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

Mutual Respect

Contributed by John Bright on Feb 16, 2025

When we got married there were already 2 children. We each had a child from our first marriages. Those relationships ended and it was by God’s grace that we found each other. My wife and I decided we needed to be on the same page when it came to decisions about the kids. I had read about a ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:1-7

Tags: Husband, Wife, Submission

Denomination: Methodist

Sharing Your Personal Testimony

Contributed by John Bright on Feb 19, 2025

Preparing Your Personal Testimony - Sharing how you came to know God personally is one of the most powerful ways you can help friends grasp how much God loves us. If someone asked you to share today, would you find it challenging to explain how you came to believe in God, or what he means to ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:15

Tags: Evangelism, Salvation, Testimony

Denomination: Methodist

Do It Scared

Contributed by John Bright on Feb 20, 2025

Let me share from an email I got from the Navigators about their summer outreach with college students: “This past summer, the students had over 700 gospel conversations with strangers. From those discussions, 22 people gave their lives to Christ and were connected with local churches. For one ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:15

Tags: Evangelism, Scared, Outreach

Denomination: Methodist

Respond Like Jesus

Contributed by John Bright on Feb 20, 2025

I think that God expects us to respond (not react) when the world pushes back like Jesus responded to the folks who were unable to see what He was doing. It won’t make sense. Here’s an example of what Peter’s teaching would look like in his day: “Peter is telling the Christian merchant in ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:15-16

Tags: Anger, Blessing Others

Denomination: Methodist

Life Full Of Gratitude

Contributed by Saumiman Saud on Feb 22, 2025

Life Full of Gratitude My Father in Heaven, forgive me if I have been negligent in giving thanks to You, even though the blessings I receive are always abundant. Although I am not wealthy, I am not poor, thanks to God's grace. Thank you, Lord, Thank you. Give thanks in all circumstances; for ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Tags: Life, Gratitude

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Three Types Of Suffering

Contributed by John Bright on Feb 25, 2025

“Wesley adopted a traditional Christian distinction between types of suffering: natural, moral, and penal. People suffer because of disease and natural disaster; people suffer because other people harm them; and people suffer because they are punished for wrongdoing. (Natural Suffering) Wesley ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:17

Tags: Suffering, Moral, Natural, Penal

Denomination: Methodist

Don't Go Together

Contributed by John Bright on Mar 1, 2025

Certain things don’t go together. Old examples: Military Intelligence – Partial Pregnancy – (and my fav) Short Sermon 😊 Today, think about pairing sweets and seafood. How would you like ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:17

Tags: Intelligence, Pregnancy, Military, Partial

Denomination: Methodist

If God Is Good

Contributed by John Bright on Mar 1, 2025

There is a problem at the heart of Christianity. If God is good and loving why is there evil and suffering in the world? There is an old response when you are asked to do something: “I would if I could but I can’t so I won’t.” That response is like one of the ways our world tries to solve this ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:17

Tags: Evil, Suffering, Goodness Of God

Denomination: Methodist

Doctrine Of Atonement

Contributed by John Bright on Mar 1, 2025

We need to have core beliefs that do not change over time – NO MATTER WHAT! The doctrine of atonement is under attack today. It is attacked by folks who look at humans and see each one as basically good who occasionally do bad things. They talk about each person’s freedom to become your ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:17

Tags: Scripture, Atonement, Authentic, Holy God, Fallen World  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Methodist

Jesus Loves Me—and I Love Jesus!

Contributed by John Bright on Apr 8, 2025

Sociology professor Anthony Campolo recalls a deeply moving incident that happened in a Christian junior high camp where he served. One of the campers, a boy with spastic paralysis, was the object of heartless ridicule. When he would ask a question, the boys would deliberately answer in a halting, ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:15

Tags: Evangelism, Testimony

Denomination: Methodist

[078]. A Message From A Poem – Failure Leads To Hurt And Sorrow

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Apr 12, 2025

[078]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – FAILURE LEADS TO HURT AND SORROW This poem was written one Sunday morning while waiting for a church service to start. It flowed quickly. It was around the time I was speaking on a series in the life of Peter. Identify yourselves if you have never failed the ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 1:7-10

Tags: Hurt, Forgiveness, Sin, Failure, Sorrow  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Unwanted-Zimri, The King For Seven Days

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Jul 2, 2025

Introduction: Some kings in Old Testament days had very long reigns, like Uzziah (52 years), Manasseh (55 years) and Jeroboam II of the Ten Northern Tribes (Israel, 41 years). The reigns of others were sometimes very short, but nothing like the week-long reign of Zimri, one of history’s most ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 16:8-20

Tags: Palace Coups, Zimri, Suicides

Denomination: Baptist

[123]. A Message From A Poem – He Will Receive Us To Himself

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jul 8, 2025

[123]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – HE WILL RECEIVE US TO HIMSELF Time for confession. It is no secret that the theme that occurs in a few of my poems (sometimes only a brief mention) is that of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in Person for all His disciples. That coming is soon and is ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

Tags: Jesus Receives Us, Received To Him, Caught Up, The Coming Of The Lord, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[132]. Poem Message – "I Am Included” - Song - Solo With Chorus

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jul 13, 2025

[132]. POEM MESSAGE – “I AM INCLUDED” - SONG - SOLO WITH CHORUS I just love this poem but it was originally meant as part of a Christian musical I wanted to write. I am sad I have not had the time to dedicate to this effort. I have the melody for this in my head but am not able to write ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:8-9

Tags: Joy, Song, Included, Singing, Christian Poetry, Musical, Grace, Mercy, Salvation  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Unwanted Items—the Ark Of The Covenant

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Jul 16, 2025

Unwanted Items—The Ark of the Covenant Introduction: To “frame” this illustration, we’d need to look at a couple of chapters in 1 Samuel. In chapter 4, the writer tells us of Israel’s decision, foolish as it was, to bring the Ark of the Covenant out of the Tabernacle and down to the battlefield. ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 5:1-12

Tags: Philistines, Ark Of The Covenant, Unwanted Items

Denomination: Baptist

Outward Pressure And Inward Pleasure

Contributed by Suresh Manoharan on Sep 12, 2025

Outward Pressure and Inward Pleasure Cross bearing is an indispensable part of a Christian’s life (Luke 9:23), so that work of molding a person into a Christ-like image which begins at the point of re-generation is completed in all respects (2 Cor 3:18) by the time of Rapture or one’s departure ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:7-8

Tags: Outward Pressure, Inward Pleasure

Denomination: *other

Look Different

Contributed by John Bright on Sep 23, 2025

These folks to whom Peter is writing used to look like everybody else. They were a part of the world, so they partied and did all the other things average folks did back then. The Roman world in which Christianity first spread was highly sexualized, and many of the practices today that are ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 4:3-4

Tags: Change, Sexuality, Gender, Roman World

Denomination: Methodist

Benefits Of Humble Leadership

Contributed by John Bright on Oct 3, 2025

Earlier this year, Forbes magazine published an article that highlighted the leadership style of Dwight D. Eisenhower, who led the Allied forces to victory in World War II and served two terms as President of the United States. He was known for his humility. “Eisenhower’s humility was evident ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:1-5

Tags: Humility, Leadership, Dwight D Eisenhower

Denomination: Methodist

[051]. Message From A Poem – Convention Hymn – From The Old To The New

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 7, 2025

[051]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – CONVENTION HYMN (WRITTEN THEN) – FROM THE OLD TO THE NEW This was written during the Easter Keswick Convention at Atherton on the Atherton Tablelands in North Queensland, in the spare time I had there with all the organisation to do. These Conventions are ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:20-21, Romans 13:11-14, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 2:1-3

Tags: Poem, Salvation, Hymn, Hope, Redemption, Poetry  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

He Is Our Desperate Need: 2 Peter ...

Contributed by Michael West on Oct 2, 2008

He is our desperate need: 2 Peter 1:3-4 Without Him, we are lost. Without Him, we are like a toy that needs batteries… We were born into this world blind to the truth of God— I Corinthians 2:14. Without Him, we would have remained full of corruption. With Him, we now ...read more

Tags: Sanctification

Denomination: Independent/Bible