In Sermon Illustrations: "Despair"

A Striking Christmas Card Was Once Published ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

A striking Christmas card was once published with the title "If Christ Had Not Come". It was founded upon our Savior’s words "If I had not come." The card represented a pastor’s falling into a short sleep in his study on Christmas morning and dreaming of a world into which Jesus had never come. ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:9-15

Tags: Faith

A Man Named Victor Frankl, A Jewish Psychiatrist ...

Contributed by Don Hawks on Jul 10, 2007

A man named Victor Frankl, a Jewish psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, discovered this great truth in the midst of a Jewish concentration camp during WW II. While seeking to survive the horror of this imprisonment Frankl began observing his fellow prisoners in the hope of discovering what coping ...read more

Denomination: Methodist

A Man Named Victor Frankl, A Jewish Psychiatrist ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 2, 2008

A man named Victor Frankl, a Jewish psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, discovered this great truth in the midst of a Jewish concentration camp during WW II. While seeking to survive the horror of this imprisonment Frankl began observing his fellow prisoners in the hope of discovering what coping ...read more

But In These Last Days He Has Spoken To Us By ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 3, 2008

“But in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.” Ingmar Bergman is a celebrated Swedish filmmaker. He tells the story of how one day he was listening to the works of classical composer Igor Stravinsky. As he was listening to the music, he began to daydream about a 19th-century cathedral. ...read more

He Still Loves Us  PRO

Contributed by Bill Butsko on Apr 30, 2010

HE STILL LOVES US There is a strange power in the consciousness of being loved. It is said that one of the most distinguished statesmen of the times of the American Revolution was once a hopeless drunkard. He had been engaged to a beautiful girl, but his indulgence had compelled her to break the ...read more

Tags: Faith, Love, Hope, Change, God's Love  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian Church

Perseverance: Scott, Handel And Spurgeon

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 7, 2011

PERSEVERANCE: SCOTT, HANDEL AND SPURGEON In 1826 the London firm of Hurst and Robinson went bankrupt, involving Sir WALTER SCOTT in a personal liability of 118,000 pounds. With noble determination Scott responded: "My right hand and I against the debt." From that time on he wrote novel after novel ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:1-5

Tags: Endurance

Depression

Contributed by Suresh Manoharan on Aug 14, 2014

The World woke up to the shocking News on August 13th 2014. The King of Comedy-Robin Williams- who lit so many smiles in many a countenance of his “global audience” had apparently committed suicide due to severe depression. For some time now his apparently happy face had masked a heavy heart ...read more

Scripture: John 10:10

Tags: Depression, Individual, Invigorating

Denomination: *other

Deep Wells Of Hope.

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Jun 9, 2021

MIA: MISSING IN ACTION… WHAT DO YOU SEE? MAN IS SHORT OF DAYS AND FULL OF TROUBLE… Years ago I read where a farmer in California was having a terrible time. They had had 4 years of drought in their area and many farmers spoke of leaving farming and moving back into the city. So the exodus began. ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 12:3, Romans 4:18

Tags: Water, Hope, Wells

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Famous Authors Who Mocked God

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Mar 9, 2023

Ernest Hemingway became famous for snubbing his nose at morality and at God, declaring that his own life proved a person could do anything he wanted without paying the consequences. Like many others before and after him, he considered the ideas of the Bible to be antiquated and outdated, ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:7

Tags: Truth, Judgment, Lost, Sowing, Infidels, Reaping, Spiritual Blindness, Irreverence, Mocking God, Unbelievers, Atheists  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Clutching My Cane--Straightening The Derby!" ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Nov 25, 2004

“Clutching My Cane--Straightening the Derby!” Acts 8: 18-25 Key verse(s): 24: “Then Simon answered, ‘Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.’” There’s an old East Texas saying: “It doesn’t matter how much milk you spill just so long as you don’t lose the cow.” To ...read more

Scripture: Acts 8:18-25

Tags: Leadership General

Denomination: Lutheran

Eyes Wide Open

Contributed by Todd Catteau on Jul 6, 2021

It’s happened to me more times than I care to admit. My wife will ask me to get something out of the pantry or refrigerator and, after a quick check, I’ll report that the item she wants is not there. Then she looks and there it is, right where she said it would be. Right there staring me in the ...read more

Tags: Beauty, Hope, Blessings

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

God Moves In A Mysterious Way  PRO

Contributed by Paul Fritz on May 20, 2002

Title: God Moves in a Mysterious Way The hymn God Moves in a Mysterious Way has been a source of great comfort and blessing to many of God’s people since William Cowper wrote it in the 18th century. Yet few people know of the unusual circumstances that led to its composition. William ...read more

Tags: Knowing God's Will, God's Forgiveness

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

From Texas History Comes The Story Of The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2005

From Texas history comes the story of the conversion of Sam Houston. At one tine, the Texas hero was called “The Old Drunk.” While he was governor of Tennessee, his wife left him. In despair he resigned as governor and tried to escape his problems by going to live among Cherokee Indians. He stayed ...read more

Tags: Becoming A Christian

Pilgrims Progress...

Contributed by Mark Ferrante on Jan 20, 2007

Pilgrims Progress... Well, on Saturday, about midnight they began to pray, and continued in prayer till almost break of day. Now, a little before it was day, good Christian, as one half amazed, brake out into this passionate speech: What a fool, quoth he, am I, thus to lie in a stinking dungeon, ...read more

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Quote: One Hanging On A Tree

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Jun 11, 2007

Quote: One Hanging on a Tree John Newton, 1725–1807 said: In evil long I took delight, Unawed by shame or fear, Till a new object struck my sight, And stopp’d my wild career: I saw One hanging on a Tree In agonies and blood, Who fix’d His languid eyes on me. As near His Cross I stood. Sure never ...read more

Denomination: Other

Dr. Henry Brandt Told Of Going To Visit A Friend ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

DR. HENRY BRANDT told of going to visit a friend whose wife had died. While there he shared these wonderful words of the apostle Paul from II Cor. 1: "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, ...read more

Tags: Easter Resurrection

William Carey Was An Impoverished English ...

Contributed by Paul Carlson on Feb 21, 2009

William Carey was an impoverished English shoemaker. . After William Carey (1761-1834) was well established in his pioneer missionary work in India, his supporters in England sent a printer to assist him. Soon the two men were turning out portions of the Bible for distribution. Carey had spent ...read more

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Denomination: Baptist

A Brief Biography Of Karl ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 2, 2010

A Brief Biography of Karl Marx Back in the 1800’s there was a young man who had a profound sense of admiration for his father. His father saw to it that the life of the family revolved around the religious practices of their faith. In his teen years, however, the boy’s family was forced to move to ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 14:1

Tags: Atheism

What Occupies Your Heart

Contributed by Scott Carroll on May 20, 2011

WHAT OCCUPIES YOUR HEART I squirmed a bit as I forced myself to listen to my friend cataloging her problems. After three hours, I interrupted her gently to ask, "If you were to draw a circle to represent your life, what would be in the center? She thought a moment, then said, "My problems." My ...read more

Tags: Joy

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Bold Witness

Contributed by Tim Smith on Sep 25, 2016

Hugh Hewitt in his book “The Embarassed Believer” contends that most Christian are embarrassed believers. They do not talk about their faith or church. They don’t have Bibles on the corner of their desks. They never engage others in spiritual conversations. And the result has been the dramatic ...read more

Scripture: Luke 19:11-27

Tags: Witness, Witnessing, Embarrassed

Denomination: Methodist