In Sermon Illustrations: "Heart For The Lost"

Ugandan Juvenile Jail

Contributed by Tim Smith on Sep 25, 2016

Bob Goff tells the story of his longtime friend Charlie. Charlie was one of those guys who measured his life not by what he was but by what he has given up. He was a graduate of law school and then became an FBI agent. He met Bob for coffee and then said he wanted to use his training to help kids ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 18:21-25

Tags: Prayer, Forgiveness

Denomination: Methodist

Mom Left Us More Than Her Insurance Policy

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Jun 2, 2020

Around April 28, 2020, my mother completed her earthly journey and went to be with the Lord. I have to confess, part of me was glad she wasn’t suffering any longer (she had several serious health issues) but of course there was the grief that comes along with losing someone you love. Yes, I know ...read more

Scripture: Luke 12:15

Tags: Insurance, Mothers, Inheritance

Denomination: Baptist

Unsung Heroes: Nabal's Servant

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Apr 10, 2022

Introduction: David was God’s choice to be king over Israel, but that wasn’t going to happen as long as Saul was ruling as Israel’s first king. David had done some unusual, some might say questionable, things but at this time he and his men were protecting a large flock of sheep and goats. David ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 25:14-17

Tags: David, Nabal, Abigail, Unsung Heroes

Denomination: Baptist

An Observation About Aging—and Baseballs

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Jul 7, 2022

Introduction: You just can’t change some facts. Aging is one of those facts! Text: Ecclesiastes 12:1, KJV: 1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; Thoughts: Like most good ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 12:1

Tags: Aging, Baseball, Sports

Denomination: Baptist

The Highest Calling Of The Bride Of Christ

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jul 17, 2023

Revelation 19:7-9 - Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. Revelation 21:2 - And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her ...read more

Tags: Praise, Heaven, Purpose, Bride Of Christ, Calling, Glory, Church, Worship  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[005]. Message From A Poem - A Mirror On The State Of The World

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on May 29, 2024

[005]. MESSAGE FROM A POEM - A MIRROR ON THE STATE OF THE WORLD We are citizens of this world, but we also are citizens of heaven. Those dear souls who are unsaved are just citizen of this world. They have singular citizenship. When we look at the awful political systems the world has, and at ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:18-20, John 16:33

Tags: Authority, Sadness, The World, Sin, Suffering, Mirror, Distress  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Lesson From A Band Concert

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Dec 19, 2024

Introduction: Sometimes you can find an example or illustration from places you wouldn’t normally expect. Such an instance happened to me recently, Here’s the verse that came to mind when I saw what took place: Text: John 16:13, KJV: 13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide ...read more

Scripture: John 16:13

Tags: Holy Spirit, Teaching, Encouragement

Denomination: Baptist

[153]. A Message From A Poem – Jesus Christ Is Lord And King

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Aug 3, 2025

[153]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – JESUS CHRIST IS LORD AND KING There are 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet, and the writers of the Psalms, and Jeremiah, made use of what we call “Alphabetic Poems”. That is where you begin each new paragraph with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. I think ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:9-11, John 20:20, Matthew 27:37, Matthew 2:2

Tags: Jesus Is Lord, Jesus Is King, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, Lord, King  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Pastor

Contributed by Loyd C. Taylor on Sep 26, 2025

The Pastor A Most Unusual Man (Dedicated to all who have answered the call to preach) The phone rings: another urgent call, but he’s ready, the task to meet; kisses his wife a quick goodbye and hurries down the street. A neighbor watches as he goes, thoughts running through his head: He's ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 3:15, Titus 1:5-9, 1 Peter 5:1-5, Proverbs 27:23, Hebrews 13:17, 1 Timothy 4:4-16, 2 Timothy 4:1-8  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Honor, Preaching, Pastor, Pulpit, Pastor's Appreciation Day, Honor Your Pastor  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

[252]. A Message From A Poem – The 21st Of December 2020

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 7, 2026

[252]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THE 21ST OF DECEMBER 2020 This poem bounces around a bit as we look at the long day, and the daylight, and THE LIGHT. The unending day of salvation also is considered. The anchor is “the longest day” that starts with being saved, and is an everlasting day which ...read more

Scripture: John 3:36, Matthew 5:14, John 9:4-5

Tags: Day, The Light Of The World, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, Longest Day Of The Year, Night, Light, Salvation, Darkness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I Surrender All – Judson W. Van Deventer, 1896

Contributed by Richard Goble on Mar 19, 2008

I Surrender All – Judson W. Van DeVenter, 1896 Van DeVenter beautifully describes the process of absolute surrender in his timeless hymn I Surrender All. If I may impose my perception of this hymn, I would suggest that He reveals the struggle involved in surrendering all that he is to the Lord. ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Healing The Wounds Of War: The Kim Phuc Story

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 4, 2010

HEALING THE WOUNDS OF WAR: THE KIM PHUC STORY Probably one of the most well-known pictures to come out of the Vietnam War was Nick Ut’s Pulitzer Prize-winning photo (show picture) of Phan Thi Kim Phuc (pronounced "fuke"). On June 8, 1972, a napalm bomb was dropped on her village, and Kim, who was ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 18:21-35

Tags: Forgiveness For Others

Hudson Taylor Learns About ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 10, 2010

Hudson Taylor Learns About Giving One wonderful testimony of faith from church history is that of Hudson Taylor, the first missionary to the interior of China (in the mid-1800s). He was a great evangelist because he learn “to move man, through God, by prayer alone.” To prepare for the loneliness ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:16

Tags: Giving Yourself

Serving Others

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Dec 27, 2014

“True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever the cost”. - Arthur Ashe In a small, dusty town in western Oklahoma one November there lived a young single mother struggling to make ends meet. ...read more

Scripture: John 13:12-14

Tags: Humility, Christian Service

Denomination: Charismatic

What God Told Me At 4 A.m. In Guangzhou, China

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Apr 13, 2018

Note: this story is told by me - Jim Butcher of Madison WV. I want to tell you a story about an insight that God gave me into John 14:1-4, the passage where Jesus speaks of going to prepare a place for us. This is the story of something that happened to me several years ago while I was in ...read more

Tags: China, Adoption, New Jerusalem, Eternity, Father, Family, Heaven  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Charlie's Thanksgiving List

Contributed by Perry Hancock on Nov 22, 2022

Charlie’s Thanksgiving List The pastor at the downtown men’s shelter was ready to begin the Thanksgiving service. Everyone was ready for him to begin and finish since the service was before the meal. After a few hymns were sung, it was time for the pastor’s Thanksgiving sermon. This year he had ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 103:2

Tags: Thanksgiving, God's Blessings

Denomination: Baptist

Misapplied Scriptures: Genesis 6:3

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Sep 14, 2023

Introduction: There is any number of Scriptures that have been used out of context or simply misapplied over the years. A Christian magazine listed about a dozen of these back in the early 1980’s and, I must say, some of the author’s insights were something I had never thought of before. Maybe I ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 6:1-8

Tags: Flood, Noah, Misapplied Scripture

Denomination: Baptist

The Valley Of the Shadow Of Death

Contributed by Rev Purvi Satvedi on Oct 27, 2023

An experience Peter Marshall, the great Scottish preacher, related during his ministry: On Sunday morning, December 7, 1941, Peter Marshall preached to the regiment of midshipmen in the Naval Academy at Annapolis. A strange feeling which he couldn’t shake off led him to change his announced topic ...read more

Tags: Death, Funeral, Valley

Denomination: Brethren

[046]. A Message From A Poem – Christians In Response

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 6, 2025

[046]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – CHRISTIANS IN RESPONSE This is another poem where I make use of rhyming patterns. Each line has an internal rhyme separated by one syllable. Here it is explained – “My life was SPENT, and WENT its way, with worldly discord gained.” The rhyming scheme for the ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 4:19, Revelation 5:11-13

Tags: Praise, Christians, Response, Poetry, Poem, Death Of Christ  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[088]. A Poem Message – Specific – For Young Christians - The Three Ls

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Apr 25, 2025

[088]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – SPECIFIC – FOR YOUNG CHRISTIANS - THE THREE Ls There are 9 poems in this Trilogy series. This poem is part of a Trilogy - three sets of three. The first set is addressed to MEN, the second to ALL CHRISTIANS and the third is SPECIFIC. This is the first one in ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 3:14, 1 John 4:19, 1 John 5:2, Matthew 11:28-29, Proverbs 1:33  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Love, Listen, Learn

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational