In Sermon Illustrations: "Great Love"

Laws

Contributed by Roy Fowler on Sep 13, 2020

The difference between Laws and Love. One earthly and one heavenly. FACTS: The Jews say there are 611 laws given to them directly from God. By the time you get to the New Testament times of Jesus you will find it depends on how they determine the number. Some believe there are 611 in Hebrew ...read more

Scripture: Mark 12:28-34, 2 Corinthians 3:6, 1 Corinthians 13:1-6

Tags: Love, Laws, To Many Laws, Jesus And Laws

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Effective Greeting

Contributed by Richard Tow on Nov 17, 2020

We are to connect with other people in an attractive way. Evangelism depends on it. The unity of the Body of Christ depends on it. When we lived in Kansas City, we visited Impact Church. As we walked into the foyer of that large church, we were greeted by a lady who drew us in immediately. She ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:21-23, 1 Corinthians 16:20, 2 Corinthians 13:12, 1 Thessalonians 5:26, Romans 15:7  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Love, Outreach, Acceptance, Inclusiveness, Greet, Friendliness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Charismatic

Have You Lost The "scent"?

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 1, 2021

DEMAS LOST THE "SCENT" A man bought a new hunting dog. Eager to see how the dog would perform, the man took him out to track a bear. No sooner had they gotten into the woods than the dog picked up the trail. Suddenly he stopped, sniffed the ground, and headed in a new direction. He had ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:10, 1 John 2:15-16

Tags: Compromise, Worldliness, Backsliding, Values, Loving The World  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Valentine's Day, Romantic

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 24, 2021

“Every Valentine’s Day our campus newspaper has a section for student messages. Last year my roommate surprised his girlfriend with roses and dinner at a fancy restaurant. When they returned from their date, she leafed through the paper to see if he had written a note to her. Near the bottom of ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:16

Tags: Love, Marriage, Romance, Dating, Valentine's Day  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

One Day A Farmer On Leaving For A Long Trip ...

Contributed by Sylvester Fergusson on Jul 17, 2007

One day a farmer on leaving for a long trip called his son and gave to him specific instructions. He told him; while I am gone I want you to reap the harvest and plant fresh seeds for the next harvest. The son being an obedient lad reaped the harvest and planted the seeds. As the farmer was ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 17:24, Proverbs 12:24, Ecclesiastes 10:18

Tags: Love, Obedience, Laziness, Initiative, Expectations, Wistdom  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Adventist

We Owe Our Whole Lives To God!

Contributed by Paul Clemente on Nov 3, 2022

Genesis 6:1-9 Some think that the “sons of God” in this passage are angels; how can we say not? - v3 tells us that these men will die and angels are eternal beings; also, Jesus Himself tells us in the Gospels that angels do not marry! What can we say about Gen 6:2? – God’s creations of people are ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 6:1-9

Tags: Love, Thanksgiving, Sin, Life, Jesus Christ  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Responsiblity To All Living Creatures

Contributed by Paul Clemente on Nov 18, 2022

Genesis 9:1-7 Devotional From Gen. 9:1-3 we note God blessed Noah and his sons. What was the command? – same as for the first man and woman – populate the earth (somewhat of a new beginning) What were given to man in v2? – man was given the responsibility to rule over all other creatures on ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 9:1-7

Tags: People, Nature, God's Love, Responsibilty On Earth

Denomination: Independent/Bible

I've Got To Get Grandma On One Of These Machines!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Nov 29, 2022

Grandpa was way up in years before he ever had the opportunity to go to an airport. He also had never seen an escalator in his life. He stood in amazement watching the escalator go up and down for the longest tme. Then, just as he was about to leave, he saw a whole bus-load of ladies from the ...read more

Tags: Christmas, Love, Marriage, Agape, Humor, Spouses  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Come As You Are

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Nov 21, 2024

A friend of mine in Louisiana had his 11 year old nephew for the weekend just after the uncle had had a close call with death and gotten released from the hospital. On Sunday morning, his nephew approached him. “Come on, Uncle, let’s go to church!” “But Dom, you don’t have any church clothes ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 1:18, Matthew 11:27, Romans 5:8

Tags: Come As You Are, God Loves All People

Denomination: Charismatic

Grief: God's Answer To Overwhelming Grief

Contributed by Raymond Petzholt on Aug 25, 2025

What follows is a true account, which I (Stephen) was fortunate enough to witness firsthand in the spring of 2015. My wife was an only child raised by a single mom, and as such was very close to her mother. Thus, when her mother died after 90 years my wife was severely grief stricken and would ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1:3-5, 1 Samuel 3:9-10

Tags: Death, Prayer, Listen, Grief, Loved One  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

History Of Father's Day - Sonora Smart Dodd

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Nov 25, 2025

Indeed ... It is Father's Day, ... and the very first national celebration ... of this day .... was on June 19, 1924, ... via a proclamation ... of President Calvin Coolidge. But it all came about ... due to the efforts of a woman named ... "Sonora" Smart Dodd. Sonora was sitting ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 4:19, Romans 8:38-39, Joshua 1:9, Hebrews 12:10-11, Ephesians 6:1-3, Colossians 3:21  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Father's Day, Celebrate, Fathers, Remembrence, Love  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Anglican

A Kiss That Changed A Prodigal Into A Preacher!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Mar 15, 2022

The late Joe Bayly was a gentle, godly Christian leader. I once heard him tell how one of his sons rebelled back in the days of the hippie movement. He grew his hair long and moved into a communal flophouse. Late one night, Bayly received a call informing him that his son was being held at one of ...read more

Tags: Prodigal Son, Fathers, Fathers And Sons, Luke 15, Parables, Lost, Father's Love, Unconditional Love  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[233]. A Message From A Poem - Remember Me Until I Come

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Oct 21, 2025

[233]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - REMEMBER ME UNTIL I COME This poem was written as a Communion meditation with the view of being a Communion hymn. It uses a Metre 12 in the four lines. I adapted this for another poem based on this one using a Metre 10 that can be sung to various tunes. At the ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 2:20, 1 Corinthians 11:24-26

Tags: Passover, Cup, Remember Me, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, Until I Come, Communion, Bread, Remember  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Our House Was Directly Across The Street From The ...  PRO

Contributed by Brian Mavis on Oct 30, 2000

Our house was directly across the street from the clinic entrance of John Hopkins in Baltimore. We lived downstairs and rented the upstairs rooms to outpatients at the clinic. One summer evening as I was fixing supper, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to see a truly awful looking man. ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 139:23-24, Ephesians 2:10, Ephesians 6:10-20, Matthew 7:1-24, John 4:13-25, Genesis 1:1-12, Matthew 3:1-12, Psalm 105:1-3, 2 Corinthians 4:16  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Christian Love, Christlikeness, Compassion, Forgiveness General, Truth  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[038] A Message From A Poem – Can They Really Know?

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Feb 26, 2025

[038] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – CAN THEY REALLY KNOW? This poem is derived from thinking about the songs of several decades ago, (50-70 years) especially in the American Southern Gospel Quartets. Needless to say I love those old singers especially The Cathedrals. The poem is quite simple and is ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 20:1-15, Ephesians 2:4-7

Tags: Hell, Grace, Glory, Heaven, Know, We Can Know  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[154]. A Message From A Poem – Jesus Christ My Lord

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Aug 6, 2025

[154]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – JESUS CHRIST MY LORD This is a factual poem about Jesus Christ the Lord. I won’t list all the things I said in the poem. Read through and see them as you go. Jesus is my Lord but only those who have surrendered to Him can say that. {{John 13:13 “You call Me ...read more

Scripture: John 1:14, John 13:13, John 1:1-2, Revelation 19:16, Philippians 2:10-11  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Lord, The Word, King Of Kings, Lord Of Lords, Every Knee Shall Bow, Jesus Christ Is Lord, Christian Poems  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

As A Part Of An Assignment For A Doctoral ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

As a part of an assignment for a doctoral thesis, a college student spent a year with a group of Navajo Indians on a reservation in the Southwest. As he did his research he lived with one family, sleeping in their hut, eating their food, working with them and generally living the life of a 20th ...read more

Tags: Love, Jesus, Growth, Discipleship, Friendship, God Brings Purpose  (view more)  (view less)

Late One Summer Evening In Broken Bow, Nebraska, ...  PRO

Contributed by Jeeva Sam on Mar 20, 2001

Late one summer evening in Broken Bow, Nebraska, a weary truck driver pulled his rig into an all-night truck stop. The waitress had just served him when three tough looking, leather jacketed motorcyclists - of the Hell’s Angels type - decided to give him a hard time. Not only did they verbally ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 19:1-16, Galatians 6:7-8

Tags: Forgiveness For Others, Anger, Christian Love, Praise, Love, Judging Others, Giving, Reaping And Sowing, Thankfulness, Worship  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Methodist

James Calvert (1813-1892) Was A Zealous ...  PRO

Contributed by Darren Ethier on May 7, 2002

James Calvert (1813-1892) was a zealous missionary to cannibals on the Fiji Islands. His faithful work bore fruit in the lives of those accustomed to taking the life of others. Years later and English earl visited the Fiji Islands and was critical of a chief’s conversion to Christianity. "You’re a ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:15, 2 Corinthians 5:17

Tags: Born Again, Christian Love, New Life, New Creation, Joy  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Pentecostal

Which Way, O Lord?  PRO

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Which Way, O Lord? "This is what the Lord says; 'Stand at the crossroads and look... ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.'" Jeremiah 6:16 (NIV) The way many people attempt to determine the will of God would make a great new television ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 6:16

Tags: Character

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational