In Sermon Illustrations: "Dark Days"

Marriage And Guns: Protect Your ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 12, 2009

MARRIAGE AND GUNS: PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT Charlie Shedd wrote his son a series of letters to give some practical advice about marriage. They were published in a book called Letters to Phillip. Here is one of the most moving chapters: Dear Phil, I used to hunt ducks with a man who had a "thing" ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:22-33

Tags: Marriage, Marriage General

The Word Of God—the Owner's Manual

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 21, 2009

THE WORD OF GOD--THE OWNER'S MANUAL As a kid, I remember a very popular game. Simon Says. Usually played at school or parties, several of us would do whatever "Simon" told us to do, as long as it was preceded by the phrase: "Simon Says". It seems to me that we have become a society of "Simon ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Tags: Bible Truth

Reasons To Be ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 19, 2009

Reasons to be Thankful Let’s stop and think for just a moment. You are sitting in this service this morning listening to the Word of God being preached. How did you get here? Did the Father not give you the breath of life that brought you through the night and did He not give you the strength to ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Tags: Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Holiday

God's Parental Sayings

Contributed by Troy Borst on Dec 19, 2022

God’s Parental Sayings The point of today’s message revolves around Jesus being the Son of God and what that means for us. That got me thinking about sayings we have all heard from our parents and things we never thought we would say. I wondered, what might God have said to Jesus… Him being His ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1

Tags: Jesus, God The Father, Parental Sayings

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Misapplied Scriptures: The "Mizpah” Moment

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Sep 17, 2023

Full disclosure: Sermon Central has accepted and posted a complete message on this text and context called “Jacob-His Mizpah Moment”. This illustration is not an abbreviated form of that message, only a brief attempt to post some highlights. In addition, this verse/passage was featured back in the ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 31:49

Tags: Laban, Jacob, Mizpah

Denomination: Baptist

[008] Message From A Poem - A Tale Of The Fish’s Tails

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jun 1, 2024

[008] MESSAGE FROM A POEM - A TALE OF THE FISH’S TAILS “Take the line of least resistance; go with the flow; jellyfish that drift; leave me out of it; I see both sides; don’t involve me; I don’t want to know!” The world is full of compromise and it gets worse. We can expect no less from this ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:1-2, 1 Corinthians 16:13, Galatians 5:1, Ephesians 6:11, Ephesians 6:13-14  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Compromise, Resist, Fish, Stand Firm, Fish Tails, Opposing  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[023] A Message From A Poem - At His Feet Encompassing

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jul 3, 2024

[023] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - AT HIS FEET ENCOMPASSING I hope this poem credits the Lord with all the devotion that is His. You will see the poem is in three sections. Also it has a distinctive rhyming scheme with internal rhymes. Additionally, you have many words rhyming with “feet” through ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 3:9, 1 Corinthians 12:14-15, Revelation 1:17

Tags: Feet, Bow At His Feet, The Feet Of Jesus

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Pre-War Setbacks Of Winston Churchill

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 19, 2011

THE PRE-WAR SETBACKS OF WINSTON CHURCHILL Winston Churchill is remembered as perhaps the greatest prime minister in the history of Great Britain. By the steel of his will, he led his island nation to stand against Hitler and eventually triumph in World War II. But years before that victorious ...read more

Scripture: James 1:2-4

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Meet Me At The Men's Store

Contributed by Davon Huss on Aug 29, 2011

MEET ME AT THE MEN'S STORE Paying my way through Ohio State University was demanding, but the benefit was worth the struggle. My father had died during my senior year in high school, and my mother had become blind. With her encouragement, however, I enrolled in the University on the eve of the ...read more

Tags: Grace

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

[140]. A Message From A Poem – In Despair But Not Alone

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jul 23, 2025

[140]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – IN DESPAIR BUT NOT ALONE There is some personal sorrow in this poem and some of the poem’s content comes from experience, not a pleasant one. When writing this – a task that was difficult because of the way I used the rhyme scheme – I appealed to the Psalms and my ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 64:2-7, Psalm 38:12, Psalm 141:10, Psalm 35:7-8, Matthew 5:43-44, Psalm 31:4  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Enemies, Nets, Christian Poetry, God Helps Us, Alone, Help, Despair, Net, Snare  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[205]. A Message From A Poem – One Hair Here And One Hair There

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Sep 17, 2025

[205]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – ONE HAIR HERE AND ONE HAIR THERE Well, well, well! How many of us are bald? How many are heading that way? I remember when I was a kid my mother used to say to me, “Tell the barber to thin out your hair.” There used to be some sort of clippers that would do ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:20-21, Luke 12:7, 2 Kings 2:23

Tags: Numbered, Glorious Bodies, Alopecia, Falling Out, Hair, New Bodies  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[262]. A Poem Message – The Election Will Spell Even More Wickedness

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 13, 2026

[262]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THE ELECTION WILL SPELL EVEN MORE WICKEDNESS In democratic societies people elect their national rulers, but what do you do when these rulers are all corrupt? How can you vote for them? I know some Christians have a battle with this. Some just refuse to vote. ...read more

Scripture: Romans 1:28, 2 Timothy 3:13, Genesis 12:3

Tags: The United States, National Election, Wickedness, Elections, Betrayed, Bad To Worse, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, Evil, Politics  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Monkey Business

Contributed by David Dunn on Jan 15, 2026

I want to tell you a story about monkeys. This story takes place in a country called India. When I was about your age, I lived with my parents and my brothers and sisters in India. In that country they have monkeys. The monkeys don’t live in zoos like they do here. They live in the trees—right ...read more

Scripture: James 1:5, Proverbs 15:1

Tags: Mercy, Wisdom

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Gifted Does Not Equal "Successful"

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 12, 2009

"GIFTED" DOES NOT EQUAL "SUCCESSFUL" This week, I’ve begun reading a new book by one of my favorite authors, Malcolm Gladwell, titled "Outliers: The Story of Success." The premise of the book is simple: no successful person is a self-made man; everyone who gets to the top had a lot advantages, ...read more

Tags: Gifts General

Something For Stevie  PRO

Contributed by Alan Braun on Mar 22, 2002

Titled: Something for Stevie I try not to be biased, but I had my doubts about hiring Stevie. His placement counselor assured me that he would be a good, reliable busboy. But I had never had a mentally handicapped employee and wasn’t sure I wanted one. I wasn’t sure how my customers would react ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness General, Name, Joy

Denomination: Baptist

When I Was Quite Young, My Family Had One Of The ...  PRO

Contributed by Corey Arnold on Nov 17, 2003

When I was quite young, my family had one of the first telephones in our neighborhood. I remember well the polished oak case fastened to the wall on the lower stair landing. The shiny receiver hung on the side of the box. I even remembered the number - 105. I was too little to reach the telephone, ...read more

Tags: Heaven

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Refugee For Thanksgiving  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 17, 2002

A REFUGEE FOR THANKSGIVING In her book entitled "It’s Not in the Ministry Manual," Mary Ann Cejka relates a time when her students welcomed a refugee for Thanksgiving dinner one year. The following is an excerpt from this story: , taken from the Fernando did not look like what I thought a ...read more

Tags: Thanksgiving Holiday, Joy, Compassion

Singing On The Porch

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Feb 9, 2003

Singing on the porch By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com Make a joyful noise unto the Lord. Wow, what kids today are missing? They travel across the nation and have a DVD or a Nintendo in the SUV, and they never look out the window to see where they have been. We have a friend that has 4 ...read more

Tags: Family, Giving Yourself

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Broken Hearts Don't Need Vince Lombardi!" Mark ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Apr 13, 2005

“Broken Hearts Don’t Need Vince Lombardi!” Mark 5:35-43 Key verse(s) 41:“He took her by the hand and said to her, ‘Talitha koumi!’ (which means, ‘Little girl, I say to you, get up!’).” I did not know what to do for her. Her heart was breaking right in front of me. She so much wanted to be held, ...read more

Scripture: Mark 6:30-34, Mark 5:35-43

Tags: Unconditional Love, Miracles, Christian Love, Compassion

Denomination: Lutheran

[081]. A Message From A Poem – Fiery Birth Of Life

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Apr 13, 2025

[081]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – FIERY BIRTH OF LIFE THIS POEM IS STRICTLY COPYRIGHT. IT MUST NOT BE ALTERED OR TAKEN. IF IT IS USED I WOULD APPRECIATE KNOWING THAT. The use in the Lord’s service is why I wrote it. I have had some of my efforts stolen and reproduced in other’s names. This has ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 4:12-13, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Isaiah 53:4-5

Tags: Judgment, Fire, Bushfires, Forest Fires, Eucalypt, Eucalyptus Oil, Gidgee Tree, Tall Trees, New Life, Furnace, Poetry, Poem, Flames, Mountain Ash  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational