In Sermon Illustrations: "Evil Heart"

Why Did You Throw The Old Man Out???

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 30, 2020

Mercy is giving them a piece of your heart, not a "piece of your mind". There's a legend about a rabbi who welcomed a weary traveler into his home for a night of rest. After learning that his guest was almost a hundred years old, the rabbi asked about his religious beliefs. The man ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-12

Tags: Mercy, Endurance, Beatitudes, Patience

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Seven Life Lessons From Samson

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Nov 13, 2022

Certainly the story of Samson and the prostitute of Gaza stands as a cautionary tale to all of us. Here are some of the obvious lessons: 1) Just because we think we have conquered a certain sin doesn’t mean it will stay conquered forever. 2) The price of long-term spiritual victory is continued ...read more

Tags: Sin, Temptation, Judgment, Samson, Brokenness, Backslidden  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Doubt - The Devil's Most Powerful Weapon

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jul 12, 2023

Have you noticed that the first words we have recorded of Satan was a question of doubt? According to Genesis 3:1, he was trying to plant the seed of doubt in Eve’s heart concerning what God had said. There’s an old fable that says the Devil once held a sale and offered all the tools of his trade ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:28-39, 1 John 5:1-13

Tags: Assurace, Fear, Doubt, Satan, Spiritual Warfare, Salvation, Discouragement  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Civil Disobedience For The Christian

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Aug 28, 2023

The Hebrew midwives disobeyed Pharaoh’s orders and refused to kill the Jewish babies (Ex. 1:15–22). Daniel and his three friends refused to eat the king’s food (Dan. 1), and the three friends also refused to bow down to Nebuchadnezzar’s image (Dan. 3). The apostles refused to stop witnessing in ...read more

Tags: Esther, Law, Persecution, Government, Authority, Civil Disobedience  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Why Are You Weeping?

Contributed by Samuel M on Feb 29, 2024

Note: – This a small dialogue between God and you. Why are you weeping? Dear ______, Is my grace not sufficient for you? Is my hand is not strong enough to lift you out of your valleys? Is my blanket of love not large enough to envelop you and your family? Are my feathers not enough to keep ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1

Tags: Sorrow, Weeping

You Cannot Swim To Hawaii

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Sep 20, 2024

If you put three swimmers on the coast of California and ask them to swim to Hawaii, the Olympic swimmer might swim 500 miles before she dies. The second swimmer might be a good swimmer and swim 25 miles before he dies. The last swimmer does not know how to swim very well and swims only one mile ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 29:29, John 8:58, Matthew 25:31-33

Tags: Jesus Is The Way, Other Religions

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Journey To See God Face To Face

Contributed by Samuel M on Feb 19, 2025

Everyone has a desire to see God face to face, but before that they are some prerequisites that need to checked 1) Am I right with God and others? 2) Are my hands clean? 3) Is my heart pure? We need to get answers to these questions from the Holy Spirit. As we receive the answers and correct ...read more

Scripture: Numbers 12:8

Tags: Faith, Hope

The Heartbeat And Bloodline Of Praying African American Mothers

Contributed by Jessie Manuel on May 8, 2025

Legacy of Blood and Heartbeat From the heartbeat of ancestors long gone, Rises a rhythm—a sacred song, Passed through blood, through bloodlines deep, A legacy rooted in faith to keep. Mothers praying in quiet nights, Holding on through struggles and fights, Their voices rising, fierce ...read more

Tags: Poem, Call To Action

Denomination: Methodist

When Life Sucks You In

Contributed by David Dunn on Nov 6, 2025

Chippie the parakeet never saw it coming. One moment, he was perched in his cage singing his little heart out. The next, his whole world collapsed. It started when his owner decided to clean his cage with a vacuum cleaner. She took the nozzle off, stuck the hose inside, and at that very moment the ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 40:2, Romans 8:28

Tags: Faith, Resilience

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Pierced By The Word Of God - The Hell Fire Club

