In Sermon Illustrations: "Day Of The Lord"

It's Never Too Late To Start Over

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Oct 28, 2019

At age 5 his father died. At age 16 he quit school. At age 17 he had already lost four jobs. At age 18 he got married. Between ages 18 and 22, he was a railroad conductor and failed. He joined the army and washed out there. He applied for law school, he was rejected. He became an insurance sales ...read more

Scripture: John 3:1-7

Tags: New Birth, Don't Quit, Never Too Late, Success

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Some Thoughts About The First Easter

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Dec 25, 2019

Before the first Easter, the world was under a number of separations: --Political distinctions: various nations, but in that time, Roman Empire. Provinces, leaders --Geographical: some traveled far, others stayed near their home territory; Jewish males had to make three trips to Jerusalem ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 71:20, Daniel 12:1-3

Tags: Easter, The Afterlife

Denomination: Baptist

The Horse Won't Stop!

Contributed by John Bright on Jan 17, 2021

There's this guy who had been lost and walking in the desert for about 2 weeks. One hot day, he sees the home of a missionary. Tired and weak, he crawls up to the house and collapses on the doorstep. The missionary finds him and nurses him back to health. Feeling better, the man asks the ...read more

Scripture: Mark 1:35

Tags: Supplication, Prayer

Denomination: Methodist

Middle Eastern Gate

Contributed by Davon Huss on Apr 17, 2021

Derrick Johnson of the Regeneration singing group told a story about his daughter, Debbie. When Debbie was 4 years old, she got lost in a crowded supermarket. After an anxious search, she was found only one aisle over from her mother, but she was petrified. For a long time after that, she was ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 21:21, Revelation 21:25

Tags: Gates, Resurrection, Heaven

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Pardoned Fugitive

Contributed by Roger Byrd on Jul 17, 2021

He was an unlikely criminal. In the difficult days after World War I, many veterans like Robert Elliot Burns had taken to “riding the rails” in search of work. A native of New Jersey, Burns had found the times very trying so when a friend told him of a job, he immediately agreed. The problem was ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 11:28

Tags: Pardon, Historical

Denomination: Baptist

Rejoice, We Conquer!

Contributed by Roger Byrd on Jul 18, 2021

In the year 490 B.C., the Persian Army, seeking to invade Greece, landed a large force 26 miles outside of Athens. The huge army disembarked from their warships and gathered on the plains of a place called Marathon. There they prepared to attack the Greek Army and establish their presence in ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 2:15

Tags: Victory, Historical

Denomination: Baptist

There Are Many Mysteries

Contributed by Roy Fowler on Aug 25, 2021

There are 12 or 13 diseases that Doctors know nothing about or very little. They are Mystery's. One such mystery disease is “the sleeping sickness”. From 1917 to 1928, half a million people were afflicted with a ghastly condition that could be part of the plot-line of a horror film. The ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:3-14

Tags: Mystery Of God Can Be Found, Mysteries

Denomination: Independent/Bible

"grudgitis" Killer Disease

Contributed by David Parks on Jan 14, 2022

"GRUDGITIS" ... KILLER DISEASE "Fret not thyself because of evildoers..." (Psalm 37:1). A grizzly bear lumbered into a clearing where garbage had been dumped. Tourists noticed that there was only one animal the grizzly would permit to eat with him - a skunk. Doubtless he ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 37:1, Colossians 3:12

Tags: Forgiveness, Revenge, Malice, Grudges

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Anti-Semitic Henry Ford

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Oct 3, 2022

It was a sweltering August day in 1937 when the Cohen brothers entered the posh Dearborn, Michigan, offices of Henry Ford, the car maker. "Mr. Ford," announced Norman Cohen, the eldest of the three. "We have a remarkable invention that will revolutionize the automobile ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:38-48

Tags: Love, Introduction, Friendliness, Joke, Antisemitism  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Marathon

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Oct 17, 2022

On Sunday, October 16, 2022 my daughter, aged 25, ran her first marathon – the Toronto Waterfront marathon. Though I’m currently living 3000 kms away in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada – I was there at the race to cheer her on. I was not prepared for the emotional intensity of the ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-2, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Philippians 3:14

Tags: Salvation, Perseverance, Gospel, Discipleship, The Cross  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Night Before Cassie Bernal Was Murdered At Columbine

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Nov 6, 2022

On Tuesday April 20, 1999, Cassie Bernal was in the Columbine Colorado high school library reading her Bible when the two students burst in carrying guns. According to one of the witnesses, her friend Josh, one of the killers pointed his gun at Cassie and asked, "Do you believe in ...read more

Tags: Faith, Death, Persecution, Heaven, Satan, Testimony, Terrorism, High School, Last Words, Martyrs, Columbine  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Patience Makes It Happen

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Feb 12, 2023

"The history books are full of stories of gifted persons whose talents were overlooked by a procession of people until someone believed in them. To name a few ... "Einstein was four years old before he could speak and seven before he could read". Einstein became one of the greatest ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23

Tags: Long Suffering, Flesh Vs Spirit, Endurance, Patience, Fruit Of The Spirit, Spirit Filled Life  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Give Thanks

Contributed by Jonathan Meade on Nov 18, 2023

At 16, a mission to Honduras with my father was an eye-opening experience that left an incredible mark on my soul. I found myself in a foreign land, surrounded by poverty and heart wrenching realities that I had never encountered before. One particular night, our bus pulled into a dimly lit gas ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Tags: Thanksgiving, Missions, Gratitude

Denomination: Independent/Bible

A Miraculous Adoption Story From India

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Apr 17, 2024

In Bihar, India, there is a man named Augustine Jubakumar who leads a mission called Gospel Echoing Missionary Society (GEMS). Pastor Augustine and his wife have 4 biological children and 4 adopted children. The stories of their adopted children echo our adoption into God’s family. One child was ...read more

Tags: Unconditional Love, Love Of God, Babies, Abortion, Miracles, Adoption, Inheritance, Others, India, Evangelism, Compassion, Salvation, Missions, Chosen  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Pray The Book Of Psalms

Contributed by Davon Huss on Sep 4, 2024

Wesley and Stacey Campbell describe in their book Praying the Bible: The Pathway to Spirituality: A few years ago, we were ministering in the mountains of Puebla, which is about a 4 hour drive from Mexico City. The situation was most desperate. The Indians of the area lived in villages built ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 119:164

Tags: Bible, Psalms, Prayer

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

God's Love Expressed At Christmas

Contributed by Richard L. Brown on Nov 23, 2024

When I was in the third grade (1963) the hot toy for boys that year was “The Riffleman’s Riffle”. It was a Loop-Lever-Winchester 44 caliber Rifle just like Lucas McCain’s rifle on the show….and every kid wanted one. I used to watch the show and fantasize that I was Marc McCane, Lucas McCain’s ...read more

Tags: Christmas, God's Love

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Compass And God's Truth

Contributed by Timothy Lueking on Jul 1, 2025

Let me tell you a story to bring this passage home. Back in the 1800s, the thick forest of northern Michigan there was a young logger, confident in his sense of direction, set out one crisp morning to scout new timber. The forest was dense, the sky hidden by a canopy of green. Hours passed, and as ...read more

Scripture: John 2:3-6, John 8:31-32

Tags: God's Word, Compass, Waver, Bible, Direction, Truth  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Sin No Nym

Contributed by David Dunn on Sep 29, 2025

Sin No Nym Josie loved words. She liked to clap their sounds and spell them out. One day she wrote a big word on her paper: S I N N O N Y M She giggled. “Listen! It sounds like sin–no–name.” --- Word Play at Home Daddy peeked over. “That’s funny,” he said. “What do you think it ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 1:9, Psalm 103:12

Tags: Grace, Forgiveness

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

The Bridge Operator

Contributed by David Dunn on Oct 5, 2025

There was once a man whose job was to operate a drawbridge for passing trains. Most of the time the bridge stayed raised to allow ships to move freely along the busy waterway. But when a train was scheduled to cross, he would lower the bridge, lock it in place, and signal that the way was ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16, Romans 5:8

Tags: Grace, Atonement, Sacrifice, Redemption

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Follower Or A Fan? - Humor

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Feb 2, 2026

A man named Charlie Moore ... moved with his family ... into a new community. He wanted to make some new friends, ... so he decided ... to join the local softball league. For the opening game of the season ... Charlie brought along the whole family, ... so they all could meet some of the other ...read more

Scripture: John 6:35-64

Tags: Family, Fan, Follower

Denomination: Anglican