In Sermon Illustrations: "Well Done"

Strange Inside And Out

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 17, 2009

STRANGE INSIDE AND OUT In May 2008, scientists finally completed analyzing the DNA of the platypus, a creature native to Australia that defies categorization under bird, reptile or mammal. The platypus is so odd that when the first specimens were sent to Europe in the 19th century, scientists ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 2:1-16, 1 Peter 2:11

Tags: God's Sovereign Will

Pitchers Need Their Team

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 8, 2009

PITCHERS NEED THEIR TEAM Behold, a team went forth to play a game of baseball. Just as the umpire was saying, "Batter up," the catcher for the home team arrived and took his place behind the plate. The center fielder didn’t show up at all but sent his regrets. The third baseman likewise failed to ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 10:24-25

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Radical Solutions

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 28, 2009

RADICAL SOLUTIONS A pastor was walking along a river one day, when he came across some boys who were fishing. But this was no ordinary way of fishing, because to the surprise of the onlooker, they were casting a tire into the water. The result? They were hauling the fish in by the bucketload! As ...read more

Scripture: Mark 2:1-12

Tags: Evangelism How To

What Happened Here ...

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on May 4, 2009

What Happened Here Today? One day a man came home from work to find total mayhem at home. The kids were outside still in their pajamas playing in the mud and muck. There were empty food boxes and wrappers all around. As he proceeded into the house, he found an even bigger mess. Dishes on ...read more

Tags: Marriage General

Denomination: Pentecostal

Hear O Israel: Listen Up!

Contributed by Johnny Wilson on Jun 27, 2009

HEAR O ISRAEL: LISTEN UP! I served in a volunteer capacity as an unofficial chaplain to the Redondo Beach (California) police force. About seven or eight of us who were ministers would rotate so that we rode entire shifts with some of the officers. Police work is a contrast between tedium and ...read more

Tags: Leadership Listening

Denomination: *other

What Is Your Money Doing To ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 14, 2009

WHAT IS YOUR MONEY DOING TO YOU? On their way to church on Sunday, a mother gave her child a one-dollar bill and a quarter. "Sweetheart," the mother said, "you can place either one in the offering plate. It’s entirely up to you." As they were driving home, the mother asked the daughter what she ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:10

Tags: Money

Baptism Is A Burial…. I Heard One Preacher Who ...

Contributed by Brian B on Jul 29, 2009

Baptism is a burial…. I heard one preacher who told the story of being a young kid who lived on a farm….. one day one of his puppies died and he took it out to the back yard and dug a hole and placed the puppy in the hole and…… well the point of the story is that you bury dead things….. ...read more

Tags: Baptism

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Do You Know Him?

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Aug 1, 2009

DO YOU KNOW HIM? Do you know Jesus? I’m not asking if you know about Jesus. Some people know Jesus about as well as they know Stephen Harper (PM of Canada), Rick Warren (Pastor and best-selling author), Sara Palin (Governor of Alaska who ran for Vice President for Republican John McCain), or Carl ...read more

Tags: Salvation

Denomination: Salvation Army

God's Provision: The Holy Spirit  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 7, 2009

GOD'S PROVISION: THE HOLY SPIRIT Without the Holy Spirit the church could not exist. It is He who inspired the writers of Scripture, and He who dwells in every Christian, giving us life in Christ. All our efforts are dust and ashes apart from Him. A young man asked an old rich man how he made his ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:16-25

Tags: God's Provision

Clean House

Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Dec 9, 2009

CLEAN HOUSE This summer Susan and I discovered a reality show called CLEAN HOUSE (Style Channel). Have some of you seen it? It's a show where a team of people come in help people with a hopelessly messy house by cleaning it out. The host is a comedian named Niecy Nash. When she first enters the ...read more

Tags: Jesus Teachings

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Church's Identity And Purpose

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 15, 2009

THE CHURCH'S IDENTITY AND PURPOSE In his book, The Family of God, Batsell Barrett Baxter says the following: "There are some who think of the church as an organization like other organizations. It is true that the church is an organization, but it is not primarily an organization. Rather, it is ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:22-23, Ephesians 1:21-23

Tags: Church Purpose Of

There Is A Statement That Says

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Dec 21, 2009

There is a statement that says “Perception is reality.” I think that means that one’s understanding is taken as reality, even when it is perverted and false. Here’s an example: Some early studies concerned with prejudice show that we’re quite capable of reordering our perceptions of the world ...read more

Tags: Truth

Denomination: Pentecostal

The Adoption Of Michael Oher

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Jan 4, 2010

THE ADOPTION OF MICHAEL OHER Michael Oher was born in Memphis, TN. His dad was murdered and his mom a cocaine addict. He didn’t have a permanent address until he was 16 and went to 11 schools in 9 years. At the age of 16, he had a measured IQ of 80. Michael was staying with a friend whose son ...read more

Tags: Adoption

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Prophecy In The Bible

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 15, 2010

PROPHECY IN THE BIBLE Hundreds of Bible prophecies have been fulfilled, specifically and meticulously, often long after the prophetic writer had passed away. For example, Daniel the prophet predicted in about 538 BC (Daniel 9:24-27) that Christ would come as Israel's promised Savior and Prince 483 ...read more

Tags: Apologetics General

Denomination: Independent/Bible

On Profanity And Ungodly Language

Contributed by Bobby Mcdaniel on Apr 17, 2010

ON PROFANITY AND UNGODLY LANGUAGE Profanity and crude language are becoming more common on prime-time television programs. Many writers and producers seem to be intent on pushing the limits of how much immoral and offensive speech the public will allow. Profane and vulgar language is noise ...read more

Tags: Communication Speech

In Disney's Animated Movie Toy Story, Woody (...

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on May 11, 2010

In Disney's animated movie Toy Story, Woody (a plush toy cowboy) confronts Buzz Lightyear (a toy astronaut) with the fact that he is only an action figure and not really a space hero. Early in the movie Woody shouts, "You're not a space ranger! You're an action figure—a child's plaything." After ...read more

Tags: Security

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Poem: I Met A Traveler From An Antigue Land By ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 30, 2010

Poem: I Met A Traveler From an Antigue Land by Percy Bysshe Shelley In 1818, Percy Bysshe Shelley published a poem on the ephemeral nature of human kings and political powers: I MET A TRAVELER FROM AN ANTIQUE LAND I met a traveler from an antique land Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of ...read more

Scripture: John 18:33-38

Tags: Truth

Forgiveness Limits...?

Contributed by Ovidiu Radulescu on Jul 31, 2010

FORGIVENESS LIMITS...? I feel more comfortable when I can see the extent of my obligations. That brings light to the lesson of Peter in Matthew 18. Peter was concerned about how many times he should forgive his neighbor. Peter knew what the rabbis had to say on the topic. They had read the hook ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness General

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Pull Up The Roots Of Bad Habits Early  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 2, 2010

PULL UP THE ROOTS OF BAD HABITS EARLY A wise old tutor was once taking a stroll through a forest with a curious youth. The tutor suddenly stopped and pointed to four plants close by. The first was a tiny sprout, just coming out of the earth. The second had rooted itself quite firmly in the fertile ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 15:7-20

Tags: Character

In The Story Of Pollyanna, There Is A Woman Who ...

Contributed by C. Philip Green on Sep 23, 2010

In the story of Pollyanna, there is a woman who runs the town. She’s not the mayor and doesn’t even sit on the city council. It’s just that she has inherited a tremendous amount of money from her father, and she has a controlling interest in all the major businesses in town. As a result, no one ...read more

Tags: Money

Denomination: Evangelical Free