In Sermon Illustrations: "2 John 2:10-19"

Methodism 1776-1850

Contributed by John Bright on Jun 5, 2025

“In 1776 Methodists made up 2.5 % of religious adherent in the colonies. In 1850 Methodists made up 34.2 % of religious adherents! In seventy years they had increased from a tiny sect to the largest denomination in the United States. (In other words, in 1776 1 in 40 religious people in America were ...read more

Scripture: Acts 9:31

Tags: Church In America, Methodism, Colonial America

Denomination: Methodist

On Courage  PRO

Contributed by N A on Feb 2, 2008

CLOSING STORY: “On Courage” Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at Stanford Hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liza who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her five-year-old brother, who had ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 4:7-16, Luke 13:9-13

Tags: Communion, Courage, Biblical Love

Denomination: *other

Game . . . Set . . . Match? (06.15.05--The Tie ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Jun 13, 2005

Game . . . Set . . . Match? (06.15.05--The Tie That Binds--1 John 4:16) “What more can I do? I’ve given you the best that I have, everything that is mine to give is yours. I simply don’t know what more I can do?” If you’ve never uttered these words yet in your life, it is likely that someday you ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 4:16, Isaiah 40:28-29

Tags: Forgiveness In Jesus, God's Love

Denomination: Lutheran

Another Poll Sheds Light On This Paradox Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 12, 2005

Another poll sheds light on this paradox of increased religiosity and decreased morality. According to sociologist Robert Bellah, 81 percent of the American people also say they agree that “an individual should arrive at his or her own religious belief independent of any church or synagogue.” Thus ...read more

Scripture: John 15:5, Galatians 6:3, Matthew 7:21-23

Tags: Idolatry, Worship, Christ, Apologetics General, Dependence  (view more)  (view less)

A Wealthy Man Before Leaving On An Extended ...  PRO

Contributed by Jim Kilson on May 6, 2006

A wealthy man before leaving on an extended vacation said to a contractor, "While I am away, I want you to build me a fine new home according to these plans. Be sure you work with extreme care, and use the best of everything. Tell me the cost as soon as you have it and I’ll send you a check." ...read more

Scripture: John 14:1-6, 1 Corinthians 3:10-15

Tags: Heaven, Eternity, Foundation, Building, Dishonesty  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Present  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 2, 2002

Jeff Calendar’s three year old daugh- ter along with the rest of her family was observed opening Christmas packages. As is often the case, Jeff’s wife had recycled some bows from previous times, and their daughter grabbed one and then placed it on top of her head. The old tape left on it caused it ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 127:1-5, Ephesians 1:3-5, John 17:6

Tags: Christmas Advent

Love From A Kid's Point Of View, Citation: "What ...  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on May 27, 2003

[Love from a Kid’s Point of View, Citation: "What Is Love—From a Kid’s Point of View," LightSinger, (accessed 3-14-02)] What is love, from a kid’s point of view? "When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn’t bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the ...read more

Scripture: John 15:9-17, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Tags: Christian Love, Compassion

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Paul And The Philippians Remembered And ...  PRO

Contributed by Garth Wehrfritz- Hanson on Dec 1, 2003

Paul and the Philippians remembered and supported one another in prayer. A joyful, loving, and caring church is one which keeps each other in prayer. Oftentimes, we fail to be a joyful, loving, caring Christian community because we fail to remember and support each other in prayer. There are many ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:13, 1 John 5:13-15

Tags: Prayer Adoration, Unity

Denomination: Lutheran

Red Devil Tool Company Of Union, N.j. Has As ...  PRO

Contributed by Jeff Simms on Dec 7, 2003

Red Devil Tool Company of Union, N.J. has as their slogan, “It’s easy with the devil.” Of course, they are boasting that their tools transform difficult tasks into simple ones. Those knowing God’s word understand the desire and ambition of Satan, how he seeks to destroy mankind. He makes sin ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 5:3, Matthew 13:1

Tags: Sin Punishment Of, Sin General

Denomination: Baptist

A Small Boy Had Been Consistently Late For ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Hensley on Mar 15, 2001

A small boy had been consistently late for dinner. One particular day his parents had warned him to be on time, but he arrived later than ever. He found his parents already seated at the table, about to start eating. Quickly he sat at his place, and then noticed what was set before him--a slice of ...read more

Scripture: Luke 11:1-2, John 6:35-51, Isaiah 61:1-11

Tags: Trinity

Denomination: Baptist

Norman Cousins Was Diagnosed As Having An ...  PRO

Contributed by Melvin Newland on Nov 13, 2001

Norman Cousins was diagnosed as having an incurable disease. He was bedridden & the doctors gave him no hope at all. So he decided on his own treatment. His family got a movie projector & rented all the Charlie Chaplin & Abbott & Costello movies that they could find - movies where you just sit ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 17:22, Proverbs 17:21-22, John 20:24-29

Tags: Faith General, Supernatural, Joy

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

This Week, I Read A Beautiful Legend About A King ...  PRO

Contributed by Chad Ballard on Apr 9, 2002

This week, I read a beautiful legend about a king who decided to set aside a special day to honor his greatest subject. When the big day arrived, there was a large gathering in the palace courtyard. Four finalists were brought forward, and from these four, the king would select the winner. The ...read more

Scripture: Luke 24:13, Luke 24:13-35, John 15:2

Denomination: Baptist

One Sunday A Visitor Showed Up In A More Formal, ...  PRO

Contributed by Steve Greene on Dec 30, 2007

One Sunday a visitor showed up in a more formal, liturgical church than he was used to attending. The church was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. That made it all the more obvious when this visitor got excited about something the minister said and he shouted out “Praise the Lord!” What was ...read more

Scripture: Luke 1:26-38, Luke 12:49-53, John 2:13-22

Denomination: Nazarene

If I Could Be One Of Them...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 5, 2009

If I Could Be One of Them... A man stayed home as his family went off to church one Christmas Eve. He just could not swallow the Jesus story about God coming to earth as man. Shortly after the family drove away in the car, snow began to fall. He went to the window to watch the flurries getting ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 1:23, John 1:14, Colossians 2:9

Tags: Emmanuel, Christmas, Incarnation

A Light Of Hope  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 5, 2009

A Light of Hope There is a story about how the caverns north of Yellowstone National Park were discovered. As the story goes, one of the original explorers was walking along the top of that mountain and fell through a hole, and he dropped down several hundred feet into this cavern and was stuck in ...read more

Scripture: John 8:12, Isaiah 9:1-2, Matthew 4:14-16

Tags: Evangelism The Lost

Two Minutes

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Jul 12, 2022

Two Minutes to Eternity Marshall Shelley tells the story of his son's short life - just two minutes.The baby boy was born with a "chromosomal abnormality" called Trisomy 13. After the delivery, the doctor passed the baby to his mom. He was a healthy pink; Then he began to turn ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 1:27, Psalm 90:10-12, John 14:1-3

Tags: Death, Eternity, Heaven, Birth, Grief  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

C S Lewis - The Choice

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Sep 19, 2022

I am trying here to prevent anyone from saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Jesus. “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God.” That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things ...read more

Scripture: John 14:1-6, Philippians 2:5-11, Colossians 1:15

Tags: Jesus, Jesus Divinity, Nature Of Jesus, Moral Teacher

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Once Shaved, Always Shaved!!!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Oct 23, 2022

After twenty years of shaving himself every morning, a man in a small southern town decided he had been doing that long enough. He told his wife that from then on he’d let the local barber shave him each day.The man went to the barbershop which was owned by the pastor of the local Baptist church. ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:28-39, 1 John 5:10-13

Tags: Grace, Salvation, Humor, Eternal Security, Jokes  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Speed Of Deliveries

Contributed by Loyd C. Taylor on Dec 27, 2022

Illustration: The Speed of a Delivery Delivery of items are jet-streamed today. You can order one day and possibly get it the next. “I’m sure, many prophets waited and waited, hoping to be in the generation that would see the fulfillment of God’s Prophecies, which took thousands of years. But ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1-14, Galatians 4:4-5, Matthew 1:1-21

Tags: Christmas, Prophecy, Incarnation, Delivery, On Time  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Soul

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Jan 11, 2023

John Ortberg describes it this way, “We each have an outer life and an inner one. My outer self is the public, visible me. My accomplishments, my work, and my reputation lie there. But inside is my soul that part of me that speaks in silence to others but yells at me. It's the inside stuff of ...read more

Scripture: John 10:10, Matthew 16:26, Matthew 22:37

Tags: Spiritual Growth, Soul Care, Inner Health

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational