In Sermon Illustrations: "Genesis 1 4 1"

The One Who Takes The Son Recieves Everything

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Nov 19, 2025

The story is told ... Years ago, ... there was a very wealthy man who, ... with his devoted young son, ... shared a passion ... for collecting fine art. Together ... they traveled around the world, ... adding only the finest art treasures ... to their collection. Priceless works ... by Picasso, ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 5:11-12

Tags: Father, Jesus, Son, Everything

Denomination: Anglican

Can You Eat Too Many Cookies At Christmas?

Contributed by James Snyder on Dec 27, 2025

Can You Eat Too Many Cookies at Christmas? Dr. James L. Snyder Christmas was over, and the house began to quiet down in a good way. Don’t get me wrong, I love the noise when all the family is together. It is a good feeling to be with your family during this wonderful holiday season. I love the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Chronicles 16:8-10

Tags: Cookies, Christmas

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

The Vicar And The Organist

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Jan 12, 2026

Conflicts are not uncommon, but when the Vicar and Organist get into it, stand aside. One week, the Vicar preached on commitment, and how we should move forward into doing service for others. After this sermon, the Organist led the congregation in singing, "I Shall Not Be Moved." The ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 2:1-4

Tags: Organist, Vicar

Denomination: Anglican

Singer Or Dancer

Contributed by David Dunn on Jan 22, 2026

A lonely man longed for companionship without responsibility. He wanted something warm to welcome him home after work—no drama, no noise, no emotional complexity. “I have just the thing,” the pet shop owner said. “A canary. Sings all evening.” The man brought it home, thrilled. The music was ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 16:7

Tags: Calling, Discernment

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

It’s Not A Mess, It’s My Creative Décor

Contributed by James Snyder on Jan 24, 2026

The greatest joy I have every morning is not only getting up but also stepping in my office. I step inside, pause for a moment, and look around at all the books on my shelves. I have almost 10,000 books. And yes, I read every one of them. Well, except for commentaries and dictionaries. I love ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:58

Tags: Mess, Organize

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

The Plight Of The Caterpillar

Contributed by Sylvester Fergusson on Feb 22, 2026

It is hopeless, cried the caterpillar, I will never be able to soar like that he said, as he admired the beautiful butterfly which gently fluttered it wings and took off. How beautiful it appeared. What a boring branch-crawling worm I am he lamented. My only purpose is bird food. If only the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 2:9

Tags: Transformation, Patience

Denomination: Adventist

Becoming An Olympic Athlete

Contributed by Alan Perkins on Mar 4, 2026

We have to do something in order grow spiritually. What is it that we have to do? Over the past few weeks, our television screens were filled with images of the Winter Olympics in Italy. For example, you may have watched: • Luge, where they speed down an icy track at 80-90 miles an hour on what ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:24

Tags: Discipline, Spiritual Disciplines, Spiritual Growth

Denomination: Baptist

Making Up The Story

Contributed by Austin W. Duncan on Apr 17, 2026

There's a famous photograph called "Grace." An old man at a simple table, head bowed, hands folded over a loaf of bread and an open book. Most people have seen it. Before I ever learned the actual story behind it, I made up my own. In my version, the man is newly retired. His kids ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 11:17-20

Tags: Communion, Missing The Point

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Sending The Juice First

Contributed by Austin W. Duncan on Apr 17, 2026

My dad was on the communion team at our church growing up. We passed the elements down the pews, one plate at a time. The team would bring them to the end of each row and people would pass them along. Well, one Sunday my dad accidentally sent the juice down the pew first. So the people grabbed the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 11:23-25

Tags: Communion, Worship

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Fishers Of Men

Contributed by Rick Palmer on Oct 15, 2018

While fishing in the dark in a very deep canyon can present very obvious problems it can produce some unexpected experiences as well. It was a warm summer night about 2:00 AM, dark would be an understatement as the moon was nonexistent at least in the bottom of our canyon. Trout was ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 4:19, 1 Corinthians 2:2-5, 1 Corinthians 2:9-14, John 16:8

Tags: Spirit Of Truth, Gospel Presentation, Filled With The Spirit, Evangelism, Judgement, Holy Spirit, Sin, Gospel, Righteousness  (view more)  (view less)

Not Enough Scriptures

Contributed by Ron Freeman, Evangelist on Sep 23, 2019

I and several other preaching students were permitted to visit Brother G. E. Steward, a masterful preacher of the gospel, who was holding a gospel meeting in Houston, TX, in the summer of 1972. We were permitted to bring lessons at that meeting. He was following Brother Keeble’s manner of ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 4:10-11, Hebrews 4:12

Tags: Faith, Disciples, Word Of God, Sound Doctrine, Masterful Preacher, Gospel Meeting, Training Preachers, Scriptures, Power In The Word, Sermon Delivery, Marshall Keeble, Power In Preaching, G E Steward  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

[251]. A Message From A Poem – That Coffin Is Not Me

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 2, 2026

[251]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THAT COFFIN IS NOT ME This is a special poem and unusual for my style. It is full of meaning, very serious meaning. It is me telling my story (as if I had died). Some may find the subject strange; others may not want to think about such things. The point is, we ...read more

Scripture: John 10:9-10, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, 2 Corinthians 5:6-8, Hebrews 9:27, Genesis 2:17  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Funeral Service, Absent From The Body, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, Repent And Be Saved, Christian Burial, Death, Heaven, Alive, Dead, Coffin, Christian Funeral, Hell  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Things You Do When You Are Obsessed With Prophecy!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Nov 30, 2023

Things you do when you are obsessed with biblical prophecy: 1. You always leave the top down on your convertible in case the Rapture happens while you are driving! 2. You never buy green bananas. 3. Bar code scanners make you nervous. 4. You refuse a tax refund check because the amount comes ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:12-18, John 14:1-6

Tags: Return Of Christ, Prophecy, Second Coming, Antichrist, Parousia, Rapture, Tribulation, Revelation, End Times  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Power Of Unity

Contributed by Shawn Miller on Jun 2, 2016

In one of Aesops fables he describes an old man who had several sons, who were always falling out with one another. He had often, but to no purpose, exhorted them to live together in harmony. One day he called them together, and he gathered a bundle of sticks and tied them together and asked each ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 4:12, 1 Corinthians 1:10-11

Tags: Harmony, Church Community, E, Unity, Christian Unity  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Stuck In A Rut

Contributed by David Dunn on Nov 14, 2025

The U.S. standard railroad gauge—the width between the rails—is 4 feet, 8 ½ inches. Strange number, isn’t it? You’d think something so crucial would be more logical. So why that width? Because American railroads were built by British expatriates, and that’s how they did it in England. Why ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:2, 1 Peter 1:18-19

Tags: Tradition, Transformation

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Parallels Between Isaac And Jesus

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 19, 2014

PARALLELS BETWEEN ISAAC AND JESUS There is no clearer picture of the Cross and the sacrifice the Father made for us in Christ than Genesis chapter 22. Notice the powerful parallels between Isaac and Christ. Isaac is one of the clearest types of Christ in the Old Testament. 1.Both fulfilled ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 22:1-14, Romans 5:8, John 3:16, 2 Corinthians 5:21

Tags: Typology, Christ, Salvation, Gospel, Cross, Isaac  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Factor In Fallenness

Contributed by John Bright on Mar 1, 2025

A few years ago, our congregation joined with many churches in the area praying for a 6-year-old boy with extremely aggressive form of brain cancer. Of course, we prayed for a full healing so that the boy could have a long life. He died within 6 months. His parents grew in their faith of a God ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 23:4, 1 Peter 3:17

Tags: Healing, Prayer, Suffering, Fallenness

Denomination: Methodist

Marathon Finishers

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 11, 2011

MARATHON FINISHERS Charlie Engle, Ray Zahab, and Kevin Lin know endurance better than most. For 111 days, they ran the equivalent of two marathons a day in order to cross the entire Sahara Desert on foot. They touched the waters at Senegal and then made their way through Mauritania, Mali, Niger, ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 4:14-21, Psalm 42:1-11

Tags: Discipleship

There Is An Old Story About A Lighthouse Keeper ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 25, 2001

"There is an old story about a lighthouse keeper who worked on a rocky stretch of coastline. Once a month he would receive a new supply of oil to keep the light burning so that ships could safely sail near the rocky coast. One night, though, a woman from a nearby village came and begged him for ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 17:1-7, 1 Kings 17:8-16, Matthew 25:1-13

Tags: Excuses, Responsibility, Integrity

Opening Illustration… Mother’s Day ...  PRO

Contributed by Troy Borst on May 10, 2001

OPENING ILLUSTRATION… Mother’s Day Background, Pulpit Helps 1991 It was a woman named Anna M. Jarvis who first suggested the national observance of an annual day honoring all mothers because she had loved her own mother so dearly. At a memorial service for her mother on May 10, 1908, Miss Jarvis ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 3:16-27, 1 Samuel 1:10-28, Luke 2:33-35

Tags: Origin, Mother's Day, Mothers, History

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