In Sermon Illustrations: "2 Kings 22 23 1"

Looking At The Light

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 6, 2012

LOOKING AT THE LIGHT A pastor told a story of a man in his congregation who had lost literally hundreds of thousands of dollars. He owed everybody. One day the pastor asked him, "How in the world are you even surviving? How can you smile? How can you be enthusiastic about Jesus and about life when ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 19:1-21

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

William Temple On Worshiping God

Contributed by Suresh Manoharan on Feb 6, 2014

WILLIAM TEMPLE ON WORSHIPING GOD A devout Saint (William Temple) summed up worship thus: "Worshiping God is nothing but opening our hearts to the love of God, quickening our conscience to the Holiness of God, purging our imagination with the beauty of God, ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 6:29

Tags: Adoration, Aroma, Assignment

Denomination: *other

Spiritual Formation And Exhaustion

Contributed by Tim Smith on May 11, 2014

James Bryan Smith writes, "The number one enemy of spiritual formation today is exhaustion. We are living beyond our means ... physically. And as a result, one of the primary activities of human life is being neglected: sleep." In the 1850's, the average American slept 9.5 hours. By 1950, that ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 19:1-12

Tags: Sleep, Rest

Denomination: Methodist

Coveting Too Early

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Mar 1, 2022

I was admiring my aunt’s necklace when she surprised me by announcing,“I’m leaving it to you in my will.”I was overjoyed, perhaps too much.“Oh!”I shouted.“I’m looking forward to ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 21:1-29

Tags: Money, Prestige, Stealing, Cruelty, Ethics, Covet, Power, Desire, Selfishness, Dishonesty  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Unsung Heroines-The Widow Of Zarephath

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on May 4, 2022

Introduction: this widow woman probably wasn’t even an Israelite but she believed the words of Elijah, the prophet of the LORD, God of Israel. She received much more than she gave Elijah! Text: 1 Kings 17:8-16, KJV: 8 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, 9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 17:8-16

Tags: Elijah, Widow Of Zarephath, Unsung Heroines

Denomination: Baptist

Solomon's Insightful Judgment: Looking For The Reaction Of Hearts

Contributed by Jung Lee on Jan 16, 2024

King Solomon, known for his God-given wisdom, faced a challenging situation recorded in 1 Kings 3:16-28. Two women, both claiming to be the mother of the same baby, brought their case before him. Solomon's response was both shocking and insightful. He suggested dividing the baby in two, giving ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 3:16-28

Tags: Discernment, Prolife, Biblical Wisdom, True Motherhood, Love, Morality, Wisdom  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

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

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

Unsung Heroes: She Needed Help And They Responded

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Nov 17, 2020

Introduction: widows, especially those with young children, have faced hardships for many, many years. This young wife was now widowed, and even worse, she had a creditor demanding either payment of a bill—or she would have to give up her two sons. The LORD, however, had another plan to help this ...read more

Scripture: 2 Kings 4:1-7, Deuteronomy 15:1-6

Tags: Miracles, Elisha, Unsung Heroes

Denomination: Baptist

Jesus In Every Book Of The Bible  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Dec 8, 2010

JESUS IN EVERY BOOK OF THE BIBLE The Bible is about Jesus. He is pictured or prophesied about in each of the 66 books as well as in countless types in the lives of different characters in the Bible. Here is a breakdown of how He is pictured in each of the books... O.T Book Main Revelation Key ...read more

Scripture: Nahum 1:7, 1 Kings 15:1-34, Luke 6:20-31, John 4:39-42, Matthew 24:37-44  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Jesus Christ

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Rearranging Ashes

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 8, 2010

Rearranging Ashes The story is told of an eastern ascetic holy man who covered himself with ashes as a sign of humility and regularly sat on a prominent street corner of his city. When tourists asked permission to take his picture, the mystic would rearrange his ashes to give the best image of ...read more

Scripture: 2 Kings 2:1-14, Matthew 6:1-18

Tags: Hypocrisy

There Is An Old Story About A Lighthouse Keeper ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 25, 2001

"There is an old story about a lighthouse keeper who worked on a rocky stretch of coastline. Once a month he would receive a new supply of oil to keep the light burning so that ships could safely sail near the rocky coast. One night, though, a woman from a nearby village came and begged him for ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 17:1-7, 1 Kings 17:8-16, Matthew 25:1-13

Tags: Excuses, Responsibility, Integrity

Herod The Great

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Dec 15, 2023

"In modern research on Herod, the most discussed issue concerns the impact of his reign on his Jewish subjects. Opinions vary. Some scholars paint a picture of a cruel tyrant, even a maniac suffering from a personality disorder, who introduced the ancient version of a Gestapo state with an ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 2:1-13

Tags: Christmas, Herod The Great, King Herod, Wisemen, Wiseman  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

God Honors Radical, Risk-Taking ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Beaird on Nov 6, 2000

"God honors radical, risk-taking faith. When arks are built, lives are saved. When soldiers march, Jerichos tumble. When staffs are raised, seas still open. When a lunch is shared, thousands are fed. And when a garment is touched -- whether by the hand of an anemic woman in ...read more

Scripture: 2 Kings 4:8-37, 1 Samuel 1:8-16

Tags: Faith General, Faith

Denomination: Pentecostal

[213]. A Message From A Poem – Parable Of The Fence Sitter

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Sep 26, 2025

[213]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – PARABLE OF THE FENCE SITTER Uncommitted, disinterested, neutral, indecisive, impartial, indifferent, apathetic – just some English words that describe a person who does not take sides and has no real opinion about anything. When it comes to matters in the world ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 6:2, 1 Kings 18:21

Tags: Impartial, Indecisive, Christian Poems, Sitting On The Fence, Decide For God, A Fence Sitter, Indecision, Indifferent, Uncommitted, Neutral, Apathetic, Disinterested, Decision, Salvation, Conversion  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Chrysostom On Ecclesiastes  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 21, 2011

CHRYSOSTOM ON ECCLESIASTES Eutropius had fallen into disgrace. As the highest-ranking official in the Byzantine Empire (late fourth century), he served as the closest adviser to the emperor Arcadius, then ruling in Constantinople. But Eutropius abused his imperial power and aroused the anger of ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 1:2, 2 Kings 16:10-16

Tags: Evangelism How To

What The Church Needs Today

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 19, 2022

E.M. Bounds is right when he says, "What the Church needs today is not more machinery or more novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use— men of prayer, men mighty in prayer. The Holy Ghost does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not come ...read more

Tags: Holy Spirit, Pentecost, Anointing, Pastors, Simon Peter, Acts 2, Ministry, Church  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

R. Kent Hughes, In His Book, James—faith ...  PRO

Contributed by Tony Miano on Apr 21, 2001

R. Kent Hughes, in his book, James—Faith That Works, shares this story. "It is said that Napoleon, while looking at some papers, let slip the bridle of his horse, which reared so that the Emperor was in danger. A corporal of the grenadiers leaped forward and caught the bridle, bringing the ...read more

Scripture: James 2:14-26, 2 Kings 25:27-30

Tags: Faith General, Examples Of Faith, Assurance

Denomination: *other

Our Thinking Vs. God's Promises  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 8, 2001

16. Our Thinking vs. God’s Promises. a. We say- It’s impossible. God says- All things are possible with Me. b. We- I can’t do it. God- You can do all things through Christ. c. We- I’m too tired. God- Come to Me, I will give you rest. d. We- I’m always worried and frustrated. God- Cast all your ...read more

Scripture: 2 Kings 8:1-6, Genesis 35:1-21

Tags: God The Father, Promise, Descriptions Of God

Seeing The Rainbow From God's Side  PRO

Contributed by Kenneth Trent on Jul 19, 2003

SEEING THE RAINBOW FROM GOD’S SIDE Some years ago it was my privilege to be one of the speakers in a large Bible Conference held in Dallas, Texas. Inasmuch as I was conducting a revival meeting in Houston that same week, it was necessary for me to fly to and from the Dallas appointment. My oldest ...read more

Scripture: 2 Kings 6:16-17, Mark 4:35-41

Tags: God's Love

Denomination: Baptist