In Sermon Illustrations: "Governments"

Stoyan's Father By Nik Ripken

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Apr 14, 2019

When Stoyan was twelve, they imprisoned his protestant pastor father. His father remained in custody for ten years. “At first,” he said, “they held him in a secret police place in our city.” “Every morning one of the guards would take some of his own human waste and spread it on the piece of toast ...read more

Scripture: Romans 15:13, 1 Peter 1:3

Tags: Persecution, Hope, Faith

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[143]. A Message From A Poem – In The Furnace And The Lions’ Den

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jul 26, 2025

[143]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – IN THE FURNACE AND THE LIONS’ DEN This poem is the telling of two stories in Daniel, one of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the blazing furnace, and the other of Daniel in the lion’s den. Both stories testify to the goodness of God, and both are examples of ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 11:33, Romans 12:2, Revelation 2:10

Tags: African Persecution, Mouths Of Lions, A Crown For Martyrs, John Huss, Fiery Furnace, Meshach, Abednego, Nigeria, Martyrs, Christian Poems, Daniel, Persecution, Crown Of Life, Shadrach, Darius, Sudan, Death  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[329]. A Message From A Poem - We Are Just Passing Through

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 30, 2026

[329]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - WE ARE JUST PASSING THROUGH This poem touches a subject that affects so many, and will likely affect some of us if the Lord tarries His coming. The title, “We Are just Passing Through” relates to our passage through life but looks more at the older end of ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:14, Ecclesiastes 12:6-7, Ecclesiastes 12:1-2

Tags: Remember, Creator, Old Age, Sustain, Elderly Christians, Growing Older, Fade Away, Christian Poems, Dementia, Mental Faculties, Feeble Minded, Pass Through  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Grow As You Go.' The First Sermon In This Series ...  PRO

Contributed by Jim Kane on Jan 7, 2008

‘Grow as You Go.’ The first sermon in this series took us to Moses and his encounter with God. We were told that God had a role, an important one at that, for Moses and it was in line with God’s plan and story and not Moses’ plan and story. In other words, we ‘grow’ in our Christian faith and ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 95:1-11, Matthew 12:33-37, Acts 4:1-37

Tags: Outreach, Worship, Faithfulness, Practice, Examine, Education  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Church Of God

April 18, 2005 "Good Name Above Good Gain!" ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Apr 14, 2005

April 18, 2005 “Good Name Above Good Gain!” Genesis 43:1-12 Key verse(s) 12:“Take double the amount of silver with you, for you must return the silver that was put back in the mouths of your sacks.” In a world so caught up in rules and regulations it is not surprising that in that regulating ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 26:31-35, Genesis 43:1-12

Tags: Leadership General

Denomination: Lutheran

The Village That Lives By The Bible  PRO

Contributed by Rick Stacy on Mar 9, 2003

The Village that lives by the Bible by Clarence W. Hall It was early in 1945 when, as a war correspondent on Okinawa, I first came upon Shimabuku, the strangest and most inspiring community I ever saw. Huddled beneath its groves of banyan and twisted pine trees, this remote village of some 1000 ...read more

Tags: Bible Influence

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

911 Or You!" Obadiah 1: 1-14 Key Verse(S): ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Dec 15, 2004

“911 or You!” Obadiah 1: 1-14 Key verse(s): 10-11: “Because of the violence against your brother Jacob, you will be covered with shame; you will be destroyed forever. On the day you stood aloof while strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates you were like one of them.” We ...read more

Scripture: Obadiah 1:1-14

Tags: Poverty

Denomination: Lutheran

David F. Lloyd In His Essay "Rights Vs ...

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Jul 16, 2008

DAVID F. LLOYD in his essay “Rights vs Responsibilities” Summer 2001 Issue of Vision: Legally, rights have never been so extensively defined. For starters, there are the rights of ethnic minorities. Then we have the rights of women. The rights of children. The rights of homosexuals. The right to ...read more

Tags: Patriotism

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The King  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Jul 19, 2011

THE KING What comes to your mind when you hear the phrase, “The king is dead - long live the king!”? It is an historical phrase coined in France and said after the death of a monarch through the streets and the countryside of their realm. Phil Morgan recalls: "Not too long ago I watched part of ...read more

Tags: Memories

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[182]. A Message From A Poem – Marys At The Cross (An Easter Poem)

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Sep 2, 2025

[182]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – MARYS AT THE CROSS (An Easter Poem) This is an Easter poem about 4 women, precious ones in the life of the Lord during His time on earth. Some people find it confusing to work the Marys out, especially at Easter time. What the Marys speak of is total devotion and ...read more

Scripture: Luke 23:55-56, John 19:25, Mark 15:40-41

Tags: The Virgin Mary, Christian Poems, Easter Poem, Mary Wife Of Clopas, Easter, Cross, Devotion, Mary Magdalene, Salome, Jesus Crucified  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[294]. A Message From A Poem – The Troubled New Year Begins

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Feb 20, 2026

[294]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THE TROUBLED NEW YEAR BEGINS These comments for the poem are being written on 10 February 2026. It is very important Christians understand current events in the world because we are in the very last days of the Church age and the Lord’s coming for His Bride, the ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 2:15-17

Tags: Troubles, The New Year, The Signs Of The Times, Christian Poems, Current Affairs, Start Of The Year  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Mr. Cold, Please Go Away

Contributed by James Snyder on Jan 29, 2022

Dr. James L. Snyder The older I get, the more allergic I am to cold. So whenever the temperature dips below my age number, that is too cold for me. I know some people relish the cold; that person is not me.. There are some things that I enjoy being cold. I like my iced tea to be very cold, ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 3:5-6

Tags: Heaven, Cold

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

[211]. A Message From A Poem – Panoramic View From The Pinnacle (Part 1)

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Sep 24, 2025

[211]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – PANORAMIC VIEW FROM THE PINNACLE (PART 1) NOTE: When I went to post this it could not be sent because it said the whole thing was too long. Therefore I had to split it into two Parts.. This is Part 1 and Part 2 will follow after this. This is a longer poem. ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 16:9, Hebrews 4:13

Tags: Wickedness, Delusion, Reprobate, Tech Companies, Faith Way, World System, Humanism, Allegory, Images, Reprobates, Christian Poems, Pinnacle Of A Rock  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[271]. A Message From A Poem – The "I Ams” Of John’s Gospel

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 21, 2026

[271]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THE “I AMs” OF JOHN’S GOSPEL There are 7 or 8 of the great “I Am” statements in the Gospel of John. I have done these in a Series on SermonCentral – about 18 messages I think - ...read more

Scripture: John 6:20, John 10:7, John 6:35, John 14:6, John 10:11, John 15:1, John 8:12, John 11:25, John 8:58  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: The I Ams Of John, I Am The Good Shepherd, I Am The Resurrection, I Am The Light Of The World, I Am The True Vine, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, Truth, Life, I Am, I Am The Way, I Am The Door, I Am The Bread Of Life  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[326]. Poem - Victory Through Sorrow’s Deep Sea – Easter Poem – Part 1

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 27, 2026

[326]. POEM - VICTORY THROUGH SORROW’S DEEP SEA – POEM FOR EASTER – PART 1 SPECIAL NOTE – This poem is too long for SermonCentral’s limited space for Sermon Illustrations, so I have had to cut it in half but don’t really want to do that. THIS IS PART 1. This is a serious poem. It covers the ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 22:13-16, Psalm 69:14-15, Isaiah 53:6-7

Tags: Easter, Suffering, Victory, Gethsemane, Sorrow, Calvary, The Cross, Golgotha, Man Of Sorrows, Jesus Before Pilate, The Crucifixion, Easter Message, Christian Poems, Poem For Easter, Jesus Dies For Sins, The Lamb On The Cross  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Discipleship Calls For Wholehearted Commitment To ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 31, 2009

Discipleship Calls for Wholehearted Commitment to Christ “I have seen the most horrible things, but I have met people who are still full of faith in spite of what they have endured.” That was the opening statement to a gathering of leaders and supporters of Samaritan’s Purse, the organization led ...read more

Scripture: Luke 14:25-33

Tags: Missions

Great Quotes On Forgiveness

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Apr 10, 2022

When everything in you wants to hold a grudge, point a finger and remember the pain. God wants you to lay it aside. Why? Because, when you release it, you will be set free. - R.T. Kendall Forgiveness is unlocking the door to set someone free and realizing that you were the prisoner. - Max ...read more

Tags: Forgiving Others, Forgiveness

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[359]. A Message From A Poem – Everyone Is Greedy For Money

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jun 3, 2026

[359]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – EVERYONE IS GREEDY FOR MONEY Everyone is greedy for money and they have a multitude of schemes to acquire it. Because I am old I can remember back in the 1950s when we went shopping with mum and shopkeepers were honest and always gave you good value. In those ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 6:13, Hebrews 13:5, 1 Timothy 6:9, Matthew 8:20, 1 Timothy 6:10-11  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Money, Greed, Poverty, Gain, Extortion, The Love Of Money, Christian Poems, Multinationals, Prices, Heavenly Riches  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

An Atheist Defends Evangelism In Africa

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Dec 30, 2008

AN ATHEIST DEFENDS EVANGELISM IN AFRICA I would like to conclude by reading you an article – that Andrew sent to me - from the Sunday Times dated 27th December 2008 written by Matthew Parris: December 27, 2008 (full article) As an atheist, I truly believe Africa needs God Missionaries, not aid ...read more

Tags: Christian Witness

Denomination: Anglican

Memories Of A Magnificent Man

Contributed by Eduardo Quintana on Jun 12, 2017

My father was born in 1911. His older brother, his only sibling, had already died. His father died two years later. In that era no government programs existed to provide for them, so his mother, an Irish immigrant, moved in with his paternal grandparents. His grandfather was a blacksmith, and his ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 1:3

Tags: Parenting, Legacy, Fatherhood

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational