In Sermon Illustrations: "Feeling Faith"

This Old House

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 2, 2023

This old house once knew my children This old house once knew my wife This old house was home and comfort As we fought the storms of life This old house once rang with laughter This old house knew many shouts Now it trembles in the darkness When the lightning walks about Ain't gonna need this ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:1-10

Tags: Body, Temple Of God, New Body, Songs, Resurrection, Heaven  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Perfect Portrait Of Peace

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 2, 2023

Long ago a man sought the perfect picture of peace. Not finding one that satisfied, he announced a contest to produce this masterpiece. The challenge stirred the imagination of artists everywhere, and paintings arrived from far and wide. Finally the great day of revelation arrived. The judges ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:19-23, John 14:27, Philippians 4:7

Tags: Spirit Filled Life, Peace, Presence Of God, Fruit Of The Spirit, Trials, Problems  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

3 Temptations Satan Uses Against Us

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 27, 2023

Eve’s descent into depravity is an illustration of James 1:14-15: “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” This is the Bible’s description of sin’s slippery ...read more

Scripture: James 1:14-15

Tags: Eve, Sin, Satan, Temptation, Garden Of Eden, Backsliding  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Strength To Forgive

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Aug 12, 2024

Some of life's hurts are so deep and painful that to forgive the people who caused them seems impossible. Yet Jesus says that we can't experience His forgiveness if we have an unforgiving spirit. In World War II, Corrie Ten Boom and her sister Betsie were arrested for concealing Jews and ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:9-15

Tags: Forgiveness, Lord's Prayer, God's Strength, Forgiving Others, Corrie Ten Boom, Enemies  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Simple Solutions

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Jan 22, 2025

Not all problems are difficult to solve.. Morris went to a psychiatrist. "Doc," he said, "I've got real trouble. Every time I get into bed, I get his weird feeling that there's somebody under it. I look under the bed, to check it out, but then I think there's somebody on ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 4:1-13

Tags: Simple, Complex, Obvious, Sense, Solutions, Over Thinking, Complicating The Simple, Clear Thinking  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Ricochet Evangelism

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Apr 9, 2023

Lee Strobel tells the story of a time when he felt God prompting him to go and share an Easter invitation in the business office of the newspaper where he worked. He didn’t know why. But, he listens to God. When he arrived, he saw his friend who was working in the business office. It was an ...read more

Scripture: John 20:1-31

Tags: Evangelism, Easter

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

[233]. A Message From A Poem - Remember Me Until I Come

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Oct 21, 2025

[233]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - REMEMBER ME UNTIL I COME This poem was written as a Communion meditation with the view of being a Communion hymn. It uses a Metre 12 in the four lines. I adapted this for another poem based on this one using a Metre 10 that can be sung to various tunes. At the ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 2:20, 1 Corinthians 11:24-26

Tags: Passover, Cup, Remember Me, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, Until I Come, Communion, Bread, Remember  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I Had The Meanest Parents In All The World. When ...  PRO

Contributed by Andrew Chan on May 3, 2002

I had the meanest parents in all the world. When I was seven years old they dared to spank me just because I told them I would not do what they asked me to do to help around the house. My friend next door never got spanked. He didn’t have to help at home. He had nice parents. I had the meanest ...read more

Tags: Parenting

Denomination: Evangelical Free

Ravi Zacharias Tells The Amazing Story Of A ...  PRO

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Feb 2, 2003

Ravi Zacharias tells the amazing story of a young Christian in Vietnam. He writes, “I was ministering in Vietnam in 1971, and one of my interpreters was Hien Pham, an energetic young Christian. He had worked as a translator with the American forces, and was of immense help both to them and to ...read more

Tags: Bible Study, Bible Influence

Denomination: Methodist

A. Linda Down Discovered Real Power And She ...  PRO

Contributed by Davon Huss on May 25, 2004

A. Linda Down discovered real power and she needed it. She had dealt with the limitations of cerebral palsy all her life. One day, she got this crazy idea of running the New York Marathon. But Linda walked with difficulty, so running seemed out of the question? She used canes with arm clamps to ...read more

Tags: God's Omnipotence

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Sorry--No Spare Grace Today?" Leviticus 19: 9-10 ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Dec 12, 2004

“Sorry--No Spare Grace Today?” Leviticus 19: 9-10 Key verse(s): 9: “‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest.’” “Is your generosity based on facts or faith?” I would imagine that most of us would answer that ...read more

Scripture: Leviticus 19:9-10

Tags: Giving General

Denomination: Lutheran

Take A Look At This Next Slide. It's From The ...  PRO

Contributed by Darren Mccormick on Feb 26, 2008

Take a look at this next slide. It’s from the opening sequence of Gunsmoke, one of the longest running television shows ever produced. Notice how the street’s full of activity. Well I’ve got news for you. What you think you see in this picture and what you thought you saw on television probably ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Stewarship As ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 23, 2008

STEWARSHIP AS CHARACTER Enter stage right: Ed McMahon and Evander Holyfield. Ed said, "When you spend more than you make, you know what happens." Yes, and a 85-year-old man should know better! He said it was "poor planning." NO, I THINK IT WAS HIGH LIVING! He was living high in a multi-million ...read more

Tags: Money

Tis The Season For ...

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

‘Tis the Season for Praise Psalm 118:1-4 says, “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good… Let Israel say… Let the house of Aaron say… Let those who fear the LORD say: ‘His love endures forever.’” The writer of this psalm is very careful to give recognition to the Lord and it is right that the whole ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 118:1-4

Tags: Thanksgiving Holiday

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

What Does God's Voice Sound Like?  PRO

Contributed by Anne Benefield on Feb 4, 2009

WHAT DOES GOD'S VOICE SOUND LIKE? Erwin McManus, a pastor in Los Angeles, tells a great story about recognizing God's voice. My son, Aaron, was five or six when he began asking me, "What does God's voice sound like?" I didn't know how to answer. A few years later, Aaron went off to his first ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 3:1-21

Tags: Hard Heart, Dealing With Conflicts

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Man Learns To Forgive His ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 14, 2009

Man Learns to Forgive His Enemy The apostle Paul said, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32). We don’t serve in order to merit God’s forgiveness. We serve because we have already received God’s forgiveness. And our service is ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:32

Tags: Forgiveness, Forgiveness For Others

Opening Thought Of Where This Sermon Idea ...

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Mar 15, 2010

Opening thought of where this sermon idea originated: I was sitting in a local coffee shop reading my daily devotional when I overheard three older ladies discussing their children. The one lady was upset that her granddaughter was moving in with another young man and not even contemplating ...read more

Tags: Sin General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Thought Control.  PRO

Contributed by Andrew Moffatt on Jun 2, 2010

Thought Control. What thought? Every thought. The one I have about the Ford Mark One Zephyr that I would like to one day own, the one about how angry I get with repeating a request that someone shuts the door behind them, the thought about how I’d like that last slice of chocolate cake that is for ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 10:5

Tags: Temptation General

Denomination: Salvation Army

The Persuasion Of A Changed Life

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 18, 2011

THE PERSUASION OF A CHANGED LIFE The power of your changed life can be very persuasive even to those who refuse to be persuaded by the word itself. Just a few years ago, Decision magazine told the story of Rick and Shawna Pilat, a Winnipeg couple who had recently come to faith in Christ. For ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:1-2

Tags: Character

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