Trust

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Billy Sunday: " The Bible Will Always Be Full ...  PRO

Contributed by Dennis Clark on Apr 12, 2001

Billy Sunday: " The bible will always be full of things you can not understand as long as you will not live ...read more

Tags: Bible Study, Faith, Doing God's Will

Denomination: Baptist

George Bancroft States This About Gossips, ...

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Oct 8, 2002

George Bancroft states this about gossips, “Truth is not exciting enough to those who depend on the characters and lives of ...read more

Tags: Emotions

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

We May Be Certain That Whatever God Has Made ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 8, 2006

"We may be certain that whatever God has made prominent in his word, he intended to be conspicuous ...read more

Tags: God The Father

By 2010, Rick Warren's Saddleback Church Hopes To ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 10, 2008

By 2010, Rick Warren’s Saddleback church hopes to see 10,000 more lives changed and ...read more

Tags: Church Growth

Marketwatch.com Reports More Than Half Of All ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 14, 2008

Marketwatch.com reports more than half of all Americans are unable to save because they live ...read more

Tags: Money

Oh, The Rapture Mingled With Reverential, Holy ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"Oh, the rapture mingled with reverential, holy fear for it is a rapturous, yet divinely fearful thing to be indwelt by the ...read more

Tags: Holy Spirit General

You May Bury The Frail Tenement Of Clay That A ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"You may bury the frail tenement of clay that a good man lives in, but you cannot get rid ...read more

Tags: Leadership General

Love Is An Image Of God, And Not A Lifeless ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"Love is an image of God, and not a lifeless image; not one painted on paper, but the living essence of the divine ...read more

Tags: Christian Love

He Slept Beneath The Moon, He Basked Beneath ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"He slept beneath the Moon, He basked beneath the Sun He lived a life of ...read more

Tags: Productivity

All Outward Success, When It Has Value, Is But ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"All outward success, when it has value, is but the inevitable result of an inward success of full living, full ...read more

Tags: Workplace Success