In Sermon Illustrations: "Fire Of God"

Eating Healthy Is For Sissies

Contributed by James Snyder on Nov 27, 2021

As a youngster, I often heard my father say things that later turned out not to be on the true side of the table. So I guess that is a father's prerogative, and I probably have done the same thing many times. But I don’t want to research that aspect of my life right now. One that he said quite ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:13

Tags: Diet, Health

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Splish Splash, I Forgot To Take A Bath

Contributed by James Snyder on Jan 8, 2022

If you had the opportunity to speak to the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage, she would probably tell you that one of my strengths is forgetting. I'm not sure how far into the subject she would get. When it comes to forgetting, I am outstanding on the back lawn, and my expertise in this area ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 103:2

Tags: Memory, Forgetting

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Laughter Is Not For Sissies

Contributed by James Snyder on Mar 12, 2022

Since birth, I have been infected with a Laughter-Virus. I’m not sure which side of the family it came from, or it could’ve come from both sides. But the least little thing will make me laugh. Sometimes I have a hard time stopping laughing. I have yet to find a mask big enough to cover my face ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 126:2

Tags: Virus, Laughter

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

It’s All In The Script

Contributed by James Snyder on May 14, 2022

Everybody is concerned about details in various aspects of life. I like overseeing the details of my life to make sure I'm going in the right direction. I'm not always going in the right direction, as you can imagine. However, everybody's idea of detail management is not always the ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 1:5

Tags: Script, Commercials

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Unsung Heroines-Rizpah

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Jun 3, 2022

Introduction: Rizpah is only mentioned in a couple of places in the Bible. We don’t know much about her aside from this tremendous act of love she demonstrated in this story. Text: 2 Samuel 21:8-11, KJV: 8 But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bare unto Saul, ...read more

Scripture: 2 Samuel 21:8-11

Tags: Famine, Gibeonites, Rizpah, Unsung Heroines

Denomination: Baptist

Where Is The Gracious Mistress Of The Parsonage?

Contributed by James Snyder on Jan 7, 2023

Our family's Christmas this year was the best one yet. But, of course, The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage says that every year. I completely agree with her this year. Our great-granddaughter served as the focal point of our Christmas this year. She assumed that position because she was ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 17:6

Tags: Christmas, Children, Family, Grandparents

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Ugly Isn’t For Sissies

Contributed by James Snyder on Feb 4, 2023

Over the years of marital bliss, we’ve not had many disagreements. She likes broccoli. I like Apple Fritters. We’ve never been able to come to any agreement with that. But, outside of that, everything has been rather smooth. There’s one controversy that has plagued our house for the last few ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 16:7

Tags: Appearance, Mirror

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

It’s Not A Mess Unless I Do It

Contributed by James Snyder on May 2, 2023

When it comes to words, everybody has their own definition. Someone says one word and another person thinks it's altogether something else. For example, when someone says vegetable, The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage thinks broccoli. On the other side of the dinner table, I think carrot ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 119:11

Tags: Words, Mess, Organize

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Why Do Some Cute Babies Grow Up Ugly

Contributed by James Snyder on Sep 9, 2023

Our second great grand baby was born at the end of last year. Since then, it has been a delight to watch her grow. I will not say she is the cutest baby in the world, but I haven't met any cuter. She was born cute, and I'm not sure what part of the family she got that. Sometimes, when ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 46:4

Tags: Age, Cute, Ugly

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Do I Need A New Mask For Halloween?

