In Sermon Illustrations: "Gratitude To God"

First Gave Us

Contributed by Davon Huss on Dec 2, 2014

We can give to God only what he first gave us. We’re like the kid who wanted to give his dad a birthday gift, so he went to his father’s closet, took a tie off the rack, wrapped it up and presented it to him with a “Happy Birthday, Dad!” When we give to God, we take something wonderful that He ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 24:1

Tags: Giving, Tithes And Offering, God As Owner

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Leave You Nickel On The Table

Contributed by Larry Turner on Jan 9, 2015

Everyone who has met my little 4 year old grand-daughter Ava knows she is very witty at times. The things this child says and does often blow me away. Last Sunday she found a nickel on the floor after church. I told her she could keep it. What she did with it was precious and a life lesson. We ...read more

Scripture: Mark 12:41-44

Tags: Trusting God, Assurance, Tithes And Offering

Denomination: Foursquare

The King Has One More Move  PRO

Contributed by Dwayne Brown, Phd on Apr 9, 2015

This story has been told by Christian speakers as far back as 1955 when Billy Graham told a variation of it early in his ministry. Two men are standing in front of a painting called Checkmate in an art gallery. In the painting, a man is playing chess with the devil. The devil is grinning ...read more

Tags: Don't Quit, God Is In Control

Denomination: Baptist

I Was Driving Home One Sunday From Trinity Of...

Contributed by Tim Smith on May 28, 2015

I was driving home one Sunday from Trinity of Gentilly, where I was serving. I was on Napolean headed toward the river and had just passed Pascale Manales when I saw Covenant Presbyterian Church at the corner of St. Charles Ave. I then had a vision of younger families in the Uptown and Garden ...read more

Scripture: Acts 16:1-10

Tags: Holy Spirit, God's Guidance, Visions

Denomination: Methodist

Mired In The Mud

Contributed by Larry Turner on Dec 14, 2015

When I was 17 I went for my first road test to get my driver’s license. In order to receive this privilege to drive, an officer accompanied me to observe my skills. As part of the test I was required to make a 3 point road turn on a narrow road. I pulled forward, turned my wheel, and proceeded to ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 5:1

Tags: Child Of God, Freedom From Bondage

Denomination: Foursquare

One Of The Greatest Theologians That Ever Liv...

Contributed by Lalachan Abraham on Dec 24, 2015

One of the greatest theologians that ever lived, Karl Barth, was asked to be a guest lecturer at the University of Chicago Divinity School. At the end of a captivating closing lecture, the president of the seminary announced that Dr. Barth was not well and was quite tired, and though he thought ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16-17

Tags: Christmas Love, God's Love For Us

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Take It First To The Lord In Prayer  PRO

Contributed by Palitha Jayasooriya on Apr 3, 2017

Take it to the Lord in prayer My mobile phone crashed a few months ago and I had to switch to my wife's old one as a temporary measure. On the first day of using the phone, there was one particularly important feature that neither I nor my wife could grasp, though we tried to figure it out for a ...read more

Scripture: John 16:24

Tags: Prayer, Trusting God, Trusting Christ

Denomination: Assembly Of God

You Are The One On Trial

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Apr 17, 2017

Some people come to the Bible or to any work of great literature without the capacity to understand what is in it. They are like a person who comes to a well for a drink of water, only to find that there is no bucket to draw the water out of the well. When people say, "I don’t get anything out ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Tags: Bible, Scripture, Unbelief, Mocking God

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Salvation Is About Relationship

Contributed by Richard Tow on Jul 18, 2017

On May 31, 1975 Jeanie and I were legally married. A record of that translation is documented at Potter County in Amarillo, Texas. Because of that, I can introduce her as my wife. She can sign papers as Jeanie Tow. A legal transaction occurred. But what if that were all there is to our marriage? We ...read more

Scripture: Titus 2:11-14, 2 Corinthians 6:1

Tags: Grace, Relationship To God, Love And Faith

Denomination: Charismatic

The Ugly Woman

Contributed by Daniel King, D. Min. on Jul 25, 2018

Main Idea: God was willing to pay a high price to redeem you because He thinks you are valuable. Verse: “You are of more value than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:31 NKJV). Illustration: In Africa, a groom must pay a bride price to a woman’s father in order to marry a woman. Usually, this dowry ...read more

Tags: Valuable, Value To God, You Are Valuable

Denomination: Charismatic

Baksheesh

Contributed by Davon Huss on Oct 27, 2018

Donald Barhhouse says, “One of the first words learned by the traveler in India is “baksheesh.” Multitudes of begars hold out their hands and say this one word. Preaching through an interpreter, I had occasion to speak of salvation as the gift of God. I emphasized the word. It is a gift. I ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:3, Titus 3:5

Tags: Salvation, Poor In Spirit, Gift Of God

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Faith In Action

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Oct 13, 2019

Here is one of othe greatest illustrations of how faith in action brings the favor of God. George Muller of Bristol exemplified the nitty-gritty of a life of faith. After being a wild youth, he was converted in his early twenties. He obeyed God’s call by living a life of faith and obedience. He ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 11:1-6

Tags: Faith, Trusting God, Hebrews 11

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Christmas And Atheism

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Dec 16, 2019

The famed Austrian psychologist Carl Jung once wrote about a life without God: “Those psychiatrists who are not superficial have come to the conclusion that the vast neurotic misery of the world could be TERMED a neurosis of emptiness. Men cut themselves off from the root of their being, from God ...read more

Scripture: John 1:14

Tags: Faith, Atheism, Emptiness, Existence Of God

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

You Don't Impress Him

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 15, 2020

“You don’t impress the officials at NASA with a paper airplane. You don’t boast about your crayon sketches in the presence of a Picasso. You don’t claim equality with an Einstein because you can write H2O. And you don’t boast about your goodness in the presence of the Perfect One. Mark it ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-12

Tags: Humility, Beatitudes, Pride, Kingdom Of God

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

George Floyd

Contributed by C. Philip Green on Jun 11, 2020

God can use you to make a difference in our broken world no matter your past. Just commit your way to the Lord like Jephthah did and depend on His Holy Spirit. When I think about Jephthah, I think about George Floyd, who was recently murdered in Minneapolis. George was a towering 6-foot by 6-inch ...read more

Scripture: Judges 11:1-3, Judges 11:29, 1 Corinthians 1:26-29

Tags: Transformation, Grace Of God, George Floyd

Denomination: Evangelical Free

Sleeping Church

Contributed by Rev. Duraimony Dickson on Sep 26, 2020

Martin Luther once dreamed that the devil was listening to reports from his agents on the progress they were making against the Kingdom of God. One reported, "A company of Christians were crossing the desert, and I loosen the lions on them, and all were lost." The devil replied, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:5

Tags: Against The Kingdom Of God, Sleeping Church

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Ang Biyaya Ng Diyos

Contributed by James Dina on Oct 25, 2020

ANG BIYAYA NG DIYOS "Datapuwa't sa pamamagitan ng biyaya ng Dios ako ang aking pagkatao: at ang kaniyang biyaya na [ipinagkaloob] sa akin ay walang kabuluhan; subalit mas masagana akong gumawa kaysa sa kanilang lahat: gayon ma'y hindi ako, kundi ang biyaya ng Dios na kasama ko." ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:10

Tags: Grace, Grace Of God, Unmerited Favor

Denomination: Pentecostal

Christian People Are Prayerful  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

E.M. Bounds says in his book on prayer: Nothing distinguishes the children of God so clearly and strongly as prayer. It is the one infallible mark and test of being a Christian. Christian people are prayerful. The worldly-minded are prayer less. Christians call on God. The world ignores God and ...read more

Tags: Communion, Lord's Supper, God's Provision

How Many Of You Know The Name Paul Aurandt? He ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

How many of you know the name Paul Aurandt? He also has an alias. You know him as Paul Harvey. He has published books about The Rest of the Story (Bantam) and More of Paul Harvey’s The Rest of the Story (Morrow). Stories built around the surprise ending format have been compiled into books that ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 121:1-8

Tags: Protection, Divine Help, God's Omnipotence

Reflections On John 3:16

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Sep 22, 2008

Reflections on John 3:16 John 3:16 will help answer the question of why Paul called this the most excellent way. This passage is the most famous and the most familiar passage of the Bible. It is quoted the most and it's reference numbers are seen at football games, parades, graffiti, and the like. ...read more

Tags: God's Love, Sharing Your Faith

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational