Sermon Illustrations

World class failures:

* There was a guy, a general, who lost two-thirds of all the battles he fought in the American Revolution. George Washington. He won the war.

* There was another guy who graduated 42nd out of a class of 43. Then he went out and conquered Europe. Napoleon.

* There’s a guy who lost almost every election he ran for – 10 or 12 – until finally he was elected President. Abraham Lincoln. He lost more than he won.

* Edison tried over 200 different elements before he figured out what was the right element to use in the light bulb. Over 200 failures before he had a success.

* In 21 years, Babe Ruth hit 714 home runs but he struck out 1330 times. He struck out nearly twice as often as he hit a home run. He once said, "Never let the fear of striking out keep you from taking a swing."

* A famous novelist in England, John Creasy, got 753 rejection slips from publishers before he published his first book. He went on to publish 564 books. Can you imagine the persistence of the man putting up with over 700 rejections before his first book got published and then went on in...

Continue reading this sermon illustration (Free with PRO)

Related Sermon Illustrations

  • Most Of Us Are Familiar With This Song – It's The ...

    Contributed by Robert Marsh on Mar 22, 2005
    based on 1 rating
     | 29,376 views

    Most of us are familiar with this song – it’s the theme from the television show Friends. But have you ever caught the lyrics to the song? They read, in part: So no one told you life was gonna be this way Your job’s a joke, you’re broke, your love life’s D.O.A. It’s like you’re always stuck ...read more

  • A Man Was Packing A Shipment Of Food ...

    Contributed by David Dewitt on Aug 20, 2002
    based on 1 rating
     | 9,594 views

    "A man was packing a shipment of food contributed by a school for the poor people of Appalachia. He was separating beans from powdered milk, and canned vegetables from canned meats. Reaching into a box filled with various cans, he pulled out a little brown paper sack. Apparently one of the ...read more

  • Don't Move The Piano  PRO

    Contributed by James Chandler on Jan 10, 2007
    based on 2 ratings
     | 7,461 views

    A new preacher at the local church walked into the auditorium of His new church. He thought it would be best to move the piano from the right side of the stage to the left side of the stage, so he moved it. Soon after he was fired for the disruption caused by ...read more

  • Giving In Theory  PRO

    Contributed by Susan Blader on Jan 21, 2007
    based on 3 ratings
     | 5,505 views

    Giving in Theory The story is told of the missionary who asked a new convert, “Pablo, if you had a hundred sheep, would you give fifty of them to the Lord’s work?” “You know I would gladly give them,” he replied. “Pablo, if you had fifty cows, would you give twenty-five to the Lord’s ...read more

  • A Fifteen-Year-Old Boy Came Bounding Into The ...  PRO

    Contributed by Donnie Martin on May 11, 2003
    based on 2 ratings
     | 4,759 views

    A fifteen-year-old boy came bounding into the house and found his mom in bed. He asked if she were sick or something. He was truly concerned. Mom replied that, as a matter of fact, she didn’t feel too well. The son replied, “Well, don’t worry a bit about dinner. I’ll be happy to ...read more

Related Sermons