Contributed by James Snyder on Oct 28, 2023

The older I get, the less patience I have for holidays. I certainly am not a holiday guru in any sense of the word. When I was younger, my favorite holiday was Christmas because of all the presents I got. I could never get enough gifts for Christmas. When I got older, got married and had ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 95:2

Tags: Halloween, Masks

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Ding-A-Ling There Goes Spring

Contributed by James Snyder on Jul 20, 2024

In my life, time has a way of getting out of control. If I could control time, I would be a very happy dude. My one question in life is, where does time go? And, can I retrieve it? The other night, The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage and I sat in the living room watching a little TV. I then ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 31:14-15

Tags: Spring, Heat

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

You Break It, You Fix It

Contributed by James Snyder on Oct 19, 2024

Every once in a while, I hear or see something that reminds me of my father. He’s been gone for over 15 years, but his memory is still fresh in my mind. His most famous saying, that I remember, was, “It’s better to ask for forgiveness than for permission.” He lived that to the very end of his ...read more

Scripture: James 1:5-6

Tags: Wisdom, Fixing

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Heat Is Not Just A Number, It’s An Attitude

Contributed by James Snyder on Jun 28, 2025

Dr. James L. Snyder Lately, the temperature in Florida has topped 100°. I saw on the news that the Northeast is also hitting 100°. It's easy to see why everyone wants to come to Florida. If they can't, they wish for some of our heat. Well, good luck with that. We’ll send you all ...read more

Scripture: James 1:2-4

Tags: Heat, Sun, Cold, Attitude

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

[211]. A Message From A Poem – Panoramic View From The Pinnacle (Part 1)

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Sep 24, 2025

[211]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – PANORAMIC VIEW FROM THE PINNACLE (PART 1) NOTE: When I went to post this it could not be sent because it said the whole thing was too long. Therefore I had to split it into two Parts.. This is Part 1 and Part 2 will follow after this. This is a longer poem. ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 16:9, Hebrews 4:13

Tags: Wickedness, Delusion, Reprobate, Tech Companies, Faith Way, World System, Humanism, Allegory, Images, Reprobates, Christian Poems, Pinnacle Of A Rock  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Boy, Oh Boy, What A Day It Was

Contributed by James Snyder on Sep 27, 2025

Dr. James L. Snyder Throughout my years, I have had many crazy days. I guess it's crazy days that develop character. If so, I have a lot of character. I never had a day quite like last week. Everything seemed to go wrong for me. When we got up, our electricity was off. It had been off for ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:13

Tags: Accident, Scam

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

If She Cannot Fix It, It’s Not Broken

Contributed by James Snyder on Oct 4, 2025

Life has its many ups and downs. There are some weeks when there are more downs than ups. But if I didn’t have a down, I probably wouldn’t appreciate an up. This past week was one of those down weeks. One day, we lost our electricity for maybe six hours, my printer died on me and some scammer ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 147:3

Tags: Frustration, Fixing

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Truth Is As The Truther Says

Contributed by James Snyder on Nov 8, 2025

One thing I have learned in life is that for many people, truth is a relative thing. The truth is what they say it is, and you can't convince them otherwise. I wrestle with telling the truth all the time. If you tell the truth, you do not have to remember what happened. But when you lie, you ...read more

Scripture: John 8:31-32

Tags: Family, Truth, Lies

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Why Are Flies So Attracted To My Nose?

Contributed by James Snyder on Dec 6, 2025

Throughout my life, I have dealt with many "pesky" things that provoke the dickens out of me. I sure do miss those "dickens.” When I think I've got one pesky thing under control, another comes along. I've had so many "pesky" things, but I'm still not a master ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:6-7

Tags: Flies, Aggravation

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

The Echo  PRO

Contributed by Anne Grant on Oct 22, 2001

I read a true story written by Louis Mayer from his childhood in New Brunswick, Canada. He had gotten into a fight at school when he was quite a small boy, And he was feeling bitter, filled with resentment And a desire for revenge. His body hurt, but his mind hurt more. And when he got home, ...read more

Tags: Christian Love

Denomination: Methodist

A Wonderful, Imaginative Short Story By Nathaniel ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 24, 2002

A wonderful, imaginative short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne illustrates the necessity of having the right focus. It is entitled “The Great Stone Face.” The tale centers around a man named Ernest who grew up in a village renowned for a natural wonder that rested just outside its boundaries. ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 11:16-23

Tags: Humor, Mother's Day, Story, Devotional