In Sermon Illustrations: "Be Still"

Augustine And The Four States Of Man  PRO

Contributed by Terry Barnhill on Mar 5, 2012

AUGUSTINE AND THE FOUR STATES OF MAN In the 5th century AD, St. Augustine wrote about the "4 States of Man": * The first state of man (the haec sunt prima) is "living according to the flesh -- with reason making no resistance." This can be seen in so many ancient cultures and religions (and ...read more

Scripture: John 14:1-15

Tags: Allegory

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Feel Free To Interject Your Own Experience Into ...

Contributed by Kelly Mitchell on Aug 22, 2012

(feel free to interject your own experience into this pattern) One Christmas on a road trip with the my wife and kids to my parent’s home I decided to take them on a "scenic loop" through the Mississippi Delta. Its where I was born and raised and my parents still live there. To me, it is the ...read more

Scripture: Acts 3:19-20

Tags: Repentance, Forgiveness In Jesus, Millenial

Denomination: Baptist

Encouragement From A Friend

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 29, 2012

ENCOURAGEMENT FROM A FRIEND There are times when you will be pushed out or pushed aside. You can be on the right road and still find yourself in a situation that is so severe that you cannot survive it on your own. Mark it down: You are not exempt from times of suffering, rejection, or ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Tags: Friendship General

Bible Readers Change The World  PRO

Contributed by Hal Seed on Nov 9, 2012

BIBLE READERS CHANGE THE WORLD If you’ve read anything by Charles Dickens, you know how terrible conditions were in 18th century England. There were no child labor laws, so children as young as age four were put to work up to 12 hours a day in dangerous factories and sent into the corners of coal ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 1:8

Tags: Bible Influence

Denomination: Baptist

The Locust Plague Described

Contributed by Thomas Cash on Jan 29, 2013

THE LOCUST PLAGUE DESCRIBED The judgment in the book of Joel centers on the warning of a plague of locusts. Now you may think, "Ah, little grasshoppers. Not much of a problem, eh." History records a similar event. Let me read to you: In 1915 a plague of locusts covered Palestine and Syria from ...read more

Scripture: Joel 1:4

Tags: God's Judgment

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Adversity

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Dec 27, 2014

“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow.” - Mary Anne Radmacher Sometimes life deals us a situation so adverse, a loss so great, we feel unable to meet the challenge of facing day after day in our pain and loss. ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:3-5

Tags: Adversity, Courage, Perserverance, Trials

Denomination: Charismatic

In His Book, "Leadership Pain: God’s Classroo...

Contributed by Tim Smith on Sep 25, 2016

In his book, “Leadership Pain: God’s Classroom for Growth,” Sam Chand writes, “Pain isn’t the enemy. The inability or unwillingness to face pain is a far greater danger.” He then tells the story of Dr. Paul Brand who was treating a four year old named Tanya at the national leprosy hospital in ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:25-32

Tags: Pain, Thankful For Pain

Denomination: Methodist

A Drop Or Two Of Bluing?

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Dec 25, 2019

How many of you remember bluing solution? Way back in the early to mid ‘60’s, Mom and Grandma would never finish a load of wash (laundry, if you prefer!) without adding some bluing when they did the whites. Now, I never understood why they did this but one of the two explained it kind of like this: ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 1:18, Isaiah 64:6, Psalm 51:7, 1 John 1:7

Tags: Forgiveness, Cleansing From Sin

Denomination: Baptist

Weeping Over Others

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 15, 2020

Do you weep for your family, friends, church, nation and world? 1) Jesus did- Jesus wept over the sins of others, over their bitter consequences in judgment and death, and over Jerusalem which would not receive him. Jesus was a Man of Sorrows (Isaiah 53). Why? Because he took our sins upon ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-12

Tags: Intercession, Beatitudes, Lost, Weeping, Mourning, Evangelism, Prayer  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Hold That Thought!

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Jan 23, 2020

One church where I served as pastor has a ping-pong table in the fellowship hall, and sometimes a younger member or two asked me to join them in a game. Now, I was old enough to be their grandfather but that doesn’t stop them from asking! I did appreciate the fact that these youngsters, aged around ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:8

Tags: Children, Thoughts, Fun And Games

Denomination: Baptist

A Little Thing Caused A Big Problem!

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Mar 7, 2020

My car was due for an oil change so I drove it to the same place where I had gone for several years. After all, they knew me and I trusted them and I’ve never had a problem. A few minutes later, the car was tasting some fresh oil and I was good to go for a while! Except—something happened in the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:8, Hebrews 12:1

Tags: Alertness, Consequences, Sins

Denomination: Baptist

At What Age Should A Pastor Retire?

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jun 3, 2020

AT WHAT AGE SHOULD A PASTOR RETIRE? TEN DIAGNOSTIC QUESTIONS There are a lot of Baby Boomer pastors and Christian leaders around. And it’s cliché, but they aren’t getting any younger. It’s a quiet question that many are asking, but they are asking it nonetheless: What age should I ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:7-8, Hebrews 12:1-3

Tags: Retirement, Aging, Pastors, Missionaries, Paul And Timothy, Baby Boomers  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Reprove An Erring Brother, Do Not Reproach Him

Contributed by James Dina on Oct 7, 2020

REPROVE AN ERRING BROTHER, DO NOT REPROACH HIM Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you, reprove a wise man and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser, teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning." (Proverbs 9:8-9) We should have respect ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 9:8

Tags: Reprove, Correct In Love

Denomination: Pentecostal

Unsung Heroes: He Helped David With The Sheep

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Nov 14, 2020

Text, 1 Samuel 17:20-21, KJV: 20And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle. 21For Israel and the Philistines had put the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 17:20-21

Tags: David, Sheep, Shepherding

Denomination: Baptist

I Am Not But I Shall Be

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Aug 22, 2021

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:2) The one thing about getting older is that you get to look back on more things each year and have more to ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 3:2

Tags: Forgiveness, Change, Transformation, Failure

Denomination: Baptist

Unsung Heroines-Naaman’s Maid

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Apr 30, 2022

Introduction: Sometimes children know more than we think they do. This “little maid” knew about Elisha the prophet, and how God performed miracles through him. We know nothing more about her than what’s mentioned in these verses but through her one recorded sentence, she brought hope to a hopeless ...read more

Scripture: 2 Kings 5:1-4

Tags: Leprosy, Naaman, Unsung Heroines, Maids

Denomination: Baptist

An Epiphany On Generosity

Contributed by Todd Catteau on Jun 23, 2023

I recently drove my adult son to the airport for a trip he was taking with some friends. He lives in Arkansas but was flying out of DFW, so he drove to our home in Denison to spend a little time with us. While he was gone I drove his car a few times just to make sure it was running well. I guess ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:7, James 1:17

Tags: Generous, Steward, Giving, Stewardship, Give, Generosity, Selflessness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Did Haman Use Wood From Noah's Ark To Build His Gallows?

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Aug 28, 2023

We read in the Bible how, at the end of the Great Flood, the Ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat (which some identify as the Armenian Highlands). Since the Torah doesn’t ascribe any intrinsic holiness to Noah’s Ark, it is not at all surprising that once Noah left it, there isn’t any real ...read more

Tags: Archeaology, Noah, Miracles, Haman, Purim, Jewish Tradition, Gallows, Israel, Ark  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[002] Message From A Poem – A Grain Of Wheat Dies

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on May 2, 2024

[002] MESSAGE FROM A POEM – A GRAIN OF WHEAT DIES Not very long before the crucifixion Jesus spoke to Andrew and Philip. This is what He said – {{John 12:23-25 and Jesus answered them saying, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, UNLESS A GRAIN OF ...read more

Scripture: John 12:23-25, Matthew 13:23, Romans 12:1-2

Tags: Sacrifice, Parable Of The Sower, A Grain Of Wheat, Dying To Oneself

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Joseph: The Portrait Of Christ (Bible Gateway)

Contributed by William Akehurst on Jan 4, 2025

Joseph: the Portrait of CHRIST (Bible Gateway) The Life of Joseph Genesis 30:24 – Genesis 50:26 1. A shepherd. 2. Loved by his father. 3. Sent unto his brethren 4. Hated by his brothers. 5. Prophesied his coming glory. 6. Rejected by his brothers. 7. Endured unjust punishment from his brothers. 8. ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 30:24, Genesis 50:26

Tags: Jesus, Joseph, Comparison

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational