In Sermon Illustrations:

Judging Food Stamps

Contributed by Derrick Tuper on Aug 15, 2011

JUDGING FOOD STAMPS A grocery store check-out clerk once wrote to advice-columnist Ann Landers to complain that she had seen people buy "luxury" food items--like birthday cakes and bags of shrimp--with their food stamps. The writer went on to say that she thought all those people on welfare who ...read more

Tags: Judgment

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

You Know You're Getting Old When...

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Aug 15, 2011

YOU KNOW YOU'RE GETTING OLD WHEN... • You hear your favorite song on an elevator. • You watch the Weather Channel. • You don't know what time Taco Bell closes anymore. • You try to straighten out the wrinkles in your socks and discover you aren't wearing any. • When you say something to your ...read more

Tags: Aging

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Kill Us, Torture Us, Condemn Us...

Contributed by Thomas Cash on Aug 15, 2011

KILL US, TORTURE US, CONDEMN US... An early Christian leader named Tertullian (164-200AD) declared: “Kill us, torture us, condemn us, grind us to dust. The more you mow us down, the more we grow, for the seed of the church is the blood of the Christians. Every single drop of our blood springs up, ...read more

Tags: Persecution

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Guard Duty

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 15, 2011

GUARD DUTY When I was in the U.S. Army, I remember we had to pull guard duty many times. The purpose of guard duty was to ensure that other soldiers, equipment, or areas were protected from the enemy. I can recall that in basic training, or boot camp, we had to memorize three General Orders and ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 4:23

Tags: Heart

Under Authority

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 15, 2011

UNDER AUTHORITY I used to be a substitute teacher. Most of the time, I had good classes. Sometimes I had bad classes. But one day, I had a horrible class. Kids were running around the room, throwing paper wads, screaming and yelling. One kid ran out the side door into the courtyard and came back ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 21:18-22

Tags: Authority

The Bible And The Bounty

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 15, 2011

THE BIBLE AND THE BOUNTY The English ship Bounty, commanded by Lt. William Bligh, journeyed to the South Pacific in 1787. Many signed on considering the voyage a trip to paradise. Bligh appointed a young friend, Fletcher Christian, to the post of second in command. The Bounty stayed in Tahiti for ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 55:1-11

Tags: Bible Influence

And It Came To Pass...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 15, 2011

AND IT CAME TO PASS... "The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold of me." -- Martin Luther During a Sunday class the question was asked, "In your time of discouragement, what is your favourite Scripture?" A young man said, "The Lord is my ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 4:12

Tags: Bible Influence, It Came To Pass

A Friend Inside Me

Contributed by Thomas Cash on Aug 15, 2011

A FRIEND INSIDE ME When Abraham Lincoln was running the country, he had lots of chances to make shady deals and enhance himself financially. But this is what he said about his Presidency: "I desire so to conduct the affairs of this administration that if at the end, when I come to lay down the ...read more

Tags: Character

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Cut-Off Forgiveness

Contributed by Davon Huss on Aug 15, 2011

CUT-OFF FORGIVENESS John MacArthur: "I'll never forget one time when I cut off a guy in a Porsche. I was driving a Volkswagen bus. He had a convertible with a hat and the whole routine- Sunglasses, leather jacket, everything. So he pulled up beside me. He started to curse. He just cursed and ...read more

Tags: Peace

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Right Name Opens Doors  PRO

Contributed by Mark Stepherson on Aug 15, 2011

THE RIGHT NAME OPENS DOORS Mark Roberts wrote of a time when he visited the Capitol as a guest of Congressman John Campbell. As long as he was with the congressman, he could walk freely around the Capitol, entering many areas that were reserved "for authorized personnel only," reserved for members ...read more

Scripture: John 15:16, John 16:23-24, John 14:13-14

Tags: Prayer How To

Denomination: Baptist

The Love Of A Sister

Contributed by Rev.james Kelly on Aug 15, 2011

THE LOVE OF A SISTER What is love? This story was found while watching Crime Investigation Channel in our home here in the Philippines: Kip Kinkel was a troubled young men and at the time of this story I am about to tell you happened when Kep was seventeen. Kip lived with his parents, Faith and ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 103:13-17

Tags: Christian Love

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Prayed Into The Kingdom

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 14, 2011

PRAYED INTO THE KINGDOM Chuck Sackett did not grow up in a Christian home. But he joined the Boy Scouts and wanted to complete the "God and Country" merit badge. So he walked a few blocks to a small church for several weeks. He filled out his papers and did what he had to do get that badge. ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:18-20

Tags: Prayer Persistence

Deficiencies

Contributed by Mark Adams on Aug 13, 2011

DEFICIENCIES I want to tell you about a weird thing that used to happen a lot to sailors during the 1600s. Vessels were getting more sea worthy, and adventures were taking people farther and farther from home. You might be on the same ship with the same people, with the same person cooking for ...read more

Tags: Disciplines General

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Oops...

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Aug 13, 2011

OOPS... A secretary was leaving the office one Friday evening when she encountered one of the bosses, Mr. Jones. He was standing in front of a shredder with a piece of paper in his hand. "Listen," said Mr. Jones, "This is important, and my secretary has already left. Can you make this thing ...read more

Tags: Mistakes

Denomination: Brethren

The Hypocrisy Of Robert Courtney  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 12, 2011

THE HYPOCRISY OF ROBERT COURTNEY Before his arrest, Robert Courtney served as a deacon at Northland Cathedral, an Assembly of God Church in Kansas City. In 1990, Courtney began purchasing pharmaceuticals on the gray market and using them to fill prescriptions at his pharmacy. In time, he began ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 23:23-28

Tags: Hypocrisy

Philip Caught A Gold Mine

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 12, 2011

PHILIP CAUGHT A GOLD MINE On Sept. 27, 1998, Philip Ozersky went to a baseball game and saw his life changed in a big time way. All it took was one swing of the bat, and Philip caught not just a baseball, but a gold mine. Lots of fans have caught home runs, but this was no ordinary home run. Lots ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 19:1-14

Tags: Money

You're Beautiful To God  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 12, 2011

YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL TO GOD R.C. Buckner, a big, bold and brash man, lived about 100 years ago in Texas. This imposing figure had a very tender heart for children, starting Buckner's Children's Homes all across the state. The children affectionately called him "Papa Buckner" and would run up to him ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 9:9-13

Tags: Compassion

Disposable Guilt Bags

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 12, 2011

DISPOSABLE GUILT BAGS Several years ago a new product called "Disposable Guilt Bags" appeared in the supermarkets. It consisted of a set of ten ordinary brown bags on which were printed the following instructions: "Place the bag securely over your mouth, take a deep breath and blow all your guilt ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 32:1-5

Tags: Guilt

Why Worry?  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 12, 2011

WHY WORRY? In a 2006 article in Time magazine called "Why We Worry About the Things We Shouldn’t" Jeffrey Kluger, writes: As human beings, we pride ourselves on being the only species that understands the concept of risk. Yet we have a confounding habit of worrying about mere possibilities while ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:6-8

Tags: Worry

We Live In A Culture That Is Redefining What Is ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 12, 2011

We live in a culture that is redefining what is sexually permissible. Earlier this year in the United Kingdom, Peter and Hazelmary Bull were found guilty of discrimination because they allowed only married couples to share a bed at their small hotel. A homosexual couple sued the Bulls because they ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 6:12-20

Tags: Government