In Sermon Illustrations: "Cross Agony"

Can't Just Sit Around

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 31, 2008

CAN'T JUST SIT AROUND The following is a true story. Larry Walters led a fairly boring normal life as a truck driver in southern California until the fateful day of July 2nd, 1982. On that day, Larry turned himself into a legend. You see, ever since he was a boy Larry had dreamed of flying, but ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 14:22-36

Tags: Action

Words Of Comfort

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Words of Comfort Heaven Benjamin Franklin has often been quoted as saying, "In this world, nothing is certain but death and taxes." Many have figured out ways to get out of paying taxes, legal or otherwise, but no one has yet been able to avoid the certainty of death. Sooner or later you are ...read more

Scripture: John 14:1-6

Tags: Heaven

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Selecting A Christmas Gift

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Selecting a Christmas Gift It is that time of the year when people really start to get serious about selecting Christmas gifts. When purchasing Christmas gifts one must first remember what is being celebrated. "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Courage

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Jul 2, 2021

Mary Slesser (1848-1915) when Mary was a teenager, she volunteered to help organize a mission in the slums of Scotland. Despite Mary's genuine and caring efforts, many of the people the mission was designed to help oppose the work because they felt it avoided the "real" needs of the ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 118:6-14

Tags: Mission Work, Mary Slesser, Courage

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Dna And Stained Glass

Contributed by Dr. Bradford Reaves on Sep 2, 2021

Dr. Francis Collins’s credentials are impeccable: he is a physical chemist, a medical geneticist, and the former head of the Human Genome Project. He is also, by his own account, living proof that there is no conflict between science and religion.” “In 2006, he published ‘The Language of God,’ in ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 1:27

Tags: Creation, Dna

Denomination: Brethren

Fun Facts About The Month Of March

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 27, 2023

Undoubtedly, March is the best month of the year for many people. It is the month that can have a new climate as well as events that make March unique from other months. Every individual has something to appreciate this time of year. Did you know that March was considered the start of the New Year ...read more

Tags: Time, Seasons, Feasts, Holidays, Birth, Aging, Change, History  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[013] A Message From A Poem - Academic Christianity

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jun 14, 2024

[013] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - ACADEMIC CHRISTIANITY If you did a survey in universities and places of higher learning, and in liberal theological colleges in our days, you would find very few Christians. The mind of man today is bent on humanism and the search for rationalism in an existential ...read more

Scripture: Luke 13:3, 1 Corinthians 1:18-19, 1 Corinthians 1:23-25

Tags: Humanism, Academic Christianity, Professing Christians, Faith, Salvation, Foolishness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

My Past, Present And Future

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Jul 21, 2024

Harry A Ironside the great Bible teacher was riding on a train in Southern California one Saturday when a gypsy got on and sat beside him. "How do you do, gentleman," she said. "You like to have your fortune told? Cross my palm with a silver quarter, and I will give you your past, ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:9-11, Ephesians 2:1-10

Tags: Present, Future, Past, Fortunes

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

An Observation About A Pair Of Hard Hats

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Oct 15, 2024

Text: 2 Samuel 3:33-34, KJV: 33 And the king lamented over Abner, and said, Died Abner as a fool dieth? 34 Thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet put into fetters: as a man falleth before wicked men, so fellest thou. And all the people wept again over him. Have you seen any roadside memorials? It ...read more

Scripture: 2 Samuel 3:33-34

Tags: David, Death, Joab, Abner

Denomination: Baptist

[093]. A Message From A Poem – Foraging In The Depths Of Scripture

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Apr 30, 2025

[093]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – FORAGING IN THE DEPTHS OF SCRIPTURE This poem deals with getting into the heart of scripture. There are images and techniques and encouragement in these stanzas. I actually make the comparison between a mudskipper that flits across the shallows on the water, and ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 4:12, Psalm 119:27, 2 Timothy 2:15, 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Tags: Buried Treasure, Inspired, Dig Deep, Eel, Mudskipper, Scripture, Word Of God, Workman  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[095]. A Message From A Poem – From Chains To Release

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on May 2, 2025

[095]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – FROM CHAINS TO RELEASE This poem covers a lot of ground. It starts with, and develops the chains of sin; the work of Christ on the cross; our redeemed state in a persecuting world; God is looking for faithfulness and commitment; we praise the Lord because He ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:2, Romans 6:23, John 10:10

Tags: Captives, Bound By Chains, Chained By Satan, The Chains Of Sin, Poetry, Poem, Chains, Released  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[055]. A Message From A Poem – Death For The Christian

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 12, 2025

[055]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – DEATH FOR THE CHRISTIAN We deal with a subject today we often like to forget about. When we are young we give it little thought but when we are old, it tends to preoccupy our minds a lot more. This poem is not so much about the subject of death itself, as it is ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 1:18, 2 Corinthians 5:8, Hebrews 9:27

Tags: Egypt, Poetry, Poem, Christian Death, Absent From The Body, Keys Of Death And Hades, Death, Fear  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

In 1994, Two Christian Missionaries Answered An ...  PRO

Contributed by Rob Short on Apr 7, 2001

In 1994, two Christian missionaries answered an invitation from the Russian Department of Education to teach morals and ethics in a large orphanage. About 100 boys and girls who had been abandoned, abused, and left in the care of a government-run program were in the orphanage. It was nearing ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 1:18-22, Luke 2:1-7

Tags: Always, Beginning, Birth Of Jesus, Memorial, Memories, Look, Loved Ones, New Beginning, Survival, Search, Russian, Remember  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Giant Steps  PRO

Contributed by Rick Stacy on Mar 10, 2002

Giant steps Marathon the latest goal in a life of challenges. Katie Lynch, 26, practicing for Monday’s Boston Marathon with a special Walker. (Globe Staff Photo / JohnTlumacki) By John Vellante, Globe Staff, 4/14/01 WAYLAND Her life -- all 26-plus years of it -- has been one challenge after ...read more

Tags: Endurance, Human Body

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Tony Campolo Wrote A Book Called "The Kingdom Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Steven Simala Grant on Feb 26, 2003

Tony Campolo wrote a book called “The Kingdom of God is a Party.” In chapter one, he tells the story of a trip to Honolulu in the mid 80’s. Having crossed far too many time zones from Philadelphia to Hawaii, he found himself awake and needing breakfast at 3:30am local time. He ended up in a ...read more

Tags: Worship Definition, Church Purpose Of, Church Practices

Denomination: Baptist

Let's Imagine A Situation Where A Homeless Man ...  PRO

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Mar 16, 2003

Let’s imagine a situation where a homeless man is begging on the streets of New York. A well dressed man in a long limousine pulls up next to him and offers him a job as vice-president of his company. You might say that is ridiculous; nothing like that would ever happen. But that is exactly ...read more

Tags: Discipleship, Call Of The Disciples

Denomination: Methodist

Sin Separates. Sin Divides. Sin Brings Death To ...  PRO

Contributed by Clark Tanner on Sep 23, 2004

Sin separates. Sin divides. Sin brings death to relationships and destroys fellowship. God unites. God brings oneness and unity. On the day of Pentecost, God reversed the Babel process, and with one language from heaven, He demonstrated that all in Him will be sharers of one divine ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:11

Tags: Gifts Tongues

Denomination: Orthodox

A Path We Feared To See!" Philippians 2:5-11 ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Feb 10, 2005

“A Path We Feared to See!” Philippians 2:5-11 Key verse(s): 8:“‘And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even the death of the cross.” We love so many things in this life! Yet, there is one thing so worth loving that is seldom afforded even the ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:5-11

Tags: Jesus' Ministry

Denomination: Lutheran

Tony Campolo Wrote A Book Called "The Kingdom Of ...

Contributed by Don Jones on Mar 6, 2007

Tony Campolo wrote a book called “The Kingdom of God is a Party.” In chapter one, he tells the story of a trip to Honolulu in the mid 80’s. Having crossed far too many time zones from Philadelphia to Hawaii, he found himself awake and needing breakfast at 3:30am local time. He ended up in a ...read more

Tags: Church General

Denomination: Baptist

You Can't Just Sit Around  PRO

Contributed by Dennis Selfridge on Jul 3, 2009

"YOU CAN'T JUST SIT AROUND." Larry Walters is among the relatively few who have actually turned their dreams into reality. Larry was a truck driver, but his lifelong dream was to fly. When he graduated from high school, he joined the Air Force in hopes of becoming a pilot. Unfortunately, poor ...read more

Tags: Encouragement

Denomination: Wesleyan