In Sermon Illustrations: "Bowing Before God"

Condemnation Or Compassion  PRO

Contributed by David Simmons on Feb 22, 2002

CONDEMNATION OR COMPASSION Tony Campolo tells the story of a New York City pastor who chose to take a funeral that no other minister would take. The man who died was a homosexual who died of AIDS. The minister agreed to do the funeral. When he got to the graveside, he discovered an audience ...read more

Tags: Church General, Compassion, Jesus Teachings

Denomination: Baptist

A Silver Reminder  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 13, 2003

A SILVER REMINDER At Camp Udairi in the desert of Kuwait, the loss of the dining facility has brought with it an unlikely reminder of God’s protection. Chaplain (Major) Barbara K. Sherer tells the story in an article on Beliefnet.com. The dining hall caught fire one morning, and because of the ...read more

Tags: Easter Good Friday, Cross Agony, Easter Resurrection

The Fear Of The Lord Is The Foundation Of Wisdom

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on May 8, 2016

In a crazy move, a woman at the Toronto zoo who lost her hat at the tiger enclosure decided that she was going to retrieve it. She climbed the outer fence, dropped over the edge and scrambled around to find her hat. Fortunately for her there was a second fence between her and her hat. A ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 9:10

Tags: Fear, Foundation Of Wisdom, Wise Decisions

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Flea Jar And Our Spiritual Limitations

Contributed by Jung Lee on Jan 16, 2024

In a scientific study, fleas capable of jumping several feet high were placed in a jar with a lid. Initially, they jumped high and hit the lid. Over time, they adjusted and started jumping just high enough to avoid hitting the lid. Eventually, the lid was removed, but the fleas continued to jump ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:19-21

Tags: Purpose, Liberation, Breaking Free, Learned Limitations, Innate Potential, Impact Of The Fall  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

One Of My Favorite Books Is Called This I ...

Contributed by Anne Benefield on Feb 19, 2008

One of my favorite books is called This I Believe: The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women. It is a compilation of eighty essays based on the National Public Radio series of the same name. The essays are from the famous and the unknown. One of the essays that I found most moving is ...read more

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

National ...

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

National Foundation Expressing Fear of the Lord A nation with a firm foundation has Christians who have the heart of the Psalmist who wrote, “Teach me your ways, O Lord, and I will walk in Your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your name.” (Psalm 86:11) A nation that has a ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 112:1

Tags: Patriotism

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

One Fine Spring Sunday Morning, A Priest Was ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 20, 2001

One fine Spring Sunday morning, a Priest was gazing out of a rectory window at a nearby Trout Stream. "Today would be a good day to sneak off and go fishing", he thought. The weather was perfect, his fly rod had new string, he had very recently heard reports of a good Trout run, and the Associate ...read more

Tags: Church, Preaching, Lying, Lying Never Pays Off, Integrity, Truth, Temptation General  (view more)  (view less)

Deer Are Creatures Of Consistency. This Species ...

Contributed by Paul Dietz on Sep 20, 2008

Deer are creatures of consistency. This species of the animal kingdom pretty well knows its territory. It knows where it can always find a good meal of a few apples, acorns or grain. As for finding a source for water, this creature always seems to know of most of the local streams, ponds or lake. ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 42:1

Tags: Prayer Supplication

Denomination: *other

Caterpillar Ugly, Butterfly Beautiful  PRO

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Caterpillar Ugly, Butterfly Beautiful It is a well-known fact that a caterpillar changes into a butterfly. The butterfly can truthfully say as he looks at the caterpillar, "Such was I, but now I am changed." Every Christian has once been a sinner, living for self and the momentary pleasures ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17, 1 Peter 4:7-11

Tags: Resurrection, Salvation, New Life, Born Again, Christian Witness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Peace  PRO

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Peace This question was once asked, "If you could choose what you want most in life, what would you ask for?" The most common answer was "Peace." People want peace in their marriages, families, workplaces, country and world. Our country has some of the best medical and ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:22

