In Sermon Illustrations: "Well Watered"

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

Leave The Bones  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 23, 2010

LEAVE THE BONES A clergyman took a seat in a dining car on a train traveling along the Hudson River. Opposite him was an atheist who, seeing his clerical collar, started a discussion. "I see you are a clergyman." "Yes," came the reply. "I am a minister of the gospel." "I suppose you believe the ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:15

Tags: Bible Study

Disciplines: The Decathlon

Contributed by Rodelio Mallari on Dec 12, 2010

DISCIPLINES: THE DECATHLON The Olympic decathlon is internationally recognized as the most demanding test of individual athletic ability there is. It is the event that determines the world's greatest all-around athlete. Originating in a contest held at the 708 B.C. Olympiad to single out Greece's ...read more

Tags: Christian Disciplines

Denomination: *other

We Need Christ In Good Times And Bad

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 24, 2011

WE NEED CHRIST IN GOOD TIMES AND BAD Presbyterian minister of the 19th century, J. R. Miller, once wrote that "We need Christ just as much in our bright, prosperous, exalted hours as in the days of darkness, adversity, and depression. We are quite in danger of thinking that religion is only for ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1:18-22

Tags: Jesus Christ

Crossing Hypocrisy

Contributed by Jason Bonnicksen on May 15, 2011

CROSSING HYPOCRISY I remember one holiday sitting in the living room chatting with my in-laws, when the subject of high school reunions and old classmates came up. In the course of our conversation, my brother-in-law started laughing when he proceeded to tell us a story about one of his ...read more

Tags: Hypocrisy

Denomination: Lutheran

I'm Not Brave, He's Not Tame

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 26, 2011

I'M NOT BRAVE, HE'S NOT TAME Writing in Moody Monthly, Carl Armerding recounted his experience of watching a wildcat in a zoo. "As I stood there," he said, "an attendant entered the cage through a door on the opposite side. He had nothing in his hands but a broom. Carefully closing the door, he ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:1-3, Luke 10:1-20

Tags: Confidence

Not Much Of A Man...?

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Jun 11, 2011

NOT MUCH OF A MAN...? A weary truck driver who pulled his rig into an all-night truck stop late one summer evening in Broken Bow, NE. He was tired and hungry. The waitress had just served him when three tough looking, leather-jacketed bikers of the Hell's Angels type decided to give him a hard ...read more

Tags: Justice

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Saved Based On The Name

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 3, 2011

SAVED BASED ON THE NAME There was a lawyer in a metropolitan city that was leaving his firm one night and as he was walking ot his car he saw a dirty bum on the sidewalk leaned up against a building. He had pity on the bum and told him that he wanted to help him out. He took put a pen and began to ...read more

Scripture: John 3:14

Tags: Grace

Why Should I Let You Into Heaven?

Contributed by Brad Henry on Aug 5, 2011

WHY SHOULD I LET YOU INTO HEAVEN? If you were to die today and God were to ask you, 'Why should I let you into my heaven?' what would you say?" Over the years I would have to say that 85% of the answers I get are "I have tried to be a good person, I have tried to be a good parent, I have tried to ...read more

Tags: Evangelism The Lost

Bryon's Story

Contributed by Arron Chambers on Dec 21, 2011

BRYON'S STORY Do you know that Jesus is still in the life-changing business? Bryon Widner does. Bryon used to be one of the leaders of the white power movement as the found of the Vinlanders gang of skinheads. He’d covered his body and face with tattoos that were designed to communicate hate and ...read more

Tags: Change

Denomination: Christian Church

Stepping In His Big Tracks

Contributed by Chuck Sligh on Jan 4, 2012

STEPPING IN HIS BIG TRACKS I remember once when we had a two-foot snow in Smyrna, Tennessee— something rare even then. I’d gone out into the snow early that morning and it was really futile, because the snow was so deep and so soft that when I stepped down into the snow, the snow went so far up my ...read more

Tags: Parenting

Denomination: Baptist

Fixing The Fence At The White House  PRO

Contributed by J.d. Tutell on Jan 23, 2012

FIXING THE FENCE AT THE WHITE HOUSE Three contractors were on a tour of the White House. One is from Minnesota, another is from Tennessee, and the third is from Chicago. As they are walking through they notice a broken fence and ask if it would be possible to submit a bid to fix it. They are ...read more

Tags: Money, Separation, Salvation, Bribery, Thief  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

A Woman, Her Attacker, And The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 5, 2012

A WOMAN, HER ATTACKER, AND THE BIBLE Earlier this year, a North Carolina woman read the Bible to her attacker for an hour and a half after he slashed her throat before the man apologized and left. Lindsay Wood, 32, of Shelby, N.C., had just arrived home from Bible study on Wednesday. Wood asked her ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:31-39

Tags: Bible Influence