Sermon Illustrations

"A good character is the best tombstone. Those who loved you, and were helped by you, will remember you when forget-me-nots are withered. Carve your name on hearts, and not on marble." -Charles H. Spurgeon  

During Marine basic training at Parris Island, S.C., the drill instructor threw a pine cone among the recruits and yelled, "Grenade!" The trainees immediatelyturned away and hit the ground. "Just as I suspected," chided the drill instructor. "Not a hero among you. Didn't anyone want to jump on that

General Eisenhower once rebuked one of his Generals for referring to a soldier as "just a Private." He reminded him that the Army could function better without its Generals, than it could without its foot soldiers. "If this war is won," he said, "it will be won by Privates." In the same way, the com

If this is not a place where tears are understood,Then where shall I go to cry?And if this is not a place where my spirit can take wings, Then were shall I go to fly?I don't need another place for tryin' to impress youWith just how good and virtuous I am, no, no, no.I don't need another place for al

David Jeremiah points out that, "In a Sports Illustrated interview, baseball hero Mickey Mantle once described his long battle with alcohol and his heartbreaking problems with his family. The interviewer then asked, "So how are things going with you today, Mickey?" "Better," was the reply. "I have

Flattery of Men The following true story is from the life of Louis XIV of France: One Sunday when he and his royal party arrived at church, no one was there except Archbishop Fenelon, the court preacher. Surprised to see all the vacant seats the King inquired, "Where is everybody? Why isn't anyone

A missionary legend is told that Boniface, an 8th century Christian missionary, once traveled to a German shrine hidden in the sacred forest of Thor, the god of thunder. When he realized that the native folk were not going to willingly relinquish their native spirits, Boniface took his ax to a huge

J. Gresham Machen, world renowned theologian, accepted lowly work while serving as a YMCA volunteer during World War I. He was assigned the task of making hot chocolate at a canteen. Since it had to be ready at 7am, Machen would get up before 5. He'd take bars of chocolate and shave them into sliver

"The philosophy of education in one generation is the philosophy of government in the next." (Abraham Lincoln)  

Too Cold for His Image I once saw, lying side by side in a sculptor's workshop, two heads made of metal. One was perfect. All the features of a manly, noble face were clear and distinct. The other, however, had scarcely a single, recognizable human characteristic. It was marred and spoiled. The man