In Sermon Illustrations: "Father God"

Moved By Grace

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Apr 20, 2023

The word itself... grace... has become trite and debased through misuse and overuse. It does not move us the way it moved our early Christian ancestors. In some European countries, certain high ecclesiastical officials are still called, Your Grace. Sportswriters spoke of Michael Jordan's easy ...read more

Scripture: Romans 1:17

Tags: Grace, Lacking In Grace, Scandal Of Grace

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Are You Packed And Ready To Go?

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Nov 28, 2023

The word "maranatha" is a Syriac expression that means: "our Lord comes." It was used as a greeting in the early church. When believers gathered or parted, they didn't say "hello" or "goodbye" but "Maranatha!" If we had the same upward look ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, John 14:1-6

Tags: Rapture, Ready, Readiness, Maranatha, Feast Of Trumpets, Prepared, Church, Preparation, Second Coming  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Cost For Preaching The Truth About Baptism

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Feb 22, 2024

Baptism is identification with Christ. Baptism allows the believer in Christ to openly identify with Christ who died, was buried and who rose again on his behalf. It is a public testimony to say I have identified with Christ. I will live for Christ. On October 15, 1517, an Augustinian monk nailed ...read more

Scripture: Acts 16:25-34

Tags: Baptism, Persecution, Immersion, Reformation, Church History, Count The Cost  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Empty Chair And The Full Table

Contributed by Austin W. Duncan on Apr 17, 2026

Thanksgiving can be really sweet. Good food. Laughter. Familiar traditions. A little more time with people you care about. But it can also expose what’s missing. Sometimes the empty chair hits harder than the full table. Sometimes the family tension stays quiet until someone says one sentence, and ...read more

Scripture: Mark 16:1-2

Tags: Grief, Authenticity

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I Shook Every Gift Under The Tree

Contributed by Austin W. Duncan on Apr 18, 2026

Do you remember what it was like to be a kid at Christmas? For me it conjures up memories of pure excitement, seemingly always counting down to Christmas morning. Maybe you were staring at the tree, eyeing that one special gift, that one that was wrapped just right, the box the perfect size, and ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 9:6-7, Romans 8:25

Tags: Hope, Anticipation

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Warped Floor

Contributed by Austin W. Duncan on Apr 18, 2026

One evening Cassy and I were at home, about to eat dinner together, which doesn't always get to happen. I opened the silverware drawer to grab a fork and noticed something. Mold. I felt the edge of the drawer and it was wet. I opened the cabinet below, and those walls were wet too. I opened the ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 1:12-14, Romans 8:28

Tags: Joy, Perspective, Trials

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Martyrs Of The Ecuador Mission  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 16, 2002

The Martyrs of the Ecuador Mission 8 January 1956 (modified by sermon author) In the dense rain-forests of Ecuador, on the Pacific side of the Andes Mountains, lives a tribe of Indians. -They simply call themselves the “people” but their neighbor’s call them “savages” -For many generations ...read more

Tags: Work

No Jacket Required  PRO

Contributed by Johanna Radelfinger on May 26, 2003

NO JACKET REQUIRED I shook my head in disbelief. This couldn’t be the right place. After all, I couldn’t possibly be welcome here. I had been given an invitation several times, by several different people, and had finally decided to see what this place was all about. But, this just couldn’t be the ...read more

Tags: Bible Influence, Salvation, Repentance

Denomination: Adventist

The Cane Ridge Revival

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 23, 2011

THE CANE RIDGE REVIVAL One of those great revivals of the American past took place in the late spring and early summer of 1801 at Cane Ridge in central Kentucky. A pastor named Barton Stone, who had been called to serve this little Methodist church by Daniel Boone, decided to call a four-day ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 7:14

Tags: Revival

If My ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 23, 2008

IF MY PEOPLE... Our nation is in trouble: Abortion i. Nearly half of pregnancies among American women are unintended, and four in 10 of these are terminated by abortion. Twenty-two percent of all pregnancies (excluding miscarriages) end in abortion. ii. In 2005, 1.21 million abortions were ...read more

Tags: Sin General

Evangelism And Football  PRO

Contributed by Paul Dietz on Sep 28, 2008

Evangelism and Football We are now in the midst of one the hottest seasons of the year. No, I'm not talking about the weather and its accompanying temperatures. After all we have just finished having summer this past week and autumn is upon us. And also some trees up on the mountains in Grant and ...read more

Tags: Youth Day, Evangelism Fear Of

Denomination: *other

Trouble? Joe Was Trouble...

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Oct 25, 2023

TROUBLE? JOE WAS TROUBLE! SOMEONE IS HURTING! I had taught school in Virginia several years. I was assistant principal. I often observed the kids in the younger classes and thought someday I will teach that child. There was a young boy named Joe. Joe was in the office pretty often in some kind ...read more

Scripture: Micah 6:8, Mark 12:29

Tags: Help, Trouble, Ministry

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Unintentionally Humorous Texts: The "Bad Axe” Incident

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on May 3, 2024

Introduction: This is a follow up to the story of Elisha being asked, maybe as an afterthought?, to go with student prophets as they built a new facility. One of these men had borrowed an axe but something awful happened. By the way, this story has nothing whatsoever to do with the city of Bad ...read more

Scripture: 2 Kings 6:1-7

Tags: Elisha, Jordan River, Sons Of The Prophets, Axes

Denomination: Baptist

[282]. A Message From A Poem – The Lord Will Never Fail Me

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 31, 2026

[282]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THE LORD WILL NEVER FAIL ME (possible song) This is a more unusual poem and in my mind, there was the possibility of a song. The poem has rhythm which is necessary for singing. The metre may defeat that though but not a problem for a good musician. I love ...read more

Scripture: John 16:33, Hebrews 13:5-6

Tags: Fail, Abide, Keep, Christian Poems, Failure  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Love - According To Kids

Contributed by John Bright on Feb 12, 2026

What Does Love Mean? A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8-year-olds: "What does love mean?" The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think: "When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Tags: Kids, Love

Denomination: Methodist

Knowing Everything Is A Blessing And A Curse

Contributed by James Snyder on Aug 5, 2023

If you ever spent more than five minutes with me, you would conclude that I do not know everything. I would agree 100%. It is not bad that I don't know everything. I know today more than I knew ten years ago, if that is any consolation. The thing that is surprising to me is that I do not ...read more

Scripture: James 1:5

Tags: Blessing, Curse

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

I’m Not Diabetic But I Am A Sweet Guy

Contributed by James Snyder on Jan 20, 2024

Lately, I've been very tired, which has nothing at all to do with my age. Rather, it has everything to do with all these spam calls I get every day. It seems most spam calls come during lunchtime when I’m eating. How dare they? I don't know who created this idea of spam calls, but I would ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 18:3

Tags: Diabetes, Age

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Where Do All My Nasal Fluids Come From?

Contributed by James Snyder on Oct 5, 2024

I am finally, in what I think is the last phase of my recent health confusion. My nose is dripping, and I think I use at least one box of tissues daily. I did not know I had so much of this in my body, and I am not exactly sure where it came from. When I was young, I remember having a bad case of ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 5:4-5

Tags: Overcome, Victory, Sneeze

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Unca Frank's Christmas!" Isaiah 9: 6-7 Key ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Dec 20, 2004

“Unca Frank’s Christmas!” Isaiah 9: 6-7 Key verse(s): 6a: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given.” Franklin Chaney was by all accounts what you would call a crank. For years he had lived alone in his upper flat, Vera having gone to be with the Lord many years past. He was pretty set in ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 9:6-7

Tags: Christmas Advent

Denomination: Lutheran

And Then It All Came To An End

Contributed by James Snyder on Dec 28, 2024

Time has a way of getting ahead of me. Just when I think I’ve caught up, I find out I was wrong. The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage and I were sitting down, relaxing after a wonderful Christmas activity with all the kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids. It was a wonderful time, but with my ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 1:9

Tags: Christmas, Time, New Years

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance