In Sermon Illustrations: "Why Christ Came"

Pilot's Directions

Contributed by Donnie Martin on Aug 26, 2008

Pilot's Directions Henry Gardner was flying me to Asheville, North Carolina, in his Cessna 180. We'd taken off from Victoria, Texas, and stopped in Jackson, Mississippi, to fix a malfunctioning radio. Now we were nearing Asheville only to find that the fog was so thick that the controller wouldn't ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Tools In The Hands Of The Carpenter  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 16, 2009

TOOLS IN THE HANDS OF THE CARPENTER A group of tools once came together for a meeting with Mr. Hammer presiding. Brother Screwdriver said, "Brother Hammer must go, because he is always making noise, always knocking." Hammer said, "Brother Screwdriver has to go, because you have to turn him around ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:1-31

Tags: Gifts General

Bears, Caps And Bags

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 16, 2009

BEARS, CAPS AND BAGS Two hunters came across a bear so big that they dropped their rifles and ran for cover. One man climbed a tree while the other hid in a nearby cave. The bear was in no hurry to eat, so he sat down between the tree and the cave to reflect upon his good fortune. Suddenly, and ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:6-9

Tags: Hardship Of Life

Dead Man Walking

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Nov 25, 2025

In some of the Maximum-Security Prisons in the United States ... when a prisoner is taken to be executed ... the guard that is leading the procession continual shouts out, ... "Dead man walking". It means, ...to clear the way ... to quiet down ... for this prisoner is on their last walk ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 2:15, Romans 5:12

Tags: Sin, Cross, Prison, Slave, Dead, Walking, World, Death  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Anglican

Don't Be Like These Guys!

Contributed by John Bright on Mar 5, 2026

Jude used three examples from the Old Testament to show that these false teachers are not to be trusted or followed. In Genesis 4:1-16, we find the first murder in the Bible when Cain kills his brother Abel. If these false teachers are leading folks back to their former state – being unsaved – ...read more

Scripture: Jude 1:11, 2 Timothy 4:3, Numbers 16:31-35

Tags: Salvation, Heresy, False Teachers, Cain, Korah, Balaam, Jude  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Methodist

Listen, Son: I Am Saying This As You Lie Asleep, ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2001

Listen, son: I am saying this as you lie asleep, one little paw crumpled under your cheek and blond curls stickily wet on your damp forehead. I have stolen into your room alone. Just a few minutes ago, as I sat reading my paper in the library, a stifling wave of remorse swept over me. Guiltily I ...read more

Tags: Parenting, Children

Monkey Business

Contributed by David Dunn on Jan 15, 2026

I want to tell you a story about monkeys. This story takes place in a country called India. When I was about your age, I lived with my parents and my brothers and sisters in India. In that country they have monkeys. The monkeys don’t live in zoos like they do here. They live in the trees—right ...read more

Scripture: James 1:5, Proverbs 15:1

Tags: Mercy, Wisdom

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

In 1899 Four Newspaper Reporters From Denver, ...  PRO

Contributed by Ted Sutherland on Feb 11, 2001

In 1899 four newspaper reporters from Denver, CO, set out to tear down the Great Wall of China. They almost succeeded. Literally. The four met by chance one Saturday night, in a Denver railway depot. Al Stevens, Jack Tournay, John Lewis, Hal Wilshire. They represented the four Denver papers: the ...read more

Scripture: James 3:1-18

Tags: Faith, Truth

Denomination: Baptist

To Touch A Scorpion!" Matthew 5: 43-48 Key ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Sep 9, 2004

“To Touch a Scorpion!” Matthew 5: 43-48 Key verse(s): 44 “‘But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.’” Is it in our nature to love our enemies and do good to those who persecute us? Getting even or, in the very least, shunning confrontation with those who would ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:43-48

Tags: Unconditional Love

Denomination: Lutheran

Too Easily Pleased! (07.06.05--Joy Every ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Jul 5, 2005

Too Easily Pleased! (07.06.05--Joy Every Day--Ecclesiastes 9:7-10) I was happy with things the way they were. Why should I go to any great length to make them any better when, as it were, I was contented with how my car looked and drove? This was my response about a year ago when my wife ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 9:7-10

Tags: Fulfillment

Denomination: Lutheran

The Weak Will Shame The Wise

Contributed by Paul Dietz on Jun 19, 2008

THE WEAK WILL SHAME THE WISE We have to come to the realization that life is much more than brokenness. According to God’s word, we are vessels of honor which contain the power and glory of the Christ. I, too, have had a problem with such thinking throughout the years. How can I, a vessel of honor ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:21

Tags: Hardship Of Life

Denomination: *other

[188]. A Message From A Poem – My Jesus Is My Mighty Rock

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Sep 6, 2025

[188]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – MY JESUS IS MY MIGHTY ROCK In the Old Testament the “ROCK” featured a lot. The first incident was when Moses struck the Rock at the Lord’s command {{Exodus 17:5-6 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pass before the people and take with you some of the elders of Israel ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:8, Psalm 31:2-3, Psalm 18:1-2, Exodus 17:5-6, 1 Corinthians 10:4  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Moses Struck The Rock, Rock, Security, Rock Of Offense, Mighty Fortress, Mighty Rock, Christian Poems, Jesus, Moses, Safety, Salvation, Temptation  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[347]. Poem Message - Wisdom Of This World Is Foolishness With God

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on May 12, 2026

[347]. POEM MESSAGE - WISDOM OF THIS WORLD IS FOOLISHNESS WITH GOD There is a huge line of division between God and man; between God’s wisdom and man’s wisdom. Man is dominated by a sinful, fallen nature and his associated human wisdom is absolutely flawed. It is flawed so much that it ...read more

Scripture: Romans 1:21-22, 1 Corinthians 1:18-25

Tags: Wisdom, Foolishness, Humanism, Wisdom Of God, Fools, Wisdom Of The World, Christian Poems, The Wisdom Of Men  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

In Other Words, We Begin Our Christian Life In ...  PRO

Contributed by Bill Sullivan on Jul 11, 2001

In other words, we begin our Christian life in God’s grace, and then quickly abandon grace, and try to live our life, and almost to continue to earn our salvation, - by what we do, by our works. Author Jerry Bridges puts it like this: "We tend to give an unbeliever just enough of the gospel to get ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:14-30

Tags: Character, Faith Vs. Works, Sowing, Tares, Weeds, Judgment, Grace  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Arthur Pink Wrote About How Some People Do Not ...  PRO

Contributed by Kenneth Henes on Jun 5, 2002

Arthur Pink wrote about how some people do not worship: They bring their bodies to the house of prayer but not their souls. They worship with their mouths but not in spirit and in truth. They are sticklers for early morning communion with God but they take no thought about keeping their hearts ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 1:10-20

Tags: Church Practices, Worship Definition, Worship General

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Too Smart For Hell  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 6, 2002

TOO SMART FOR HELL According to U.S. News & World Report, 78% believed in Heaven and believed they were going there. Only 60% believed in Hell, but only 4% believed they were going there. In the same article, the Rev. Mary Kraus observed "My congregation would be stunned to hear a sermon on ...read more

Tags: Second Coming, Hell, Apologetics General

The Probability Of Just Eight Prophecies Being ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 8, 2002

… the probability of just eight prophecies being fulfilled is one chance in one hundred million billion. That number is millions of times greater than the total number of people who’ve ever walked the planet. … if you took this number of silver dollars, they would cover the state of Texas to ...read more

When Hitler Began Interfering With The Churches ...  PRO

Contributed by John Williams Iii on Mar 19, 2003

"When Hitler began interfering with the churches and humiliating the German Jews, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a loyal German himself, began to resist and protest. He refused to participate in the state churches, which bowed down to the fuehrer’s demands. Several of Bonhoeffer’s friends urged him to bend. ...read more

Scripture: Numbers 14:24

Tags: Apologetics General

Denomination: United Methodist

These Are Bill Bright's Words To Us: "My Life's ...  PRO

Contributed by Pat Cook on Jul 28, 2003

These are Bill Bright’s words to us: “My life’s message is be a slave of Jesus. And all that involves. Love your master, trust your master, and obey your master. Obviously, I’m a son of God, heir of God, joint-heir with Christ, and if He was described as a slave - Paul and Peter and the other ...read more

Tags: Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Baptist

A. James White States: Church Growth Consultant ...  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Nov 19, 2003

a. James White states: Church growth consultant Win Arn has observed something even more disturbing. Arn conducted a survey in which he interviewed the members of nearly one thousand churches in regard to what they perceived to be the mission of the church. Eighty-nine percent said the church ...read more

Tags: Church Purpose Of, Evangelism Urgency

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational