In Sermon Illustrations: "accepted by grace"

Awl For The Good  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 25, 2002

AWL FOR THE GOOD In 1809, Simon Renee Braille and his wife Monique welcomed their fourth child into the world-- a lively boy named Louis. They lived in a small stone house near Paris where Braille was the local harness maker. Leather working tools are dangerous, so the toddler had been ...read more

Scripture: John 9:1-41

Tags: Grace, God's Omniscience, God In The Hardships

Working On Hell  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 22, 2002

WORKING ON HELL Reader’s Digest recently asked the great fighter Muhammed Ali what his faith meant to him. Ali replied: "[It] means [a] ticket to heaven. One day we’re all going to die, and God’s going to judge us, [our] good and bad deeds. [If the] bad outweighs the good, you go to hell; ...read more

Tags: Grace, Cross Agony, World Religions

The Book "Will Daylight Come?" By Richard ...  PRO

Contributed by Kenneth Squires on Apr 18, 2003

The book “Will Daylight Come?” by Richard Hoefler, illustrates the truth, that forgiveness frees and unforgiveness enslaves. A little boy visiting his grandparents was given his first slingshot. He practiced in the woods, but he could never hit his target. As he came back to grandma’s back yard, he ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 1:1

Tags: Forgiveness, Forgiveness For Others, Grace, Sin

Denomination: Pentecostal

John Newton: I Am  PRO

Contributed by Rick Stacy on Oct 15, 2003

I am not what I ought to be. I am not what I want to be. I am not what I hope to be. But still, I am not what I used to be. And by ...read more

Tags: Grace, God's Love, Promises Of God

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

No Contest  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 28, 2004

NO CONTEST When we get to heaven, there will be no contest to see who was the most deserving of God’s grace because no one deserves it. There will only be one contest in heaven. When we look back and see what we were before, when we see the pit from which he rescued us, when we recall how ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 20:1-16, Galatians 2:20-21, Matthew 20:1-16

Tags: Promises Of God, Parable Vineyard, Grace

Wanted: Movers

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 28, 2004

WANTED: MOVERS Suppose that one of the local businessmen had purchased a new building and was planning to move all of his stock into the new store. He placed an ad in the paper offering $100.00 per day to anyone who would come to help him make the move. The first workers were there early on the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 20:1-16

Tags: Grace, Parable Vineyard, Promises Of God

I've Been Reading "The Journal Of John Wesley". ...  PRO

Contributed by Owen Bourgaize on Dec 8, 2000

I’ve been reading "The Journal of John Wesley". In the entry for 24th May 1738, he wrote a detailed account of his spiritual pilgrimage. As a young boy in the family of a clergyman he had been "carefully taught" that salvation could only be obtained by "keeping all the commandments of God." Over ...read more

Tags: Ascension, Faith Vs. Works, Grace

Denomination: Baptist

People Talk About Being Saved By Faith Plus Good ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 11, 2007

People talk about being saved by faith plus good works. This is not true. Good works are the necessary consequence of our salvation. They are not necessary to be saved; they are the necessary ...read more

Tags: Christian Love, By Grace Through Fai

Open Our Eyes...?  PRO

Contributed by Paul Green on Feb 5, 2010

Open Our Eyes...? I have a book called 'Tall Tales of a Big God' written by a man called Maurice Smith. Maurice is (or at least was) an international Christian Speaker travelling all over the UK, and Europe and particularly the USA. And his book is a compilation of some of the most embarrassing ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 23:1, Acts 4:1-21

Tags: Grace, Service, Humility, Pride, Embarrassment  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Your Sins Have Been Your Downfall, Is Where The ...

Contributed by Andrew Moffatt on Aug 18, 2012

"Your sins have been your downfall", is where the tar starts sticking to the tyres. Most people generally don’t like the whole “s” word thing. For some reason there is an issue with the human brain that tells us to kick up stink when we are having a good time, a pleasurable time and someone, some ...read more

Scripture: Romans 6:23

Tags: Repentance, Sin Bondage To, Sin And Grace

Denomination: Salvation Army

Salvation Is About Relationship

Contributed by Richard Tow on Jul 18, 2017

On May 31, 1975 Jeanie and I were legally married. A record of that translation is documented at Potter County in Amarillo, Texas. Because of that, I can introduce her as my wife. She can sign papers as Jeanie Tow. A legal transaction occurred. But what if that were all there is to our marriage? We ...read more

Scripture: Titus 2:11-14, 2 Corinthians 6:1

Tags: Grace, Relationship To God, Love And Faith

Denomination: Charismatic

Example Of Extreme Forgiveness

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 17, 2020

Twenty years ago, Rwanda experienced a horrible genocide as one tribal group attacked and massacred another over tribal rivalry. Here is one story of forgiveness from that horrid era. “He killed my father and three brothers. He did these killings with other people, but he came alone to me and ...read more

Scripture: Luke 17:3-4

Tags: Grace, Forgiveness, Reconciliation, Restitution, Apology  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

George Floyd

Contributed by C. Philip Green on Jun 11, 2020

God can use you to make a difference in our broken world no matter your past. Just commit your way to the Lord like Jephthah did and depend on His Holy Spirit. When I think about Jephthah, I think about George Floyd, who was recently murdered in Minneapolis. George was a towering 6-foot by 6-inch ...read more

Scripture: Judges 11:1-3, Judges 11:29, 1 Corinthians 1:26-29

Tags: Transformation, Grace Of God, George Floyd

Denomination: Evangelical Free

It's Too Late To Do Anything!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Dec 8, 2020

Here is an illustration of these two basic approaches to righteousness: SAVIOR or SELF? An Englishman by the name of Ebenezer Wooten had just concluded a preaching service in the village square. The crowd had dispersed, and he was busily engaged in loading the equipment. A young man approached ...read more

Scripture: Titus 3:5, Ephesians 2:8-9

Tags: Salvation, Righteousness, Witnessing, Works, Grace  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Tobymac On Faithfulness

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Aug 24, 2022

TobyMac wrote these words upon the tragic death of his 21 year old son; “My wife and I would want the world to knows this … We don’t follow God because we have some sort of under the table deal with Him, ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:18-27

Tags: Faith, Grace, Worship, Salvation, Grief  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Pentecostal

God Can Destroy Everything On Earth!

Contributed by Paul Clemente on Nov 12, 2022

Genesis 7:17-24 See Hebrews 11:7 – What can we learn from this? - faith includes God's instructions and obedience God gave Noah a huge task (almost an impossibility to load up all sorts of animals and necessities in 7 days!) We do not note God indicating to Noah that God was going to help, ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 7:17-24

Tags: Judgement, Grace, God, Flood, Noah  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Hound Of Heaven

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jul 2, 2023

In his book The Call, author Os Guinness writes: We cannot find God without God. We cannot reach God without God. We cannot satisfy God without God—which is another way of saying that our seeking will always fall short unless God’s grace initiates the search and unless God’s call draws us to Him ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-9, Titus 3:5

Tags: Grace, Salvation, Works, Sovereignty Of God

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Gospel

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Dec 9, 2024

Pastor Martin Niemoeller confronted Hitler’s corruption of the German church and spent 8 years in prison. In 1945 he was freed by American forces. Remarkably he lived to the age of 92. A few days before his death he wrote - "when I was young I felt ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, Galatians 1:1-5, Romans 1:1-5

Tags: Grace, Gospel, Discipleship, Devotion, Justification  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Pentecostal

A Good Man Wants To Get Into Heaven

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Jul 21, 2024

I was recently at the gym having a conversation with someone I just met. Within a matter of 10 minutes, I realized that this man was a better man than me. He had volunteered in more countries than I could count in 10 minutes of our conversation. He was a teacher, he served the poor in many ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-9, John 3:16, Romans 3:23

Tags: Grace, Justification, Good Works, Works Righteousness

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Max Lucado Says That One Of The Most Difficult ...  PRO

Contributed by Dan Erickson on Nov 21, 2000

Max Lucado says that one of the most difficult truths he has had to come to grips with is that God’s grace is big enough to extend to someone like Jeffery Dahmer. If you recall, Dahmer was the young murderer in Milwaukee a few years ago who cut up the bodies of his victims. While in prison, Dahmer ...read more

Tags: Faith Vs. Works, God's Forgiveness, Grace

Denomination: Baptist