Sermon Central
-
Divine Appointment At Chair Number Three
Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Apr 19, 2026 (message contributor)
A pastor went for a haircut two weeks before officiating his son’s wedding. It was supposed to be routine. Sit down, clean things up, walk out ready for a big weekend.
As he settled into the chair, he mentioned the upcoming ceremony. That simple comment opened a door he didn’t expect.
The hairdresser began sharing about her daughter, who had recently started going back to church with her boyfriend—a young man serious about his faith. He had been inviting her, giving her Bibles, drawing her back into something she had once left behind. The boyfriend also turned his attention to the hairdresser and sent her bibles as well.
But then the conversation turned inward.
She paused and said, almost cautiously, “I feel like maybe God is trying to get my attention… but I don’t know if I’m ready for all that change. I don’t know if I’m ready to go back to God.”
That’s when the moment shifted from casual conversation to something much more significant.
The pastor responded gently, “There’s a verse that might describe what you’re experiencing.” And he said, "Jesus says, 'I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.' ” (Rev 3:20)
She froze.
Not the polite kind of pause—completely still.
Then she looked at him and said that she had been having a recurring dream. In the dream, she hears a knock at the door. She knows, somehow, that it’s God. She wants to open it—but every time she reaches for the handle, fear takes over. She wakes up before the door ever opens.
So he said to her, “What’s on the other side of that door isn’t something to be afraid of. God isn’t trying to break in—He’s waiting to be invited in. And when He comes in, it’s not to overwhelm you, it’s to meet with you.”
The conversation kept going. Faith, questions, hesitation, invitation.
And somewhere along the way, the haircut kept getting shorter.
They talked about what it might look like for her to take a step—to open the door, even just a little. He invited her to an Alpha course, a space to ask questions and explore faith without pressure. Then he invited her to church.
She quietly asked where it was.
He told her.
And once again, she froze.
Then she said, “I live just around the corner.”
At that point, it was hard to call this a coincidence.
He asked her, “Do you think God is trying to get your attention?”
She said yes.
Then he asked, “If God is trying to get your attention, what do you think He’s saying to you?”
And instead of answering it for her, he left her with the question—because some questions are too important to rush.
They shape everything that comes next.
He left his card, stood up, and looked in the mirror. The haircut was excellent—just shorter than expected.
But it turns out, that appointment was never really about the haircut.
Sometimes God uses ordinary moments—chairs, conversations, interruptions—to do something deeply personal.
And sometimes, the knock isn’t just something we read about.
Sometimes, it’s happening in real time.
The only question is whether we’re ready to open the door.
Related Sermon Illustrations
-
Legend Has It That When The Famous Frontiersman ... PRO
Contributed by Bud Brown on Oct 14, 2004
Legend has it that when the famous frontiersman Davy Crockett was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1827, a newspaper reporter asked him if he’d ever been lost. Crockett had grown up in the woods and wilderness of middle and western Tennessee and was often gone out on hunting trips ...read more
-
Do You Know That You Already Have The Gift Of A ...
Contributed by Kenneth Squires on Sep 30, 2005
Do you know that you already have the gift of a consuming passion for hungering and thirsting? You activate it when you surrender your life to the Spirit’s working. Billy Graham was asked, “What is the most important ...read more
-
Have You Ever Noticed That Good Feeling That You ...
Contributed by Michael Trask on Jan 18, 2007
Have you ever noticed that good feeling that you get when you give of yourself? Perhaps you gave time to help someone with a flat tire on the side of the road, or perhaps you helped a lost child be reunited with his mother in a crowd, or maybe when the clerk at the store gave you too much ...read more
-
Trust Is A Learned Behavior PRO
Contributed by D. Greg Ebie on Nov 20, 2004
TRUST IS A LEARNED BEHAVIOR. Susie is one of the most trustworthy people I know; I trust her with my life. Imagine she is in a long line at the bank. The individual behind her is holding $1,000 cash with a completed deposit ticket. This person is obviously anxious and in a hurry, so Susie ...read more
-
Bob Had Been A Christian For About 6 Years And ... PRO
Contributed by Bruce Willis on Jan 2, 2007
Bob had been a Christian for about 6 years and had come to Dallas to head up a major city wide evangelistic campaign, hosting a daily radio program and working with some of the largest churches in America. He was beginning to think he was close to reaching the ultimate in Christian maturity - ...read more
Related Sermons
-
Jesus' Letter To Smyrna Series
Contributed by Kevin L. Jones on Mar 23, 2014
A sermon examining Jesus' letter to the Church at Smyrna.
-
A Ministry Of Mercy Series
Contributed by Kevin L. Jones on Aug 7, 2013
A sermon examining the importance of extending mercy to others.
-
Behold, I Come Quickly! Series
Contributed by Michael Blitz on Jul 19, 2013
Based on Rev 22:12-end and John 17:20-26. The invitation at the end of Revelation is made to the Great Feast, and we as a church should set aside pride and in unity reach the lost with the Gospel of Christ.
-
Making The Best Of A Bad Situation
Contributed by Kraig Pullam on Feb 17, 2014
God takes the disadvantages of our dead ends and uses them as an opportunity to propel His plan into the spectrum of His greater glory and our greater good, as seen in the discourse between the disciples and Christ prior to His ascension.
-
Walking In The Light Series
Contributed by Kevin L. Jones on Apr 20, 2014
A sermon examining the importance of walking in the light.
