In Sermon Illustrations: "coming home"

I Surrender All – Judson W. Van Deventer, 1896

Contributed by Richard Goble on Mar 19, 2008

I Surrender All – Judson W. Van DeVenter, 1896 Van DeVenter beautifully describes the process of absolute surrender in his timeless hymn I Surrender All. If I may impose my perception of this hymn, I would suggest that He reveals the struggle involved in surrendering all that he is to the Lord. ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

A Special Occasion  PRO

Contributed by Eric Ferguson on May 8, 2008

A SPECIAL OCCASION If you are waiting for a special house guest or a special occasion to use something you cherish in your house, consider the following following article by Ann Wells that appeared several years ago in the Los Angeles Times: My brother-in-law opened the bottom drawer of my ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-18

Tags: Happiness

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Lost ...

Contributed by Peter Loughman on Jul 1, 2008

LOST IDENTITY --- Have you ever lost your driver’s license? --- Isn’t it a traumatic event? I have lost my driver’s license several times over the years and each time it made my life difficult. For all practical purposes I lost my identity. I couldn’t write a check – stores will not take a check ...read more

Tags: Restoration

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Barefoot Christians: A Parable  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 7, 2009

BAREFOOT CHRISTIANS: A PARABLE "I arrived in the city of EVERYWHERE early one morning. It was cold, and there were flurries of snow on the ground. As I stepped from the train to the platform, I noticed that the baggage man and the redcap were warmly attired in heavy coats and gloves, but oddly ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 4:10-12

Tags: Christian Love

Generations And The Bible  PRO

Contributed by Billy Nale on Oct 19, 2009

GENERATIONS AND THE BIBLE A new research report from the Barna Group examines recent nationwide studies on how different generations of American adults view and use the Bible. For the purposes of this research, the Mosaic generation refers to adults who are currently ages 18 to 25; Busters are ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 1 Timothy 4:12-16

Tags: Bible Truth

Denomination: Baptist

Over Three Decades Ago, Dr. Gary Chapman Authored ...

Contributed by Allen Calkins on Nov 24, 2009

Over three decades ago, Dr. Gary Chapman authored a marriage enrichment book that has become a classic in the field. It has helped millions of married couples draw closer to one another by giving them the tools they need to express their love for one another in the “love language” their spouse ...read more

Tags: God's Love

Denomination: Baptist

The Value Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 1, 2010

The Value of Water Colonel Nick Rowe is not a name most of you have probably heard of before. He was a war hero, in a war that had so few heroes. He was killed in the Philippines by an assassin. His funeral was one to be remembered. He is buried in Arlington national Cemetery. In all the history of ...read more

Scripture: Luke 3:15-16

Tags: War

Healing The Wounds Of War: The Kim Phuc Story

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 4, 2010

HEALING THE WOUNDS OF WAR: THE KIM PHUC STORY Probably one of the most well-known pictures to come out of the Vietnam War was Nick Ut’s Pulitzer Prize-winning photo (show picture) of Phan Thi Kim Phuc (pronounced "fuke"). On June 8, 1972, a napalm bomb was dropped on her village, and Kim, who was ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 18:21-35

Tags: Forgiveness For Others

Cargo Cults

Contributed by Craig Sully on Apr 7, 2010

CARGO CULTS First noticed in the late 19th century, the concept of the cargo cult came to prominence in the years immediately following WWII. As the Japanese and American armies began to island hop their way to victory and defeat across the Pacific, they literally took over these small territories ...read more

Tags: Ignorance

Denomination: Pentecostal

Testimony Of Iris Blue

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 8, 2013

TESTIMONY OF IRIS BUE God is still welcoming prostitutes and publicans into His kingdom. Iris Blue grew up in Houston, Texas. She lived a rebellious life and got involved in drugs, alcohol and prostitution when she was a teenager. When she was seventeen she was arrested and spent seven years in ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 21:28-32

Tags: Evangelism The Lost

Road To Emmaus - The Good Samaritan Inn

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Apr 28, 2020

The Road to Emmaus The scene: A table in the Inn in Emmaus – with a big sign on the Table saying “The Good Samaritan Inn in Emmaus” Luke and Cleopas seated around a Table Cleopas and Luke start talking: Cleopas: Luke, Where’s he gone – he was standing right there and puff - He just ...read more

Tags: Road To Emmaus, Sketch

Denomination: Anglican

Blueprints For Your Children’s Character

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Dec 15, 2020

There is a Minister who received an urgent note that said that a man in his congregation wanted to get a hold of him. The man’s problems have been 10 years in the making but have become urgent when the consequences of neglect suddenly materialized. The minister met the man at his office. He was a ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 22:6, Deuteronomy 7:9

Tags: Parenting, Blueprints, Children

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

God's Preservation Of His People Through Two Dreams

Contributed by Richard Tow on Aug 1, 2022

The amazing story is told by the historian Josephus.xxxviii When Alexander began his campaign against Phoenicia, he sent messengers to Juddua, the high priest in Jerusalem, “demanding aid from the Jews and the payment of the tribute which they used to pay to the King of Persia.”xxxix Not wanting to ...read more

Scripture: Zechariah 9:1-8, Romans 8:28, 1 Peter 5:7

Tags: Protection, Obedience, Jerusalem, Favor, Faith, Deliverance, Dream, Alexander The Great  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Charismatic

Misapplied Scriptures: Genesis 6:3

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Sep 14, 2023

Introduction: There is any number of Scriptures that have been used out of context or simply misapplied over the years. A Christian magazine listed about a dozen of these back in the early 1980’s and, I must say, some of the author’s insights were something I had never thought of before. Maybe I ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 6:1-8

Tags: Flood, Noah, Misapplied Scripture

Denomination: Baptist

Called To Serve

Contributed by Dr Fr John Singarayar Svd on Dec 1, 2023

In 1884, a devastating famine struck India, claiming over 50 lakh lives. In the midst of despair, Christian organizations from America, driven by compassion, sailed to India to provide medical aid and sustenance. Dr. John, accompanied by his daughter Ida Scudder, arrived in Ranipet. The dire ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:25-37

Tags: Service, Called

Denomination: Other

The Difference Christmas Makes

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Dec 24, 2023

At Christmastime, we set up our Christmas trees and toy trains. We may even walk along singing carols, or we may preach a sermon, but these bits and pieces are barren if we are thinking only of them or even thinking only of being in heaven, and are not stopping to ask ourselves, “What difference ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:8-20

Tags: Glory, God's Glory, Christmas, Making A Difference, Ordinary People, Shepherds  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

[043] A Message From A Poem – Christ Upholds The Battling One

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 3, 2025

[043] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – CHRIST UPHOLDS THE BATTLING ONE (Longer Introduction) Do you face battles? Do trials and opposition buffet you and make the way ahead very hard? This poem partly addresses that. Well there is good news for you. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Your Saviour goes with you all ...read more

Scripture: John 10:2, John 10:11, John 10:14, 2 Timothy 3:12

Tags: Grace, Comfort, Dreams, Poetry, Burdens, Footprints In The Sand, I Had A Dream, Battling, Mary Stevenson  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[048]. A Message From A Poem – Christmas Travesty – Pseudo Christmas

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 6, 2025

[048]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – CHRISTMAS TRAVESTY – PSEUDO CHRISTMAS Walking through a shopping centre at Christmas time was a depressing trip. All around were merchants parading their wares with full commercialisation; fake Santa Claus(es) everywhere and the occasional songs being played – ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:6-7, Luke 2:8-14

Tags: Christmas, False, Poetry, Poem, Santa Claus, Commercialism, Travesty, Infant Jesus, Pseudo Christmas, False Christmas  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Queen's Christmas Tree

Contributed by John Moyer on Dec 16, 2008

THE QUEEN'S CHRISTMAS TREE Among the cards we've received over the years, some were those Guidepost Christmas cards with stories in them. This is one of those stories. It was the first Saturday of the Advent season in Europe. The Queen’s royal woodsmen were searching the royal forest for the ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Holiness

I Want To Tell You About A Practicing Christian, ...  PRO

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on May 22, 2007

I want to tell you about a practicing Christian, a public figure who lives out his faith in Jesus Christ. Here is a behind-the-scenes story. There was a lot of excitement in watching the Indianapolis Colts, led by Head Coach Tony Dungy, win their trip to the Super Bowl this past January. A TV ...read more

Scripture: Daniel 1:1

Tags: Peace, Heaven, Chance, Hope, Assurance, Forget, Expectancy, Renew  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Pentecostal