In Sermon Illustrations: "God Loves All People"

A Missionary Was Seated On A Plane Next To A ...  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Howell on Apr 17, 2002

A missionary was seated on a plane next to a well-dressed young man and they soon began conversing. The missionary asked him what he did for a living. He answered, “I’m in big business.” “So am I,” replied the missionary. With that the young man remarked, “I cover the entire U.S. with my ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:14-30

Tags: Great Commission, Church Body Of Christ, Kingdom Of God, Matthew

Denomination: Wesleyan

For Thirteen Extraordinary Days In October Of ...  PRO

Contributed by James Wilson on Mar 2, 2001

For thirteen extraordinary days in October of 1962, the world stood on the brink of an unthinkable catastrophe. Across the globe, people anxiously awaited the outcome of a harrowing political, diplomatic and military confrontation that threatened to end in an apocalyptic nuclear exchange between ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:6

Tags: Father's Will, God's Provision, Prayer Adoration, Prayer General, Obedience, Surrender, Selflessness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

[080]. A Message From A Poem – Faithfully He Is Watching

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Apr 12, 2025

[080]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – FAITHFULLY HE IS WATCHING The poem here you will read is one of my top favourites. It resonates so much with me. It just flowed and when it does that it is joyous. I truly hope you can relate to it. This poem was written on the day I received notification that ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 23:6, Job 1:21

Tags: Watching, God Hears, Forsake, Poem, Orphans, Cares, Abandoned, Faithful, Friendship, Deliverance, Merciful, Poetry  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Billy Graham's Great Regret

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Dec 2, 2020

Billy Graham was once asked, "If you had to live your life over again, what would you do differently?" He answered: “One of my great regrets is that I have not studied enough, I wish I had studied more and preached less. People have pressured me into speaking to groups when I should ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Timothy 2:15

Tags: Bible, Scripture, Bible Study, Word Of God, Pastors, Sermon Preparation  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Five Finger Prayer Formula

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Apr 10, 2024

Prayer is a conversation with God, not a formula. Yet sometimes we might need to use a “method” to freshen up our prayer time. We can pray the Psalms or other Scriptures (such as The Lord’s Prayer), or use the ACTS method (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication). I recently came ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 33:3

Tags: Faith, Worship, Praise, Prayer, Hearing God, Receiving, Asking, Needs  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

How Valuable Is Salt? 40 Million Tons Are ...  PRO

Contributed by Terry Dashner on Dec 21, 2001

How valuable is salt? 40 million tons are required each year to fill our needs. Homer called it divine. Plato called it a "substance dear to the gods." Shakespeare mentioned salt 17 times in his plays. Perhaps Leonard da Vinci wanted to send a subtle message about purity lost when he painted "The ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:13, Mark 9:38-50, Luke 14:34-35

Tags: Love Of The Disciples, New Life, Outreach, Sermon On The Mount, Salt, Discipleship, Evangelism, Christian Values  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Stand By Me

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Oct 13, 2024

STAND BY ME I played the video of the song, "Stand By Me" by Home Free in a recent worship service right before I came up to preach. Our people wondered: "Pastor Larry, why play a secular song for a Sunday morning service??" Maybe I need to share what I discovered about the ...read more

Tags: God's Promises, Hymns, Friends, Songs, Black Spirituals, Gospel Songs, Marriage, Support, Loyalty  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Back In 1830 George Wilson Was Convicted Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Steve Malone on Apr 7, 2001

Back in 1830 George Wilson was convicted of robbing the U.S. Mail and was sentenced to be hanged. President Andrew Jackson issued a pardon for Wilson, but he refused to accept it. The matter went to Chief Justice Marshall, who concluded that Wilson would have to be executed. "A pardon is a slip of ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 10:35-36, Hebrews 10:23, Hebrews 2:2-3, Hebrews 2:2-3

Tags: Faith General, Assurance Of Salvation, God's Provision, Justice

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Born To Lose, Citation: Norman Vincent Peale In ...  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Aug 3, 2001

[Born to Lose, Citation: Norman Vincent Peale in Power of the Plus Factor, in Christianity Today.] Once walking through the twisted little streets of Kowloon in Hong Kong, I came upon a tattoo studio. In the window were displayed samples of the tattoos available. On the chest or arms you could ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:15-17

Tags: Fulfillment, God Brings Hope, Faith, Strong Together

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Bob Munford Tells Of A Certain Italian Harbor ...  PRO

Contributed by Jim Kane on Sep 1, 2001

Bob Munford tells of a certain Italian harbor that can be reached only by sailing up a narrow channel between dangerous rocks and shoals. Over the years, many ships have wrecked, and navigation is hazardous. To guide the ships safely into port, three lights have been mounted in the harbor on three ...read more

Tags: Knowing God's Will, Holy Spirit In Believers, Bible Influence

Denomination: Church Of God

George Mason, A Founding Father Of Our Nation ...  PRO

Contributed by Daniel Becker on Sep 15, 2001

George Mason, a founding father of our nation prophetically proclaimed, “As nations can not be rewarded or punished in the next world they must be in this. By an inevitable chain of causes and ...read more

Tags: God's Judgment, Holidays Civic, Providence, Forgiveness General

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

A Little Boy Walked Into His Dad’s Den Just ...  PRO

Contributed by Dana Chau on Sep 24, 2001

A little boy walked into his Dad’s den just as his Dad finished reading a book. The son asked, "What were you reading?’ The Father replied, "I was reading the book of Revelation, the last book of the Bible." The little boy curiously asked, "What’s it about? His Dad replied, "It’s about God’s ...read more

Tags: God Brings Hope, Jesus Teachings, Second Coming

Denomination: *other

The Greatest Use Of Life Is To Spend It For ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2001

The greatest use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast ...read more

Scripture: Luke 19:13

Tags: Workplace Evangelism, God Brings Purpose, Finding Fulfillment

Like Filthy Rags  PRO

Contributed by Richard White on Jan 3, 2002

LIKE FILTHY RAGS Jeff Bridges says, "Christians can never in themselves merit salvation through their personal holiness." Our Righteousness is like a filthy rag before a holy God. One of the early church fathers ...read more

Scripture: Mark 2:1-12

Tags: Humanity Of Christ, Holiness, God's Holiness, Filthy Rags

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Resolved, Never To Do Anything, Which I Should Be ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 20, 2002

Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my ...read more

Tags: Temptation Resisting, Sin Separates From God, Holiness

Unless There Is Within Us That Which Is Above Us, ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 20, 2002

Unless there is within us that which is above us, we shall soon yield to that which is ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 7:6-9, Joshua 7:6-9

Tags: Holy Spirit In Believers, Kingdom Of God, Temptation Resisting

We May Never See The End Results, But That Is The ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 20, 2002

We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker. We are workers, not master builders, ministers, not messiahs. We are prophets of a ...read more

Tags: Parable General, Parable Sower And Seed, Kingdom Of God

The Roman Emperor Charlemagne Has An Interesting ...  PRO

Contributed by David Yarbrough on Feb 11, 2002

The Roman emperor Charlemagne has an interesting story surrounding his burial. This famous king asked to be entombed sitting upright in his throne. He asked that his crown be placed on his head and his scepter in his hand. He requested that the royal cape be draped around his shoulders and an ...read more

Tags: Finding Fulfillment, God Brings Purpose, Jesus Teachings

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Imagine Being Near A Mountain Lake. Sometimes ...  PRO

Contributed by Matthew Rogers on Feb 20, 2002

Imagine being near a mountain lake. Sometimes early in the morning when the lake is perfectly calm, the reflection of the mountains is magnificently duplicated and mirrored on the lake’s surface. The interesting thing is that if you were to take on little flat stone and skip it across the surface ...read more

Tags: Sin Fall Of Man, Sin Separates From God

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

One Young Man Asked, "I Am In Earnest About ...  PRO

Contributed by Dan Cormie on Oct 27, 2002

One young man asked, "I am in earnest about forsaking ’the world’ and following Christ. But I am puzzled about worldly things. What is it I must forsake?” "Colored clothes, for one thing. Get rid of everything in your wardrobe that is not white. Stop sleeping on a soft pillow. Sell your musical ...read more

Tags: Faith Vs. Works, God's Provision, Church Practices

Denomination: Mennonite