In Sermon Illustrations: "Father God"

What Are You Feeding On?  PRO

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 9, 2014

WHAT ARE YOU FEEDING ON? I really enjoy visiting Yellowstone. In fact, one of these days, when Jesus comes back, I've got dubs on Yellowstone! Come and visit me for a while! Once when I was visiting the greatest national park in America, I heard a story about bears that was amazing. In the ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 12:1-13, Exodus 12:1-51

Tags: Sanctification, Lamb Of God, Spiritual Growth, Growth In Christ

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Selling Your Cow  PRO

Contributed by Davon Huss on May 31, 2014

Daniel Overdorf: One of my older sisters and her husband served for 12 years as missionaries to Haiti. Among various other ministries, such as church plants, a school and feeding programs, they discipled a few young men who today lead various churches and ministries. One participant in this was ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 3:16-18

Tags: Help The Needy, Christian Giving, Sharing God's Bounty

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Become What You Are

Contributed by Davon Huss on Aug 18, 2014

Norman Jean Douglas- Germans have a saying, “Ware was du bist” (Become what you are). The meaning was difficult for me until a minister gave me the following analogy. When a reigning monarch has a child there appears to be no difference between that child and any other child. Both are fussy, ...read more

Scripture: John 1:12-13

Tags: Child Of God, Mentor, Training Disciples, Kingdom Character

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Trusting Faith

Contributed by Kristen Wright Zeller on Aug 26, 2014

Those who share Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior begin to become as magnets to those who share the same intimate relationship. While humans range from "new" to "elder," there is still a feeling of familiarity in those who gather together to worship in spirit and in truth. A sense somewhat of ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:7

Tags: Trust, Recognize God, Faith To Believe, Move Mountains

Denomination: Christian Church

Don't Just Entertain

Contributed by Davon Huss on Oct 14, 2014

Timothy Paul Jones- With high hopes we had moved to a new youth ministry position. On my first Wednesday evening at this church, I received my first hint that this task might be more difficult than I’d imagined. After a couple of games, I gathered the students for some worship songs. Worship ...read more

Tags: Bible Influence, Delight In God's Word, Neglect Of The Word

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Trust In The Lord To Fix It

Contributed by James Ledbetter on Feb 3, 2015

A friend pastor of mine once told me a story about trusting in the Lord to fix what is broken. A certain man and his pastor traveled to preach a sermon at another church. And when finished they went to a store to look around. The man bought a doll for his daughter and took it home and gave it to ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 40:1-4, Psalm 40:1-40

Tags: All-Powerful God, Book Of Psalms, Trust Jesus

Denomination: Apostolic

Dont Be A Cookie Thief

Contributed by Flor Beloria on Dec 12, 2017

The Cookie Thief by Valerie Cox A woman was waiting at an airport one night, with several long hours before her flight. She hunted for a book in the airport shops, bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop. She was engrossed in her book but happened to see, that the man sitting beside her, ...read more

Tags: Presumption, Love Of God, Thief Cookie, Thankfulness, Gratitude  (view more)  (view less)

A New Perspective On Ugly Sweaters

Contributed by Todd Catteau on Nov 5, 2019

I am not stylish. I will never be named “best dressed” minister. I do not enjoy clothes shopping. Yet, even though shopping is a task, there are occasions when I do need to pick up an item or two and even though I don’t have an eye for what’s fashionable I can sense when something is absolutely ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:10

Tags: Goodness, Humanity, Dignity, Image Of God, Love Neighbor  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Symbols Of The Bible In Scripture

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 4, 2021

The Bible identifies itself through several clear metaphors and similes. These symbols serve the purpose of helping us understand what the Bible is and what it can do in our lives. Let’s examine of a few of those symbols today. 1. A Mirror - James 1:23-25 - As a mirror the Word of God perfectly ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Timothy 4:1-3, 2 Peter 1:21

Tags: Bible, Scripture, Word Of God, Sword Of The Spirit, Symbols  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Funeral Illustration

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 4, 2021

I love that scene in The Pilgrim's Progress where Christian and Hopeful come to the final river of death. They are fearful that the water will be over their heads. But Hopeful goes first and calls back to Christian, “Be of good cheer, my brother; I feel the bottom, and it is good.” For every ...read more

Tags: Death, Heaven, Promises Of God, Valley Of The Shadow Of Death

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

How To Gather A Crowd At Church!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 25, 2021

How to Gather a Crowd at Church! A cattle rancher got saved and surrendered to preach. He went to a Bible conference which was all about how to build a crowd. Asked about it later, he said, "It was strange. In all my years as a cattle rancher, I never had to go to a conference to learn how ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Timothy 4:1-3

Tags: Bible, Teaching, Preaching, Word Of God, Pastors, Churches  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Macarthur On Contemporary Preaching

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 25, 2021

"Many churches today are filled to overflowing with those who want their ears tickled with the myths of easy believism and so called positive thinking. They come to have their egos fed and their sins approved, not to have their hearts cleansed and their souls saved. They want only to feel ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:6-17

Tags: Preaching, Pastors, Churches, The Word Of God, The Bible, Liberalism  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

President Mckinley Had A Mother Who Taught Him Well

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 31, 2022

As a lawyer, as a congressman, as Governor of Ohio, and as President of the United States, William McKinley had a close relationship with his mother. He either visited her or sent a message to her every day. When she became seriously ill, he arranged to have a special train standing by, ready to ...read more

Tags: Teach Your Children, Godly Mothers, Will Of God, Hymns

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Help!

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Feb 3, 2022

God, if you get me out of this mess I promise you'll never ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:5-15, Luke 11:1-13, Ephesians 3:14-21

Tags: Answers To Prayer, Faith, God, Salvation, Prayer, Miracles  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Our Professor Has No Brain!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 13, 2022

A college student was in a philosophy class, which had a discussion about God's existence. The professor presented the following logic: "Has anyone in this class heard God?" Nobody spoke. "Has anyone in this class touched God?" Again, nobody spoke. "Has anyone in ...read more

Tags: Science, God, Atheists, Bible, Genesis, Evolution, Apologetics  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Plant The Seed And Wait For The Harvest

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Apr 4, 2022

D.L. Moody made an covenant with God that he would witness for Christ to at least one person each day. One night, about ten o- clock, he realized that he had not yet witnessed; so he went out in to the street and spoke to a man standing by a lamppost, asking him, "Are you a Christian?" ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:8, Mark 4:1-20

Tags: Faithfulness, Word Of God, Witnessing, Evangelism, Harvest, Gospel  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

People Leading To The Flood

Contributed by Paul Clemente on Oct 31, 2022

Genesis 5 Focus is v1…. In v1-2, isn’t God just repeating Himself? – God detailed the 2 types of “man” He created – male and female! What’s significant about v3? – Adam and Eve had other children as alluded to in earlier chapters; v3 indicates that Seth was a special person! Why do you think ...read more

Tags: People, Pride, Population, Godliness, God's Promise, Ages  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

When Momma Needed Her Quiet Time

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jun 7, 2023

If you think you are too busy for a Quiet Time, consider Charles and John Wesley's mother Susanna Wesley, who had nineteen children. And, yet, in the middle of her busy day, she would sit down in a chair and pull her apron up over her head and have her Quiet Time! ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 1:1-9

Tags: Quiet Time, Prayer, Meditation, Seeking God, Devotions  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

George W. Bush Meets Moses!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 22, 2024

George W. Bush was walking through an airport last week, when he saw an old man with white hair, a long white beard, wearing a long white robe and holding a staff. He walked up to the man, who was staring at the ceiling, and "Excuse me sir, aren't you Moses?" The man stood perfectly ...read more

Tags: Wilderness, Voice Of God, Burning Bush, Miracles, Moses  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Are You Ready To Meet The Lord?

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Aug 22, 2024

Text: Proverbs 29:1, KJV: 1 He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. Thrift and second-hand stores are good places to find items like Bibles and other Christian material—no offense to bookstores, of course. One day I was searching for ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 29:1

Tags: Thrift Shops, Death, Salvation, Ready To Meet God

Denomination: Baptist