In Sermon Illustrations: "Fun And Games"

Christmas Is More Than Jingle, Jingle

Contributed by James Snyder on Dec 12, 2020

I have been trying lately to remember my first Christmas. I know my memory isn't perfect, but I thought maybe I could bring up some old memories of my first Christmas. Unfortunately, I couldn't think of a thing about that first Christmas of mine. Of course, it might be that I was only five ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:6-7

Tags: Christmas, Holiday

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Another Christmas Tree In The Bag

Contributed by James Snyder on Dec 26, 2020

It's hard to believe, but another Christmas has come and gone. It comes so slow but leaves so fast. I guess I'll never understand that. This Christmas was probably the most unusual that I have ever experienced. When I was young, I remember those first Christmases; they were so slow in ...read more

Scripture: Acts 20:35

Tags: Christmas, Humore

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

If It Was Up To Me

Contributed by James Snyder on Feb 13, 2021

Fifty years ago, I was a teenager. Boy, do I miss those Days of Yore. It's not that I would like to relive them, but I was a much different person back then. As a teenager, I knew everything, and all you had to do was ask me. Even if you didn't ask me, I still would tell you what was on my ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 10:19

Tags: Wisdom, News, Politics

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

New Normal: If It's Free, It Ain't For Me

Contributed by James Snyder on Mar 13, 2021

Once when I wore a younger man's suit I would take anything free. I assumed it was my right to get something free. Then I had a conversation with my grandfather. If anybody knew how to squeeze a buffalo out of a nickel, it was my grandfather. But you couldn’t trick him by offering him ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 7:1

Tags: Free, Scam

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

It’s My Tongue I’ll Wag It If I Want To

Contributed by James Snyder on May 29, 2021

Like everybody else, I have my share of trouble. It’s not that I want to get into trouble, but trouble always seems to be somewhere near where I am at the time. I regret that time when I was first introduced to trouble. Some trouble I can't prevent. It just happens, and no matter what I do, ...read more

Scripture: James 3:5

Tags: Tongue, Trouble

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

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

What’s A Whopper Got To Do With Anything

Contributed by James Snyder on Jun 10, 2023

After my heart attack, The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage enacted a dietary regimen in accordance with improving my health. The theme of this dietary regimen is vegetables, vegetables, vegetables. I did not know there were so many vegetables in the entire world. Her primary vegetable, much to ...read more

Scripture: James 1:2-3

Tags: Diet, Patience

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

So This Is Old Age

Contributed by James Snyder on Jul 29, 2023

Dr. James L. Snyder The other morning I got up; at least, I tried to get up, but the bones in every part of my body had organized a labor strike against me. I’m not quite sure what they were protesting. As I lay there groaning over these bones, I did not realize how many bones I had in my body. ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 32:3

Tags: Age, Bones

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Oh, Memory, How I Miss Thee

Contributed by James Snyder on Sep 16, 2023

Dr. James L. Snyder Driving home from a luncheon with friends, The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage asked me a stunning question. She is a specialist regarding questions I can’t answer. I am trying to evade her questions and have been very good up until now. “Did that story you told really ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 10:6-7, 1 Peter 3:10-11

Tags: Memory, Lying

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Where Did The Summer Go?

Contributed by James Snyder on Oct 14, 2023

This past week started out as the best week of the whole year. At least, I thought so at the time. I finished my book manuscript and sent it to the publisher. I caught up with some other projects that were lagging. And I had time to balance my checkbook. What could be better than that? The ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 118:24

Tags: Summer, Time

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

So What If I’m Crazy?

Contributed by James Snyder on Aug 17, 2024

The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage and her wonderful husband are celebrating 53 years of marital bliss this year. What an accomplishment! It doesn’t seem possible that we have been married 53 years. After all, we don’t look that old! At least she doesn’t. It’s amazing how time flies; if ...read more

Scripture: Amos 3:3

Tags: Unity, Relationships, Crazy

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

The Event Occurred Back In The Early 60's When ...  PRO

Contributed by Steven Pace on Apr 11, 2002

The event occurred back in the early 60’s when Abortion was not a legal option. She was a young High School student. She met a boy that was everything that she dreamed of. She allowed him to have his way with her and she became pregnant. He told her that he had no desire to marry her and was going ...read more

Tags: Abortion

Denomination: Baptist

Only A Few Days Ago I Saw A Video Of The Bradford ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Holdcroft on Nov 8, 2003

Only a few days ago I saw a video of the Bradford City fire disaster, as part of a fire training exercise at work. I was eight years old when it happened, and had heard about it, but I had never seen the footage, that was captured live, by a shocked camera crew who just kept filming. On Saturday ...read more

Tags: Knowing God's Will, Doing God's Will

Denomination: Pentecostal

Purpose In Your Heart

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 9, 2009

PURPOSE IN YOUR HEART Wilma was born prematurely. This produced complications that resulted in her contracting double pneumonia (twice) and scarlet fever. But the worst was a bout with polio which left her with a crooked left leg and a foot twisted inward. Metal leg braces, stares from ...read more

Tags: Perseverance, Endurance

Faith

Contributed by John Hardwick on Aug 1, 2015

Faith, as a mustard seed, is when it’s raining enough to need the windshield wipers once a minute, but not enough to set it on auto. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16

Tags: Faith, Amazing Love

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Gethsemane

Contributed by Sam Mccormick on Aug 12, 2017

Several years ago, I began to reflect on the happenings at Gethsemane. It started when I saw some movie in which an actor did an okay job of portraying Jesus, except that he failed abysmally in his attempt to show what I think Jesus' agony at Gethsemane must have been really like. I realized that ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 26:36-46, Mark 14:32-42, Luke 22:39-46, 2 Corinthians 5:21

Tags: Agony, Sweat, Pass, Thy Will Be Done, Your Will Be Done, Garden, Gethsemane, Cup  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

In August Of 1983, I Started My Sophomore Year ...  PRO

Contributed by John Harvey on Apr 28, 2004

In August of 1983, I started my sophomore year in high school. At that time I made the conscious decision not to be the good little girl anymore. I had a crush on someone I had known for the past 3 years and I was going to date him. Well, not only did he become my boyfriend, before long he had ...read more

Tags: God's Forgiveness, God's Provision

Denomination: Baptist

We See Things Every Day; From The Moment We Open ...

Contributed by Tyler Edwards on Apr 29, 2009

We see things every day; from the moment we open our eyes in the morning to the second we close them to sleep at night we are seeing things. Every day you wake up, you open your eyes and you see. You see using light. Light enables you to see the shoe that was left haphazardly on the floor before ...read more

Tags: Light, Truth

Denomination: *other

We Never Thought We Were Poor

Contributed by Tim Smith on Mar 17, 2011

WE NEVER THOUGHT WE WERE POOR Eddie Ogan
writes: I’ll never forget Christmas 1946. I was 14, my little sister Ocy was 12 and my older sister Darlene was 16. We lived at home with our mother, and the four of us knew what it was to do without many things. My dad had died five years before, ...read more

Tags: Giving General

Denomination: Methodist

Finishing Well

Contributed by Tim Smith on Aug 13, 2017

John Baker was too short and too slight to be a runner for his high school track team but he loved to run. His best friend was tall and lanky and had the perfect build to be a runner but wanted nothing to do with the sport. So John went to the track coach to convince him to let John on the team ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:24

Tags: Finish, Running The Race, Overcoming, Ending Well

Denomination: Methodist