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Nov 19, 2025

When God wills it, ... his word can pierce anyone. As a certain Mr. Thorpe in 18th century Bristol ... found out. Thorpe was a part of a band of men who called themselves, ... the "Hell Fire Club." Their reason for existence ... was to mock and ridicule the work of the famed ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 4:12, Isaiah 55:11

Tags: Pierce, Word, Scripture, Sword

Denomination: Anglican

The Playlet Entitled ‘the Long Silence' Says It ...  PRO

Contributed by Steven Chapman on Feb 9, 2001

The playlet entitled ‘The Long Silence’ says it all: At the end of time, billions of people were scattered on a great plain before God’s throne. Most shrank back from the brilliant light before them. But some groups near the front talked heatedly – not with cringing shame, but with ...read more

Scripture: Amos 3:1-15

Tags: God's Judgment, Forgiveness In Jesus, Second Coming

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

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

Dennis Said, "I Don't Think I've Ever ...  PRO

Contributed by Melvin Newland on Dec 22, 2000

ILL. Dennis said, "I don’t think I’ve ever experienced greater culture shock than what I experienced at the very first Thai village we visited. This was a village which the missionaries had not yet reached with the good news of Jesus. The people were still living with all their superstitions & ...read more

Scripture: Luke 6:20-26

Tags: God Brings Hope

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Insurgency! (11.08.05--Christian ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Nov 6, 2005

Insurgency! (11.08.05--Christian Soldiers!--Revelations 12:7) What war? That was the response that I got from a friend recently when I referred to Operation Iraqi Freedom as a war. I looked at him and asked: “How would you define a war?” His response? “A war is when freedom is at stake and our ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 12:7, Revelation 12:7-9

Tags: Satan

Denomination: Lutheran

The Circles Of Life

Contributed by Patrick Marino on Mar 16, 2006

The circles of life I remember when I was a kid, seeing my mom hand feed my sister. I realize that she did the same with me as well. After a while I began to take the spoon and feed myself. At first it was a little messy (missed my mouth most of the time). As time and experience went on, I ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 5:12-14

Tags: Worship General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

War Often Brings Out The Good In People, In A Way ...

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Nov 11, 2006

War often brings out the good in people, in a way that we could never imagine. One such man was Maximilian Kolbe (1894-1941) Maximilian Kolbe was a Roman Catholic priest, who was put in a Nazi concentration camp, Auschwitz for his faith. In the camp, he would share his meagre rations of food ...read more

Denomination: Anglican

Cinderella Grace

Contributed by Bret Toman on Jan 2, 2010

CINDERELLA GRACE Cinderella’s castle at Disneyland was packed with kids and parents. Suddenly - all the children rushed to one side. It’s a good thing it was a castle and not a boat, or it would have tipped over. The pristine princess had entered the room. Cinderella. A gorgeous young girl with ...read more

Tags: Grace

Denomination: Baptist

The Voice Of The Shepherd  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 22, 2011

THE VOICE OF THE SHEPHERD There once was a shepherd that lived in the Scottish highlands. This shepherd had a daughter and he would take her with him when he went out on the moors to take care of the sheep. The thing that the little girl liked best was to hear the call of shepherd. His voice ...read more

Scripture: John 10:1-18, Mark 4:26-34

Tags: Parable Lost Sheep

Augustine And The Four States Of Man  PRO

Contributed by Terry Barnhill on Mar 5, 2012

AUGUSTINE AND THE FOUR STATES OF MAN In the 5th century AD, St. Augustine wrote about the "4 States of Man": * The first state of man (the haec sunt prima) is "living according to the flesh -- with reason making no resistance." This can be seen in so many ancient cultures and religions (and ...read more

Scripture: John 14:1-15

Tags: Allegory

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

End Of The World Predictions

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 1, 2012

END OF THE WORLD PREDICTIONS It's hard to believe it was just a year ago that the head of The Family Radio Broadcasting Network--Harold Camping--predicted, through 2,000 billboards worldwide, that on May 21, 2011 the righteous, which totaled 3 percent of humanity, was to be whisked away to heaven, ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:6-8

Tags: Prophecy