In Sermon Illustrations: "Hard Heart"

Unexpected Journey Thru Cancer

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Apr 12, 2024

The unexpected journey and a second Dove appeared on a difficult day walking thru cancer: I hit another rough day in the journey after my second surgery with Dr. Q – He got back pathology and said it did look good the light showed cancer lining my bladder like a carpet. When the Dr, Q called to ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 46:1-3

Tags: Encouragement, Cancer, Hope

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[019] A Message From A Poem - An Atheist’s Lament

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jun 22, 2024

[019] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - AN ATHEIST’S LAMENT I do not know how many nations know what the 1st of April is. In western society it is known as April Fools’ Day and is a time when some play tricks on others. The Day is also known as “All Fools’ Day.” The following is taken from The Editors ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 14:1, Psalm 53:1-2, Ecclesiastes 2:14

Tags: April Fools Day, Fools, Atheists, There Is No God

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[139]. A Message From A Poem – If Your Life Belongs To Jesus

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jul 22, 2025

[139]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – IF YOUR LIFE BELONGS TO JESUS In June 2020 I found a poem of mine that I began some time in the past and had forgotten about. It was unfinished for 9 years. I then checked the date and it said 29 May 2011. It was in June 2020 that I wanted to finish it. The ...read more

Scripture: John 16:33, John 1:10, Philippians 2:14-16

Tags: Do Not Fear, Stand For Jesus, Christian Poems, Belong To Jesus

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[142]. A Message From A Poem – In Our Weakness He Gives Strength

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jul 25, 2025

[142]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – IN OUR WEAKNESS HE GIVES STRENGTH Creatures of dust we are and weak and frail in human strength. Many are the battles we can have and many are the storms that assail us. I do think Christians have a greater measure of these that people in the world because it is ...read more

Scripture: Daniel 12:2, Genesis 2:7, Genesis 3:19, Psalm 34:4, Psalm 27:3, 2 Corinthians 12:10  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: We Are Frail, A Christian Poem, Strength, Weakness, I Am Weak, Dust Of The Ground, Christian Poetry, Dust Made From Dust  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[207]. A Message From A Poem – Our Behaviour Is Not Of The World

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Sep 20, 2025

[207]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – OUR BEHAVIOUR IS NOT OF THE WORLD If I am a fool I will act like a fool. If I care for no one, you will probably find me at parties drinking and smoking pot. You see our behaviour flows from what we are inside. James had something to say about this – {{James ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:10, Romans 12:2, Acts 4:13, James 3:11-12

Tags: Christian Poems, Grandstanding, Ambition, Definitions, Worldly Standards, Good Soldiers, The World System, Conformed To The World, Behavior, Jesus, Truth  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[216]. A Message From A Poem - Place The Lord Always In Your Focus

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Oct 3, 2025

[216]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - PLACE THE LORD ALWAYS IN YOUR FOCUS Placing the Lord always in your focus means having Him as THE priority in your life. So often we ask Jesus to share our priorities but it must not be like that. We have many priorities over our lifetimes. Sometimes work must ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 2:20, Matthew 22:37, Matthew 6:33

Tags: Priorities, Focus, First, Priority, Christian Poems, Jesus Is Number 1  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[228]. A Message From A Poem - Raptured To The Lord

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Oct 15, 2025

[228]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - RAPTURED TO THE LORD The Rapture is the hope of the Church. The bible calls it this – {{Titus 2:13 “looking for THE BLESSED HOPE and THE APPEARING OF THE GLORY OF OUR GREAT GOD and Saviour, Christ Jesus.”}} That verse looks at the two future comings, the Rapture ...read more

Scripture: Malachi 4:2, 2 Peter 1:19, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, Titus 2:13, Revelation 4:1  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Trumpet Sound, Rapture, The Morning Star, Christian Poems, The Sun Of Righteousness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[308]. A Message From A Poem - This Sinful World Faces Reality

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 11, 2026

[308]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - THIS SINFUL WORLD FACES REALITY The opening line sets the theme of this poem – “The differential is greater now than ever it was,” and becomes a contrast of what is righteous and what is wicked. The gap is widening and wickedness is growing. The 6 stanzas - each ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:3, Revelation 21:1-2

Tags: World, Judgment, Reality, Decline, Coming Judgment, Sin In The World, Christian Poems  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Power Of Prayer

Contributed by Larry Grant on Jan 12, 2025

Luke 18:1-8 “The Power of Prayer” January 5, 2025 All of us have prayed about serious problems that God has not or did not seem to give us an answer to. Every one of us has had an issue that we have brought before the Lord and it seems as if He did nothing. Most of us have suffered some type of ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:1-8

Tags: Power, Refine, Redirect, Plans, Petitions  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

William

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 10, 2010

William "Fighting Mac" McKenzie, WWI Chaplain Hero and Salvation Army Commander Heroes from WWI, William “Fighting Mac” McKenzie (12/1869-26/7/1947) Pstor Col Stringer reveiled the Australian Heros to us by his research, today I share it with you. Who are your personal heroes? Who do you look up ...read more

Scripture: John 15:12-17

Tags: Holidays Civic

Monk Story  PRO

Contributed by Andrew Hamilton on Sep 29, 2002

Monk Story There is a story told of an old monastery that had fallen upon hard times. It was once a great order, but as a result of waves of anti-monastic persecution in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and the rise of secularism in the nineteenth, all its branch houses were lost and it ...read more

Tags: Christian Love, Romantic Love

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

The Temperance Reformation

Contributed by David Johnston on Sep 24, 2006

The Temperance Reformation This story took place in the years when social drinking was a common thing even among many of the churches. However, many men of God were beginning to speak out against drinking and taking a stand against it from their pulpits. One Sunday, the pastor, who was a ...read more

Denomination: Pentecostal

Standing ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 9, 2009

STANDING ALONE Richard Exley relates a story in his book, Deliver Me. He grew up in a very similar church as to what this one is now. In fact, the church that he is from, in years past, held the same convictions that we still hold today. In the past, you could not tell a difference between how ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:22

Tags: Temptation General, Temptation Resisting

I Ain’t 16 Anymore

Contributed by James Snyder on Jul 24, 2021

I’ve had so many birthdays in my life that I really don’t know how old I am. All I know is that I’m one year older than I was last year. I would not be able to remember when my life began if it wasn’t for paperwork.. To many people, numbers are very important, but in my opinion, a number is just a ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 3:5-6

Tags: Birthday, Growing, Responsibity

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

My Little Red Bible - The Living Word Of God

Contributed by Perry Hancock on Nov 10, 2021

My Little Red Bible - The Living Word of God Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is living and powerful..." When I was 6 years old my parents gave me a little red Bible. Today, if you saw it, you would say that it has surely seen better days. Every time I pick it up it loses a little ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 4:12

Tags: The Bible, Scripture, The Word Of God

Denomination: Baptist

An Apple Fritter On My Mind

Contributed by James Snyder on Jul 2, 2022

The last few weeks have been rather hectic, and I’ve struggled to keep up with everything. If it weren’t for The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage, I probably would not have gotten where I am today. I don’t know anybody who can plan out a day, week, or month better than her. She has everything ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:21

Tags: Stress, Humor

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Memories Can Be So Memorable

Contributed by James Snyder on Aug 19, 2023

In growing older, I noticed a strange phenomenon. The older I get, the more I forget. I remember things that happened in my youth and the pressure of those memories is, are they true, or am I just making them up? I have nobody to verify those memories. I don’t think I will try to verify those ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 31:10-11

Tags: Memory, Weddings

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

A Healing Fool  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Feb 14, 2002

A HEALING FOOL The Gospels depict Jesus as having spent a surprising amount of time healing people… It is significant also that the Greek verb "sozo" was used in Jesus’ day to mean both to save and to heal, and "soter" could signify either savior or physician. Ever since the time of Jesus, ...read more

Scripture: Mark 1:29-39

Tags: Miracles Of Jesus, Prayer Answered, Gifts Healing

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Something For Nothing?  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 30, 2002

SOMETHING FOR NOTHING? Are you hoping for personal change this year? Are you planning to reach your goals by way of hard work or wishful thinking? Do your plans for growth in the New Year sound like this: From the Desk of: Don Genereaux Honorable Secretary of Agriculture Washington, ...read more

Tags: Goals, Life, Government Handouts, Circumstance, Plan  (view more)  (view less)