In Sermon Illustrations: "closeness to God"

The Love Of God

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jun 12, 2023

Several years ago, John MacArthur had the opportunity to spend several days traveling with the well-known gospel musicians, Bill and Gloria Gaither. At one point, he asked Bill what, in his estimation, were the greatest Christian lyrics ever written, aside from the inspired Psalms. Without ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 3:1, John 3:16, Romans 5:8

Tags: Jesus, Cross, God's Love, Hymns

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Seeking God

Contributed by Richard L. Brown on Aug 6, 2023

“Seeking God” Isaiah 55: 1-9 08/06/23 When my grandson Isaiah was three years old, he had a problem of wandering off and hiding. One day my daughter Maeghan and my wife Becky were shopping at a local mall and of course, he slipped off. All of a sudden, they realized he was missing. They ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 55:1-9, Luke 11:9, Jeremiah 29:13, Deuteronomy 4:29-31

Tags: Seeking God, Obeying God

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Struggling With God?

Contributed by Andrew Moffatt on Jun 17, 2024

Here is a wee question, is struggling with God a bad thing? Where is a person's character developed? Did the saints of God become saints before or without struggling with God, without responding to those things in the scriptures or the words of Jesus that offended them, before they repented of ...read more

Tags: Faith, Jacob, Isaac, Struggling, The Upper Room, Character Development, Becoming The Church, Fear, Holy Spirit, Pentecost, Abraham, Disciples, Journey  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Salvation Army

God With Us

Contributed by Edward Hardee on Dec 2, 2024

I started out by describing a song that I had been singing all week long. (I used Leaning on the Everlasting Arms but you can use any song). I spent about 5 - 7 minutes giving all the details of the song. The author, the beat, where it is used at, who sung the song, etc. I keep the title ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 1:23, Philippians 2:5-11

Tags: Emmanuel, Immanuel, God With Us

Denomination: Church Of God

Encounter With God

Contributed by Samuel M on Jan 25, 2025

Moses' encounter with God, not only resurrected his calling, but it also resurrected a 400-year-old promise given to Abraham. Our experience or visitation with God not only resurrects our calling, but also resurrects the promises of our ...read more

Tags: Faith, Hope

Seeking God

Contributed by Samuel M on Feb 18, 2025

Seeking God is a life-giving living experience similar to a boat crossing earthly waters and entering divine waters, where we behold the glory of God, are swept up in God's ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 42:1

Tags: Faith, Hope

If God Is Good

Contributed by John Bright on Mar 1, 2025

There is a problem at the heart of Christianity. If God is good and loving why is there evil and suffering in the world? There is an old response when you are asked to do something: “I would if I could but I can’t so I won’t.” That response is like one of the ways our world tries to solve this ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:17

Tags: Evil, Suffering, Goodness Of God

Denomination: Methodist

Seek God

Contributed by Samuel M on Apr 26, 2025

The Christian life can be summarized in two lines: "Always preparing to meet God" and "Meet God." ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 4:29

Tags: Faith, Hope

Entitlement With God

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on May 20, 2025

A Jewish woman is walking on the beach with her little grandson. Suddenly a huge wave sweeps the boy out to sea. Desperate, the woman looks up to heaven and says, “God, please rescue my grandson, my only grandson, the light of my life!” Miraculously, the next big wave deposits ...read more

Scripture: Leviticus 25:1-24, Deuteronomy 25:1-18, Isaiah 61:1-3, 2 Chronicles 36:20-21, Matthew 20:1-16, Matthew 3:9-10  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: False Hope, Owed, Abraham, Privilege, Entitlement, Assumptions  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Dad, Are You God?

Contributed by Bruce Howell on May 20, 2009

DAD, ARE YOU GOD? One day after church, the pastor asked his little boy what he learned in Sunday school. The lad said, "I learned that God loves me more than anything else in the whole world." "What else did you learn?" asked his dad. "I learned that when I’m bad, He spanks real hard." "What ...read more

Tags: Character

Denomination: Wesleyan

God Positioning System

Contributed by Anne Benefield on Apr 22, 2008

GOD POSITIONING SYSTEM I was thinking a lot about this idea that Jesus is the way. He doesn't just tell us the way, He shows us. He is kind of like one of those GPS navigation system. GPS stands for the "Global Positioning System" that was originally designed for military use, but now is open ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 12:1-12

Tags: Kindness

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Then God Made Dads  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Howell on Jun 11, 2002

THEN GOD MADE DADS When the Lord was creating fathers he started with a tall frame. And an angel standing nearby said, “What kind of father is that? If You’re going to make children so close to the ground, why have you put fathers up so high? He won’t be able to shoot marbles without kneeling. ...read more

Tags: Parenting, Father, Father's Day, Children

Denomination: Wesleyan

In The Book All God’s Chillun, The Author ...  PRO

Contributed by Russell Brownworth on Oct 30, 2000

In the book All God’s Chillun, the author tells us that when his little two and one-half year old daughter was chastised for some little wrong, she used to say, It ...read more

Tags: Demons, Children, Satan

Denomination: United Methodist

Without God's Explanatory Word, God's Redemptive ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 17, 2006

"Without God’s explanatory word, God’s redemptive action could not be recognized for what it was. The clearest revelation of God (the incarnation) is nevertheless the most ...read more

Tags: Christmas Advent

God Has No Hands But Ours??" God Does Not ...

Contributed by Larry Thornton on Nov 23, 2006

“God has no hands but ours??” God does not ask about our ability or our inability, but our availability. It is not my ability, but my response ...read more

Denomination: Pentecostal

The Difference Between God's Law And God's Grace  PRO

Contributed by Austin Mansfield on Jan 20, 2007

The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ … (Verse 17) If you compare the two, you’ll find that when the Law came down, 3,000 people died. That’s in Exodus 32:28. When the Holy Spirit came down, 3,000 people were saved. That’s in Acts 2:41. That’s the ...read more

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Friendship Is A Chain Of God Shaped In Gods All ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"Friendship is a chain of God Shaped in Gods all perfect mold. Each link a smile, a laugh, a tear, A grip of the hand, a word of cheer. Steadfast as the ages roll, Binding closer soul to soul. No matter how ...read more

Tags: Compassion

If Man Is Man And God Is God, To Live Without ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"If man is man and God is God, to live without prayer is not merely an awful thing; it ...read more

Tags: Prayer How To

Brethren, If We Will Do God’s Work In ...

Contributed by Donnie Martin on Jul 7, 2010

Brethren, if we will do God’s work in God’s way at God’s time with God’s power, we shall have God’s blessing and the devil’s curses. When God opens the windows of heaven to bless us, the devil will open the door of hell to blast us. God’s smile means the devil’s frown! Mere preachers may help ...read more

Tags: Satan, Prophets

Denomination: Baptist

Though The Nature Of God Is Exclusive, God's Love ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2008

Though the nature of God is exclusive, God’s love is excluded to ...read more