In Sermon Illustrations: "Enough"

When Thomas Edison Was 38 Years Old, His Wife ...

Contributed by Bruce Howell on Feb 9, 2009

When Thomas Edison was 38 years old, his wife died leaving him a very lonely man. Six months after her death, Edison began looking for a new mate. He would leave no stone unturned in a systematic search reflecting his scientific nature. Although he liked to be portrayed in the media as a genius ...read more

Tags: Romantic Love

Denomination: Wesleyan

Liberals Give Less Than ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 16, 2009

LIBERALS GIVE LESS THAN CONSERVATIVES A couple years ago, a Syracuse University professor named Arthur C. Brooks wrote a book called "Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth About Compassionate Conservatism". He was not particularly excited about the outcome of the study he’d done (he’d been raised ...read more

Tags: Poverty

Hide And Seek With God  PRO

Contributed by Johnny Wilson on Mar 7, 2009

HIDE AND SEEK WITH GOD This week I have been hammered by the immensity of what it means to "abandon," "forsake," or "leave alone" the omnipresent God, God who is everywhere. How is that possible? It is ONLY possible if God allows us to leave, allows us to turn our back upon God Himself. Yes, it ...read more

Tags: God's Omniscience

Denomination: *other

Women And Proverbs

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on May 16, 2013

WOMEN AND PROVERBS From Chronological Life Application Bible: "Proverbs has a lot to say about women. How fitting that the book ends with a picture of a woman of strong character, great wisdom, many skills, and great compassion. Some people have the mistaken idea that the ideal woman in the ...read more

Tags: Women

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Unchristian

Contributed by Davon Huss on May 21, 2014

In unChristian, David Kinnaman, president of the Barna Group, discusses some disheartening research concerning the failure of Christians in our day to remain distinct: "In virtually every study we conduct, representing thousands of interviews every year, born again Christians (talking about people ...read more

Scripture: Malachi 3:18

Tags: Transform, Holiness, Distinctiveness, Moral Living

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Is It Death Or Really Life?

Contributed by Tim Smith on Feb 11, 2015

Robin Norwood in her book, “Why Me? Why This? Why Now?” writes, “A very wise old fried of mine who has just celebrated his 100th birthday said to me about a recent news broadcast he recently heard about 73 people losing their lives in a plan crash: “Don’t they know we can’t lose our lives? We can ...read more

Scripture: Luke 23:32-43

Tags: Death, Eternal Life

Denomination: Methodist

A Branch Plucked Out Of The Fire

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Apr 10, 2018

Back in ’09 there was a house fire that led to a dramatic rescue. One of the family’s sons was trapped in the house. A quick-thinking neighbor had someone get on his shoulders in order to reach the boy. Their bravery and ingenuity allowed five-year-old John to escape just seconds before the ...read more

Tags: Purpose, Fire, John Wesley, Methodist, Hell, Flame, Salvation, Rescue  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

The Rotten Egg

Contributed by Daniel King, D. Min. on Jul 25, 2018

Main Idea: No matter how many good things you have done, one sin is enough to send you to hell. Verses: “There is none who does good, no, not one” (Romans 3:12 NKJV). “For the greatness of your iniquity Your skirts have been uncovered, Your heels made bare. Can the Ethiopian change his skin or ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 13:22-23

Tags: Sin, Good Works

Denomination: Charismatic

The Light Of The Word

Contributed by Taiwo Oyadiran on Mar 23, 2019

I like to tell this story about my son as a 2-year-old. I always liked to give him a shower/bath and like most kids that age, he liked playing with the water. Many times, when there’s water and soap on his head and face, he, of course, had to close his eyes. That part he didn’t like. No kid would ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 119:105

Tags: Faith, Revelation

Where Will You Be?

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Sep 23, 2019

Where Will You Be? When the clouds burst open where will you be? Will there be joy in your heart when Jesus you see? Will you be running to hide from His face Or standing there with your head hanging in disgrace/ It surely is coming and the time is near at hand When Jesus comes to take his ...read more

Scripture: Romans 14:10, 2 Corinthians 5:10, Revelation 20:12

Tags: Death, Rapture, Great White Throne, Bema

Denomination: Baptist

Love

Contributed by Roy Fowler on Sep 19, 2020

A young teenage boy and girl were setting in a swing on her parents front porch way up in the mountains of North Carolina. They spent a lot of time there away from everyone just them. They would talk about all kinds of things. Things about when they had grown up. What would they do: go to college ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 4:9-10

Tags: Love For God, Love Like God

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Obedience

Contributed by Anitha Jabastion on Jan 2, 2021

There was a boy who went trekking on the mountain. He reached a great height when he realized that it was getting dark and he had to reach the bottom soon. He began climbing down. It was getting darker and darker, so dark that he could barely see. He was somehow managing to get down the mountain ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 15:22

Tags: Obedience, Listening To God

Love Is Like Candy

Contributed by John Bright on May 22, 2021

I’m talking about love that is a real, tangible – like candy! Since you are watching on video (or reading this at home), you will have to imagine I have a big bag of Hershey Kisses right here. I have LOTS OF CANDY! So - I can claim to be full of candy. What if this candy is the love we have to ...read more

Scripture: Luke 6:27-36

Tags: Love, Enemies

Denomination: Methodist

How Are You Doing?

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Jul 2, 2021

There's a story about a little girl who came home from school one day, and her mother met her at the door: Hi! How was school today? How are you doing? With the honesty of little people, the girl replied, Oh, not so well, mommy. My tummy hurts! Mothers know everything, and this mommy had ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 16:5-6

Tags: Joke, Child Misunderstanding

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Bring A Bigger Basket!

Contributed by Joshua Blackmon on Mar 12, 2022

"A missionary in Africa had a farm some miles from the mission station. The season had been very favorable, and he had a large crop of corn on the mission farm. When the crop was ready to harvest, he made a public appeal to the Africans, asking them to help him carry his corn from the farm to ...read more

Scripture: Luke 6:38

Tags: Harvest, Giving, Basket, Receiving

Denomination: Pentecostal

When God Opened An Unexpected Door For Cliff Barrows

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Nov 10, 2024

Dr. James Dobson wrote a book entitled When God Doesn’t Make Sense, and, in his book, he shared an illustration that is very applicable to the point being drawn from this particular verse. Take a moment and reflect upon the following story: In 1945, a young associate pastor named Cliff married his ...read more

Tags: Will Of God, Call To Ministry, Open Doors, Sovereignty Of God

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Cork And The Whale

Contributed by Joshua Blackmon on Jul 6, 2025

2 Corinthians 4:7-18 offers a portrait of spiritual buoyancy. Paul, in other places, invites us to follow him as he follows Christ (1 Cor 11:1). His spiritual practices caused him to float above the difficulties that he faced over and over again in his life and ministry. One of the greatest things ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 11:1, 2 Corinthians 4:7-18

Tags: Poem, Buoyancy

Denomination: Pentecostal

Holy Communion

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Oct 30, 2025

Hugh Price Hughes (9 February 1847 – 17 November 1902), was a Welsh Methodist clergyman and he wrote this: I was struck even then at the way in which the most exalted were reduced to their simple humanity. Then, again, at the Holy Communion, all men are absolutely equal. One table for rich ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:16-17, 1 Corinthians 11:24-26

Tags: Holy Communion, Equal, Iron Duke

Denomination: Anglican

Trust God And You Will Be Firm

Contributed by Arulselvam Rayappan on Jan 13, 2026

Trusting the Lord is a recurring theme in the Prophet Isaiah. “Unless your faith is firm, you shall not be firm” Is 7: 14. Advent is a time of trusting the Lord. God alone can save those who place their trust in Him. At times we are confused concerning the choices we have to make. On the one hand ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 7:14

Tags: Fear, Trusting God, Afriad

Denomination: Catholic

Game . . . Set . . . Match? (06.15.05--The Tie ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Jun 13, 2005

Game . . . Set . . . Match? (06.15.05--The Tie That Binds--1 John 4:16) “What more can I do? I’ve given you the best that I have, everything that is mine to give is yours. I simply don’t know what more I can do?” If you’ve never uttered these words yet in your life, it is likely that someday you ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 4:16, Isaiah 40:28-29

Tags: Forgiveness In Jesus, God's Love

Denomination: Lutheran