In Sermon Illustrations: "Acts 21 23 1"

He's A Liar!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jul 2, 2023

A missionary to the American Indians was in Los Angeles with an Indian friend who was a new Christian. As they walked down the street, they passed a man on the corner who was preaching with a Bible in his hand. The missionary knew the man represented a cult, but the Indian saw only the Bible. He ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 4:1-5, John 17:17, 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Tags: Spirit Of Error, Satan, Discernment, Truth, False Teachers, False Teaching, Spirits, Holy Spirit  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Paul's Persuasion

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jul 12, 2023

A pastor asked a dying man, "My friend, what persuasion are you?" The man replied, "I am of Paul’s persuasion." The pastor said, "I am afraid you didn’t understand me. Of what persuasion are you?" The man answered, "Oh, I understood you. I am of Paul’s ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:1-9, Romans 8:28-39, 1 John 5:1-13

Tags: Assurance, Pastors, Denominations, Faith, Death, Heaven, Salvation, Hope  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Love: Needing Or Giving

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Jul 26, 2023

“The typical example of Gift-love would be that love which moves a man to work and plan and save for the future well-being of his family which he may die without sharing or seeing; the second, Need-love, is that which sends a lonely and frightened child to its mother’s arms. And of course Divine ...read more

Scripture: Mark 12:29-31, Luke 10:27, 1 John 4:7-8, Matthew 22:36-39

Tags: Love, Love Of God, Love Of Neighbor

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

[028] A Message From A Poem – Be Not Conformed To The World

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Feb 15, 2025

[028] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – BE NOT CONFORMED TO THE WORLD “If you don’t agree with us, you are not included.” “We will finance your new building but only if you add a night club.” This world is absolutely full of compromise. It happens in relationships (sexual pressure on a woman), in ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:10, 1 Peter 1:14, Romans 12:1-2, Romans 10:17

Tags: Compromise, Poetry, Conform, Conformity, Conformed To His Death, Conformed To The World  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[030] A Message From A Poem – Beauty From Ashes

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Feb 18, 2025

[030] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – BEAUTY FROM ASHES One of the deepest emotions we have is shame. Shame happens when sin has caused havoc in a person’s life, and the realisation of it bursts like a cloud over the person. Shame brings guilt and guilt can affect a person greatly, even causing ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 51:10, Psalm 51:1-2, Psalm 51:12, 1 John 1:7-9

Tags: Ashes, Sinning, Repentance, Guilt, Shame, Bathsheba, Conviction, Poetry, David, Forgiveness, Beauty, Holy Spirit  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[087]. A Message From A Poem – For All Christians - The Three Os

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Apr 24, 2025

[087]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – FOR ALL CHRISTIANS - THE THREE Os There are 9 poems in this Trilogy series. This poem is part of a Trilogy - three sets of three. The first set is addressed to MEN, the second to ALL CHRISTIANS and the third is SPECIFIC. This is the third one in the second set ...read more

Scripture: Luke 24:45, James 4:6, 1 Samuel 15:22, Hebrews 5:8-9

Tags: Obedience, Oppose, For All Christians, Wrong, Obey, Opposition, Poetry, Open, Poem  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[116]. A Message From A Poem – Having A Chat With God

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jun 27, 2025

[116]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – HAVING A CHAT WITH GOD There is nothing pretentious here. It is a simple prayer mixed with thoughts of the Lord. This poem is a meditation, one that I hope you can relate to in your life. Some make prayer a sanctimonious affair and it is about as dead as a ...read more

Scripture: Titus 3:7, 2 Thessalonians 2:16, 1 John 4:19

Tags: Grace, Love, Hope, Prayer, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, Chat  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Discipline Of Prayer

Contributed by John Bright on Sep 24, 2025

We refer to many of the practices that aid in our ongoing sanctification as Spiritual Disciplines. These include prayer, Bible reading/study, tithing/generosity, fasting, silence, and worship. This is not a complete list. All Spiritual Disciplines have the same goal – increasing your intimacy ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 4:7, John 15:4, Ephesians 6:18, Colossians 4:2

Tags: Prayer, Spiritual Disciplines, Richard Foster, Prayer Forms

Denomination: Methodist

The Mansion Builder

Contributed by David Dunn on Oct 7, 2025

A story is told of a believer who arrived in heaven and was greeted by an angel who offered to show him his new home. They walked down golden streets lined with breathtaking mansions. Each home seemed larger and brighter than the one before—until they reached a small, simple cottage at the end of ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:19-21, Revelation 22:12, 1 Timothy 6:18-19, Luke 12:33-34

Tags: Eternity, Stewardship, Faithfulness, Generosity

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Mind Your Manners - Servant - President Calvin Coolidge Story

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Dec 1, 2025

Have you ever dined at a fancy restaurant ... or at someone's home ... and felt a little ... uncomfortable? President Calvin Coolidge ... invited some friends from Vermont ... to dine with him ... at the White House. They were extremely ... nervous. And were concerned ... about the correct ...read more

Scripture: Luke 14:7-14, Matthew 15:36, John 13:14, 1 Corinthians 11:27

Tags: Manners, Servant, Friends

Denomination: Anglican

[246]. A Message From A Poem – Soon The Lord Will Come For Me

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 2, 2026

[246]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – SOON THE LORD WILL COME FOR ME Lines here can be reversed to make 9-7-9-7. (Change “Soon” Line 3 to “When”) The chosen metre for this poem in a more unusual one 7-9-7-9 as it does not follow the usual convention of having the first line longer than the second line. ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:2, Titus 2:13, Revelation 4:1, 1 Corinthians 15:52-53

Tags: The Coming Of The Lord, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, Rapture, Blessed Hope  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[259]. A Message From A Poem – The Cold Frosty Night Reveals The Dawn

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 8, 2026

[259]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THE COLD FROSTY NIGHT REVEALS THE DAWN The cold, frosty night is this current existence in the world where Christians live and are waiting for their Lord to come. The dawn is the coming of the Lord. A number of people correctly see this coming for the Church and ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:1-5, Luke 12:32, 1 John 3:2

Tags: Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, The World Is Getting Worse, Cold Nights, Frosty Nights, Love, Second Coming, Misery, Dawn, Waiting  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[278]. A Message From A Poem – The Light Of The World

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 25, 2026

[278]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD This was a poem written before I really started writing poems seriously. Part of the idea was to write a hymn and some tunes will fit its 8-8-8-8 metre. The title, “The Light of the World” was to cover several aspects suggested to me by ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 4:3, Matthew 17:1-3, Luke 24:47, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

Tags: Brilliance Of The Lord, The Brightest Star, Nasa Christian Poems, Forgiveness Of Sins, The Light Of The World, Pure Light, Hubble Telescope, Christian Poetry, The Transfiguration, Light, Shining Face, The Rapture  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Being Humble - Young Seminarian Story

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Feb 24, 2026

A young seminarian ... was excited about preaching his very first sermon ... in the small church ... he grew up in. After three years in seminary, ... he felt adequately prepared, ... and when he was introduced to the congregation, ... he walked boldly ... to the pulpit, ...his head high, ... ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:1-6, Matthew 6:16-21, James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:5

Tags: Pride, Boldness, Confidence, Embarrassed, Humble  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Anglican

Ronald Regan Story - Embaressed And Humbled

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Feb 24, 2026

Ronald Reagan, ... recalling an occasion when he was governor of California ... made a speech in Mexico City: He shared these words: "After I had finished speaking, ... I sat down ...to a rather unenthusiastic applause, ... and I was a little embarrassed. The speaker who followed me ... ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:5, James 4:6, Matthew 6:1-6, Matthew 6:16-21

Tags: Humble, Embarrassed

Denomination: Anglican

[349]. A Message From A Poem - Without Solution Or Is It?

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on May 16, 2026

[349]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - WITHOUT SOLUTION OR IS IT? There are people in the world who worry where the world is heading. They worry about their own lives and their futures. The pressures of life are mounting all over the world and some really tragic things are happening. This is not ...read more

Scripture: Luke 12:19, 1 Corinthians 15:32, 2 Timothy 3:1

Tags: Fate, Purpose, Meaninglessness, Fatalism, Solutions, Christian Poems, A Natural Man  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Jesus, The Only Way To Heaven  PRO

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Jesus, the Only Way to Heaven Jesus said, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me. In My Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back ...read more

Scripture: John 14:1-6

Tags: Heaven

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Imagine For A Moment You Were In A Playground ...

Contributed by Andrew Drummond on Nov 11, 2007

Imagine for a moment you were in a playground and you saw someone trying to abduct a child, what would you do? I think we would act, without hesitation we would be stirred into action. You would not stand by and let something so terrible just happen. A conviction ...read more

Married Couples With Children At Home Make Up ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 27, 2006

Married couples with children at home make up only 23.5% of households today. Only 7% have a working dad and a stay-at-home mom. ...read more

Out Of This World: For $995, Space Services Inc., ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 20, 2006

Out Of This World: For $995, Space Services Inc., will place a gram of a person’s ashes in an aluminum capsule the size of 4 dimes stacked together, and attach it to a rocked and ...read more

Tags: Death Nearness