In Sermon Illustrations: "He Strives With God"

Alexander The Great On Hope

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 22, 2009

ALEXANDER THE GREAT ON HOPE Jesus is a sign of hope, and the friend of those who will not let hope die. He must increase, and we must decrease. The Macedonian king, Alexander the Great, was about to launch a great campaign. It would be trying and difficult. It would mean slogging across the ...read more

Scripture: John 3:25-30

Tags: God Brings Hope

The World Is Without Hope

Contributed by Ken Pell on Jun 5, 2011

THE WORLD IS WITHOUT HOPE In Kurt Vonnegut’s novel, Cat’s Cradle, an important book comes to light. It is titled, "What Can a Thoughtful Man Hope for Mankind on Earth, Given the Experience of the Past Million Years?" The chief character is anxious to read it. But when he does, he finds that it ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:12

Tags: God Brings Hope

Denomination: Nazarene

Stop Looking For Reasons, Rest On The Promises

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 31, 2008

STOP LOOKING FOR REASONS, REST ON THE PROMISES Pastor and author Warren Wiersbe draws our attention to the 51 references of the writer (psalmist) to himself – his interests, desires, feelings, questions and plans. Wiersbe advises that a healthy antidote to depression is to stop looking at self and ...read more

Tags: God Brings Hope

Keeping The Lights Burning

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2008

KEEPING THE LIGHTS BURNING Robert Russell, pastor and author, tells a story of how about twenty years ago there was a house near the entrance of his subdivision that kept their Christmas lights burning long after the season was past. They burned through January. Even through the first of February ...read more

Tags: God Brings Hope

We Can Overcome

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 8, 2009

WE CAN OVERCOME Take for example Egyptian hieroglyphics. In seminary I had plenty of brilliant folks for classmates, just amazing people. One man, Kevin was with us on our trip to the Holy Land. Kevin finishing his M.Div at Princeton and was soon on his way to Harvard for a Ph.D. in biblical ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 5:4-5

Tags: God Brings Hope

Pablo Picasso. Picasso Was The Spanish Cubist ...

Contributed by Philip Harrelson on Jan 13, 2005

Pablo Picasso. Picasso was the Spanish cubist artist who sketched, sculpted, and painted his way into prominence in the early twentieth century. On the rare occasion, he painted live portraits. One such instance was his painting of Gertrude Stein, one of America’s foremost authors of a bygone ...read more

Tags: Family, God's Omniscience

Denomination: Pentecostal

The Great Scottish Bible Expositor Alexander ...  PRO

Contributed by Dan Cormie on Oct 25, 2002

The great Scottish Bible expositor Alexander MacLaren once wrote: ‘we may have as much of God as we will. Christ puts the key of the treasure-chamber into our hand, and bids us take all that we want. If a man is admitted into the bullion vault of a bank and ...read more

Tags: God's Provision, Fulfillment

Denomination: Mennonite

They Took It Away!

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Mar 3, 2020

My parents used to operate a true “Mom and Pop” grocery store before I started school. I still remember some of the good times—and some of the bad times, too, unfortunately—from those days gone by. Some of the items they had for sale were plastic models. These were mostly Revell, Lindberg, or ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 3:22, 1 John 5:18

Tags: The Will Of God, Take It Or Leave It

Denomination: Baptist

I Will Pay For My Own Sins  PRO

Contributed by Gene Gregory on Mar 8, 2004

I WILL PAY FOR MY OWN SINS For some time now, we have been hearing about Mel Gibson’s new movie, The Passion of the Christ, the biblical account of the last hours of Christ’s earthly life. Some claim it is too violent and graphic. Some claim it is anti-Semitic, though the producer filmed his ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:14, Ephesians 2:8-9

Tags: God's Forgiveness, Cross

Denomination: Baptist

We Need Hope

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 31, 2008

WE NEED HOPE Someone has said that if you could convince a man there was no hope, he would curse the day he was born. Hope is an indispensable quality of life. Dusk was falling on the Saturday before Christmas in 1927 the S-4 submarine (S-class submarines, were the first class of submarines built ...read more

Tags: God Brings Hope

In 1973 Gary Kildall Wrote The First Popular ...  PRO

Contributed by John Williams Iii on Jan 14, 2003

“In 1973 Gary Kildall wrote the first popular operating system for personal computers, named CP/M. According to writer Philip Fiorini, IBM approached Kildall in 1980 about developing the operating system for IBM PCs. But Kildall snubbed IBM officials at a crucial meeting, according to another ...read more

Tags: Kingdom Of God, Fulfillment

Denomination: United Methodist

I Am Your Shield  PRO

Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Apr 3, 2007

"I am your shield" Genesis 15:8-16 This was exactly what Abram needed to hear. He KNEW what a Shield was. Remember that Abram had just returned from battle. He probably owed his own life to the strength of his Shield. The shield is what absorbs the shock of the spear and sword. It repels ...read more

Tags: Armour, Armour Of God

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Something Beautiful

Contributed by Barry Edmondson on Feb 5, 2011

SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL In 1502, in Florence, Italy there was a large block of marble given to a church in Santa Maria, the church immediately hired who they thought was a professional to sculpt this enormously huge piece of rock. The man was a professional and soon after commencing this great task ...read more

Tags: God Brings Purpose

Denomination: Pentecostal

It Has Been Said By One Of The Old Mystics ...  PRO

Contributed by Andrew Hamilton on Sep 29, 2002

It has been said by one of the old mystics (Julian of Norwich) ‘This is the reason why we have no ease of heart or soul, for we are seeking our rest in trivial things that cannot satisfy, and not seeking to know God, almighty, all-wise, all good. He is true rest. It is his will that ...read more

Tags: Fulfillment, God The Father

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

The Love Of Christ  PRO

Contributed by Melvin Newland on Sep 23, 2002

THE LOVE OF CHRIST I want to tell you of a modern day Damascus road experience that some of you may find hard to believe. It is reported in an article by Fred Markert in the current issue of Pray Magazine. Fred is the International Director of YWAM’s Strategic Frontiers, a group that focuses on ...read more

Scripture: Acts 9:5

Tags: God's Forgiveness, Mercy

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Simeon The Pillar Hermit

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Aug 28, 2024

Simeon was probably like most boys his age in A.D. 403. The 13-year-old spent much of his time caring for his father's flocks on the hillside of Cilicia. But one day, while listening to a sermon on the beatitudes, stirred and changed he left his home and family and began a lifelong pursuit of ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 3:20

Tags: Finding God, Monks, Intimacy With God, Separation, Holiness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Mother Hen Sacrifices Her Life To Protect Chicks ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 17, 2009

Mother Hen Sacrifices Her Life To Protect Chicks During Fire in Yellowstone National Park, National Geographic Article There was an article in National Geographic several years ago provided a penetrating picture of God’s wings. After a forest fire in Yellowstone National Park in the US, forest ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 91:1-16

Tags: Animals, God's Protection

Hair Mission  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 26, 2002

HAIR MISSION In dire need of a beauty makeover, I went to my salon with a fashion magazine photo of a gorgeous, young, lustrous-haired model. I showed the stylist the trendy new cut I wanted and settled into the chair as he began humming a catchy tune and got to work on my thin, graying hair. I ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 1:15

Tags: God's Omnipotence, Missions

Boy And Baseball Bat

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Boy & Baseball Bat A Man approached a little league baseball game one afternoon. He asked a boy in the dugout what the score was. The boy responded, “Eighteen to nothing—we’re behind.” “Boy,” said the spectator, “I’ll bet you’re discouraged.” “Why should I be discouraged?” replied the little boy. ...read more

Tags: God Brings Purpose

Recently My Family And I Were Traveling North On ...

Contributed by Chris Surber on Jan 19, 2010

Recently my family and I were traveling north on 251 to visit a local retail store. While we drove we noticed a huge plume of smoke in the air. As it turns out, we were not the only people in town who had gathered to witness the blaze at Crafter’s Village. Upon pulling into a nearby parking lot ...read more

Tags: God's Love, Purification

Denomination: Christian Church