Sermons & Devotionals by Sermon Illustrations I

Ralph L. Woods: An ambitious farmer, unhappy about the yield of his crops, heard of a highly recommended new seed corn. He bought some and produced a crop that was so abundant his astonished neighbors asked him to sell them a portion of the new seed. But the farmer, afraid that he would lose a profi... Read More

A beautiful blond senior shares: "When we date, we start giving gifts, like flowers or candy. When a couple becomes engaged, they give special things--a diamond and very personal things. The most personal gift that I can ever give is myself. I have nothing more precious to give. When I marry, I want... Read More

Dr. Andrew Bonar told me how, in the Highlands of Scotland, a sheep would often wander off into the rocks and get into places that they couldn't get out of. The grass on these mountains is very sweet and the sheep like it, and they will jump down ten or twelve feet, and then they can't jump back aga... Read More

Consider the postage stamp: Its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing till it gets there. Josh Billings. When I was a boy, my father, a baker, introduced me to the wonders of song, tenor Luciano Pavarotti relates. He urged me to work very hard to develop my voice. Arrigo Pola, a p... Read More

Madame Chiang Kai-shek once told the story of a young Buddhist monk who sat outside his temple two thousand years ago, hands clasped in prayer. He looked very pious and he chanted 'Amita Buddha' all day. Day after day he intoned these words, believing that he was acquiring grace. One day the head pr... Read More

Driving down a country road, I came to a very narrow bridge. In front of the bridge, a sign was posted: "YIELD." Seeing no oncoming cars, I continued across the bridge and to my destination. On my way back, I came to the same one-lane bridge, now from the other direction. To my surprise, I saw anoth... Read More

For those who think the coalition troops of Operation Desert Storm must have set some kind of record with their 100-hour ground assault against Iraq, the "record book" of history says otherwise. The shortest war on record was fought between Britain and Zanzibar (now part of Tanzania) on August 27, 1... Read More

Thankfulness seems to be a lost art today. Warren Wiersby illustrated this problem in his commentary on Colossians. He told about a ministerial student in Evanston, Illinois, who was part of a life-saving squad. In 1860, a ship went aground on the shore of Lake Michigan near Evanston, and Edward Spe... Read More

The Word became flesh--and then through theologians it became words again. Karl Barth. Peter Abelard, one of the most famous churchmen of the 12th century, sired a son born to his teenage mistress Heloise. After childbirth, the mother recovered in a convent near Paris. Peter gave the infant to his s... Read More

There are two aspects in the manifestation of tongues: first, the sign of tongues in Acts 2, 10, 19 (and probably in Ch 8); second, the gift of tongues in the early apostolic church. The gift under the second aspect evidently was not permanent (1 Cor 13:9-13), nor given to every believer. It require... Read More

Unless you subscribe to The Atlanta Journal Constitution, you probably missed the story that was in the May 17, 1987 edition. A rock hound named Rob Cutshaw owns a little roadside shop outside Andrews, North Carolina. Like many in the trade, he hunts for rocks, then sells them to collectors or jewel... Read More

He sat by the fire of seven-fold heat, As He watched by the precious ore. And closer He bent with a searching gaze As He heated it more and more. He knew He had ore that could stand the test And He wanted the finest gold, To mold as a crown for the King to wear, Set with gems of price untold. So He ... Read More

Important lessons are given by this alternation of the two ideas of faith and unbelief, obedience and disobedience. Disobedience is the root of unbelief. Unbelief is the mother of further disobedience. Faith is voluntary submission within a person's own power. If faith is not exercised, the true cau... Read More

This statement (Matt 12:32, par Mk. 3:29, Luke 12:10) has been the subject of much questioning. Obviously the reference here is not to the naming of the Holy Spirit in a blasphemous utterance, for in Matt. 12:32 even blasphemy against the Son of man can be forgiven. Among the many attempts at exeges... Read More

Blessed is he who expects no gratitude for he shall not be disappointed. W.C. Bennett, Trinity Ave Pres. Church, Durham, N.C. in The Official Rules, p. 12. The careless soul receives the Father's gifts as if it were a way things had of dropping into his hand...yet he is ever complaining, as if someo... Read More

There are no victories at discount prices. General Dwight Eisenhower. Colin Chapman, in The Case for Christianity, quotes Ugandan bishop Festo Kivengere's account of the 1973 execution by firing squad of three men from his diocese: February 10 began as a sad day for us in Kabale. People were command... Read More

In 1212 a French shepherd boy by the name of Steven claimed that Jesus had appeared to him disguised as a pilgrim. Supposedly, Jesus instructed him to take a letter to the king of France. This poor, misguided boy told everyone about what he thought he had encountered. Before long he had gathered a l... Read More

A bishop of a century ago pronounced from his pulpit and in the periodical he edited that heavier-than-air flight was both impossible and contrary to the will of God. Oh, the irony that Bishop Wright had two sons, Orville and Wilbur! Wright was wrong. Sure of himself, but wrong. Robert P. Dugan, Jr.... Read More

What is worship? Worship is to feel in your heart and express in some appropriate manner a humbling but delightful sense of admiring awe and astonished wonder and overpowering love in the presence of that most ancient Mystery, that Majesty which philosophers call the First Cause, but which we call O... Read More

In the summer of 1986, two ships collided in the Black Sea off the coast of Russia. Hundreds of passengers died as they were hurled into the icy waters below. News of the disaster was further darkened when an investigation revealed the cause of the accident. It wasn't a technology problem like radar... Read More