In Sermon Illustrations: "Destiny Failure"

Repentance Is Not A One-Time Event

Contributed by Tim Smith on Feb 19, 2012

REPENTANCE IS NOT A ONE-TIME EVENT Doug Tegner tells the story of attending a one-day leadership retreat called to deal with his church's current crisis. Redwood Chapel was founded in 1962 and has since hosted the Bay Area Sunday School convention (BASS), had strong music programs, planted vibrant ...read more

Tags: Repentance

Denomination: Methodist

Make It Your Aim Not To Sin

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Mar 24, 2012

MAKE IT YOUR AIM NOT TO SIN The whole purpose of John's letter, he says, is that we not sin. One day as I was studying this chapter I realized that my personal life's objective regarding holiness was less than that of John's. He was saying, in effect, "Make it your aim not to sin." As I thought ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 2:1

Tags: Holiness

Denomination: Baptist

God, Please Save My Son

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 20, 2012

"GOD, PLEASE SAVE MY SON." Imagine what went through Moses’ mother’s heart when she turned her just weaned child over to Pharaoh’s daughter. Pharaoh’s daughter was a stranger, a foreigner, living in an anti-Semitic home, whose father was pursuing genocide, trying to wipe out the Hebrew race. ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 2:1-10

Tags: Prayer Answered

Facing The Facts About Fear

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Oct 24, 2022

During his 1933 Inaugural Address, President Franklin Roosevelt sought to calm a troubled America in the throes of depression by saying, "There is nothing to fear but fear itself." Fear is a feeling of dread, alarm, panic and anxiety. Fear ranges from mild anxiety to panic attacks. The ...read more

Scripture: Mark 5:21-41

Tags: Faith, Fear, Healing, Satan, Believe, Prayer, Miracles, Lies  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Proud People Vs Broken People

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Nov 20, 2022

Proud people focus on the failures of others. Broken people are overwhelmed with a sense of their own spiritual need. Proud people have a critical, fault-finding spirit; they look at everyone else’s faults with a microscope but their own with a telescope. Broken people are compassionate; they can ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:23, Galatians 2:20

Tags: Humility, Revival, Repentance, Pride, Brokenness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[286]. A Message From A Poem – The Prodigal’s Return

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Feb 6, 2026

[286]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THE PRODIGAL’S RETURN This is a most serious poem, that of a penitent Christian who sinned before the Lord and really let the flag down. Sin is so evil and so deceptive it can catch anyone out, even sincere Christians. Just recently I have written about the ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 33:19, Exodus 34:6-7, Hosea 2:14

Tags: Christian Poems, A Sinning Christian, A Prodigal Returns, Gracious, Confession Of Sin, Prodigal Son, God Is Gracious, Christian Poetry, Fallen Into Sin, Forgiveness, Compassion, Repentance, Restoration  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

He Was A Professional Thief. His Name Stirred ...  PRO

Contributed by David Yarbrough on Jan 28, 2002

He was a professional thief. His name stirred fear as the desert wind stirs tumbleweeds. He terrorized the Wells Fargo stage line for thirteen years, roaring like a tornado in and out of the Sierra Nevada’s, spooking the most rugged frontiersmen. In journals from San Francisco to New York, his ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:5-8, Matthew 10:24-31

Tags: Endurance, Fear, Fear And Worry

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Max Lucado, In His Book, Applause From Heaven, ...

Contributed by Timothy Smith on Oct 20, 2006

Max Lucado, in his book, Applause From Heaven, tells the story of the time when his 3 year old daughter, Jenna, awoke him in the middle of the night. He said that he tried to stay asleep but her insistent, "Daddy" wouldn’t allow him to stay in slumber. He writes, "I opened one eye. Andrea was at ...read more

Denomination: Christian Church

Before The Review Board  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 29, 2004

BEFORE THE REVIEW BOARD John the Baptist was a truly strange fellow. I can imagine his performance review from the board of clergy examiners. - - - - - - - - - Dear John ben Zechariah: The board of examiners completed their visit and frankly were concerned about several matters pertaining to ...read more

Scripture: Mark 3:1-12

Tags: Repentance, Christmas Advent

When Charles Goodyear Was Just Twenty-Six Years ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

When Charles Goodyear was just twenty-six years old, he had made his first fortune. He had set up the first hardware store in America that sold only domestically manufactured farm implements. Everything was going in his direction. Then suddenly, things changed. Several of his suppliers closed their ...read more

Tags: Ot Characters

Introduction: In 1976 Vince Papale Was A 30 Year ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Introduction: In 1976 Vince Papale was a 30 year old Substitute teacher and bartender in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. He and his buddies spent most Sunday afternoons in the Fall either playing football at the park or watching the Philadelphia Eagles play on tv. Week after week they had high hopes, ...read more

Tags: Evangelism How To

Are You "Sharing"?

Contributed by Danny Presswood on Jan 26, 2009

ARE YOU "SHARING"? One of the most stirring indictments on the church ever penned was made by Charles Schultz many years ago. Snoopy is shivering out in a snowstorm beside an empty food dish. He was looking longingly, expectantly, toward the house. Lucy came out and said, "Go in peace, be warmed ...read more

Tags: Evangelism How To

Denomination: Baptist

The Whole Story About You

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 28, 2009

THE WHOLE STORY ABOUT YOU During a practice session for the Green Bay Packers, things were not going well for Vince Lombardi’s team. Lombardi singled out one big guard for his failure to "put out." It was a hot, muggy day when the coach called his guard aside and leveled his awesome vocal guns on ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17

Tags: Born Again

Response To Hurting People  PRO

Contributed by Bret Toman on Jan 3, 2011

RESPONSE TO HURTING PEOPLE In his book Soul Talk, Larry Crabb writes: "Which is worse? A church program to build community that doesn’t get off the ground or one person sitting every Sunday in the back of the church who remains unknown? A Sunday school class that once drew hundreds but has now ...read more

Tags: Unity

Denomination: Baptist

The Flag And The Cross

Contributed by Davon Huss on Aug 1, 2020

Symbols evoke feelings of adoration or hatred. In this election year, the elephant and donkey mean different things to different people. Let's talk about a symbol that all Americans should be able to adore. In 1813 General Armistead commissioned Mary Pickersgill to make a huge flag that ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:18-24, Galatians 6:14, Colossians 2:15

Tags: Patriotic, Cross, Power Of God, United States, National Anthem, Flag Of United States  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Good Won’t Get You There, Feda H. ...  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Oct 11, 2001

[Good Won’t Get You There, Feda H. Babinski] I’m standing there in front of gates like none I’ve ever found They shine like golden ribbons as they glide across the ground I see the stairs that never end how brilliantly they glow I start to climb and realize there’s nothing down below Then ...read more

Tags: Faith Vs. Works, Judgment

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Fly Like An Eagle

Contributed by Eric Ferguson on Aug 13, 2008

FLY LIKE AN EAGLE A nature lover was once walking through the countryside when he came upon a farm. He walked up to the fence and looked into the barnyard. He saw lots of chickens and geese and other farm animals wandering and scratching about. Then he noticed one bird that didn’t fit. He looked ...read more

Tags: Hardship Of Life, Edgar Saban Mino

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[033] A Message From A Poem – Belshazzar’s Time Had Ended

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Feb 21, 2025

[033] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – BELSHAZZAR’S TIME HAD ENDED The purpose of this poem is to retell the story from Daniel in poem form. There is not much to say about it for it follows the biblical narrative, but it is the last stanza that is important in defining biblical principles. God’s word ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1:10, Daniel 5:24-30

Tags: Wrath, Daniel, Judgment, Babylon, Belshazzar, Found Wanting  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[338]. A Message From A Poem - What Of Israel The Nation?

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Apr 18, 2026

[338]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - WHAT OF ISRAEL THE NATION? Israel will always be a thorn in the side of haters and detractors and those who dismiss the great, unfulfilled promises for Israel found in scripture. In fact the Old Testament prophetic books are so full of prophecy such as the coming ...read more

Scripture: Zechariah 12:10-11, Jeremiah 31:31-33, Romans 11:27, Romans 11:25-27, Romans 11:11-12, Genesis 12:2-3  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Israel, The New Covenant, The Jews, Restoration Of Israel, Curse Israel And Be Cursed, Covenant With Israel, Persecution Of The Jews, Christian Poems, Haters Of Israel  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

John Hildebrand Who Has Lived In The Artesian ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2001

John Hildebrand who has lived in the Artesian Valley, near Fowler, Kansas, since he was two years old, remembers why the valley has the name it does. "There were hundreds of natural springs in this valley. If you drilled a well for your house, the natural water pressure was enough to go through ...read more

Tags: Christian Disciplines, Faith