In Sermon Illustrations: "1 Thessalonians 5:18-51:18"

Why Does God Allow Hardship?  PRO

Contributed by Rick Crandall on Jul 16, 2008

WHY DOES GOD ALLOW HARDSHIP? We live in a mixed-up, messed-up world. Sometimes terrible things happen that don't make any sense at all, and we wonder why? Steven Curtis Chapman is one of the best known singer-songwriters of contemporary Christian music. Over the last 15 or 20 years his songs have ...read more

Tags: Difficulties, Trial, Hardship Of Life, Father, Family, Hardship, Missions, Fatherhood  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Stewarship As ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 23, 2008

STEWARSHIP AS CHARACTER Enter stage right: Ed McMahon and Evander Holyfield. Ed said, "When you spend more than you make, you know what happens." Yes, and a 85-year-old man should know better! He said it was "poor planning." NO, I THINK IT WAS HIGH LIVING! He was living high in a multi-million ...read more

Tags: Money

What Would It Mean To Obey This Command? Jerry ...

Contributed by Rickey Bennett on Aug 17, 2009

What would it mean to obey this command? Jerry Bridges helps us think through what that looks like in his book, The Gospel for Real Life. Here are just a few points he lists. To love the Lord your God with all your heart … soul and… mind means… • Your love for God transcends all other desires ...read more

Tags: Righteousness

Denomination: *other

Receiving Confirmation For A Significant Event Or ...

Contributed by Freddy Fritz on Dec 19, 2009

Receiving confirmation for a significant event or activity is often important. When I was in the South African Air Force serving as an Air Traffic Controller, I used to tease the permanent force guys mercilessly. At a certain time each year they would receive news of promotions and new assignments. ...read more

Tags: Prophecy

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Medical Volunteer Transforms Life Of Man ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 26, 2010

Medical Volunteer Transforms Life of Man Previously Thought To Be In A Vegetative State The simple point to what God is reminding us of is, “The Extra Mile” can change a life and win a soul to Jesus. To me that makes the pain of going the extra mile a pleasure. I listened to an interview on Jeremy ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:25-37

Tags: Compassion

The Story Is Told Of A 10-Year-Old Boy Who ...

Contributed by David Owens on May 17, 2010

The story is told of a 10-year-old boy who decided to study Judo despite the fact that he had lost his left arm in a devastating car accident. 1. The boy began lessons with an old Japanese Judo master. 2. The boy was doing well, but he couldn't understand why, after three months of training the ...read more

Tags: Victory, Trials And Difficulties

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Take A Young Man From A Wealthy Family, Strip Him ...

Contributed by Tobin Crenshaw on Aug 15, 2010

Take a young man from a wealthy family, strip him of all of his money until he finds himself homeless and has to beg on the street, hold him in a cell as a prisoner of war in a foreign land, and turn his family against him and what are the odds you would give for him to impact the world? Or ...read more

Tags: Sports, Trust God

Denomination: Brethren

This Baby Is For You

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 17, 2011

THIS BABY IS FOR YOU Pastor and author Richard Foster writes about genuine, joyous giving. "Giving with a glad and generous heart has a way of rooting out the tough old miser within us. Just the very act of letting go of money or some other treasure does something great within us."1 Such genuine, ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 9:2-7

Tags: Birth Of Jesus

Hand Motions For The 10 Commandments  PRO

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Mar 10, 2016

HAND MOTIONS FOR THE 10 COMMANDMENTS Here are some easy to learn hand motions I have learned as I started my new teaching series on the Ten Commandments ("The Big Ten"). I believe it will help you and your church family remember the Ten Commandments from Exodus 20: COMMANDMENT #1 You shall have ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 20:1-17

Tags: Exodus, Ten Commandments, Memorizing The Word

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Reprove An Erring Brother, Do Not Reproach Him

Contributed by James Dina on Oct 7, 2020

REPROVE AN ERRING BROTHER, DO NOT REPROACH HIM Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you, reprove a wise man and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser, teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning." (Proverbs 9:8-9) We should have respect ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 9:8

Tags: Reprove, Correct In Love

Denomination: Pentecostal

I Can't... The Giant Defines Me?

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Aug 26, 2021

Jeremiah 32:27 Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me? FACE YOUR UNCONQUERABLE LIMITATIONS. YOU CAN BE AN AGENT OF CHANGE IF YOU WANT TO… From 1886 to 1954 track and field had HIT THE WALL, SPLAT… SPLATTING IS A TERM IN LONG DISTANCE RUNNING. ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 32:27, Philippians 4:13

Tags: Opportunities, I Can't

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Unsung Heroines-Naaman’s Maid

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Apr 30, 2022

Introduction: Sometimes children know more than we think they do. This “little maid” knew about Elisha the prophet, and how God performed miracles through him. We know nothing more about her than what’s mentioned in these verses but through her one recorded sentence, she brought hope to a hopeless ...read more

Scripture: 2 Kings 5:1-4

Tags: Leprosy, Naaman, Unsung Heroines, Maids

Denomination: Baptist

We Owe Our Whole Lives To God!

Contributed by Paul Clemente on Nov 3, 2022

Genesis 6:1-9 Some think that the “sons of God” in this passage are angels; how can we say not? - v3 tells us that these men will die and angels are eternal beings; also, Jesus Himself tells us in the Gospels that angels do not marry! What can we say about Gen 6:2? – God’s creations of people are ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 6:1-9

Tags: Love, Thanksgiving, Sin, Life, Jesus Christ  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Leading With Wisdom

Contributed by Jm Raja Lawrence on Sep 22, 2023

Leading with Wisdom Nelson Mandela, an icon of leadership, stands as a beacon of inspiration in the annals of history. His remarkable journey from tribal beginnings to global acclaim offers valuable insights into the art of leadership. Unlike many leaders whose legacy is shrouded in varying ...read more

Scripture: James 1:19, Proverbs 11:14, Proverbs 15:28, James 3:17

Tags: Gentle, Peaceable, Learn To Listen, Leadership, Team  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Are You Ready To Meet The Lord?

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Aug 22, 2024

Text: Proverbs 29:1, KJV: 1 He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. Thrift and second-hand stores are good places to find items like Bibles and other Christian material—no offense to bookstores, of course. One day I was searching for ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 29:1

Tags: Thrift Shops, Death, Salvation, Ready To Meet God

Denomination: Baptist

[214]. A Message From A Poem - Paul’s Prison

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Sep 28, 2025

[214]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - PAUL’S PRISON This is my oldest surviving poem. I had parts of others but they are gone. The poem came about when thinking of Paul in prison in Rome. Everything seemed against him there, but he was never forsaken by God of course. When Paul was in prison he ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:15, 2 Timothy 4:11, 2 Timothy 4:10, Philippians 1:23

Tags: Luke, Paul In Prison, Christian Poems, Devotion, Asia, Defection, Departure, Desertion, Demas  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[224]. A Message From A Poem - Psalm 23

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Oct 10, 2025

[224]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - PSALM 23 This is yet another poem or song or hymn based on the most famous chapter in the bible. The language of this Psalm in the AV/KJV is superb in the language of the 17th century, so much so, that I am going to quote the AV translation of this Psalm:- Psalm ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 23:1-6

Tags: Shepherd, Sheep, The Lord Is My Shepherd, Psalm Of David, Christian Poems  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

When Skater Michelle Kwan Was 13, The Junior ...  PRO

Contributed by Victor Yap on Jan 29, 2001

When skater Michelle Kwan was 13, the junior skater went behind her coach Frank Carroll¡¦s back, submitted her application for senior competition for the next Olympics, and prepared herself for a spot on the team. Kwan then pleaded with her coach to allow her to compete with skaters older than her, ...read more

Tags: Christian Disciplines, Discipleship, Endurance

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Rules Of Male-Female Relationships  PRO

Contributed by Alan Perkins on Apr 25, 2001

"Rules of Male-Female Relationships" 1. The Female always makes the Rules. 2. The Rules are subject to change at any time without prior notification. 3. No Male can possibly know all the Rules. 4. If the Female suspects the Male knows all the Rules, she must immediately change some or all of the ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 4:12-13, Hebrews 4:1-15, Hebrews 4:14-16, Hebrews 5:1-10

Tags: Romantic Love, Marriage Obligations

Denomination: Baptist

88 Reasons  PRO

Contributed by Bradford Robinson on Jun 15, 2001

88 REASONS You might remember a man by the name of Edgar Whisenant. He was a NASA engineer who used his mathematical skills to set a date for the return of Jesus. He wrote a book called, "88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Take Place in 1988" The book caused a real buzz in the Christian ...read more

Tags: Jesus Teachings, Second Coming, Parable Ten Virgins

Denomination: Methodist