In Sermon Illustrations: "3 John 38:15-16"

Caesar Ruled.....but God Overruled!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Dec 20, 2020

"Augustus Caesar was ruling, but God was in charge, for He used Caesar's edict to move Mary and Joseph eighty miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem to fulfill His Word. Rome took a census every fourteen years for both military and tax purposes, and each Jewish male had to return to the city of ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1-12

Tags: Mary, Messiah, Christmas, Prophecy, History, Sovereignty Of God, Augustus Caesar  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Faith

Contributed by John Hardwick on Aug 1, 2015

Faith, as a mustard seed, is when it’s raining enough to need the windshield wipers once a minute, but not enough to set it on auto. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16

Tags: Faith, Amazing Love

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Some Time Ago, A Teenager, Arthur Hinkley, Lifted ...  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Howell on Feb 1, 2001

Some time ago, a teenager, Arthur Hinkley, lifted a 3,000-pound tractor with his bare hands. He wasn’t a weight lifter, but his friend, Lloyd Bachelder, 18, was pinned under a tractor on a farm near Rome, Maine. Hearing Lloyd scream, Arthur somehow lifted the tractor enough for Lloyd to wriggle ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16

Tags: Forgiveness In Jesus, Descriptions Of God, Deliverance, Addiction, Christian Love  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Wesleyan

Oldest Living Vine  PRO

Contributed by Alistair Wearring on Feb 27, 2010

OLDEST LIVING VINE In Hampton Court, there is a grapevine that is reported to be the oldest living vine. It is over 230 years old. This grapevine has one root which is 3.6 metres (12 foot) round, and some of the branches are over 36.5 metres (120 foot) long. Despite its age the vine still produces ...read more

Scripture: John 15:1-8

Tags: Disciples

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Lukewarm Sheep  PRO

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Aug 29, 2011

THE LUKEWARM SHEEP Now, for the sake of my illustration, I want to break a flock of sheep down into 3 groups. 1. The first group of sheep had DECIDED to look to Shepherd & follow Him wherever He leads. These are the "Good sheep" who follow the "Good Shepherd. Jesus said: "My sheep hear my voice, ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 3:14-22, John 10:4, John 15:1-11

Tags: Parable Lost Sheep

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The World Doesn't Hate You

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 12, 2009

THE WORLD DOESN’T HATE YOU After a tough and discouraging day at work, Melvin plopped himself on the couch and began wallowing in self-pity. His moaned to his wife, "Nobody cares about me. In fact, the whole world hates me." Without even looking up from her work, Melvin’s wife replied, "That’s ...read more

Scripture: John 15:18

Tags: Disappointment

Erickson's Thoughts On God The Father

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 23, 2010

ERICKSON'S THOUGHTS ON GOD THE FATHER And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent' (John 17:3) Dr. Packer's devotional approach to theology is evident from his choice of textbook which is Millard Erickson's 'Christian Theology'. Here's an ...read more

Scripture: John 17:3

Tags: God The Father

Every Single Apostle Experienced Persecution: 1 ...  PRO

Contributed by Aubrey Vaughan on May 29, 2007

• Every single apostle experienced persecution: 1 John died of old age exiled on the island of Patmos. 2 Peter was crucified upside down under Nero. 3. Andrew died upon a cross at Patrae, in Achia 4.James the brother of Jesus was thrown from a pinnacle of the temple and beaten to death by a ...read more

Scripture: John 20:11-31

Denomination: Baptist

Absolute Truth Vs. Relative ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 26, 2010

Absolute Truth vs. Relative Truth First of all, “What is Truth?” Pilate asked that question of Jesus. Today, our postmodern age is questioning that there even is such a thing as truth. They say truth lies in our experience. And if my experience is different than your experience, then my truth is ...read more

Scripture: John 1:14-18

Tags: Truth Absolute, Moral Absolutes

Imbalanced ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 13, 2009

IMBALANCED COVERAGE Only 8% of Americans are atheist, reports The National Cultural Values Survey conducted for the Culture and Media Institute (CMI). Yet the U.S. news media does not subject atheism or atheists to the same skepticism to which it subjects Christians and Christianity. From the 105 ...read more

Scripture: John 15:18

Tags: Persecution

The World Slept When Jesus Came.

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Dec 21, 2020

Ken Gire writes, “Where you would have expected angels, there were only flies. Where you would have expected heads of state, there were only donkeys, a few haltered cows, a nervous ball of sheep, a tethered camel, & a furtive scurry of curious mice. Except for Joseph, there was no one to share ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1-12

Tags: Christmas, Christ, Bethlehem, Birth Of Christ, Mary And Joseph  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Adam & Eve

Contributed by John Bright on Jan 17, 2021

The story of Adam and Eve was being carefully explained in the children's Sunday School class. Following the story, the children were asked to draw some picture that would illustrate the story. Little Bobby was most interested and drew a picture of a car with three people in it. In the front ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16

Tags: Eve, Sin, Adam

Denomination: Methodist

Fruitfulness As God's Work  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 24, 2009

FRUITFULNESS AS GOD’S WORK A few years ago, the Associated Press released a study done by an agricultural school in Iowa. It reported that production of 100 bushels of corn from one acre of land, in addition to the many hours of the farmer’s labor, required 4,000,000 pounds of water, 6,800 pounds ...read more

Scripture: John 15:5

Tags: Fruit Of The Spirit

Airplane Traveler Who Knows His Bible Well, ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 23, 2009

Airplane Traveler Who Knows His Bible Well, Finally Understands the Goal of the Gospel--To Know Christ And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” *There is no eternal life in trying to keep God’s rules, because you can’t keep them ...read more

Scripture: John 17:3

Tags: Evangelism, Christian Witness

William Wilberforce

Contributed by Davon Huss on Mar 13, 2021

Jesus is the supreme example. He cares so much about completing His mission on earth that he lets himself be killed. That total commitment to God’s will literally costs Him His life. It also saves it, as the resurrection proves. There are many examples from history of persons who have proved ...read more

Scripture: John 12:25

Tags: Glory, Die, Hate, Lose

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Shepherding In ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 8, 2010

Shepherding in Israel H.V. Morton gives an account of this sort of thing: "Early one morning I saw an extraordinary sight not far from Bethlehem. Two shepherds had evidently spent the night with their flocks in a cave. The sheep were all mixed together and the time had come for the shepherds to go ...read more

Scripture: John 10:1-21

Tags: Pastors

Memorial Day In The Military, Medal Of Honor ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 2, 2010

Memorial Day in the Military, Medal of Honor Recipient It’s 3am on a cold winter day. Patchy snow covers the landscape as Loudspeakers overhead blare telling everyone to get to their places. Surrounded by sandbags, concrete barriers and roughly 10,000 soldier, sailors, airman and marines, Bagram ...read more

Scripture: John 15:13

Tags: Sacrifice, Holidays Civic

How To Testify

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 18, 2011

HOW TO TESTIFY In the court of law before a person testifies they place their hand into the air and swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help me God. And it is assumed that fallen man by saying that oath will tell the truth when they stand before the judge. But day in and day ...read more

Scripture: John 18:33-38

Tags: World, Truth, Kingdom

How To Catch A Monkey  PRO

Contributed by Doug Sanders on Jan 2, 2001

HOW TO CATCH A MONKEY Native hunters in the jungles of Africa have a clever way of trapping monkeys. They slice a coconut in two, hollow it out, and in one half of the shell cut a hole just big enough for a monkey’s hand to pass through. Then they place an orange in the other coconut half before ...read more

Scripture: Mark 6:38, Matthew 8:5-13

Tags: John Wesley, Lost, Need, Grace, Human Value, Course, Church, Business And Marketplace, Encouragement, Sovereign, Support, Riches, Salvation, Sacrifices, Wisdom, Track  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Sometimes Sharing Christ Takes Interesting ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 3, 2003

Sometimes sharing Christ takes interesting forms. For months I left the church well into the late night hours. Periodically I would see a man huddled on the corner of our property. At first I feared the man. You see our neighborhood is rough and we have many homeless individuals that roam the ...read more

Scripture: John 4:36

Tags: Evangelism How To