In Sermon Illustrations: "Young Men"

Cinderella Man Tells The True Story Of Boxing ...

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Jan 4, 2010

Cinderella Man tells the true story of boxing legend James J. Braddock (Russell Crowe), who made an incredible comeback during the Great Depression. Injured and arthritic, Braddock’s promising career was cut short, and he had to go on public assistance when he couldn’t get work at the docks in New ...read more

Tags: Strength

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Importance Of Church In The Face Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 4, 2010

The Importance of Church in the Face of Disillusionment The church has fallen on tough times. Sadly, some of the negative perceptions are the church’s fault. Stories of sexual abuse by a few ministers and avarice and greed by others have tarnished the testimony of the church. I am convinced that ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 10:23-25

Tags: Church General

Build Character Into Your Children  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 6, 2010

BUILD CHARACTER INTO YOUR CHILDREN David Kraft was a big, strong man -- all muscle. At the age of 32, he was six feet, two inches tall and weighed 200 pounds. He had been to seminary and ended up working with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, because of his athletic background. Then he was ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:1-4

Tags: Father's Day

Strange Yet Sufficient Answered Prayer

Contributed by Rodelio Mallari on Dec 31, 2010

"STRANGE YET SUFFICIENT" ANSWERED PRAYER James Gilmour, a missionary to Mongolia, was once asked to treat some wounded soldiers. Although he was not a doctor, he did have some knowledge of first aid, so he felt he could not refuse the request. He dressed the wounds of two of the men, but a ...read more

Tags: Prayer Answered

Denomination: *other

Radical Faith  PRO

Contributed by Ken Pell on Jan 24, 2011

RADICAL FAITH I want to read to you the opening story from David Platt's book "The Radical Question" (Multnomah Press). Imagine a scene that took place in Asia not so long ago: A room in an ordinary house, dimly lit, all the blinds on the windows closed. Twenty leaders from churches in the ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 12:10-17

Tags: Persecution, Better Together

Denomination: Nazarene

Separation Of Church And State...?

Contributed by Jeff Strite on May 30, 2011

SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE...? God has promised: "Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD." But... wait a minute. I thought those same founders wanted to separate the Church from the State! How many of you have ever heard that phrase? Of course you have. And I'll give a hundred dollar ...read more

Tags: America

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Reggie Jackson Perspective

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 2, 2011

A REGGIE JACKSON PERSPECTIVE Dave Bosewell tells the story of Earl Weaver who was the manager of the Baltimore Orioles and how he handled slugger Reggie Jackson. Weaver had a rule that no one could steal a base unless the steal sign was given. This upset Jackson because he knew pitchers and ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 11:2

Tags: Arrogance

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

Navy Seals

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 9, 2011

NAVY SEALS I don’t know much about the army but here is something I read recently about those Navy Seals who shot Osama Bin Laden. It’s good to be a Navy SEAL right now. The elite sailors are being showered with praise for their successful operation in Pakistan that resulted in the killing of ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:3

Tags: Hardship Of Life

Declaration Of Dependence

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Sep 11, 2011

DECLARATION OF DEPENDENCE The Declaration itself laid the groundwork for our freedom as a Nation: And that declaration was to be based upon the nation’s faith in God. It was quite literally a declaration of “Dependence upon God.” In the first two sentences of the Declaration of Independence - ...read more

Tags: Patriotism

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Call To War

Contributed by Sam Higgs on Sep 29, 2011

CALL TO WAR Have you ever heard the "trumpet" call to do battle in our culture? On every side we are bombarded with things and teachings that are anti-God. There is the lasciviousness where "free-sex" reigns as supreme. It is the Christian’s God ordained duty to confront this sin against God ...read more

Tags: War

Denomination: Baptist

Authority At The Airport

Contributed by Brad Henry on Oct 25, 2011

AUTHORITY AT THE AIRPORT Someone the other day told me they had a problem with Security at the airport from something they left in their carry on. Then it got me to thinking, which is a bad idea anyway, about my TSA encounter. I had an early morning flight and I got through security at about ...read more

Tags: Authority

Billy Graham's Arena Dreams

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Feb 7, 2012

BILLY GRAHAM'S ARENA DREAMS Billy Graham, in his book "Nearing Home: Life, Faith, and Finishing Well" (pp. 2-3, Thomas Nelson) writes: I have remained a baseball fan, not necessarily of one team over another but of the game itself--the teamwork, the strategy, and the challenge of defeating the ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:28

Tags: Dreams

Denomination: Baptist

On Nimrod

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Jul 16, 2012

ON NIMROD Josephus wrote: "Now it was Nimrod who excited them to such an affront and contempt of God. He was the grandson of Ham, the son of Noah, a bold man, and of great strength of hand. He persuaded them not to ascribe it to God, as if it were through his means they were happy, but to believe ...read more

Tags: Apostasy

Denomination: Independent/Bible

To Be A Peace-Maker

Contributed by Ken Henson on Aug 28, 2012

TO BE A PEACE-MAKER In the 1920s there was a serious conflicts between England and Ireland. Ireland wanted to be an independent nation. They did not mind being part of the United Kingdom, they wanted to govern themselves. That organization that was there as a resistance against the British ...read more

Tags: Peace

Denomination: *other

The Hobbit: Denying Yourself  PRO

Contributed by Ken Pell on Jun 15, 2013

The Hobbit: Denying Yourself In the movie “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” there is a scene where the Bilbo Baggins, the Hobbit who is accompanying 13 dwarves on a mission, unexpectedly disappears and seems to have abandoned the dwarves during a crucial battle. They were losing. Bilbo does ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:23-25

Tags: Dying To Self, Deny Self

Denomination: Nazarene

Sleepless Dads!

Contributed by Eduardo Quintana on Oct 4, 2015

You’ll probably not get six continuous hours of good sleep ever again. And if you do, you’ll never admit it because it will make your wife mad for the broken-up sleep she got when she got up and took care of the teething child. Dads, there is nothing more comforting to your little one than to have ...read more

Scripture: Malachi 4:6

Tags: Fatherhood, Sleeplessness

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Loving Neighbour

Contributed by Don Berry-Graham on Feb 29, 2016

A Little Pointer on Keeping a Balance Here’s a little bonus tip that I’ve found helpful to keep my wits about me as I live next to these wild Vikings we call sinners, pagans, and wacko unbelievers while keeping my vertical relationship with God strong. It’s called “whimsical holiness,” which is ...read more

Scripture: Luke 7:34

Tags: Witnessing Tools, Loving Neighbor

Denomination: Baptist

Camel Ride Up Mount Sinai

Contributed by Peter Loughman on Apr 29, 2008

CAMEL RIDE UP MOUNT SINAI It is 3:00 in the morning and we are waiting with other pilgrims on the back side of Saint Catherine’s Monastery at the base of mount Sinai. It is a moonless night, pitch black beyond the small light we huddle around. I wonder if I dressed warm enough, I am surprised it ...read more

Tags: Moses

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Medicine For ...

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

“Medicine for America” “Recognize You Have Sinned” Biblically examining the rule of kings who oversaw the nations of Judah and Israel reveals the truth, God blesses obedience and He chastens for disobedience. Instead of hanging onto this world’s view, Christians can come to understand the ...read more

Scripture: Romans 1:18-32

Tags: Patriotism

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational