In Sermon Illustrations: "A Christian Death"

A Miraculous Story Of Forgiveness

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Aug 12, 2024

Scottish soldiers, forced by their Japanese captors to labor on a jungle railroad, had degenerated to barbarous behavior, but one afternoon something miraculous happened. A shovel was missing. The officer in charge became enraged. He demanded that the missing shovel be produced, or else. When ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:28-32

Tags: Atonement, Sacrifice, Forgiveness, Cross, Unconditional Love, Death Of Christ  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Dead Man Walking

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Nov 25, 2025

In some of the Maximum-Security Prisons in the United States ... when a prisoner is taken to be executed ... the guard that is leading the procession continual shouts out, ... "Dead man walking". It means, ...to clear the way ... to quiet down ... for this prisoner is on their last walk ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 2:15, Romans 5:12

Tags: Sin, Cross, Prison, Slave, Dead, Walking, World, Death  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Anglican

[247]. A Message From A Poem – Spiralling Downwards

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 2, 2026

[247]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – SPIRALLING DOWNWARDS There is nothing sadder than to see a light plane on fire and spiralling downwards to the ground. We know that is a tragedy that ends in death. Any spiralling downwards will be a disaster and death. This poem looks at the state of the world ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 60:1-3, Zechariah 14:16-17, Zechariah 14:9

Tags: Immorality, Deep, Spiral, Gross, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, World, Night, Evil, Darkness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[215]. A Message From A Poem - His Precious Redeemed Ones

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Sep 28, 2025

[215]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - HIS PRECIOUS REDEEMED ONES In my messages and sermons, sometimes I raise the plight of suffering Christians enduring persecution such as we observe in many nations in Africa. It makes me think of these suffering ones and how the Lord views them. They are ...read more

Scripture: John 12:24, Revelation 2:10-11, 1 John 5:4, 1 Peter 1:18-19, 2 Peter 1:4  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Love, Christ, Jesus, Persecution, Victors, Grain Of Wheat, Christian Poems, Africa, Precious, Put To Death, Redeemed, Believers, Saints  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Lewis Smedes, Professor Of Theology And Ethics At ...  PRO

Contributed by Aaron Jones on Mar 5, 2001

Lewis Smedes, professor of theology and ethics at Fuller Theological Seminary was asked this very question about suicide in the July 2000 issue of Christianity Today. He summarized his thoughts by writing, "I believe that, as Christians, we should worry less about whether Christians who have ...read more

Tags: Funerals Non-Christian, Friendship General, Disappointment

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

[265]. A Message From A Poem – The Glory Of The Son [version 1]

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 17, 2026

[265]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THE GLORY OF THE SON [Version 1] I get very uneasy about songs sung in churches that seem to glorify the person of man rather than the Person of Christ. Singing today is too egocentric and that takes away the glory from Christ. All praise and glory belong to ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 17:1-3, 1 Corinthians 15:17-20

Tags: Glory, Praise, Resurrection, Glory To God, Mount Of Transfiguration, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[266]. A Message From A Poem – The Glory Of The Son [version 2]

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 17, 2026

[266]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THE GLORY OF THE SON [Version 2] I get very uneasy about songs sung in churches that seem to glorify the person of man rather than the Person of Christ. Singing today is too egocentric and that takes away the glory from Christ. All praise and glory belong to Him; ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 17:1-3, 1 Corinthians 15:17-20

Tags: Glory, Praise, Resurrection, Glory To God, Mount Of Transfiguration, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Todd Beamer And The Others On Flight 93 Had A ...  PRO

Contributed by Don Hawks on Sep 10, 2002

Todd Beamer and the others on Flight 93 had a choice to make. Sit by and watch it happen, or take action. You all know what choice they made. After Todd had recited the 23rd Psalm and asked if the other guys were ready, they headed into action with the words, “Let’s roll!”¨ Jesus had the same ...read more

Tags: Christian Disciplines, Forgiveness In Jesus, Humanity Of Christ

Denomination: Methodist

Nothing Can Choke The Heart And Soul Out Of ...  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Oct 11, 2001

Nothing can choke the heart and soul out of walking with God like legalism. Consider the story of Hans the tailor. Because of his reputation, an influential entrepreneur visiting the city ordered a tailor-made suit. But when he came to pick up his suit, the customer found that one sleeve ...read more

Scripture: Luke 5:33-35, Mark 5:1-12

Tags: Love Of The Disciples, Christian Love, What Is Evangelism?

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[153]. A Message From A Poem – Jesus Christ Is Lord And King

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Aug 3, 2025

[153]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – JESUS CHRIST IS LORD AND KING There are 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet, and the writers of the Psalms, and Jeremiah, made use of what we call “Alphabetic Poems”. That is where you begin each new paragraph with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. I think ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:9-11, John 20:20, Matthew 27:37, Matthew 2:2

Tags: Jesus Is Lord, Jesus Is King, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, Lord, King  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[285]. A Message From A Poem – The Passion Week – Easter Poem

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Feb 5, 2026

[285]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THE PASSION WEEK – EASTER POEM This poem is more appropriate at Easter time, the week leading to the Resurrection. I have covered the highlights of that week with a stanza given to each one. The poem is like a synopsis of the week, a shorthand version if you ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:3-5

Tags: Easter, Gethsemane, The Cross, The Last Supper, The Resurrection, Death Of Christ, Christian Poems, Easter Poem, The Burial, Palm Sunday Entry, The Betrayal  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[123]. A Message From A Poem – He Will Receive Us To Himself

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jul 8, 2025

[123]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – HE WILL RECEIVE US TO HIMSELF Time for confession. It is no secret that the theme that occurs in a few of my poems (sometimes only a brief mention) is that of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in Person for all His disciples. That coming is soon and is ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

Tags: Jesus Receives Us, Received To Him, Caught Up, The Coming Of The Lord, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[130]. A Message From A Poem – How Can I Give You Up, O My Son?

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jul 12, 2025

[130]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – HOW CAN I GIVE YOU UP, O MY SON? This is a serious poem because it is based on a serious verse, one that has strong application to the cross. Here is the passage – {{Hosea 11:7-8 “My people are bent on turning from Me. Though they call them to the One on high, ...read more

Scripture: Hosea 11:7-8, Acts 2:23

Tags: Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, Easter, Heart, Compassion, Calvary, The Cross, Another Way, Love  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[129]. A Message From A Poem – Historic Glimpses - Past, Present, Future

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jul 12, 2025

[129]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – HISTORIC GLIMPSES - PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE The bible is so true that we can count the future as historical. The title of this poem is Historical Glimpses and is in three sections – what is past; what is present; and what is future. God knows the end from the ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:35-39

Tags: Jesus, Earth, Future, Past, Historic, Christian Poems  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Embraced By The Darkness

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Apr 18, 2022

"Embraced By the Light" or is it more like.... "Embraced By the Darkness?" The idea of Hell and judgment are nowhere to be found in Betty Eadie’s bestseller, Embraced By The Light, on the N.Y. Times bestseller list. In November 1973, Eadie allegedly died after undergoing a ...read more

Tags: Hell, Death, Jesus, Heaven, Judgment, False Teachers, Lies, Deceit, False Prophets  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[121]. A Message From A Poem – From Where Did God Originate?

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jul 5, 2025

[121]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – FROM WHERE DID GOD ORIGINATE? The real title of this poem is HE IS BEFORE ALL THINGS, AND IN HIM ALL THINGS HOLD TOGETHER but the title is too long for SermonCentral to accept, so I changed the title. This is a dialogue poem. There are 4 speakers. Speaker 1 is a ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 1:16-17, Colossians 2:20-23

Tags: Rationalist, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, Atheist, All Things, Agnostic, Gnostics, Gnosticism, Existence Of God, Christian, Creation, Jesus  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Most Important Freedom  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 24, 2002

THE MOST IMPORTANT FREEDOM Patrick Henry was a famous statesman and orator of colonial Virginia. In 1764 he was elected to the House of Burgesses where he became a champion of the frontier people, supporting their rights against the arrogant exercise of power by the aristocracy. In 1774 he was a ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:1, Galatians 5:1-12

Tags: Independence Day, Love Of The Disciples, Christian Values

One Minute After You Die

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Apr 19, 2022

One day I received a call from a distraught family who wanted a minister to do a quick funeral. I say “quick” because they asked me to speak for only a few minutes. “We don’t want anything religious,” the son told me, “and nothing you do will be too short.” I asked him why it was so important for ...read more

Tags: Evangelism, Hell, Death, Salvation, Gospel, Truth, Judgment, Repentance, Lost  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Face To Face With Christ

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jun 12, 2023

Fanny Crosby was one of the greatest hymn writers in the history of the Church. However, she was born blind, but never used her issue to blame God or play the victim. In fact, she once praised God for her blindness and said, "God did her a favor by making her blind" because the first ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 3:1-3

Tags: Blindness, Hymns, Fanny Crosby, Sovereignty Of God, Death, Glory, Heaven  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Praying Lost Friends Into The Kingdom Of God

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Apr 11, 2024

Some years ago a young girl was very sick and not expected to recover. Because of her love for Jesus, she was troubled that she had not been able to do more for Him in her short life. Her pastor suggested that she make a list of people in their little town who needed Christ and pray that they might ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 1:8

Tags: Evangelism, Faith, Death, Children, Heaven, Missions, Prayer, Lost, Unsaved  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational