In Sermon Illustrations: "Where We Draw Power"

Moses' Fan

Contributed by David Dunn on Nov 14, 2025

The man goes to heaven and sees thousands of clocks. Curious, he asks Peter what they represent. Peter smiles: “Each person on earth has a clock. Every time someone sins, the hand moves forward.” The man asks, “Where’s ...read more

Scripture: James 1:14-15, Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

Tags: Grace, Sin

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Saved People Have Two Birthdays!

Contributed by Rick Crandall on Jul 4, 2019

Born Again - John 1:12-13 (Also see John 3:1-16) 12. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the (power or authority or) right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name: 13. who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. ...read more

Scripture: John 1:12-13, John 3:1-16

Tags: Born Again, Family Of God

Denomination: Baptist

Every Once In A While My Daughter Starts ...

Contributed by Joel Pankow on Apr 30, 2004

Every once in a while my daughter starts crying. From then on in, the battle begins. My wife and I have an ignorance contest. Who can lay the stillest for the longest without getting up? The trick to winning this battle is to learn how to tune it out. If I can somehow stay in a sort of ...read more

Scripture: John 10:27

Tags: Christian Disciplines, Faith

Denomination: Lutheran

Many Of You Will Probably Recognize This Song. ...

Contributed by D. Greg Ebie on Oct 29, 2003

Many of you will probably recognize this song. “It make you want to go where everybody know your name, and they’re always glad you came. You wanna be where you can see our troubles are all the same. You wanna be where everybody knows your name.” The theme song for the 80’s TV sitcom “Cheers” ...read more

Tags: Church Purpose Of, Church General

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Second Chances

Contributed by Tim Smith on Sep 25, 2016

David Emory tells the story of baptizing a young father who had a 7 year old and 5 year old. They were close friends of his family and had never been a part of a church. But one Sunday, they came to worship, he gave his life to Christ and was baptized. At the end of the service, after everyone else ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 6:1-8

Tags: Sin, Repentance, Woe, Second Chances

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

Now I'm A Fisherman And The First Rule Of Fishing ...  PRO

Contributed by Ken Schlenker on Aug 7, 2002

Now I’m a fisherman and the first rule of fishing is to stay afloat in your boat. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I would wake up and walk outside to take a deep breath and smell the air to catch an understanding of the humidity. I’d then look up at the horizon and I see how many clouds ...read more

Tags: Help

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Jan Was On Staff With Athletes In Action. After ...

Contributed by Kent Kessler on Jan 8, 2007

Jan was on staff with Athletes in Action. After attending a conference where the importance of listening to unsaved people was stressed, Jan and others were relaxing in the hotel whirlpool. Two adolescent girls joined them in the tub. One of the teens, named Brittany, began passionately telling her ...read more

Denomination: Methodist

The Book Irresistible Evangelism (Group ...  PRO

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Mar 20, 2007

The book Irresistible Evangelism (Group Publishing) includes the story of Jan, a staffer with Athletes in Action. After attending a conference where the importance of listening to unsaved people was stressed, Jan and others were relaxing in the hotel whirlpool. Two adolescent girls joined them in ...read more

Tags: Evangelism How To

Denomination: Pentecostal

In An Article Entitled "Lessons From A Tavern," ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

In an article entitled “Lessons from A Tavern,” Chuck Swindoll writes: “An old Marine Corps buddy of mine, to my pleasant surprise, came to know Christ after he was discharged. I say surprise because he cursed loudly, fought hard, chased women, drank heavily, loved war and weapons, and hated chapel ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Diversity In The Church  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 8, 2009

DIVERSITY IN THE CHURCH Philip Yancey put it this way in an article in Christianity Today just this last November. He writes, "As I read accounts of the New Testament church, no characteristic stands out more sharply than [diversity]. Beginning with Pentecost, the Christian church dismantled the ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 3:28

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

When To Save A Drowning Man  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 4, 2011

WHEN TO SAVE A DROWNING MAN Watchman Nee tells the story of his stay in China with twenty other Christians. The bathing accommodations were inadequate in the home where they were lodging, so they went for a daily dip in the river. On one occasion, one of the men got a cramp in his leg and began ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-9, Isaiah 14:12-18, Philippians 2:6

Tags: Salvation, Rescue, Deliver

Works-Driven Rituals

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 4, 2011

WORKS-DRIVEN RITUALS Every year a great throng of people make pilgrimage to the Shrine of Guadalupe in Mexico, a site where supposedly the Virgin Mary once stood...however unlikely that is. They go there hoping to get her attention, and to get her to intervene for them with her son Jesus. They ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 1:7-10

Tags: Action

The Rug: Making And Keeping Good Boys

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 6, 2011

THE RUG: MAKING AND KEEPING GOOD BOYS A preacher tells how he was once entertained by a teacher and his wife who had two boys in their middle teens. He writes, "Immediately on entering, I felt the home atmosphere. They were evidently a fine Christian family. However, I noticed that the carpet in ...read more

Scripture: Titus 2:1-6

Tags: Mother's Day

Worship At A Garbage Dump

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 21, 2012

WORSHIP AT A GARBAGE DUMP Imagine a town built atop an active landfill. That is "Garbage City" in Cairo, Egypt, longtime home to an impoverished, marginalized community of Coptic Christians for whom life is only going to get harder. The so-called Zabbaleen have been the trash collectors of Cairo ...read more

Scripture: John 4:24

Tags: Worship General

Story About Graduation Car

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Oct 21, 2025

Story: The son of a wealthy man expected to receive a sports car for his graduation. Instead his Dad called him into his study, told him that he loved him and handed him a wrapped-up present. When he opened it, he found it to be a box containing a leather bound Bible, with his name inscribed on ...read more

Scripture: Luke 13:9-14

Tags: Treasure, Graduation Present

Denomination: Anglican

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

It Is Said That As Benjamin Franklin Concluded A ...  PRO

Contributed by Darrin Koone on May 10, 2002

It is said that as Benjamin Franklin concluded a stirring speech on the guarantees of the Constitution, a heckler shouted, "Aw, them words don’t mean nothin’ at all. Where’s all the happiness you say it guarantees us?" Franklin smiled and replied, "My friend, the Constitution only ...read more

Tags: Joy, Peace

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Shinto Beliefs And The End Of The World

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 10, 2002

Shinto Beliefs and the End of the World "There is NO belief in Shinto in a final, cataclysmic "end of the world" where the physical world is wiped out... Shinto doesn’t work that way. Existence is a dance that never, ever ends. A dance where no one gets left ...read more

Tags: Jesus Teachings, World Religions

An Intelligent Plan Is The First Step To ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"An intelligent plan is the first step to success. The man who plans knows where he is going, knows what progress he is making and has a pretty good idea of when he will arrive. Planning is the open road to your ...read more

Tags: Church Practices