In Sermon Illustrations: "5 Loaves And 2 Fishes"

The Miracle Of The Dead Sea Scrolls

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 4, 2021

In 1947, Muhammad adh-Dhib, a twelve-year-old Arab boy, made one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of all time. While looking for a lost goat in Qumran, near the Dead Sea, he threw a stone into a cave and heard the sound of shattering pottery. Curious about the noise, he entered the cave ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Timothy 4:1-3, 2 Peter 1:21, Hebrews 4:12

Tags: Bible, Scripture, Truth, Miracles, Dead Sea Scrolls  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[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

God Summons Us To Seek Our Best Creative Selves. ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 12, 2008

"God summons us to seek our best creative selves. He calls us to become artists of life, seers of truth, creators of new possibilities, and innovative problem solvers. Perhaps by looking at Jesus' life and seeing His creative spirit at work, we can begin to awaken to the creative possibilities of ...read more

Tags: Becoming A Christian

[226]. A Message From A Poem - Quantum Leaps

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Oct 11, 2025

[226]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - QUANTUM LEAPS This poem is in 4 sections though all are related. It deals with the progression of wickedness in the world, but that progress has been very rapid. Those who are older, and in a reflective mood, will recall how things were in the 1950s and 60s when ...read more

Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 2:7-9, 2 Corinthians 5:16-17, 2 Timothy 3:1-4, 1 Thessalonians 1:10

Tags: Change, Antichrist, Wickedness, The Last Days, A New Creature, The World Gets Worse, Rapid, Christian Poems, Quantum Leaps  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Attitude Not Aptitude  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 6, 2011

ATTITUDE NOT APTITUDE Jesus' message here is that everybody can be great ... because anybody can serve. Dave Stone says that "service is the language of grace." One day a couple of church members were out distributing loaves of bread in a low-income housing complex. They came to an apartment ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 4:10-11, 1 Corinthians 2:9-11, Mark 12:30-31, 1 Peter 4:10, Mark 12:1-27  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Love, Servanthood

[163]. A Message From A Poem – Joy For Sorrow - Care In Hurt

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Aug 14, 2025

[163]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – JOY FOR SORROW - CARE IN HURT The title of this poem has two contrasts – sorrow turning to joy, and hurt adopting care. This poem was written 27 years ago and since that time much has changed in the world for the followers of the Lord. Persecution has increased ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 13:5-6, 2 Corinthians 6:4-5

Tags: Hurting One, South Africa, The Holy Spirit, Martyred, Suffering Christians, World Press, Comforr, Joy, Africa, Sorrow, Iran, Sudan, Nigeria, Lord, Persecution, Evil, Comfort  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

In The Movie Casualties Of War, Michael J. Fox ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 9, 2001

In the movie CASUALTIES OF WAR, Michael J. Fox plays Private Erikson, a soldier in Vietnam who is part of a squad that abducts and rapes a young Vietnamese girl. He didn’t participate in the crime. Afterward, as he struggles with what has happened, he says to the other men in his squad, "Just ...read more

Scripture: 2 Kings 20:1-3

Tags: Death Nearness, Funerals Christian, Judgment

John Stott In Authentic Christianity Noted: "We ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 30, 2001

John Stott in Authentic Christianity noted: "We need to repent of the haughty way in which we sometimes stand in judgment upon Scripture and must learn to sit humbly under its judgments instead. If we come to Scripture with our minds made up, expecting to hear from it only an echo of our own ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Tags: Disciplines Scripture, Bible Influence, Bible Study, Security

Average Church(Gallup) 17% Say They Tithe But ...  PRO

Contributed by Guy Mcgraw on Jan 30, 2001

Average church(Gallup) 17% say they tithe but only 3% actually do. 40% will give nothing in a year. 91% say they make more money than they ever have in their life. 71% of pastors ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 5:1-5

Tags: Money, Giving General, Church Practices

John Blanchard Noted, "For Daily Need There ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 1, 2001

John Blanchard noted, “For daily need there is daily grace; for sudden need, sudden grace, and for ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:8-10

Tags: Grace, God's Provision

Even When We Come Across Test Questions That Seem ...  PRO

Contributed by Timothy Peck on Feb 1, 2001

Even when we come across test questions that seem simple on the surface, we find that they’re often not as simple as we first thought. For instance, the answer to the question, "How long did the Hundred Years War last?’ seems obvious, but the answer is 116 years. When a test asks, "Which country ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 13:5

Tags: Patience, Integrity, Christian Values, Call Of The Disciples

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Twas Battered And Scarred, And The Auctioneer ...  PRO

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Feb 7, 2001

’Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer thought it scarcely worth his while To waste much time on the old violin, But he held it up with a smile, "What am I bid, good folks," he cried "Who’ll start the bidding for me?" "1 dollar, a dollar"; then, "Two! Only two? Two dollars, and who’ll ...read more

Scripture: 2 Kings 13:16

Tags: God's Provision, Lordship Of Christ, Descriptions Of God

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

One Of Hitler's Bodyguards Was A Man Named Kurt ...  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Howell on Mar 28, 2001

One of Hitler’s bodyguards was a man named Kurt Wagner. He adored Hitler and reverenced him as a god. At the end of the war, with Hitler a suicide in a Berlin bunker, Kurt’s faith was shattered and he planned a suicide. Going for a final cup of coffee, he picked up a discarded Gospel tract and ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17

Tags: Grace, God's Forgiveness

Denomination: Wesleyan

If You Want To Know What We Learned In 25 Words ...  PRO

Contributed by Brian Mavis on Apr 4, 2001

If you want to know what we learned in 25 words or less, giving is down because we don’t love God as much as we love a lot of other stuff. —Researcher ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 8:1-5

Tags: Giving General, Money, Salt

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Father’s Two Daughters Were Begging Him ...  PRO

Contributed by Greg Warren on Apr 19, 2001

A father’s two daughters were begging him for permission to see the latest movie, which happened to be rated "R," with their friends. When he denied their request, their pleading only intensified. "It’s only rated R because it has just a little bad language and just a few scenes that are bad," ...read more

Scripture: 2 Kings 4:38-41

Tags: Call Of The Disciples, Holiness

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

One Of My Favorite Columns By Erma Bombeck Tells ...  PRO

Contributed by Melvin Newland on Apr 22, 2001

One of my favorite columns by Erma Bombeck tells of God in the act of creating mothers. She says that on the day God created mothers He had already worked long overtime. And an angel said to Him, "Lord, you sure are spending a lot of time on this one." The Lord turned & said, "Have you read ...read more

Scripture: 2 Samuel 21:8-14

Tags: Communication General, Commitment, Hypocrite, Pride, Sacrifice  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Bible Statistics: Kjv  PRO

Contributed by Brian Mavis on Jun 6, 2001

BIBLE STATISTICS: KJV Number of books in the Bible: 66 Chapters: 1,189 Verses: 31,101 Words: 783,137 Letters: 3,566,480 Number of promises given in the Bible: 1,260 Commands: 6,468 Predictions: over 8,000 Fulfilled prophecy: 3,268 verses Unfulfilled prophecy: 3,140 Number of questions: ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Tags: Bible Influence

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

There Are Some Interesting Facts About The Sisal ...  PRO

Contributed by Owen Bourgaize on Jun 7, 2001

There are some interesting facts about the sisal plant from which is made tough sisal twine. It grows in Yucatan, Mexico, in hard stony soil. Some Americans visited the area and decided that there might be good money to be made in growing it in richer soil under better conditions. So they started ...read more

Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 1:3-4

Tags: Endurance

Denomination: Baptist

Mr. Holland’s Opus": Leaving A Legacy, ...  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Jun 15, 2001

["Mr. Holland’s Opus": Leaving a Legacy, Citation: Mr. Holland’s Opus, (Hollywood Pictures, 1995), rated PG, written by Patrick Sheane Duncan, directed by Stephen Herek; submitted by Greg Asimakoupoulos, Naperville, Illinois] Mr. Holland’s Opus is a movie about a frustrated composer in Portland, ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 3:2-3

Tags: Family, Fulfillment, Gifts General, David, Jonathan, Legacy, Leadership General  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

If You Were To Ask Jesus Today The One ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Hensley on Jun 27, 2001

“ If you were to ask Jesus today the one reason for his coming to earth, He would sum up his entire ministry in one statement: He came to seek and to save that which ...read more

Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12

Tags: Jesus' Ministry, Jesus Teachings

Denomination: Baptist