In Sermon Illustrations: "1 Corinthians 9:19-34"

Flying High

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Sep 8, 2020

Sept. 1 2020 (UPI) -- An American Airlines pilot preparing to land in Los Angeles reported an unusual encounter at about 3,000 feet with a "guy in a jetpack." A recording of the conversation between the pilot and air traffic control Sunday evening at Los Angeles International Airport ...read more

Scripture: Acts 19:21-40

Tags: Funny, Surprise, Weird, Clouds, Anomaly, Irregular, True Funny Story, Jet Pack  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Christmas Cards Can Be Funny!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Dec 21, 2020

Our culture really gets into Christmas cards. It’s reported that Americans send 2.1 billion of them each year. Hallmark alone has more than 2,700 Christmas card designs. I don’t always read the cards but do like to catch up on those famous “Our-family-is-perfect Christmas letters” often found ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1-12

Tags: Christmas, Christ, Holidays, Laughter, Christmas Humor  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Property Laws Of A Toddler!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Apr 19, 2022

Property Laws of a Toddler: Some might say that this is evidences of Original Sin 1. If I like it, it's mine. 2. If it's in my hand, it's mine. 3. If I can take it from you, it's mine. 4. If I had it a little while ago, it's mine. 5. If it's mine, it must never appear to be ...read more

Tags: Mother's Day, Parenting, Babies, Toddlers, Children, Mothers  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

What Does It Mean To Be Crucified With Christ?

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Nov 6, 2022

To participate in the life of Christ, we must first be identified with Him in His death. "For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection" (Ro 6:5-note). Those of us who now have eternal life have died in the person ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 2:20, Romans 6:1-11

Tags: Discipleship, Self, Dying To Self, Crucified Life

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Seven Wonders Of Grace

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Nov 6, 2022

SEVEN WONDERS OF GRACE. Text - Galatians 2:20.  There are seven spiritual wonders in this marvelous text: 1. That the Son of God should love a persecutor like Saul. "Who loved me." 2. That the Son of God should be crucified. "Crucified with Christ." 3. That Christ ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 2:20

Tags: Faith, Grace, Discipleship, Christian Life, Death To Self  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Four Reasons For Christmas

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Dec 6, 2022

Text: Galatians 4:4 Did you ever wrestled with a problem that didn't exist? The Galatians were wrestling with a problem that had already been solved! What was the problem? The problem was, "What do we do with the Law! The Law was never meant to redeem mankind. Works were never meant to ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 4:4

Tags: Christmas, Bethlehem, Redemption, Virgin Birth, Deity Of Christ, Humanity Of Christ  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Churches Closed Due To Lack Of Power!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 10, 2023

Bill Crowder gives us a pithy Illustration of Need for Power. The first winter that my wife Marlene and I were married was marked by severe blizzards. I can vividly remember one Sunday when we awoke to find that the electricity had been knocked out by an ice storm. Huddled around a ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:8

Tags: Church, Holy Spirit, Pentecost, Power, Acts  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Order From Chaos

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Mar 17, 2023

The late Harvard mathematician and philosopher, Alfred North Whitehead, maintained that the whole scientific enterprise of the western world rested upon the belief that at the bottom of things science would find order rather than chaos. Where animists were afraid to probe a world enchanted with ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 1:17, John 1:1

Tags: Science, Logos, Reason, Alfred North Whitehead

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Abraham Lincoln's Bodyguard Was In The Bar Drinking

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Aug 21, 2023

John Parker was seated outside the president’s box, in the passageway beside the door. From where he sat, Parker couldn’t see the stage, so after Lincoln and his guests settled in, he moved to the first gallery to enjoy the play. Later, Parker committed an even greater folly: At intermission, he ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 20:1, Ephesians 5:18

Tags: Alcholism, Murder, Wine, Alcohol, Drunk, Drinking, American History  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

8 Types Of Suffering In The Bible

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Mar 25, 2024

Walter Kaiser’s article on “where Job’s friends went wrong about suffering” is very interesting. In the article, Kaiser identifies eight types of suffering mentioned in the Bible. 1. retributive suffering (caused by sin and disobedience to God) 2. educational or disciplinary suffering (as in ...read more

Tags: Glory Of God, Trials, Faith, Doubt, Prayer, Suffering, Testimony, Tribulation, Hurt, Pain  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Ten Reasons Why I Never Wash My Hands!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Mar 25, 2024

"Ten Reasons Why I Never Wash." 1. I was forced to wash my hands as a child. 2. People who wash their hands are hypocrites--they think they’re cleaner than others. 3. There are so many kinds of soap, I could never decide which was right. 4. I used to wash my hands, but it got ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 10:25

Tags: Church, Easter, Attendance, Hypocrites

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Seeing What You Want To See

Contributed by John Bright on Mar 20, 2026

“People find what they want in the Bible. If one looks hard enough, he can find “biblical” support for reincarnation, Eastern religions, Jesus as a guru, divorce for any reason, and flying saucers. Every cult of Christianity uses the Bible to validate its claims, and so does some of the ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 2:4-10, Jude 1:5-7

Tags: False Teachers, Sodom, Sexual Immorality

Denomination: Methodist

The Story Is Told About 3 Brothers Who ...  PRO

Contributed by Melvin Newland on Oct 11, 2001

ILL. The story is told about 3 brothers who started working at the same time for a fur company owned by an old friend of their father. After working there for more than a year, one son was still receiving the same salary as when he started, & seemed to be unhappy with his job. The second son ...read more

Tags: Love Of The Disciples, Leadership General, Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Sunday Sketch Jesus And Nick The Vic  PRO

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Feb 17, 2008

Sunday Sketch Jesus and Nick the Vic Cast: Narrator 1, Narrator 2, Jesus and Nick the Vic Narrator 1: Our reading is taken this morning from John 3: 1-21 – and is a slightly freer translation than you’d get in the Message or in the Living Bible The story starts off with Nick the Vic, a prominent ...read more

Denomination: Anglican

The Way Of The ...

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

The Way of the Righteous What They Are Like? “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 1:1

Tags: Righteousness

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Heaven, A Permanent Place  PRO

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Heaven, A Permanent Place Jesus said, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me. In My Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and ...read more

Scripture: John 14:1-6

Tags: Heaven

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Why Did Jesus Need To Be Baptized?  PRO

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Mar 3, 2013

Why would Jesus need to be baptized by John? Well... Jesus' baptism by John was the beginning of Jesus' ministry. Mark 1:1 starts out: "The BEGINNING of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" and then Mark starts telling us about Jesus' baptism by John. In Luke 3:23 ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 3:13-15

Tags: High Priest, Water Baptism, Jesus' Ministry, Baptism, Ministry  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Man Who Rejected A Pardon

Contributed by David Goering on Nov 2, 2019

ILLUSTRATION: The man who rejected a pardon. 1.) I found this true story online. United States v. Wilson, 32 U.S. 150 (1833), was a case in the United States in which the defendant, George Wilson, was convicted of robbing the US Mail in Pennsylvania and sentenced to death. Due to his ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 33:8

Tags: Forgiveness, Pardon

[019] A Message From A Poem - An Atheist’s Lament

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jun 22, 2024

[019] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - AN ATHEIST’S LAMENT I do not know how many nations know what the 1st of April is. In western society it is known as April Fools’ Day and is a time when some play tricks on others. The Day is also known as “All Fools’ Day.” The following is taken from The Editors ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 14:1, Psalm 53:1-2, Ecclesiastes 2:14

Tags: April Fools Day, Fools, Atheists, There Is No God

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I Came Across Some Interesting Statistics A ...  PRO

Contributed by Melvin Newland on Feb 26, 2001

ILL. I came across some interesting statistics a few years ago. Someone went to the trouble to research what people do with their time, & came up with these results: If we live to be 75, most of us will have spent 3 solid years, 24 hours a day, acquiring an education - grade school, high school & ...read more

Tags: Finding Fulfillment, God Brings Purpose, Workplace

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