In Sermon Illustrations: "He Strives With God"

The Spirit Of God Is Around You

Contributed by Johnny A. Palmer Jr. on Dec 7, 2011

THE SPIRIT OF GOD IS AROUND YOU Inscribed upon the Ruskin's Memorial, at Friar's Crag Keswick, England are these words: "The Spirit of God is around you in the air you breathe. His glory in the light you see, and in the Fruitfulness of the earth and joy of His creatures. He has ...read more

Tags: Holy Spirit General

Denomination: Baptist

God "Subdues" Our Sins

Contributed by Charles Jones on Apr 11, 2013

GOD "SUBDUES" OUR SINS The word "subdue" is such a powerful word. In the Hebrew, it is the word "kabash" (kaw-bash) meaning to "tread down, disregard, conquer, bring into subjection". The Hebrew word for "cast" is "shalak" (shaw-lak) which means "to hurl, to throw away". What an amazing ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness General

Denomination: Pentecostal

So God's Really In The Details?  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 28, 2005

SO GOD’S REALLY IN THE DETAILS? Economists use probability theory to predict how people will spend money. Actuaries use it to figure how high someone’s insurance premium will be. In 2002, Richard Swinburne, who is a professor of philosophy at Oxford University, used a formula known as Baye’s ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:1-15

Tags: Apologetics Jesus, Easter Resurrection

God's Provision: The Holy Spirit  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 7, 2009

GOD'S PROVISION: THE HOLY SPIRIT Without the Holy Spirit the church could not exist. It is He who inspired the writers of Scripture, and He who dwells in every Christian, giving us life in Christ. All our efforts are dust and ashes apart from Him. A young man asked an old rich man how he made his ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:16-25

Tags: God's Provision

When God Shows Up

Contributed by Kerry Haynes on Feb 3, 2019

I just finished reading a book called, “The Shack.” I read it about ten years ago, and something made me read it again, and I’m so glad I did. I commend it to you as a book that captures the very essence of a God who wants nothing more than to have a loving relationship with you. What an incredible ...read more

Scripture: Luke 5:1-11, Isaiah 6:1-8

Tags: Humility, The Shack, God Shows Up, Miracle, Sacred In The Ordinary, Sacred In Secular  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Trust God And You Will Be Firm

Contributed by Arulselvam Rayappan on Jan 13, 2026

Trusting the Lord is a recurring theme in the Prophet Isaiah. “Unless your faith is firm, you shall not be firm” Is 7: 14. Advent is a time of trusting the Lord. God alone can save those who place their trust in Him. At times we are confused concerning the choices we have to make. On the one hand ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 7:14

Tags: Fear, Trusting God, Afriad

Denomination: Catholic

To Be On Fire For God Means To Be Committed. It ...  PRO

Contributed by Donnie Martin on Jun 28, 2004

To be on fire for God means to be committed. It means to be sold out to Him. It means to be active, not passive in God’s service. The Bohemian reformer John Hus was a man who believed the Scriptures to be the infallible and supreme authority in all matters. He died at the stake for that belief ...read more

Tags: Christian Disciplines, Character

Denomination: Baptist

God's Word Has Power

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 3, 2011

GOD'S WORD HAS POWER In an interview about his book The Folly of Prayer (IVP, 2009), author and pastor Matt Woodley shared a story about his friend Theresa. She had married the man of her dreams, but soon after that dropped into the pit of a deep depression. Everything went dark in her mind and ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:26-27

Tags: Bible Influence

God's Glory And Our Happiness

Contributed by Steven Simala Grant on Nov 27, 2012

GOD'S GLORY AND OUR HAPPINESS Jonathan Edwards writes: God in seeking his glory seeks the good of his creatures, because the emanation of his glory ... implies the ... happiness of his creatures. And in communicating his fullness for them, he does it for himself, because their good, which he ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 1:20-23

Tags: Glory, Jonathan, Common Good, Jonathan Edwards

Denomination: Baptist

The Power Of God's Word In The Workplace

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 6, 2010

THE POWER OF GOD'S WORD IN THE WORKPLACE For nine years I had worked with the same group of men on a loading dock, loading and unloading trucks. It was hard physical work, but very mundane and we all found it quite boring. Since the work was so mindless, I would find myself in philosophical ...read more

Scripture: Acts 12:24

Tags: Bible Influence

Give God A Blank Check!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 4, 2021

I read once about a family that put their elderly grandmother on a plane for her first flight. She wasn’t too sure about this mode of transportation, but she grudgingly went along with it. When she returned, some of the family members couldn’t help playfully asking, “Grannie, did the plane hold you ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 3:5-6

Tags: Faith, Commitment, Trust, Will Of God, Believing God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

God Anoints Men Of Prayer  PRO

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Jan 9, 2011

GOD ANOINTS MEN OF PRAYER E. M. Bounds says in his classic book, The Power of Prayer: "Men are God's method. The Church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better men...What the Church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more and novel methods, but ...read more

Tags: Prayer General

Denomination: Independent/Bible

God Whispers To Us In Our ...

Contributed by David Eden on Oct 28, 2005

"God whispers to us in our pleasures, but He screams to us in ...read more

Tags: God Brings Hope, God Brings Purpose

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

God Just Needs A Voice  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 13, 2009

GOD JUST NEEDS A VOICE John Stott, a well-known British pastor and theologian, was invited to preach at the University of Sydney in Australia; but after he got there, he lost his voice. He describes his experience as follows: "What can you do with a missionary who has no voice? We had come to ...read more

Scripture: Luke 21:14-15, Matthew 1:18-24

Tags: God Brings Purpose

Praise Be To The Lord, The God Of Israel, ...

Contributed by Gregg Bitter on Jan 3, 2010

"Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people" (Luke 1:68 NIV). A little child plays innocently in a park. Suddenly a man grabs her from behind and drags her into a van. She’s gagged. A bag’s pulled over her head. Dust stings her eyes. The smell of sweat ...read more

Tags: Restoration

Denomination: Lutheran

Does Your God Bleed?  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 3, 2011

DOES YOUR GOD BLEED? A little boy went up to a missionary Sunday School leader in a pagan country. The boy said, "I like what you say about the God of the Bible but I can’t see him. But if I go to the temple I can see my God." The missionary said to the little boy, "Listen, does your God ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:19-20, 1 Peter 3:1-12

Tags: Blood Of Christ

Does Your God Bleed?  PRO

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Mar 4, 2014

DOES YOUR GOD BLEED? A little boy went up to a missionary Sunday School leader in another country. The boy said, "I like what you say about the God of the Bible but I can’t see him. But if I go to the temple I can see my God." The missionary said to the little boy, "Son, may I ask you a ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:8

Tags: Salvation, Cross, Blood Of Jesus

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Eighteen Reasons To Praise God  PRO

Contributed by Michael Gibney on May 19, 2002

EIGHTEEN REASONS TO PRAISE GOD- 1. HE GAVE US A PRIVILEGE TO PRAY 2. HIS DEEDS AMONG MEN 3. HIS WONDROUS AND MARVELOUS WORKS 4. HIS HOLY NAME 5. HIS STRENGTH 6. HIS WONDERS 7. HIS JUDGMENTS IN THE EARTH 8. HE IS THE LORD OUR GOD 9. HIS CREATION 10. HIS SALVATION 11. HIS GLORY 12. HIS ...read more

Tags: Worship Purpose

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

An Infinite God, A Finite Mind  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 2, 2004

AN INFINITE GOD, A FINITE MIND Augustine, while puzzling over the doctrine of the Trinity, was walking along the beach one day when he observed a young boy with a bucket, running back and forth to pour water into a little hole. Augustine asked, "What are you doing?" The boy replied, "I’m trying to ...read more

Tags: Trinity, Descriptions Of God

But In God's Scheme Of Things, A Person's A ...

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Dec 3, 2008

But in God's scheme of things, a person's a person no matter how small. In fact in God's scheme, the least are the most important. The poor and marginalized and abuse and downtrodden are given God's favor over the important, or wealthy, or famous. Chris Tomlin wrote a worship song that I love ...read more

Tags: God's Omnipotence

Denomination: Church Of God