In Sermon Illustrations: "Wolves Among Us"

Not "Why?" But "What?"

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Jul 22, 2009

NOT "WHY?" BUT "WHAT?" I remember a particular counseling session years ago where three of us were trying to encourage a change of personality and a change of behavior in a spouse. Dr. Jay Adams, in his book on direct, biblical counseling, said the purpose is not to find out why a person sinned, ...read more

Tags: Confession Of Sin

Denomination: Pentecostal

Are You A Big-Godder Or A Little ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 29, 2009

Are You a Big-Godder or a Little Godder? Many years ago, there was a learned Hebrew professor at Princeton Seminary named Robert Dick Wilson. He could read more than 30 Semitic languages! One time about twelve years after Donald Grey Barnhouse had graduated; he went back to the seminary to preach ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:1-26

Tags: Sanctification

David Livingstone,

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 30, 2009

David Livingstone, "I Never Made A Sacrifice" In the mid-seventeenth century, a somewhat well-known Englishman was captured by Algerian pirates and made a slave. While a slave, he founded a church. When his brother arranged his release, he refused freedom, having vowed to remain a slave until he ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:1-2

Tags: Servanthood

D.l. Moody's Thoughts Before His Death Illustrate ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 15, 2009

D.L. Moody’s Thoughts Before His Death Illustrate an Important Habit--Begin with the End in Mind Steven Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People, states that one of those habits is to “Begin with the end in mind”; for the final days and hours of a man are often some of the most ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 7:1-2

Tags: Death Nearness

You Have To Love Him Into It

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 1, 2010

"You Have To Love Him Into It"--A Stock Assistant Learns a Big Lesson A stock assistant was working at a grocery store on Christmas Eve. One of the things he was responsible for was the display in one of the aisles which was a pyramid of canned products. He had to rebuild this display many times ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:8-20

Tags: Unconditional Love

Learning To Play One's Instrument To God's ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 27, 2010

Learning to Play One’s Instrument to God’s Glory Does anyone here remember taking music class in grade school? When you first join a music class you are given an instrument to play. You really don’t have much of a choice in what you play. The instructor simply assigns you the instruments based on ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:1-31

Tags: Body Of Christ, Gifts General

Shirley Goodnest And Marcy  PRO

Contributed by Shawn Rose on Feb 27, 2011

SHIRLEY GOODNEST AND MARCY A mom was concerned about her kindergarten son walking to school and he didn't want his mother to walk with him. She wanted to know that he was safe, yet give him the feeling that he had independence. So she had an idea how to handle it. She asked a neighbor if she ...read more

Tags: Prayer General

Denomination: Baptist

Dating" Of A Calendar And "Dating" Of One's ...

Contributed by Suresh Manoharan on Nov 29, 2011

"Dating" of a calendar and "dating" of one's life... Universally all the Nations irrespective of their stand on religion adopt a calendar, which uses the Christ’s birth as a base. Yes, the World history is split into 2 not on the basis of the birth of great conquerors like Alexander the great or ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: *other

Architectural Design By Touch

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 8, 2012

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN BY TOUCH Three years ago (2008), Chris Downey had just started a promising architectural job at a successful design firm. A few weeks after he took the job, he noticed that there was something wrong with his vision. The doctors told him he had a tumor wrapped around his optic ...read more

Scripture: James 1:2-4

Tags: God In The Hardships

Eat, Drink And Be Merry...?

Contributed by Perry Greene on Sep 11, 2012

EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY...? After the "Cold War" was over, a squadron of Russian pilots was invited to participate in tactical war games at a U.S. Air Force base. A gala dinner was planned by the Base Commander. Thinking to relax the guests, he offered a WW II toast to open the meal. Smiling, he ...read more

Tags: Judgment

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

We're On The Same Team  PRO

Contributed by Gaylon Clark on Dec 9, 2013

Richie Incognito and Jonathan Martin had every reason as teammates to be friends, but they were not. Incognito harassed and bullied Martin. He called him a racial slur in a voicemail played by every media outlet in the country. He threatened to kill him and his family. Incognito claimed all of this ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-6, John 17:20-23, Colossians 3:12-17, Psalm 133:1-3

Tags: Teamwork, Christian Unity, Church Unity, Christian Friendship

Denomination: Baptist

He Will Never, Never, Never Leave Me!  PRO

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 7, 2014

HE WILL NEVER, NEVER, NEVER LEAVE ME! Written by Dr. Larry Petton Hebrews 13:5 is a rare verse. It has been simply translated by many as, "He will never leave you or forsake you." That is good English, but it is not good Greek in this instance. This verse contains an unusual triple negative. ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 13:5

Tags: Fear, Trinity, Loneliness, Presence Of God

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Stone From The Old West

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 11, 2014

THE PRECIOUS STONE NO ONE SAW Back when the Old West was being settled, pioneers flocked across the country to California and Oregon. In one particular spot on the Eastern slopes of the Rockies there was a large, dirt covered rock protruding in the middle of the trail. Wagon wheels were broken on ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 21:33-46

Tags: Jesus Christ, Capstone, Rejecting Christ, Jesus Is Cornerstone

Who's Flying The Plane?

Contributed by Roger Whipp on Dec 31, 2014

I guess many here including me have in the past and if honest still do sometimes ask this question “Why God?” or “How can there be a God with all this suffering” Sometimes life hands us some tricky situations. Former President Ronald Reagan likes to tell a story which he says is true about a ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:18-31

Tags: Hope, Suffering

Denomination: *other

The Big Turkey In The Freezer

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Nov 21, 2023

A Christian woman went into the local pet shop to buy a parrot for company. She selected a beautiful bird, but the pet store owner said he didn't think that she'd be happy with this particular parrot because he had belonged to a salty old sailor who used very bad language. She replied ...read more

Tags: Birds, Parrots, Holidays, Food, Profanity, Punishment, Discipline, Cursing, Thanksgiving  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Rabbi And Soap Maker Who Went For A Walk ...  PRO

Contributed by Tim Zingale on Dec 11, 2000

"a rabbi and soap maker who went for a walk together. The soap maker had some negative things to say about religion: "What good is religion? Just look around you. what do you see? Trouble, misery, wars - even after all these years and years of preaching and teaching about goodness, truth, peace. ...read more

Tags: Descriptions Of God

Denomination: Lutheran

Years Ago, My Youngest Daughter, Marilyn, And I ...  PRO

Contributed by Don Hutto on Jan 27, 2001

Years ago, my youngest daughter, Marilyn, and I went shopping for Connie. It’s hard. You wives, it’s hard for a man to shop for his wife because we don’t know what you want, and we don’t want to get that for you, anyway. But Marilyn and I thought we had found the perfect gift: a nightgown. You can ...read more

Tags: Thirst For God, Know God, Hunger For God, Lordship Of Christ, God's Provision, Assurance Of Salvation  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

A Pastor From A Bygone Age, Named Arthur John ...  PRO

Contributed by Dennis Lawrence on Apr 6, 2001

A pastor from a bygone age, named Arthur John Gossip, wrote: The wonderful thing about Christ is that as people looked at Him, followed Him, and watched Him, it became apparent to them that this is what God must be like. They concluded that if there is a God at all, then He must have Christ’s ...read more

Tags: Humanity Of Christ, Forgiveness In Jesus, Divinity Of Christ

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

We Have An Example Of The Principle Of "Headship" ...  PRO

Contributed by Alan Perkins on May 29, 2001

We have an example of the principle of "headship" in the recent tragedy involving the U.S. submarine Greeneville, which a few months ago surfaced suddenly underneath a Japanese fishing trawler off Pearl Harbor, sinking it and killing nine people. Since then, the skipper of the sub, commander Scott ...read more

Tags: Decode, Leadership General, Marriage Obligations, Submarine

Denomination: Baptist

Clovis Chappell, A Minister From A Century Back, ...  PRO

Contributed by Evie Megginson on Jul 12, 2001

Clovis Chappell, a minister from a century back, used to tell the story of two paddleboats. They left Memphis about the same time, traveling down the Mississippi River to New Orleans. As they traveled side by side, sailors from one vessel made a few remarks about the snail’s pace of the other. ...read more

Tags: Faith, Parenting, Workplace Balance

Denomination: Baptist