Tags: Peace, Fruit Of The Spirit

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Peace

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

PEACE This question was once asked, "If you could choose what you want most in life, what would you ask for?" The most common answer was "Peace." People want peace in their marriages, families, workplaces, country and world. Our country has some of the best medical and psychological treatment ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:22

Tags: Fruit Of The Spirit

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[044] A Message From A Poem – Christian Patterns

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 6, 2025

[044] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – CHRISTIAN PATTERNS This is a “constructed poem” meaning it follows a pattern. It is a series of injunctions or commands with specific structure that I will explain. Let us take the opening line – “Take God’s truth and make it yours, and your vain ways forsake.” I ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 8:5, Philippians 3:17, Acts 7:44

Tags: Poetry, Pattern, Poem, Christian Living, Commands, Christian Patterns, Rhyming  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[250]. A Message From A Poem – Thank You Lord

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 2, 2026

[250]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THANK YOU LORD This is a “Thank You” poem. There is much to thank God for. Should we thank God for our birth that is the start of an eternal relationship in joy, bathed in the love of God? Yes! That is love that God wants to share Himself in so many ...read more

Scripture: Job 2:13, Job 3:1-4

Tags: Thank You Lord, Hope, Life, Word, Giving Thanks, Me, Christian Poetry, Love, Blood, Joy  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Moses, Aaron And Hur Went To The Top Of The Hill. ...  PRO

Contributed by Joel Pankow on Aug 14, 2003

Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 5:11

Tags: Jesus Christ, Lordship Of Christ

Denomination: Lutheran

Shoveling Snow

Contributed by John Bright on Feb 3, 2026

It was frigid—bone-chilling—and we had another heavy snowfall. When I opened my garage door, I quickly realized that looking at the big picture wouldn’t be helpful. Instead, I needed to focus on just one shovel of snow at a time. Blinders would have been useful, so that I wouldn’t see to the left ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 3:16-21

Tags: Slow Down, Trials

Denomination: Methodist

The Man Who Rejected A Pardon

Contributed by David Goering on Nov 1, 2019

ILLUSTRATION: The man who rejected a pardon. 1.) I found this true story online. United States v. Wilson, 32 U.S. 150 (1833), was a case in the United States in which the defendant, George Wilson, was convicted of robbing the US Mail in Pennsylvania and sentenced to death. Due to his ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 33:8

Tags: Forgiveness, Pardon

Who Wants To Play By The Rules?

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Apr 3, 2020

Wouldn’t life, or sporting events, be easier if there were no rules? Nobody to tell you what you can or can’t do, no restrictions, and anything goes. Easy, right? I can recall a couple of times when it sure seemed that some folks either didn’t want to play by the rules. Maybe they just plain ...read more

Scripture: Acts 16:31

Tags: Wrong, Right, Rules, Self Will

Denomination: Baptist

Heaven, A Holy Place

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Heaven, A Holy Place 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 and take ...read more

Scripture: John 14:1-6

Tags: Heaven

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Listen To This True Story. Rabbi Michael ...  PRO

Contributed by Melvin Newland on Jan 28, 2001

ILL. Listen to this true story. Rabbi Michael Weisser lived in Lincoln, Nebraska. And for more than 3 years, Larry Trapp, a self-proclaimed Nazi & Ku Klux Klansman, directed a torrent of hate-filled mailings & phone calls toward him. Trapp promoted white supremacy, anti-Semitism, & other ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:20, Galatians 3:1-14

Tags: Racism, Pearl Harbor, Forgiveness For Others, Compassion

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

New Orleans (Bp)--An Explosive New Study Says ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 31, 2001

NEW ORLEANS (BP)--An explosive new study says some gay people can turn straight if they really want to. Robert L. Spitzer, a psychiatry professor at Columbia University who led the study, said he couldn’t estimate what percentage of highly motivated gay people can change their sexual orientation ...read more

Tags: The Word, Words