In Sermon Illustrations: "God Brings Purpose"

Be Holy?

Contributed by John Kilough on Apr 24, 2014

"Be holy, for I am holy." For most people this can be a very intimidating statement. The Lord God says, "Be holy, for I am holy." The issue with that is, well God is God and I am not. It is easy for Him to say be holy, but I just have way too many faults. However, we love the Lord and we are ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:16

Tags: Holiness, God's Commandments

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Beholding The Night Sky

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Jan 2, 2015

When our daughter was in Junior High School, she made friends with a group of girls from Olney, Texas, a community about forty minutes to the south of us. And they invited her to a function their school was having on a certain Friday night. So, I drove her over, and, when the time came, I went ...read more

Scripture: Romans 1:18-23

Tags: Creation, Doctrine Of God

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

I Was Talking To A Young Man Just A Few Days ...

Contributed by Fred Parker on Jan 27, 2015

I was talking to a young man just a few days ago about our greatest gift. He guessed several different things such as health, strength, possessions (Cars, houses, plenty of money) and each time he would give me an answer I would tell him, “No.” He said, “If I only had plenty of money everything ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:16

Tags: Gifts Of God, Greatest

Denomination: Pentecostal

The Power Of Silence

Contributed by Michael Deutsch on Jun 4, 2016

They say silence is golden – but is it possible that too much silence is not such a good thing? There’s a room in the United States that’s so quiet it becomes unbearable after a short time. The longest anyone has survived in the ‘anechoic chamber’ at Orfield Laboratories in South Minneapolis is ...read more

Scripture: John 10:4-5

Tags: Silence, Listening To God

Denomination: Baptist

Is There A Limit To My Power?

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Apr 19, 2018

Mark Batterson in his book "The Circle Maker" asks a very provocative question based upon a question that God asks Moses; "Is there a limit to my power?" (Numbers 11:23) GNT. "Are your problems bigger than God, or is God bigger than your problems? Our biggest problem is our small view of God. ...read more

Tags: Prayer, Omnipotent God

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

It’s Closer Than I Thought!

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Feb 7, 2020

My wife and her parents used a certain brand of ketchup for many things over a long period of time. They hadn’t had any of it, though, in maybe 30 years or so. They believed this brand wasn’t available, locally, so they never got around to finding any more of it. Now, I grew up in a different part ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:3, 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Tags: God's Will, Discovery, Sharing

Denomination: Baptist

They Took It Away!

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Mar 3, 2020

My parents used to operate a true “Mom and Pop” grocery store before I started school. I still remember some of the good times—and some of the bad times, too, unfortunately—from those days gone by. Some of the items they had for sale were plastic models. These were mostly Revell, Lindberg, or ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 3:22, 1 John 5:18

Tags: The Will Of God, Take It Or Leave It

Denomination: Baptist

Obedience

Contributed by Anitha Jabastion on Jan 2, 2021

There was a boy who went trekking on the mountain. He reached a great height when he realized that it was getting dark and he had to reach the bottom soon. He began climbing down. It was getting darker and darker, so dark that he could barely see. He was somehow managing to get down the mountain ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 15:22

Tags: Obedience, Listening To God

Bless Assurance: Fanny Crosby

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Jan 16, 2021

ASSURANCE: free from doubt, a positive declaration intended to give confidence, a sure promise, in a religious sitting it means salvation by the inner witness of the Holy Spirit that we are justified. No harm will come, with great faith. FANNY JANE CROSBY was born in 1820 and died in 1915 at the ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16, John 14:27, John 14:1-3

Tags: Assurance, God Can

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Old Bible

Contributed by John Bright on Jan 17, 2021

A collector of rare books ran into an acquaintance who told him he had just thrown away an old Bible that he found in a dusty, old box. He happened to mention that Guten-somebody-or-other had printed it. "Not Gutenberg?" gasped the collector. "Yes, that was it!" "You ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 4:12

Tags: Word Of God, Bible

Denomination: Methodist

Where Can I Find Joy In Life?

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 31, 2022

People have pursued joy in every avenue imaginable. Some have successfully found it while others have not. Perhaps it would be easier to describe where joy cannot be found: • Not in Unbelief — Voltaire was an infidel of the most pronounced type. He wrote: “I wish I had never been born… (and at his ...read more

Tags: Joy, Trusting God

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Abraham Lincoln Personified This Example Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Abraham Lincoln personified this example of patience on numerous occasions but one sticks out in particular. Their was a man who treated Lincoln with more cruelty than anyone ever had. His name was Edwin Stanton and he said of Lincoln that he was a low cunning clown and had nothing but venom to say ...read more

Tags: Patience, God's Provision

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)  PRO

Contributed by Ken Pell on Jul 3, 2007

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) Johann Sebastian Bach was born into the musical family of Bachs in 1685. By the age of ten, both of his parents were dead. Early in his friction-filled life, young Johann determined he would write music … music for the glory of God … and this he did. Most of ...read more

Scripture: Romans 11:36

Tags: Service, Glory Of God

Denomination: Nazarene

Two Years Ago, On June 28 (2005), Four Navy Seal ...  PRO

Contributed by Austin Mansfield on Jul 31, 2007

Two years ago, on June 28 (2005), four Navy SEAL commandos were on a mission in Afghanistan, searching for a notorious al-Qaeda terrorist leader hiding in a Taliban stronghold. As the battle ensued, three of the SEALs were killed, and the fourth, Marcus Luttrell was blasted unconscious by a ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 4:9, Luke 15:1-32

Tags: Hospitality, Doing God's Will

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

In The Movie: "The Bear" A Bear Cub Whose Mother ...  PRO

Contributed by Sharon Stonestreet on Aug 23, 2007

In the movie: “The Bear” a bear cub whose mother died took up with a male bear. They traveled together. One of my favorite parts happened when they got separated and the little bear came upon a mountain lion. When the mountain lion came at the cub he stood up trying to scare it away. The mountain ...read more

Tags: Faith, God's Omnipotence

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Dr. Manuel Scott Once Said Something That Ought ...

Contributed by Russell Brownworth on Aug 10, 2008

Dr. Manuel Scott once said something that ought to ring in every believer’s ear, "Make sure you’re not ashamed of ...read more

Tags: Sin Hurtful To God

Denomination: United Methodist

A Pastor Tells The Story Of Traveling Home From ...

Contributed by Russell Brownworth on Aug 10, 2008

A pastor tells the story of traveling home from his student church in Tennessee on a Sunday night. As he neared his home the car in front of him swerved and plunged down the bank. He stopped and rushed over to the car, which was overturned. He thought everyone had been killed. But the doors ...read more

Tags: Sin Hurtful To God

Denomination: United Methodist

Harmful ...

Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Nov 25, 2008

Harmful talk: I remember years ago, standing at the church door next to the sr. minister greeting people at the end of the service. This one guy, every week would come up to the minister and say, “Pastor, you’d better keep your eye on that youth minister or some day he’ll have your job.” Now, he ...read more

Tags: Sin Hurtful To God

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Third Commandment Was Taken So Seriously By ...

Contributed by Donnie Martin on Dec 2, 2008

The third commandment was taken so seriously by Israel that at one time the scribes wouldn't even write the name "Yahweh" (Jehovah) until they had first taken a bath and changed their clothes. Then after they had ...read more

Tags: Commandments God's Name

Denomination: Baptist

67% Of Baby Boomers Believe They Will Or Could ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 13, 2009

67% of Baby Boomers believe they will or could run out of money in their ...read more

Scripture: Luke 12:22-34, Luke 12:13-21

Tags: Greed, God's Provision