In Sermon Illustrations: "God Shows Up"

Taking Out A Loan To Pay God

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Nov 13, 2023

There was an older man in my church in Texas who came to me with tears in his eyes after a sermon I preached on tithing. He said, "Pastor, thank you for telling our people the truth about how God can bless you when you are obedient to His Word." He wiped a tear and said, "Pastor, I ...read more

Scripture: Malachi 3:10-11, 1 Corinthians 16:1-2, Proverbs 3:9-10, 1 Timothy 6:10

Tags: Stewardship, Repentance, Tithing, Brokenness, Forgivness, Loans, Giving  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Thank You, God, For Sending A Professional!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jul 8, 2024

As I was gathering my sermon, I couldn’t help thinking about a story of a little girl who was home alone and ill. She called her mother at work and told her, “Momma, I need you and I need you really bad.” This mother asked to get off work and frantically rushed down to the corner drug store to ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Tags: Prayer, Thanks, Humor, Miracles, Gratitude, Thieves, Answered Prayer  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Trusting God Through Difficult Circumstances

Contributed by Matthew Redder on May 17, 2018

Some time ago I returned from a missions trip completely full of faith and ready to set the world on fire with the love of Christ. During my first church service back in the states I was asked to close our service in prayer. I joyfully obliged and went whole-heartedly into prayer full of faith and ...read more

Tags: Faith, Healing, Prayer, Trust In God

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Thomas Manton On God's Word And Prayer  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 1, 2012

THOMAS MANTON ON GOD'S WORD AND PRAYER Thomas Manton: Meditation on Scripture supplies us in prayer. Barrenness and leanness of soul is a very great defect, which God's children often complain of. One great reason is because the Word of God doth not dwell plenteously in them, so that in every ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:17-18

Tags: Prayer How To

The Power Of God's Word!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 25, 2021

How powerful is the Preached Word of God?  On October 7, 1857, C. H. Spurgeon preached to his largest audience ever, some 23, 654 assembled in the mammoth Crystal Palace for a national day of fasting and prayer. A few days before the event Spurgeon had gone to the huge hall to test the ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Timothy 4:1-3

Tags: Salvation, Preaching, Miracles, Pastors, The Word Of God, The Bible  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

God's Way Is The Best.

Contributed by Garris Hudson on May 31, 2022

I read the story about a young woman who had prepared for missionary service on foreign fields. She had been appointed by the mission board and was ready to sail when she received a telegram saying that her sister had died in a western state. She cancelled her reservation and went home. The ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:28

Tags: Faith, Trust, Obedience, Purpose, Providence, Will Of God, Sovereignty Of God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

"What Kind Of Clothes Would God Wear?"  PRO

Contributed by Wayne Major on Oct 8, 2005

“What kind of clothes would GOD wear?” I like the answer one person gave, in the story of a man who was commissioned to paint a picture of the Prodigal Son. He went into his work fervently, laboring to produce a picture worthy of telling the story. Finally, the day came when the picture was ...read more

Scripture: John 6:27

Tags: Calvinism

Denomination: Methodist

There, But For The Grace Of God, Goes...(Insert ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 14, 2009

THERE, BUT FOR THE GRACE OF GOD, GOES...(INSERT YOUR NAME) Someone has said that the only person God sends away empty is the person full of himself. Charles Spurgeon once said, "Our imaginary goodness is more hard to conquer than our actual sin." I fall into the thinking that I can do things on my ...read more

Scripture: James 4:10

Tags: Pride

Stalin: Like Steel Toward God

Contributed by Perry Greene on Dec 6, 2011

STALIN: LIKE STEEL TOWARD GOD According to Svetlana Stalin, as her father, Joseph Stalin lay dying, he was plagued with terrifying hallucinations. He suddenly sat halfway up in bed, clenched his fist toward the heavens once more, fell back upon his pillow, and was dead. The incredible irony of ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:46-52

Tags: God's Forgiveness

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Why Does God Allow Hardship?  PRO

Contributed by Rick Crandall on Jul 16, 2008

WHY DOES GOD ALLOW HARDSHIP? We live in a mixed-up, messed-up world. Sometimes terrible things happen that don't make any sense at all, and we wonder why? Steven Curtis Chapman is one of the best known singer-songwriters of contemporary Christian music. Over the last 15 or 20 years his songs have ...read more

Tags: Difficulties, Trial, Hardship Of Life, Father, Family, Hardship, Missions, Fatherhood  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

God, You're In My Way.  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 28, 2012

"GOD, YOU'RE IN MY WAY." A California pastor, Kyle Idleman, talks about his last move in his book, Not a Fan. In that move, he saved the heaviest piece of furniture for last -- the desk from his office. And as he was pushing and pulling the desk with all his might, his four-year-old son came over ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:6-8, Philippians 4:4-7

Tags: Anxiety

The Word Of God—the Owner's Manual

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 21, 2009

THE WORD OF GOD--THE OWNER'S MANUAL As a kid, I remember a very popular game. Simon Says. Usually played at school or parties, several of us would do whatever "Simon" told us to do, as long as it was preceded by the phrase: "Simon Says". It seems to me that we have become a society of "Simon ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Tags: Bible Truth

In His Marvelous Book, The Kingdom Of God Is A ...  PRO

Contributed by David Yarbrough on Jul 23, 2001

: In his marvelous book, The Kingdom of God is a Party, Tony Campolo tells a story that illustrates how I believe the church must begin to live out our witness in the new millennium. Campolo was attending a Christian conference in Honolulu, Hawaii. Since there was a six-hour time differential ...read more

Tags: Sharing My Testimony, Compassion, Church Purpose Of

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

God's Doing Something

Contributed by Steve Kinnard on Feb 14, 2019

GOD IS DOING SOMETHING Gas Station Business Card A few years ago, I was impressed of God to design a business card that had a picture of hell on the front with the words “GET OUT OF HELL FREE” on the back I placed Salvation Scriptures. I was driving to work early one morning and nearing my exit, ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:27

Tags: Obedience, Unexpected

Denomination: Pentecostal

There Is No Situation I Can Get Into That God ...

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Jun 10, 2001

There is no situation I can get into that God cannot get me out. Some years ago when I was learning to fly, my instructor told me to put the plane into a steep and extended dive. I was totally unprepared for what was about to happen. After a brief time the engine stalled, and the plane began to ...read more

Tags: God's Omniscience, Descriptions Of God

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Henry Blackaby, The Author Of Experiencing God, ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Henry Blackaby, the author of Experiencing God, tells this heart wrenching story about a situation he encountered early in his ministry. He writes, “The first funeral I ever conducted was for a beautiful three-year-old. She was the first child born to a couple in our church, and the first ...read more

Tags: Doing God's Will

Parents Teach Their Children God's Word At A ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 2, 2010

Parents Teach Their Children God’s Word at a Restaurant I once read an illustration of a family who took this seriously. One night at a pizza parlor, we decided to use the minutes waiting for our food as a teaching time. We passed out an index card and pencil to each child and had them write down a ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Tags: Parenting

God's View Of People

Contributed by Paul Clemente on Nov 16, 2022

Genesis 8:15-22 Devotional After the flood had dried up, God instructed Noah (v15) and Noah obeyed (v16). Isn’t it interesting that we note birds from the ark but not fish…. Noah, did you keep fish in the ark??? – either he kept fish in the ark or God kept fish in the clouds or God recreated ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 8:15-22

Tags: People, Love, Worship, Sin, God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Famous Authors Who Mocked God

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Mar 9, 2023

Ernest Hemingway became famous for snubbing his nose at morality and at God, declaring that his own life proved a person could do anything he wanted without paying the consequences. Like many others before and after him, he considered the ideas of the Bible to be antiquated and outdated, ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:7

Tags: Truth, Judgment, Lost, Sowing, Infidels, Reaping, Spiritual Blindness, Irreverence, Mocking God, Unbelievers, Atheists  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

History Of The Song, "The Love Of God"

Contributed by Jeff Simms on Apr 4, 2004

Could we with ink the oceans fill And were the skies of parchment made And every stalk on earth a quill And every man a scribe by trade, To write the love of God above Would drain the oceans dry, Nor could that scroll contain the whole Though stretched from sky to sky Frederick M. ...read more

Tags: God's Love, God The Father

Denomination: Baptist