In Sermon Illustrations: "1 Thessalonians 1:13-18"

You Are Here To Live, Not To Just Make A Living.

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Apr 10, 2024

In 1923 a very important meeting was held at the Edgewater Beach Hotel in Chicago. Attending this meeting were nine of the world's most successful financiers: Charles Schwab, steel magnate: Samuel Insull, president of the largest utility company: Howard Hopson , president of the largest gas ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:10

Tags: Death, Money, Wealth, Greed, Life, Riches, Suicide, Fame  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Lasting Lessons On Prayer From Elijah's Small Cloud

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Apr 17, 2024

The passage from 1 Kings 18:41-46 offers profound lessons on persisting in prayer, as demonstrated by the prophet Elijah. Here are some key takeaways: Expectant Faith: Elijah prayed with the expectation that God would answer. He told Ahab to prepare for rain even before there was any sign of it, ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 18:41-46

Tags: Elijah, Faith, Humility, Prayer, Miracles, Trusting God, Persistence, God's Timing, Watchfulness, Answers To Prayer, Bowing Before God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Jesus Our (Lawyer) Advocate

Contributed by Roger Hasselquist on Jun 10, 2024

I would like for you to picture a scene. There is a court room. The judge is seated behind the bench. The jury is in place. There are people watching the proceedings. There is someone on trial sitting before the judge. And that person is you! The charge against you is that you are a ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 2:1-2

Tags: Forgiveness, Advocate, Judgment Seat, Lawyer, Court Room  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Unsung Heroes: An Egyptian Slave Who Helped David

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Jun 20, 2024

Introduction: He had been taken as a slave and now was far from his homeland. He was so sick he almost died but David and his men found him. When this slave had recovered, he gave David some very vital information which helped David a great deal! Text: 1 Samuel 30:13-19, KJV: 11 And they found an ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 30:13-19

Tags: David, Amalekites, Ziklag

Denomination: Baptist

The Bottle That Didn’t Take The Heat!

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Jul 5, 2024

Text: 1 Corinthians 3:12-15, KJV: 12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:12-15

Tags: Rewards, Tests, Plastic Bottles

Denomination: Baptist

Why There Is Delay Or Struggle In Fulfilment Of Our Prayer Request?

Contributed by Samuel M on Jul 6, 2024

In solving Hannah's prayer request for a kid, God solved his own need for a prophet. Samuel was the fulfillment of Hannah's prayer request and who became the greatest prophet(fulfillment of God's need) of Isreal. So many times our prayer requests are delayed(appears to be delayed) and ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 1:20

Tags: Faith, Hope

Goliath Has To Fall

Contributed by Samuel M on Jul 6, 2024

Just as the Israelites have accepted that it was impossible to defeat Goliath, who kept on mocking and defying Israelites for 40 days, morning and evening, causing dismay and great fear. So many times we also have accepted that it’s difficult to defeat the Goliath-sized difficulties or prayer ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 17:26

Tags: Faith, Hope

Cost Of Giving In To Temptation

Contributed by Edward Hardee on Aug 14, 2024

Illustration: Cost of Giving in to Temptation There is a cost when we give into temptation. Here I have a sample of a wall. This is a wall of sheetrock. Looks good when painted. Most houses are made of this. What do you think would happen if I take this hammer and knock a hole in it? ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:13

Tags: Temptation, Character, Damage

Denomination: Church Of God

Cheering For Clothes

Contributed by Davon Huss on Aug 28, 2024

I love sports. Lately, I have been unable to watch sports so instead I go to ESPN and look at the stats for my favorite teams. Chicago Cubs (this year they are pathetic), North Carolina Tarheels basketball, Indiana Pacers NBA and now the Indiana Fever (Love Caitlin Clark). Been to several of the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Chronicles 29:11

Tags: Worship, Sports

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

What Happened To My Little Piggy Bank

Contributed by James Snyder on Sep 7, 2024

This week, I had to do something I hadn't done before: go to the bank and deal with fraud in my checking account. Someone tried to write a check for $1800 from my account. Fortunately, I didn't have that much money in my account, and I was a little provoked by this incident. How dare ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:10

Tags: Money, Banks, Savings

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Unsung Heroes: Elijah’s First Servant

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Sep 26, 2024

Introduction: One of the least-known unsung heroes was Elijah’s first servant. He’s only mentioned in a couple of Scripture passages, but he was faithful to Elijah. We need more such men with that spirit even today. First, this servant is not named, and besides that, we don’t know anything about ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 18:41-46

Tags: Elijah, Servants, Unsung Heroes

Denomination: Baptist

Fake News Or Truth?

