In Sermon Illustrations: "What Is Except"

What Does "Set Apart" Mean?

Contributed by Davon Huss on Jan 9, 2012

WHAT DOES "SET APART" MEAN? Jim Book: "My fear today is that many churches are dying because the average person in their pews have no idea what it means to be 'set apart' from the defilements of this world. The church is many areas is so worldly minded, it is difficult to see any real separation ...read more

Tags: Worldliness

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

What I Wouldn't Give...

Contributed by Scott Jensen on Mar 29, 2012

WHAT I WOULDN'T GIVE... When Oliver Wendell Holmes was still on the U.S. Supreme Court, he and Justice Louis Brandeis took walks every afternoon. On one of these occasions Holmes, then ninety-two, paused to gaze in frank admiration at a beautiful young girl who passed them. He even turned to look ...read more

Tags: Aging

Denomination: Lutheran

It's What's Under The Hood That Counts  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 25, 2012

IT'S WHAT'S UNDER THE HOOD THAT COUNTS Harry Reider tells a story about the first car that he ever owned. He was sixteen years old and his father took him to a car auction and bought a pink car for $75. It was a 1957 Ford that his dad insisted that the color was really "coral." "I can't drive a ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:8

Tags: Holy Spirit In Believers

If Crumbs Of Joy Now, What Next?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 2, 2012

IF CRUMBS OF JOY NOW, WHAT NEXT? A widely respected man known as "Uncle Johnson" died in Michigan at the incredible age of 120. Perhaps his advanced years could be credited in part to the cheerful outlook that characterized his life. One day while at work in his garden, he was singing songs of ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 2:9-16, 1 Corinthians 2:2

Tags: Joy

What Time Does The Library Open?

Contributed by Samuel Fulkerson on Aug 23, 2012

What time does the library open?" the man on the phone asked. "Nine A.M." came the reply. "And what's the idea of calling me at home in the middle of the night to ask a question like that?" "Not until nine A.M.?" the man asked in a disappointed voice. "No, not till nine A.M.!" the librarian said. ...read more

Tags: Humor

Denomination: Pentecostal

Do Not Slander. What Is Slandering? It Can Be ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 26, 2012

Do not slander. What is slandering? It can be called many things such as: backstabbing, mud-slinging, bad-mouthing, and it could also include condemning someone. Whatever it is, it doesn’t sound good from the pages of scripture. ILL.- William Cowper (English poet) said, “He that slanders me paints ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 10:18

Tags: Words

Lucille Ball On What's Wrong With Families

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 29, 2012

LUCILLE BALL ON WHAT’S WRONG WITH FAMILIES Lucille Ball, shortly before her death, did a remarkable TV interview with Merv Griffin. He asked her a very serious and pointed question: "Lucille, you’ve lived a long time on this earth and you are a wise person. What’s happened to our country? What’s ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:21

Tags: Father's Day

What Happened To King Neb Was Unique --- ...

Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Oct 17, 2012

What happened to King Neb was unique --- I’ve never heard of anything quite like it --- a King eating grass for 7 years like an animal. But on the other hand, the spiritual experience it represents is more common than we’d like to think. I remember a father of one of my youth group kids years ...read more

Tags: Sin Bondage To, Temptation General

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

What We Really Need To Be Told  PRO

Contributed by Perry Greene on Nov 26, 2012

WHAT WE REALLY NEED TO BE TOLD C.S. Lewis: "We don’t need to be told new ideas as much as we ...read more

Tags: Witness, Salvation, Truth, Good News, Evangelise  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

We Are Like What We Worship  PRO

Contributed by Robert Leroe on Jan 29, 2013

WE ARE LIKE WHAT WE WORSHIP N.T. Wright observes, we "become like what we worship; we take on the character of our object of worship. Those who worship money become, eventually, human calculating machines. Those who worship sex become obsessed with their own attractiveness or prowess. Those who ...read more

Tags: Worship General

Denomination: Congregational

What I Saw At The Abortion Clinic

Contributed by Davon Huss on Jan 20, 2014

"What I Saw at the Abortion Clinic" by Richard Selzer. In this article he talks about witnessing a 19 week old fetus being aborted by an injection procedure no longer in use. He described the abortionist sliding the needle of the syringe into the woman's belly, and then, he writes, "I see ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 11:5

Tags: Abortion, Womb

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

What Alcoholics Can Teach Us

Contributed by Davon Huss on May 31, 2014

Philip Yancey interviewed a young alcoholic who had formerly been an active church member, but had allowed Alcoholics Anonymous to replace the church. When questioned why, the young man responded, "Mainly I'm trying to survive, and AA helps me in that struggle far better than any church." ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:5

Tags: Accountability, Authenticity, Dependency, Self-Righteousness

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

What's Wrong With The Music?

Contributed by James Chandler on Jul 2, 2019

People complain about the new music. Remember, hymns used to be the new music! What is wrong with the inspiring hymns we grew up with? When I go to church, it is to worship God, not to be distracted with learning a new song. Last Sunday’s was particularly unnerving. The song was un-singable ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:19-20

Tags: Unity, Worship

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

What's In A Name, Anyway?

Contributed by James Snyder on Nov 16, 2019

I cannot express how ecstatic I was when someone gave me a coupon for a free donut. Normally, I am not overly excited about “free.” All I had to do was fill out a little survey online and they would send me a code that would guarantee me a free donut. In my “daily diary diet,” I have a whole ...read more

Scripture: John 8:32

Tags: Freedom, Choice

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

What Does It Cost To Follow Christ?

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 15, 2020

WHAT DOES IT COST TO FOLLOW TO JESUS? “When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die. It may be a death like that of the first disciples who had to leave home and work to follow Him, but cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-12, Luke 9:23, Romans 12:1-2

Tags: Discipleship, Following Jesus, Cheap Grace, Bonhoeffer

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

What Jesus Believed About The Scripture

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 15, 2020

WHAT DID JESUS BELIEVE ABOUT THE SCRIPTURE? The Scripture is without error (John 17:17). The Scripture is historically reliable (Jonah – Matthew 12:40). The Scripture is God’s authority over Satan (Matt. 4:1-11). The Scripture is accurate according to Creation (Matt. 19:4). The Scripture is ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17, John 17:17

Tags: Bible, Scripture, Apologetics, Truth, Inspiration, Inerrancy  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

What I Learned At The Recycling Center

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Jan 21, 2020

Recycling centers have always been something that fascinated me. Usually these companies are in buildings that were themselves built for another purpose, but were, well, “recycled” as places where we can take aluminum cans, newspapers, and so forth. Besides, we managed to save enough aluminum cans ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 36:20-25

Tags: Scripture, Bibles Destroyed

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

It’s Not Always What It Seems

Contributed by James Snyder on Jul 11, 2020

There are times when my bad hearing is a blessing. I'm not sure if I'm not listening or not hearing. It’s hard for me to tell. For example, the other night, right after midnight, the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage and I were pretty much sound asleep. There was more sound on the other ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 21:2

Tags: Humor, Storms, Rioting

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Be Careful What You Smile About

Contributed by James Snyder on Mar 20, 2021

Dr. James L. Snyder I am a student of smileology and have been just about all my life. If you can't smile at something, it's not worth thinking about. Of course, certain things in life are serious, but not that many. Too many people take everything seriously and ruin their life. These are ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:4-5

Tags: Humor, Facebook, Lockedout

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance