In Sermon Illustrations: "2 Samuel 1:1-40:1"

Do You Guys Remember The Cartoon With Wiley ...  PRO

Contributed by Ronnie Knight on Nov 24, 2006

Do you guys remember the cartoon with Wiley Coyote and Ralph the sheep dog. I use to love that cartoon. Every morning Ralph and Wiley would meet at the time clock which was mounted on a tree. As they clocked in they would great each other and then they would go to their respective departments. ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 2:1-9, 2 Corinthians 9:15, Mark 3:7-35

Denomination: Baptist

Distorted Christianity

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Jul 7, 2023

Q: What does the Church think of God the Father? A: He is omnipotent and holy. He created the world and imposed on mankind conditions impossible to fulfill; he is very angry if these are not carried out. He sometimes interferes in an arbitrary way with judgments and miracles, distributed with a ...read more

Scripture: Mark 6:1-6, 2 Corinthians 11:2-4, 2 Timothy 3:1-6

Tags: Distortion, Misconceptions, Ignorance, Slander, Dorothy Sayers  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Blue Marbles Reveal The Condition Of The Heart

Contributed by Raymond Petzholt on Mar 12, 2024

There was a young boy named John and his favorite past time was playing marbles. John was out in the playground one day when he saw Susie carrying a box of chocolates. Now John also loved to eat chocolates. So he thought for a while before saying to Susie: “Susie, if you give me your box of ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 22:12, 2 Corinthians 8:1-5, 2 Corinthians 8:9

Tags: Greed, Giving, Doubting God

Denomination: Baptist

Was Bathsheba Guilty Or Was She Forced?

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 27, 2022

Did Bathsheba betray her husband? The Bible does not tell us anything about the character of Bathsheba before her adulterous relationship with David. Scholars are not agreed on whether Bathsheba was a victim or an agent. There is controversy on whether she willingly committed adultery with David or ...read more

Tags: David, Sin, Sexual Abuse, Rape, Bathsheba, Uriah, Adultery, Psalm 51  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Talmud States That A Bat Kol (Heavenly ...

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 8, 2010

"The Talmud states that a Bat Kol (heavenly voice) was heard (on two separate occasions) declaring that Hillel and Samuel were worthy of the Shekinah (Divine Presence)…" [from "Jesus the Pharisee" by Harvey ...read more

Tags: Authority

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Greed: The Cat And The Vase  PRO

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Feb 9, 2012

GREED: THE CAT AND THE VASE A man wanders into a small antique shop in San Francisco. Mostly it's cluttered with knickknacks and junk. On the floor, however, he notices what looks like an ancient Chinese vase. On closer inspection it turns out to be a priceless relic from the Ming dynasty whose ...read more

Scripture: Luke 12:15, Luke 14:7-14, Luke 14:1-6, 2 Timothy 2:8-15, Daniel 6:1-28, Luke 10:38-42, Romans 6:1-4, Isaiah 7:10-14, Matthew 1:18-25, Luke 10:1-11, 1 Samuel 12:1-41, John 20:18-31, 2 Thessalonians 6:1-10  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Greed

Denomination: Baptist

In The Congo, Poor People Who Have Nothing To ...  PRO

Contributed by Tim Gibson on May 18, 2001

In the Congo, poor people who have nothing to give when the Church offering is taken will dip their hand in the offering plate to symbolize the giving of themselves. There’s also a story of a little crippled girl with a crutch who came to church and saw everyone place their offerings in the ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 8:1, 1 Corinthians 8:1-5, 2 Corinthians 8:1-5

Tags: Poverty, Money, Giving General

Denomination: *other

The Touch Of The Master's Hand  PRO

Contributed by Elliot Ross on Jun 5, 2001

The Touch of the Masters Hand. It was battered and scarred, and the auctioneer Thought it scarcely worth his while, To waste much time on the old violin, But held it up with a smile. "What am I did for this old violin? You will start the bidding for me? A dollar, a dollar, who’ll make it ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17, 2 Kings 13:16, 1 Peter 5:7-8

Tags: Forgiveness General, God's Forgiveness, God's Omnipotence

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Lady Of Society Was Gazing Upon An Image She ...  PRO

Contributed by Michael Milton on Sep 25, 2001

A lady of society was gazing upon an image she had never seen before in the city’s art museum. "My dear fellow," she said condescendingly to the Curator, "I have never seen this painting before. I find the image shallow and rather crude in appearance. What do you call this?" The curator answered ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:12, 2 Peter 1:19-21, 2 Peter 1:3-11

Tags: Bible Influence, Disciplines Scripture

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

There Is An Old Story About A Man In China Who ...  PRO

Contributed by Melvin Newland on Nov 9, 2001

There is an old story about a man in China who was walking on a rain slick road. He lost his footing & fell into a ditch filled with mud. He kept sinking deeper & deeper in the mud. The more he struggled to get out of the ditch, the deeper he sank. As he was sinking in the mud Buddha came ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, 2 Corinthians 12:7-11, Psalm 103:4, Psalm 40:1-3

Tags: Humanity Of Christ, World Religions

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Unused Spiritual Resources  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Sep 12, 2003

Unused Spiritual Resources During Superbowl XXXVII, FedEx ran a commercial that spoofed the movie Castaway, in which Tom Hanks played a FedEx worker whose company plane went down, stranding him on a desert island for years. Looking like the bedraggled Hanks in the movie, the FedEx employee in the ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 2:1, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Timothy 3:15-17, Colossians 3:1-4

Tags: Bible Influence, Bible Study

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

They Refused To Be Rescued  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 15, 2011

THEY REFUSED TO BE RESCUED On August 30, 2005 Coast Guard Lieutenant Iain McConnell was ordered to fly his H46 helicopter to New Orleans and to keep that machine flying around the clock for what would turn out to be a heroic rescue effort. None of his crew were prepared for what they were about to ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 1:3-4, 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12, Matthew 8:28-34, 2 Peter 3:7-10

Tags: Rejection, Heroism

Great Blessings From A Generous Gift

Contributed by Rick Crandall on May 16, 2016

*God wants us to be givers, because HE is a giver. He wants us to generously give our time, our talents, our tithes and our offerings. In short, God wants us to give our lives and our love to other people, every way we can. They will be blessed, and so will we. *Sometimes even a small gift can ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:17-19, 2 Corinthians 8:1-24, 2 Corinthians 9:1-15

Tags: Generosity, Trust God, Christian Giving, Love Of God Or Money

Denomination: Baptist

[093]. A Message From A Poem – Foraging In The Depths Of Scripture

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Apr 30, 2025

[093]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – FORAGING IN THE DEPTHS OF SCRIPTURE This poem deals with getting into the heart of scripture. There are images and techniques and encouragement in these stanzas. I actually make the comparison between a mudskipper that flits across the shallows on the water, and ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 4:12, Psalm 119:27, 2 Timothy 2:15, 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Tags: Buried Treasure, Inspired, Dig Deep, Eel, Mudskipper, Scripture, Word Of God, Workman  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Love Beyond Sight

Contributed by Jm Raja Lawrence on Sep 23, 2023

Love Beyond Sight In a quaint village nestled amidst rolling hills, there lived a man whose love story would be told for generations to come. His name was Samuel, and he was known far and wide for his kindness and his love for his wife, Sarah. Samuel had met Sarah on a sunny day at the village ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:4, John 13:34, 1 Peter 4:8, Matthew 19:6

Tags: Kindness, Love

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Unintended Hero

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 11, 2025

A rich millionaire decides to throw a massive party for his 50th birthday, so during this party he grabs the microphone and he announces to his guests that down in the garden of his mansion he has a swimming pool with two great white sharks in it. 'I will give anything they desire of mine, to ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:16, Judges 4:8, Judges 6:11-39, 1 Samuel 10:22, Exodus 4:13  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Unlikely, Heroes, Cowards, Hesitancy, Fear, Weakness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

"David Had Eight Wives, Including Maacah, The...

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on May 12, 2008

"David had eight wives, including Maacah, the daughter of a king who ruled over the tiny nation of Geshur (2 Samuel 3:3). In the Psalms, we read about David’s struggles with God as his son was pursuing him, trying to kill him to steal his throne. But how did Maacah feel about this? Was she ...read more

Tags: Mother's Day

Denomination: Independent/Bible

A Recent Poll By The Barna Research Group In ...  PRO

Contributed by Chris Appleby on Jan 2, 2001

a recent poll by the Barna Research Group in America found that only 37% of adults thought the birth of Jesus is the most important aspect of Christmas. 44% of the respondents said family time is the most important part of the Christmas celebration. 3% said presents or parties were the most ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:9-21, John 1:19-28

Tags: Christmas, Birth Of Jesus, Jesus Christ

Denomination: Anglican

Jim Cymbala Began At The Brooklyn Tabernacle As ...  PRO

Contributed by James Wilson on Nov 27, 2000

Jim Cymbala began at the Brooklyn Tabernacle as an ill-equipped, under-educated, time-strapped preacher who led a second congregation in New Jersey. The Brooklyn church had no money to pay him, a ramshackle building, and barely enough attendance to bother with weekly meetings. Today, the ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 7:14, Jeremiah 8:1-6

Tags: Revival, Prayer Persistence, Prayer General, Prayer

Denomination: Baptist

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