Contributed by Roger Hasselquist on Sep 30, 2024

Donald Trump has often spoken of what he calls, “fake news” when describing what he considers biased reporting. And it is true that most reporting about Trump is negative, while his opponents receive more favorable treatment. But did you know that the phrase “fake news” was first coined by ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 5:6-12

Tags: Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, Fake News, Sure Witness, Jesus Is Son Of God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Where Do All My Nasal Fluids Come From?

Contributed by James Snyder on Oct 5, 2024

I am finally, in what I think is the last phase of my recent health confusion. My nose is dripping, and I think I use at least one box of tissues daily. I did not know I had so much of this in my body, and I am not exactly sure where it came from. When I was young, I remember having a bad case of ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 5:4-5

Tags: Overcome, Victory, Sneeze

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

When The Devil Showed Up At Church

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Oct 15, 2024

A few minutes before the services started, the townspeople were sitting in their pews and talking. Suddenly, Satan appeared at the front of the church. Everyone started screaming and running for the front entrance, trampling each other in a frantic effort to get away from evil incarnate. Soon ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:7-9

Tags: Church, Satan, Devil, Spiritual Warfare, Temptation, Humor, Sermon Introductions  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Do Not Love The World

Contributed by Ken Mckinley on Jan 7, 2025

Now imagine this with me for a second. Let’s say you have a pillow and let’s say the family dog got ahold of that pillow and used it for a litter box… so you took it out and put it in the dumpster, and a family of rats moved into it and used it for a bed. And just before the day the trash truck ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 2:15

Tags: Love Of Jesus, Desire, Love Of The World

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Ugly Is As Ugly Sees

Contributed by James Snyder on Jan 11, 2025

Dr. James L. Snyder I was drinking a cup of coffee in the middle of the shopping mall. I don’t like going to shopping malls, but The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage sent me to get a new dress shirt for Sundays. I told her I could wear the same one I wore last year, but she has different ideas ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:3-4

Tags: Beauty, Life

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Conquering Password Memory Issues

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Jan 22, 2025

Am I getting worried about my memory," says 75 year old Rachel to her best friend Sarah. "So why is that?" asks Sarah. "Because every time I go online banking," replies Rachel, "I just don't seem to be able to remember my bank's password. I have to try many ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 1:6-11

Tags: Memory, Confusion, Complications

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Young Elders Are Okay

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Jan 22, 2025

Timothy was perhaps 35 years old, yet he was above and appointing elders. In the context of first century Israel, the term elder was not connected to age: "During the mishnaic period the name zaken ('elder') was reserved for scholars, and particularly members of the Sanhedrin... ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:1-13

Tags: Youth, Leadership, Young Leaders, Elders, Qualifications For Elder, Elders And Age  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Simple Solutions

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Jan 22, 2025

Not all problems are difficult to solve.. Morris went to a psychiatrist. "Doc," he said, "I've got real trouble. Every time I get into bed, I get his weird feeling that there's somebody under it. I look under the bed, to check it out, but then I think there's somebody on ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 4:1-13

Tags: Simple, Complex, Obvious, Sense, Solutions, Over Thinking, Complicating The Simple, Clear Thinking  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Clever But Mean

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Jan 22, 2025

A Welshman, Scot and Englishman are walking when they come across a lantern and a genie pops out and grants them one wish each. The Scot says: “I am a sheep herder, like my dad before me. I want my country to be full of lovely sheep farms.”  Whoosh, and so it was. The Englishman was amazed and ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:1-5

Tags: Prejudice, Superiority, Getting Even, Loving Others, Vengence, Shrewdness, Ethnicity, Hating Others, Ethnic Hatred  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible