Sermon Illustrations

Rescuing the Flock A friend once told D.L. Moody just how the sheep in the Highlands of Scotland are rescued when they wander off and become stranded on a rocky crag. He said, "The vegetation on those mountains is so sweet that the sheep will jump down 10 or 12 feet to get it. Soon their bleating c

Can the gospel really dissolve deep-seated prejudices that have been hardened by centuries of hatred and strife? The experience of Yishael Allon of West Valley City, Utah, gives the answer. Yishael is Jewish. About 17 years ago, he met his cousin's wife Sandy, who was dying of leukemia. Peace fi

Many successful people have acknowledged in their memoirs that whenever they came to an impasse in their work and were completely baffled, they sought wisdom from the Lord. This was true in the life of the inventor of the telegraph, Samuel F.B. Morse. In an interview, George Hervey inquired, "Pr

Casey Stengel said: "It's easy to get good players. Gettin' 'em to play together, that's the hard part." Thanks Casey. What's true in baseball is also true in the ministry of the local church.  

People are unreasonable, illogical and self-centered. Love them anyway. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Do good anyway. If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway. Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. Be honest and fr

No Accident! When a cowpuncher applies for an insurance policy the agent began quizzing him, "Have you ever had any accidents?" After a moment's reflection the applicant responded, "Nope, but a bronc did kick in two of my ribs last summer, and a couple of years ago a rattlesnake bit me on the ankle

D.L. Moody described love as "the dome of the temple of the graces" and as "the crown of crowns worn by the triune God." "We cannot work for God without love," he observed. "It is the only tree that can produce fruit on this sin-cursed earth, that is acceptable to God. If I have no love for God

On August 16, 1987, Northwest Airlines flight 225 crashed just after taking off from the Detroit airport, killing 155 people, One survived: a four-year-old from Tempe, Arizona, named Cecelia. News accounts say when rescuers found Cecelia they did not believe she had been on the plane. Investigators

A speaker held up a blank sheet of paper and asked, "What do you see?" The reply was, "A piece of paper." He then placed the paper on the podium, made a tiny dot in the center and held it up again. "What do you see now?" "A dot," was the unanimous reply from the audience. "Imagine this blank paper

The ways of the ant not only serve to illustrate the virtues of an energetic and productive life, but also show us the sad result of taking pleasure in things that are self-defeating and detrimental to others. Observers have noted that certain kinds of ants have a passion for the sweet, glandular su