In Sermon Illustrations: "Christmas Love"

Keep Away From Sin!

Contributed by Paul Clemente on Oct 24, 2022

Genesis 4 Devotional Part 2 The first children from Adam and Eve grew up having 2 different interests: Abel took care of animals while Cain took care of plants. When it was time to worship God (how did they learn and why did they worship God?), Cain offered firstfruits from the field and Abel ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 4:6-15

Tags: Love, Sin, Heart, Cain, Relationship  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

God Has To Judge All People But All Have A Choice!

Contributed by Paul Clemente on Nov 6, 2022

Genesis 6:11-22 Devotional v11-12.. original Hebrew word for “corrupt” alludes to “going to ruin” Why was the earth “going to ruin”? • Full of violence….. malicious (a desire to cause harm) and wrong • All the people “corrupted” their ways v13: God calls Noah! Why? – there are many ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 6:11-22

Tags: Love, Salvation, Flood, Judgment, Free Will  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

God Provides But We Personally Must Take Actions!

Contributed by Paul Clemente on Nov 10, 2022

Genesis 7 Was Noah righteous because he never sinned? - See Hebrews 11:7 What were God’s instructions to Noah? Go into the ark, you and your whole family Take in the ark animals (what were they?) “Clean” animals “unclean” animals Birds How many days did God give Noah to bring in the animals? – ...read more

Tags: Judgement, Love, Sin, God, Actions  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

God's View Of People

Contributed by Paul Clemente on Nov 16, 2022

Genesis 8:15-22 Devotional After the flood had dried up, God instructed Noah (v15) and Noah obeyed (v16). Isn’t it interesting that we note birds from the ark but not fish…. Noah, did you keep fish in the ark??? – either he kept fish in the ark or God kept fish in the clouds or God recreated ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 8:15-22

Tags: People, Love, Worship, Sin, God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Meekness: Personal Restraint For The Sake Of Others

Contributed by Richard Tow on Mar 20, 2023

Years ago, a young man named George Atley was serving in the Central African Mission. He was attacked by a group of natives. He had with him a Winchester repeating rifle with ten loaded chambers. The group was completely at his mercy. He could have killed every one of them. But as he assessed the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:15, Psalm 37:11

Tags: Evangelism, Love, Missions, Meekness, Restraint  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Charismatic

Obedience And Acceptance

Contributed by Shawn Buser on Jan 19, 2024

"You aren't accepted because you obey, you obey because you are ...read more

Scripture: John 14:15, Isaiah 6:8

Tags: Faith, Love, Acceptance, Obedience, Works  (view more)  (view less)

Thin Skinned And Hard Hearted

Contributed by John Bright on Feb 2, 2025

Somebody smarter than me said the greatest problem in the local church is that we are not who we were designed by God to be. As Believers, we were made to be thick-skinned and tender hearted. That’s how we can “love one another fervently with a pure heart.” (1 Peter 1:22) Instead, we have become ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 18:15-17, 1 Peter 1:22

Tags: Forgiveness, Fervent Love, Tender Hearted

Denomination: Methodist

[039] A Message From A Poem – Can We Understand His Goodness?

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Feb 28, 2025

[039] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – CAN WE UNDERSTAND HIS GOODNESS? This poem is one of my absolute top favourites. It just flowed and I attribute it to the Lord’s presence when I wrote it. I think it came to me late one night as a happy rhythm and flowed quite well so that it was written quicker ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:9-10, 2 Corinthians 6:2, Malachi 3:2-4

Tags: Love, Salvation, Goodness, Poetry, Understand  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Boy And The Sprinkles

Contributed by David Dunn on Oct 20, 2025

He couldn’t have been more than seven or eight. A mop of brown hair, freckles across his nose, and a handful of coins jingling in his palm as he stepped up to the counter. “Ma’am,” he asked shyly, “how much is a scoop of vanilla ice cream?” The waitress smiled. “Fifty cents.” He nodded and ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:48, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Tags: Love, Humility, Gratitude, Generosity, Kindness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Bloopers In The Bulletin

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jul 11, 2023

The following are actual church bulletin board bloopers found in churches across the United States. The outreach committee has enlisted 25 visitors to make calls on people who are not afflicted with any church. The Pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the congregation would lend him ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 5:1-7

Tags: Church, Humor, Secretaries, Failure, Pastors, Unconditional Love, Love For Others, Bloopers, Bulletin  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Singer Michael Card Wrote A Song Called The ...  PRO

Contributed by Bill Sullivan on Dec 7, 2000

Singer Michael Card wrote a song called The Promise, and he wrote a little Christmas devotional on this theme: He noted: Christianity is founded on a promise. Faith involves waiting on a promise. Our hope is based on a promise. Promises are made with words. … .that part of myself that goes ...read more

Tags: Christmas Advent, Birth Of Jesus, Advent, Hope, Forgiveness In Jesus  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Again, There’s A Great Deal Of Internet ...  PRO

Contributed by Kyle Meador on Jan 2, 2001

Again, there’s a great deal of Internet research and revisionist thinking going on about these characters in the Christmas story. Some of have suggested that things would have been considerably different if these wise men had actually instead been wise women. And things sure would have been ...read more

Scripture: Acts 16:40, Acts 16:40, Acts 16:29-31, Philippians 2:5-11, Acts 16:9-27, Acts 16:16-34  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Wall, Birth Of Jesus, Christmas, Mirror, Mary Jesus Mother  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

From Time To Time, Lobsters Have To Leave Their ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

From time to time, lobsters have to leave their shells in order to grow. They need the shell to protect them from being torn apart, yet when they grow, the old shell must be abandoned. If they did not abandon it, the old shell would soon become their prison--and finally their casket. The tricky ...read more

Tags: Christmas, Tolerance, Change, Distractions, Condoning, Church Body Of Christ  (view more)  (view less)

Jesus Came For Others.

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Dec 21, 2020

Just as the Old Testament priest would take an innocent lamb and slaughter it on the alter for the sins of the nation of Israel, so Jesus came to offer Himself for the sins of the world. His entire reason for coming from Heaven to others was for "OTHERS" and not Himself. o He was born ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:21, Luke 19:10

Tags: Unselfishness, Evangelism, Christmas, Sacrifice, Jesus, Birth Of Christ, Others  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Deity Of Christ In Scripture

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Dec 6, 2022

While Jesus was and is a man, He was and is also God. What does the Bible say? • He is omnipresent – Matt, 18:20; Matt. 28:20 • He is omnipotent – Matt. 28:18; Heb. 1:3 1. Over disease – Matt. 4:23 2. Over Satan – Heb. 2:14 3. Over demons – Matt. 8:16 4. Over men – John 17:2 5. ...read more

Tags: Virgin Birth, Deity Of Christ, Two Natures, Christmas, Jesus  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Girl That Was Blind

Contributed by Paul Steen on Dec 24, 2018

Once there was a blind girl named Ramona. She hated herself because she could not see. She had no eyes. The only person in the whole world that she loved was her boyfriend Daniel and he loved her. He was always there for her. He told her that he wanted to marry her. He didn’t care that she was ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:21

Tags: Gifts, Dreams Shattered, Love, Marriage, Rejection, Blindness, Heartbreak  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Calvary Chapel

On The Australian Coat Of Arms Is A Picture Of A ...  PRO

Contributed by David Browne on Dec 9, 2000

On the Australian coat of arms is a picture of a emu and a kangaroo. These animals were chosen because they share a characteristic that appealed to our forefathers. Both the emu and kangaroo can move only forward, not back. The emu’s three-toed foot causes it to fall if it tries to go backwards, ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:12-14, Matthew 14:22-33

Tags: Australian, Growth In Christ, Healing, Love Of The Disciples

Denomination: Baptist

A Vicar Had A Dream. He Was On His Way To Heaven. ...  PRO

Contributed by Owen Bourgaize on Nov 9, 2000

A vicar had a dream. He was on his way to heaven. Before him there stretched a long flight of stairs. As he started to go up, he was given a piece of chalk and told that he must put a chalk mark on each of the steps for each sin he had committed. When he was about halfway up he met the bishop ...read more

Tags: Christian Love, God's Forgiveness, Sin General

Denomination: Baptist

There's A Story Told Of A Husband And Wife Both ...  PRO

Contributed by Owen Bourgaize on Oct 18, 2000

There’s a story told of a husband and wife both of who were doctors - one a doctor of theology and the other a doctor of medicine. When their doorbell was rung and the maid answered, the inquirer would often ask for "the doctor". The maid’s ...read more

Tags: Apologetics General, Forgiveness General, Love Of The Disciples

Denomination: Baptist

There’s An Old Story Of A Man Who Was ...  PRO

Contributed by Clark Tanner on Jan 6, 2001

There’s an old story of a man who was walking at night, and saw another man searching for something near a lamp post. Approaching, he asked the man what he was looking for, and the man, without looking up, replied, “My watch”. The first man asked, “Well, precisely where were you standing when ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 1:5-10

Tags: Knowing God's Will, Love Of The Disciples, Sermon On The Mount

Denomination: Orthodox