In Sermon Illustrations: "Friend Of God"

The Danger Of Decoys...

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Oct 17, 2018

Ever watch duck hunting on TV? Good duck hunters have DECOYS that look so real, they move to imitate real ducks, they make real quacking sounds like ducks, and real ducks are SLICKED INTO THE BELIEF THAT THOSE DECOY DUCKS ARE REAL DUCKS. DOUBT BECOMES A REALLY GOOD DECOY AWAY FROM ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16

Tags: Doubt, Decoy

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Meekness......don't Leave Home Without It.

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 15, 2020

William Barclay gives an extra "amplified" translation of Matthew 5:5: "Blessed are the Meek". "Oh, the bliss of the man who is always angry at the RIGHT TIME and never angry at the wrong time, who has every instinct, every impulse, and every passion under control because ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-12

Tags: Strength, Meekness, Weakness, Beatitudes, Gentleness, The Blessed Man  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Conviction Of Sin

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Aug 28, 2023

“The new believer will often rest for days or months in the peace which follows the initial decision, but after a while they begin to become aware of “the ground of their heart, which God before would not disclose unto them lest the soul should fail before Him, and the spirit which He had made. Now ...read more

Scripture: Luke 5:8, Luke 5:27, Luke 19:8, Matthew 8:8

Tags: Conversion, Repentance, Conviction

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Don't Sit On Me, Lord!  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Feb 24, 2005

"DON'T SIT ON ME, LORD!" Romans 6:8-14 Key verse(s): 6: "For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the bod of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin...” There are many things that a dog does not like. Chief among them for many dogs is the ...read more

Scripture: Romans 6:8-14

Tags: Disciplines, Holiness, Holy Spirit Attributes, Growth, Sanctification  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Lutheran

Nobody Ever Tells Me That!" Ezra 5:1-2 Key ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on May 5, 2005

“Nobody Ever Tells Me That!” Ezra 5:1-2 Key verse(s) 2b:“And the prophets of God were with them, helping them!” When was the last time that you went out of your way to encourage someone? I’m not talking about the little remark or that wink of an eye. While these things encourage, they are ...read more

Scripture: Ezra 5:1-2

Tags: Christian Love

Denomination: Lutheran

Faith To Hear The Silent ...

Contributed by Bradley Berglund on Feb 4, 2009

Faith to Hear the Silent Notes for Conversations in the Marketplace by Pastor Brad Berglund (First Baptist Church) Feb 6, 2009 At a recent prayer meeting, I was told of a young pianist who is working on a doctor’s degree in performance. According to his professor, the young man has abilities ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 11:1-6

Tags: Evangelism Urgency

Denomination: Baptist

Faith To Play The Silent Notes  PRO

Contributed by Bradley Berglund on Feb 14, 2009

FAITH TO PLAY THE SILENT NOTES by Pastor Brad Berglund (First Baptist Church) Feb 6, 2009 At a recent prayer meeting, I was told of a young pianist who is working on a doctor’s degree in performance. According to his professor, the young man has abilities that leave his peers far behind. To the ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 11:1-6

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Baptist

Relentless For Justice  PRO

Contributed by Bishop Johnathan Hester on Sep 21, 2009

Relentless for Justice IN the parable of the widow and the unjust judge, we meet an extraordinary woman who refuses to accept her fate. She voices opposition to injustice without relenting. As a result of her persistence, even the unjust judge is prompted to act. If even an unjust judge can be ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:1-8, Luke 18:7-8

Tags: Assurance Of Salvation

Denomination: Apostolic

Al Was My Father-In-Law. He Was An Uncomplicated ...

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Feb 7, 2012

Al was my father-in-law. He was an uncomplicated man, easy to like. He was a natural athlete and avid outdoorsman who loved to hunt and fish. When he had a daughter (his first grandchild; my wife has no siblings) we didn’t realize how excited Al was about the prospect of taking her to the Great ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Tags: Evangelism, Love, Parents, Aging, Christian Love, Evangelism Urgency  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Unsung Heroes: The Shepherds Of Bethlehem

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Dec 14, 2020

Introduction: the Christmas story, the birth of Jesus Christ into this world, is one of the most beautiful ever told. Many believers and others are more or less familiar with Mary and Joseph traveling from Nazareth to Bethlehem, and how Jesus was born in an inn and laid in a manger because there ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:8-20

Tags: Mary, Birth Of Jesus, Shepherds, Unsung Heroes

Denomination: Baptist

Unsung Heroines-The Women Who Prepared Materials For The Tabernacle

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Jun 1, 2022

Introduction: The Tabernacle. For the first time in history, the God of Heaven agreed to dwell in one location with His special people, Israel. Sometimes it’s easy to get lost in the details of the construction, the listed steps and instructions, and other things but it’s important to remember: ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 35:20-29

Tags: Tabernacle, Offerings, Unsung Heroines

Denomination: Baptist

[090]. Poem Message – Specific – For Elderly Christians - The Three Ds

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Apr 25, 2025

[090]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – SPECIFIC – FOR ELDERLY CHRISTIANS - THE THREE Ds We come to the last poem in the 9 Part trilogy, and it is in the section SPECIFIC, addressed to Elderly Christians. Older Christians are the workhorse in the Church, plodding along for decades bearing the load. In ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:38-39, Romans 6:8-9, Romans 5:5, 1 Peter 2:6, James 1:5-6  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: The Door To Heaven, Old Age, Regret, Doubts, Elderly Christians, Poems, Old Christians, Faith, Death, Heaven, Elderly, Disappointment, Poetry  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[261]. A Message From A Poem – The Devil Snake

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 10, 2026

[261]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THE DEVIL SNAKE Most people hate snakes. They run from them and scream out. Snakes are evil creatures but their cunning is well know. I have a love hate relationship with snakes. I think they are beautifully created which does not surprise me because Lucifer ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 11:8-9, 2 Corinthians 11:3, Revelation 12:9, Genesis 3:14-15, Genesis 3:1  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Bruise On The Heel, Bruise The Head, Western Brown Snake, Cunning, The Devil, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, Cunning Snakes, Satan Is The Serpent, Serpent, Snake  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[278]. A Message From A Poem – The Light Of The World

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 25, 2026

[278]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD This was a poem written before I really started writing poems seriously. Part of the idea was to write a hymn and some tunes will fit its 8-8-8-8 metre. The title, “The Light of the World” was to cover several aspects suggested to me by ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 4:3, Matthew 17:1-3, Luke 24:47, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

Tags: Brilliance Of The Lord, The Brightest Star, Nasa Christian Poems, Forgiveness Of Sins, The Light Of The World, Pure Light, Hubble Telescope, Christian Poetry, The Transfiguration, Light, Shining Face, The Rapture  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Of A Famous Person Being Filled And ...

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Aug 8, 2012

Illustration of a famous person being filled and empowered with the Holy Spirit from Evangelist John Rice's book called, How Great Soul Winners Were Filled with the Holy Spirit published in 1949. He wrote this book to show how its the Holy Spirit's power which empowered the great men of faith of ...read more

Tags: Holy Spirit In Believers

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Blood And Water  PRO

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Mar 24, 2013

THE BLOOD AND WATER Before I became a minister I attended a secular college for a couple of years. While I was there I took several classes I thought would help me when I went to Bible college, and some of those classes were in Philosophy. Now Philosophy and Christianity are somewhat at odds. ...read more

Tags: Blood Of Christ

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

[260]. A Message From A Poem – The Constant Tramp Of Feet Is Reality

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 8, 2026

[260]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THE CONSTANT TRAMP OF FEET IS REALITY This poem is an emotive one. Have you ever waited for the coming of a cyclone, a typhoon or hurricane? You know how some people become anxious as the system approaches. Many start to fear. People feel they are trapped. In ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 6:5, Matthew 19:3-4, 2 Timothy 3:1-2, Matthew 24:37

Tags: Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, Tramp Of Feet, Hurricanes, Socialist Order, Climate Change, Male And Female, The Rapture, George Orwell, Coming Judgment, Advancing, Creation, Evil, Transsexual, Days Of Noah  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[327]. Poem - Victory Through Sorrow’s Deep Sea – Easter Poem – Part 2

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 27, 2026

[327]. POEM - VICTORY THROUGH SORROW’S DEEP SEA – EASTER POEM – PART 2 SPECIAL NOTE – This poem is too long for SermonCentral’s limited space for Sermon Illustrations, so I have had to cut it in half but don’t really want to do that. THIS IS PART 2. The events are in consecutive order so ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 22:13-16, Psalm 69:14-15, Isaiah 53:6-7

Tags: Easter, Suffering, Victory, Gethsemane, Sorrow, Calvary, The Cross, Golgotha, Man Of Sorrows, Jesus Before Pilate, The Crucifixion, Easter Message, Christian Poems, Poem For Easter, Jesus Dies For Sins, The Lamb On The Cross  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Here Are Words To A Hymn From The Tune Of 'o ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Miller on Dec 13, 2005

Here are words to a hymn from the tune of ’O Little Town of Bethlehem.’ It was sung after a Narnia message titled, "What If There Were No Christmas?" O Wintry Land of Narnia O wintry land of Narnia what mysteries do you hold? Despite the threats of the white witch, Good News is to unfold! ‘Cause ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: United Methodist

Phil Connors Is A Self-Centered Weather Reporter ...

Contributed by Timothy Smith on May 9, 2006

Phil Connors is a self-centered weather reporter who is experiencing one heck of a day. In fact, he’s reliving this one day over and over again, the same day repeating itself it’s - Groundhog day. Every day is exactly the same in the way it unfolds. Phil knows everything that’s going to happen ...read more

Tags: Emotions

Denomination: Christian Church