In Sermon Illustrations: "Words"

Lincoln Writes A Letter

Contributed by Ken Pell on Jul 24, 2011

LINCOLN WRITES A LETTER Despite his busy schedule during the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln often visited the hospitals to cheer the wounded. On one occasion he saw a young fellow who was near death. "Is there anything I can do for you?" asked the compassionate President. "Please write a letter to ...read more

Tags: Kindness

Denomination: Nazarene

The Bible Is The Blueprints

Contributed by Sean Harder on Aug 5, 2011

THE BIBLE IS THE BLUEPRINTS Can you build a real house without blueprints? Sure you can throw up a square storage shed maybe without them, but do you not need to have some kind of visual plan of the dimensions, how many rooms, where the rooms go, and so on in order to start building an actual ...read more

Tags: Bible Influence

Accepting The Good News  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 11, 2011

ACCEPTING THE GOOD NEWS A promotion by H. R. Block Inc. in 2001 offered walk-in customers a chance to win a drawing for a million dollars. Glen and Gloria Sims of Sewell, New Jersey, won the drawing, but they refused to believe it when an H. R. Block representative phoned them with the good ...read more

Scripture: John 5:45-47

Tags: Unbelief

Bad News, Then Good News  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 15, 2011

BAD NEWS, THEN GOOD NEWS Nearly 20 years ago at the height of Operation Desert Storm, Ruth Dillow received a very sad message from the Pentagon. The message stated that her son, Clayton had stepped on a landmine in Kuwait and was killed. Ruth later wrote these words, "I can't begin to describe my ...read more

Scripture: John 20:1-20, Matthew 28:8

Tags: Emmaus Road, Post Easter, Easter Resurrection

I Thought He Was Talking To You

Contributed by Perry Greene on Oct 10, 2011

I THOUGHT HE WAS TALKING TO YOU At the height of a political corruption trial, the prosecuting attorney attacked a witness. "Isn't it true," he bellowed, "that you accepted five thousand dollars to compromise this case?" The witness stared out the window, as though he hadn't heard the ...read more

Tags: Discipleship

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Earnest Heed  PRO

Contributed by Charles Dupree on Oct 25, 2011

Earnest Heed Hebrews 2:1 There was a man named Earnest Heed Who simply refused listen But when his wife cooked apple pie His eyes would always glisten. Earnest had a few close friends Named Apathy and Lazy They like Earnest refused to hear And drove other people crazy. One day, ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 2:1-2

Tags: Obedience, Listen, Accountability, Laziness, Hearing  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Waking Up In Another Room

Contributed by Jason W. Lawson on Nov 17, 2011

WAKING UP IN ANOTHER ROOM A young child was diagnosed with a terminal disease. The parents knew that he would die soon. The child as well knew that his death would be soon. One night he was sitting in his mother's lap watching television with her. He looked up into her eyes and said, "Mommy does ...read more

Tags: Funerals Christian

Denomination: Baptist

Expectations And Reality

Contributed by Tim Hinrichs on Nov 29, 2011

EXPECTATIONS AND REALITY I had arrived only a couple weeks before in the Czech Republic and was living with a retired Czech couple in a small village. Being the only American in the area I was somewhat a celebrity. One day a couple elders from a local church visited me to ask if I would preach in ...read more

Tags: Disappointment

Denomination: Lutheran

I Owe My Life Twice

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Dec 17, 2011

I OWE MY LIFE TWICE A wealthy English family once invited friends to spend some time at their beautiful estate. The happy occasion was almost plunged into a terrible tragedy on the first day. Because the children went swimming, and one of them got into deep water and started drowning. ...read more

Tags: Salvation

Denomination: Brethren

A Sacrifice Of Praise Hurts!

Contributed by Mark Stepherson on Mar 1, 2012

A SACRIFICE OF PRAISE HURTS! Several years ago, there was a song on Christian radio that said, "We bring a sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord." It had a happy, upbeat tune. Listening to it, I had the feeling that the singers were intrigued by the words but had not personally ...read more

Tags: Prayer Adoration

Denomination: Baptist

How Well Do You Obey?  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 7, 2012

HOW WELL DO YOU OBEY? How we admire the obedience a dog shows to its master! Archibald Rutledge wrote that one day he met a man whose dog had just been killed in a forest fire. Heartbroken, the man explained to Rutledge how it happened. Because he worked out-of-doors, he often took his dog with ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:21-23, Luke 9:23-27, Jeremiah 7:21-24

Tags: Obedience

Michael Jordan: Persevere

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 17, 2012

MICHAEL JORDAN: PERSEVERE In the fall of 1978, fifteen-year-old Michael Jordan tried out for the varsity basketball team at Emsley A. Laney High School in Wilmington, North Carolina. The sophomore was 5 feet 11 inches and with his skills, the coach told him that he was not good enough, and Michael ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-12

Tags: Endurance

The Purpose Of Life  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 28, 2012

THE PURPOSE OF LIFE There's a guy named Hugh Morehead who 45 years ago began a hobby of writing to famous philosophers and scientists and authors and asking them, "What is the purpose of life?" The responses he got back were depressing at best. Isaac Asimov wrote back, "As far as I can see there ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 1:1-14

Tags: God Brings Purpose

A Tragic Dream Fulfilled--The Case Of Robert ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 1, 2012

A TRAGIC DREAM FULFILLED--THE CASE OF ROBERT BURNS Robert Burns, the famous poet, occasionally had times of serious reflection of the state of his soul. He recorded one of those times when he compared himself to the review of his past life. He wrote that he was like a lonely man walking amidst the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 8:4-15

Tags: Parable Sower And Seed

Ironside Teaches On Assurance Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 24, 2012

IRONSIDE TEACHES ON ASSURANCE OF SALVATION An elderly man said to Harry A. Ironside, "I will not go on unless I know I’m saved, or else know it’s hopeless to seek to be sure of it. I want a definite witness, something I can’t be mistaken about!" Ironside replied, "Suppose you had a vision of an ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 5:6-15

Tags: Assurance Of Salvation

Gold, Common Sense, And Fur

Contributed by Davon Huss on Dec 24, 2012

There was a couple who desperately wanted children. They prayed to the Lord and he gave them 4 children in 4 years. When the children were still 5 years old and younger, they were the stars of the Christmas pageant. Here are the mothers words to describe the production: “My daughter was playing ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The "Group-Think" Impulse  PRO

Contributed by Robert Joseph on Jun 1, 2013

THE "GROUP-THINK" IMPULSE Stand up for the truth. Romans 12:2 says, "...Do not be conformed to this world..." [NKJV] People today show a stong tendency to adjust their opinions to match those of the group. This goes a long way towards explaining why only a fraction of the educated population ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:2

Tags: Homosexuality, Peer Pressure, Truth Absolute

Denomination: Pentecostal

Ivan The Terrible

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 11, 2014

THE BURIAL CLOTHES OF IVAN THE TERRIBLE In 1547 Ivan the IV became Grand Duke of Russia, and he proclaimed himself "Czar" which is a form of the word "Caesar." He actually claimed to be god on the earth. He later became known as Ivan the Terrible, because he was a cruel, vicious leader. He not ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 22:1-14

Tags: Righteousness, Jesus Parables, Wedding Banquet

10th Birthday

Contributed by Davon Huss on Nov 16, 2014

Donald Whitney tells us of his 10th birthday. He invited 8 friends. They played football and basketball, enjoyed hot dogs and hamburgers, then devoured ice cream and cake. “The climax was a gift from me to them. Nothing was too good for my friends. I was going to pay their way to the most ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:28

Tags: Right Worship, Casual Worship, Insincere Worship, Unacceptable Worship

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Get In The Wheelbarrow!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Apr 18, 2017

On June 30, 1859, one of the greatest tight-rope walkers in history, Charles Blondin, became the first man in history to walk across Niagara Falls. Approximately 25,000 people watched him walk a 1,000-foot line suspended above the raging falls without any safety nets. When he safely reached the ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:1-2, Hebrews 11:1-6

Tags: Faith, Sacrifice, Commitment

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational