In Sermon Illustrations: "Delight In Gods Word"

We Saw Your Smoke Signal!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Oct 15, 2019

I read a story about a shipwreck. When the sole survivor reached a small, uninhabited island, he prayed for God to rescue him, but help didn't come. Eventually he built a hut out of driftwood for protection from the elements. One day he returned from scavenging for food and found his hut in ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:28

Tags: Will Of God, God's Purpose

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Are You "all Ears" For God's Voice?

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 2, 2023

A missionary translator was endeavoring to find a word for “obedience” in the native language. This was a virtue seldom practiced among the people into whose language he wanted to translate the New Testament. As he returned home from the village one day, he whistled for his dog and it came ...read more

Tags: Holy Spirit, Discipleship, Obedience, Voice Of God, Hearing God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Six Kinds Of Biblical Preaching

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 19, 2022

Thomas Constable points out that there are 6 different kinds of biblical preaching: (1) kerugma, which means proclamation of the clear facts of the Christian message. (2) didache or teaching. This was explanation and interpretation of the facts-the "so what?" (3) paraklesis, ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:11

Tags: Ministry, Church, Holy Spirit, Teaching, Preaching, Word Of God, Pastors, Simon Peter  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[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

[189]. A Message From A Poem – Lord, Wash Not Only My Feet

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Sep 6, 2025

[189]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – LORD, WASH NOT ONLY MY FEET This poem has its setting on the Passover night and it is this incident – {{John 13:3-10 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God, rose from supper ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:26, John 13:3-10

Tags: Christian Poems, Clean, Disciples, Cleansing, Foot Washing, Hand Washing, The Word Of God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

George Sweeting On Followship

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Nov 4, 2012

GEORGE SWEETING ON FOLLOWSHIP George Sweeting notes, "The word 'follow' is a strenuous word. It is the same word used to describe Paul's fierce pursuit and persecution of the early Christians prior to his conversion. This same word is used by Paul when he speaks of pressing, ...read more

Tags: Love For God

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I Love The Story Of The Prodigal Son. You Know ...  PRO

Contributed by John Stevenson on Dec 26, 2004

I love the story of the Prodigal Son. You know the story. He went from the love of a father to the stench of a pigsty. An inheritance squandered. A life wasted. Forlorn and dejected. And then he resolved to return home. We read about the speech he had prepared. He would recount his own ...read more

Tags: God's Forgiveness, God's Provision

Denomination: Evangelical Free

Providence

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Nov 18, 2010

PROVIDENCE The word 'Providence' is made up of two words: * "Pro" means "Before" and "Video" means "to see"; * The word 'Providence' simply means "to see before" * So when we talk about the ...read more

Tags: God's Omniscience

Denomination: Brethren

[036] A Message From A Poem – Blessed Lamb Of God In Adoration

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Feb 25, 2025

[036] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – BLESSED LAMB OF GOD IN ADORATION This was written as a hymn that can be sung. The emphasis is on the Lord Jesus Christ not so much on us. I hate these modern songs where it is all about “me”. Let us get back to glorifying the Lord for who He is and for what He ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 4:11, 1 Corinthians 1:18, Ephesians 4:8-10

Tags: Compassion, Adoration, Lamb, Second Coming, Poetry, The Cross, Lamb Of God, Poem  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Bigger Picture  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Nov 23, 2005

Dave Bosewell tells a story about Earl Weaver, former manager of the Baltimore Orioles. Weaver had a rule that no one could steal a base unless given the steal sign. This upset one of his star players, Reggie Jackson, because he felt he knew the pitchers and catchers well enough to judge who he ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 9:10-11

Tags: Knowing God's Will

Denomination: Lutheran

The Man Of God Who Preached At Bethel (1 Kings 13)

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Jun 24, 2020

Text: [1Ki 13:1, KJV:] 1 And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. 2 And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 13:1-10

Tags: Man Of God, Bethel, Northern Kingdom

Denomination: Baptist

If We Want God To Guide Us, Our Attitude Needs To ...  PRO

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Oct 18, 2000

If we want God to guide us, our attitude needs to be right. Here are some guidelines as to how we can play our part in arriving at right decisions. First, we must be willing to think. It is false piety, super-supernaturalism of an unhealthy pernicious sort that demands inward impressions with no ...read more

Tags: Christian Disciplines, Leadership General, Wisdom

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I Used To Have A Principle Named Mr. Duchovich. ...  PRO

Contributed by Rolland Bouchard on Sep 11, 2002

I used to have a principle named Mr. Duchovich. He was a monster of a man. Not in Character, but in stature. When in trouble in Jr. High school, the students feared for their lives. I remember one day having another student at the school bet me that I couldn’t kick a clock that was 7.5 feet ...read more

Tags: Promises Of God, God's Forgiveness

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Two Battleships Assigned To The Training Squadron ...  PRO

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Aug 10, 2002

Two battleships assigned to the training squadron had been at sea on maneuvers in heavy weather for several days. I was serving on the lead battleship and was on watch on the bridge as night fell. The visibility was poor with patchy fog, so the captain remained on the bridge keeping an eye on all ...read more

Tags: God's Omniscience, Descriptions Of God

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

In His Book Enjoying Intimacy With God, J. Oswald ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 31, 2001

In his book Enjoying Intimacy with God, J. Oswald Sanders makes a piercing observation: "We are at this moment as close to God as we really choose to be. True, there are times when we would like to know a deeper intimacy, but ...read more

Scripture: Mark 12:29-30

Tags: Discipleship, Disciplines General

Faith Enables Us To Understand What God Does. ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Beaird on Nov 6, 2000

"Faith enables us to understand what God does. Faith enables us to see what others cannot see. As a result, faith enables us ...read more

Scripture: Numbers 13:30

Tags: Faith General, Knowing God's Will

Denomination: Pentecostal

The Fact That God Forgives Us And Blesses Us When ...  PRO

Contributed by Bill Sullivan on Jul 11, 2001

The fact that God forgives us and blesses us when we don’t deserve it, and of course, we never really deserve it, is what makes grace such a risky thing. Author Philip Yancey, in his book What’s So Amazing About Grace, calls these things loopholes. We all understand loopholes. Webster’s defines ...read more

Tags: Grace, God's Forgiveness, Forgiveness For Others

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

God Is Just One Squeal Away, Citation: Rod ...  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Aug 24, 2001

[God Is Just One Squeal Away, Citation: Rod Cooper, "Worship or Worry?" Preaching Today, Tape No. 108.] We raised pigs. We raised about a thousand pigs a year. In one field we had two or three hundred little oinkers running around. Every day, at four in the morning, as I’d walk into the field ...read more

Tags: Prayer Supplication, God's Provision

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Ct Studd: "If Jesus Christ Is God And Died For ...  PRO

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Sep 4, 2001

CT Studd: "If Jesus Christ is God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too ...read more

Tags: Call Of The Disciples, Promises Of God

Denomination: Anglican

Because Jesus Was God, He Could Not Sin. He ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 4, 2001

Because Jesus was God, He could not sin. He could sin as a man, but He could not as God. It would be like taking a hollow cane pole and a steel rod that is small enough in diameter to fit through the pole. The cane pole represents Jesus’ humanity; the steel rod represents His deity. If you took ...read more

Tags: Humanity Of Christ, Miracles Of Jesus