In Sermon Illustrations: "Well Done"

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

Keeping The Main Thing The Main Thing!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 2, 2023

It was a 99-degree September day in San Antonio, Texas, when a woman accidentally locked her 10-month-old baby inside a parked car. Frantically the mother ran around the auto in near hysteria, while a neighbor attempted to unlock the car with a clothes hanger. Soon the infant was turning purple ...read more

Tags: Evangelism, Vision, Priorities, Distractions, Little Things, Heroes  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

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

Baptist Kittens

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Mar 5, 2023

A Church of Christ minister walked past a street corner stand that was full of kittens for sale by a little boy in his neighborhood. The sign over the kittens read, "Church of Christ kittens for sale, one week old.....$5.00 each". The minister smiled and said, "My son, you are ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 16:18

Tags: Baptists, Church, Truth, Humor, Church Of Christ  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Do You Have Enough Points To Get To Heaven?

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Mar 12, 2023

I heard a story the other day about a guy who died and stood before the gates of heaven. An angel met him and said, “We have a new plan for getting into heaven. We’re now using a point system and you need 1,000 to enter.” The man told the angel that this would be no problem as he started rattling ...read more

Scripture: Romans 3:23

Tags: Justification, Sinners, Evangelism, Grace, Forgiveness, Sin, Heaven, Salvation  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Cookies Vs Brownies - Truth Is Subjective

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Apr 13, 2024

Cookies versus brownies Alisa’s Childers gave the following example in her book, “Live Your Truth and Other Lies”. What is the best dessert? Pie? Ice cream? Brownies? Cookies? Cake? If you choose cake with ice cream, you would be correct. Well, actually, it just means that you’re probably a really ...read more

Scripture: John 18:38, John 14:6

Tags: Objective Truth, Subjective Truth, Tolerance, Truth

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Pleasing Your Dad

Contributed by Loyd C. Taylor on May 27, 2024

PLEASING YOUR FATHER This one guy seemed to be very concerned about pleasing his dad. The story goes like this… One day a young boy was driving a load of hay to the market. He came around a corner too fast and his trailer load of hay tipped over. The young man stopped the tractor, jumped out and ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:1-4, Exodus 20:12, Deuteronomy 27:16, Proverbs 20:20, Romans 13:7, John 14:1-11  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Honor, Father's Day, Dads, Farmers

Denomination: Baptist

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

A Contentious Spirit - Speaking Strife

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Feb 11, 2025

Here’s a fun fact: You don’t actually have to correct someone when they’re wrong. Shocking, I know! There’s no official appointment letter naming you Earth’s Guardian of Truth and Accuracy. (If there is, it probably got lost in the mail.) Sometimes, it’s okay to just let it go—yes, even if they ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 21:9, Proverbs 26:21

Tags: Contentious, Strife, Contentious Spirit

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Repent Of Vain Words

Contributed by Samuel M on Sep 13, 2025

These days on the pulpits, there are lot of fancy unnecessary words, self- boasting, manipulation, putting down people and misuse of words. The preachers speak lot of words in vain. They do not speak with reverence or fear of God. A preacher who knows or encounters God will rightly use his words. ...read more

Tags: Faith, Hope

Story Number One  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 13, 2003

STORY NUMBER ONE Many years ago, Al Capone virtually owned Chicago. Capone wasn’t famous for anything heroic. He was notorious for enmeshing the windy city in everything from bootlegged booze and prostitution to murder. Capone had a lawyer nicknamed "Easy Eddie." He was his lawyer for a good ...read more

Tags: Parenting

Work With It!" Romans 12: 1-8: Key Verse(S): 6 ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Aug 10, 2004

“Work With It!” Romans 12: 1-8: Key verse(s): 6 “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.” “All things being equal!” Where that may be the rallying cry of today’s philosophical democratically-driven culture, it wasn’t the impetus for justice in the Brunner household as I was ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:1-8, Mark 1:21-28

Tags: Family, Parenting

Denomination: Lutheran

Don't Give Pain The Short Shrift!" Luke 13:10-17 ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Mar 9, 2005

“Don’t Give Pain the Short Shrift!” Luke 13:10-17 Key verse(s): 16:“‘Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?’.” Many things in this life get short shrift. Perhaps its the lot of the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 13:10-17, Luke 13:6-9

Tags: Forgiveness In Jesus, God's Creation

Denomination: Lutheran

Kick Me!" Matthew 28:1-10 Key Verse(S): 6:"He Is ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Mar 24, 2005

“Kick Me!” Matthew 28:1-10 Key verse(s): 6:“He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.” Getting pulled into a practical joke is not much fun; especially when you walk in so innocently and depart with egg all over your face. I remember that my two brothers and I always had a pretty good time ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:1-10

Tags: Easter Resurrection

Denomination: Lutheran

I Have Pain, It Doesn't Have Me!" Matthew ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Apr 25, 2005

“I Have Pain, It Doesn’t Have Me!” Matthew 24:1-13 Key verse(s) 13:“‘. . . but he who stands firm to the end, will be saved.’” Tolerance for pain. Some of us have more than others and I doubt there is any among us with unlimited ability to bear pain. To observe the many and varied reactions to ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 24:1-13

Tags: Christian Disciplines, Endurance

Denomination: Lutheran

Just As We Are!" Exodus 14:13-14 Key Verse(S) ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Apr 29, 2005

“Just As We Are!” Exodus 14:13-14 Key verse(s) 14:“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Keeping a positive outlook on life is pretty hard when nothing much positive seems to be happening in your life. Let’s face it, when things are going bad, really bad, there is nothing worse ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 14:13-14

Tags: Disappointment

Denomination: Lutheran

When You're Dealing With Something As Valuable ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 26, 2007

When you’re dealing with something as valuable and as complex and as truly amazing as a human life, even small degrees matter. All Satan needs to do is tap you a few degrees off course and you end up lost. That’s why I’m so narrow-minded about the Bible. If Susan ever lets me learn to fly, I’ll be ...read more

Margaret Was In Her Forties And Suffered From ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Dec 17, 2007

Margaret was in her forties and suffered from bouts of depression and despair resulting mainly from an extremely poor self-image. She just couldn’t see herself as a person of worth. Over the years of her adult life, this image steadily grew worse. Finally reaching out in desperation, she sought the ...read more

Denomination: Church Of God

For Almost Forty Years, Margaret Lived With The ...  PRO

Contributed by Brian Atwood on Jan 12, 2008

For almost forty years, Margaret lived with the memory of one soul-scarring day in the one-room schoolhouse she attended. From the first day Margaret came to class, she and Ms. Garner, her bitter and harsh teacher, didn’t get along. Over the years, the animosity between them only worsened until ...read more

Scripture: John 9:1-41

Tags: Love, Healing, Encouragement, Depression

Denomination: Baptist

Is This A Christmas Present Or What?

Contributed by James Snyder on Dec 21, 2019

One great blessing of Christmas is presents. Of course, at my age, I am not too interested in what I am getting but rather what I am giving. I cannot think of one thing I really would want. I got everything I need even though some of it may be old and outdated. As long as it works, I'm happy ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:6

Tags: Christmas, Holiday

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance