In Sermon Illustrations:

Prison Release

Contributed by Kelly Benton on Feb 3, 2026

When a prison sentence is completed, the door open. Legally, the prisoner is free. But some inmates struggle to walk out because prison has trained them how to think, how to move, and how to live. The bars are gone, but the mindset remains. That’s a picture of many believers. Jesus paid the full ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:1

Tags: Freedom, No Condemnation

Denomination: Other

Heart Transplant

Contributed by Kelly Benton on Feb 3, 2026

A heart transplant doesn’t make a sick heart healthier. It removes the failing heart completely and replaces it with a living one. After surgery, the patient doesn’t just act alive— they are alive. They don’t breathe because they’re disciplined. They breathe because they have a new source of life ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17

Tags: New Creation, Faith

Denomination: Other

Power Steering

Contributed by Kelly Benton on Feb 3, 2026

Before power steering, turning a car was basically CrossFit. Two hands on the wheel. Face red. Whole body involved. You didn’t turn—you wrestled that thing like it owed you money. Then power steering came along. And suddenly a pinky finger could do what used to take a full upper-body workout. Same ...read more

Tags: Faith, Obedience, Power

Denomination: Other

Moonlight

Contributed by Kelly Benton on Feb 3, 2026

The moon doesn’t produce light. It has no power source of its own. No battery. No glow stick taped to the back. It simply reflects the sun. That’s us. We don’t generate love through effort, emotion, or religious hustle. We reflect Christ’s love as we remain in Him. When we stay close, obedience ...read more

Scripture: John 15:9-10

Tags: Loving Others, Reflections

Denomination: Other

Benediction

Contributed by John Bright on Feb 3, 2026

May you know the warmth of God’s loving embrace May you know the joy of God’s ever-presence May you know the peace of God’s gentle whisper May you know the strength of ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:20

Tags: God's Presence, Peace, Joy, Strength

Denomination: Methodist

Fear And Division

Contributed by John Bright on Feb 3, 2026

A Simple Game Teaches Kids About Fear and Division One of my friends told me about a powerful lesson in her daughter's high school class recently. They're learning about the Salem Witch Trials, and their teacher told them they were going to play a game. "I'm going to come ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:10, Ephesians 4:3

Tags: Fear, High School, Division, Salem Witch Trials

Denomination: Methodist

Spurgeon Quote

Contributed by John Bright on Feb 3, 2026

"For us to hate those who are in error, or talk of them with contempt or wish them ill, or do them wrong, is not according to the Spirit of Christ. You cannot cast out Satan by Satan, nor correct error by violence, nor overcome hate ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:12, Matthew 5:43-48

Tags: Love, Enemies

Denomination: Methodist

Shoveling Snow

Contributed by John Bright on Feb 3, 2026

It was frigid—bone-chilling—and we had another heavy snowfall. When I opened my garage door, I quickly realized that looking at the big picture wouldn’t be helpful. Instead, I needed to focus on just one shovel of snow at a time. Blinders would have been useful, so that I wouldn’t see to the left ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 3:16-21

Tags: Slow Down, Trials

Denomination: Methodist

Unrealistic Expectations

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Feb 2, 2026

Often times ... we may have ... unrealistic expectations. For example, ... if I have an expectation ... that my wife Lee will cook a 4-course meal every night. And she expects ... that I will take her out to eat every night. Well ...we are both going to be ... very disappointed. Not because ...read more

Scripture: John 6:26-64

Tags: Disappointed, Commitment, Image, Expectations

Denomination: Anglican

Follower Or A Fan? - Humor

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Feb 2, 2026

A man named Charlie Moore ... moved with his family ... into a new community. He wanted to make some new friends, ... so he decided ... to join the local softball league. For the opening game of the season ... Charlie brought along the whole family, ... so they all could meet some of the other ...read more

Scripture: John 6:35-64

Tags: Family, Fan, Follower

Denomination: Anglican

The Voice - Billy Graham Story

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Feb 2, 2026

In 1948, ...a remarkable religious phenomenon occurred... in the United States. It began in a tent ... near Hollywood California, ...under the preaching ... of a young evangelist. The crowds were sparse at first ... but as the preaching continued, ... the crowds began to grow. At first, ... the ...read more

Scripture: John 1:6-7, John 1:19-21, John 1:23-24, John 3:30

Tags: Good News, Voice, Preach, Witness, Light, Wilderness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Anglican

[283]. A Message From A Poem – The Lord, Our Hope, Our Joy, Our End

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 31, 2026

[283]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THE LORD, OUR HOPE, OUR JOY, OUR END This is another of my earliest poems. This poem is a personal testimony to a time when I was walking in the valley of the shadow. STANZA 1 – All dark nights break forth into sunshine and my dark night looks forward to the Lord ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:2, Psalm 23:4-5, 2 Corinthians 12:2-4

Tags: Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, Joy, Sorrow, Dark Night, Blessings, Burdens, Valley Of The Shadow, Heaven  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[282]. A Message From A Poem – The Lord Will Never Fail Me

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 31, 2026

[282]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THE LORD WILL NEVER FAIL ME (possible song) This is a more unusual poem and in my mind, there was the possibility of a song. The poem has rhythm which is necessary for singing. The metre may defeat that though but not a problem for a good musician. I love ...read more

Scripture: John 16:33, Hebrews 13:5-6

Tags: Fail, Abide, Keep, Christian Poems, Failure  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[281]. A Message From A Poem – The Lord Is

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 31, 2026

[281]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THE LORD IS This poem is the second shortest one I think I have written. I use lots of metaphors here – a metaphor is when you say something is another thing. A simile is saying something is like another thing. There is no rhyme scheme in the poem but there is ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 27:1, Psalm 18:2

Tags: Metaphor, Christian Poems, The Lord Is

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[280]. A Message From A Poem – The Lord In Our Affliction

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 28, 2026

[280]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THE LORD IN OUR AFFLICTION This was one of my first poems. This poem came from a period that was very difficult for me when a nasty, concerted attack was made against me. That is when the Lord led me into writing poems with His help. Right back then I would not ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:12, Hebrews 2:17-18, Hebrews 4:15, Matthew 13:21

Tags: Comfort, Suffering, Help, Affliction, Trouble, Christian Poems, Persecution  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[279]. A Message From A Poem – The Lord Has Made Me Perfect In His Love

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 27, 2026

[279]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THE LORD HAS MADE ME PERFECT IN HIS LOVE The poem begins with the positive testimony of the Lord’s perfection and chorus. Perfection here is according to these two verses – {{Philippians 1:6 “I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17, Philippians 3:15, Philippians 1:6

Tags: A New Creation, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, Salvation, Perfect, Perfection, New Creation, In Christ  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Susan Boyle Story

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Jan 26, 2026

ARE WE FACING A STUMBLING BLOCK OR A STEPPING STONE? Do we allow problems and obstacles to define how we feel and what we accomplish? Ever heard of a lady named Susan Boyles? Many defined her by her handicaps. At birth Susan's brain was without oxygen for 5 minutes. Her family refused to become ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:6-7, Proverbs 13:22

Tags: Obstacles, Opportunities

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Push Or Pull

Contributed by David Dunn on Jan 26, 2026

Two people were trying to move a heavy piece of office furniture—a large cabinet—from one room into another. It was solid, awkward, and just wide enough to be a problem. They managed to get it to the doorway, and then everything stopped. They strained. They pushed harder. They adjusted their ...read more

Scripture: Romans 15:1-2

Tags: Fellowship, Unity

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

[278]. A Message From A Poem – The Light Of The World

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 25, 2026

[278]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD This was a poem written before I really started writing poems seriously. Part of the idea was to write a hymn and some tunes will fit its 8-8-8-8 metre. The title, “The Light of the World” was to cover several aspects suggested to me by ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 4:3, Matthew 17:1-3, Luke 24:47, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

Tags: Brilliance Of The Lord, The Brightest Star, Nasa Christian Poems, Forgiveness Of Sins, The Light Of The World, Pure Light, Hubble Telescope, Christian Poetry, The Transfiguration, Light, Shining Face, The Rapture  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[277]. A Message From A Poem – The Leading Road

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 25, 2026

[277]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THE LEADING ROAD I hope everyone has been on higher ground where you have a really great panorama and the land and hills or ranges sweep away before you. I have seen many of these in tropical rainforested country, and below you, you may see a road leading away ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 104:24-25, Job 12:7-9, Romans 1:20, Revelation 20:12

Tags: A Leading Road, Beauty, Scenery, Nature, No Excuse, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, Creation  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational