In Sermon Illustrations: "Hearts Desires"

O Lord, That Lends Me Life, Lend Me A Heart ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"O Lord, that lends me life, lend me a heart replete ...read more

Tags: Prayer How To

I Have Within My Heart An Inmate, Even My ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"I have within my heart an inmate, even my thought, which ...read more

Tags: Thought

God Has Laid A Vision On My Heart...paul Said ...

Contributed by Hugh Laing on Jan 19, 2010

God has laid a vision on my heart...Paul said "this one thing I do" and that was ...read more

Tags: Revival

Denomination: Baptist

Solomon's Insightful Judgment: Looking For The Reaction Of Hearts

Contributed by Jung Lee on Jan 16, 2024

King Solomon, known for his God-given wisdom, faced a challenging situation recorded in 1 Kings 3:16-28. Two women, both claiming to be the mother of the same baby, brought their case before him. Solomon's response was both shocking and insightful. He suggested dividing the baby in two, giving ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 3:16-28

Tags: Biblical Wisdom, Discernment, True Motherhood, Prolife, Morality, Love, Wisdom  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Max Lucado, In His Book In The Eye Of The Storm, ...  PRO

Contributed by Joe La Rue on Feb 18, 2008

Max Lucado, in his book In the Eye of the Storm, tells the story of Chippie the Parakeet. He writes: "Chippie the Parakeet never saw it coming. One second he was peacefully perched in his cage. The next he was sucked in, washed up, blown over. The problems began when Chippie’s owner ...read more

Tags: Clean, Heart, Remember, Unclean

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

What Does God's Voice Sound Like?  PRO

Contributed by Anne Benefield on Feb 4, 2009

WHAT DOES GOD'S VOICE SOUND LIKE? Erwin McManus, a pastor in Los Angeles, tells a great story about recognizing God's voice. My son, Aaron, was five or six when he began asking me, "What does God's voice sound like?" I didn't know how to answer. A few years later, Aaron went off to his first ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 3:1-21

Tags: Hard Heart, Dealing With Conflicts

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Active Vs. Passive Hardening Of The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 13, 2010

ACTIVE VS. PASSIVE HARDENING OF THE HEART We have to distinguish between active hardening and passive hardening (of the heart). What we have in this verse is an example of God’s punitive judgment against a wicked man. Pharaoh was already wicked. Pharaoh already had an evil heart, out of which came ...read more

Scripture: Romans 1:24-28

Tags: Hard Heart, Sin General

Internal ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 23, 2010

Internal Audit My wife Tina is an internal auditor for T. Marzetti. When she walks into a plant to do an audit she can tell a lot about that plant by what she sees. If she finds that the financials, employment records, inventory, and quality control aspects of the plant are good it is an indication ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 12:33-37

Tags: Tongue, Guarding Your Heart

Clean Conscience

Contributed by Shine Thomas on Jul 24, 2017

Xaviera Hollander wrote a book with a title: The Happy Hooker. Hollander, a prostitute, sought to silence the people who believe that no prostitute could find joy in what she was doing. In her book, Hollander celebrates the joy that she experienced in her profession, saying that she never felt ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 32:1-6

Tags: Guilt, Conscience, Pure Heart

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Hey, This Is My Story!

Contributed by James Snyder on Dec 4, 2021

Dr. James L. Snyder I am just now concluding that narcissism is a virus that has infected everybody in the world that is breathing air. I even apply this to my own life with a great deal of regret. Nobody wants to admit they have narcissistic leanings in their life. And yet, if you listen to ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:23

Tags: Heart Attack, Narcissi Okaysm

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Do Not Love The World

Contributed by Ken Mckinley on Jan 7, 2025

Now imagine this with me for a second. Let’s say you have a pillow and let’s say the family dog got ahold of that pillow and used it for a litter box… so you took it out and put it in the dumpster, and a family of rats moved into it and used it for a bed. And just before the day the trash truck ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 2:15

Tags: Love Of Jesus, Desire, Love Of The World

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Cookie-Jar

Contributed by David Dunn on Oct 7, 2025

A pastor was teaching the Ten Commandments to a group of children. When he came to “Thou shalt not steal,” he leaned forward and said, “Now, children, what would the cookie jar say to you if it could talk?” A little girl lifted her hand and said, “It would say, ‘Suffer the little children to come ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 4:7, Romans 7:19, Galatians 5:17, 1 Corinthians 10:13, James 1:14  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Temptation, Desire, Choice, Grace, Obedience  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

When Christmas Doesn't Make Your Heart Swell Up ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 15, 2004

“When Christmas doesn’t make your heart swell up until it nearly bursts and fill your eyes with tears and make you all soft and warm inside then you will know ...read more

Scripture: John 1:14

You See, My Brethren, My Heart Is Full; I Could ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 9, 2006

“You see, my brethren, my heart is full; I could almost say it is too big to speak, and yet too big to be silent, without ...read more

Tags: God Brings Hope

God Can Mend A Broken Heart If We Give Him All ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

God can mend a broken heart if we give Him ...read more

Tags: Hardship Of Life

What Did You Find When You Opened My Heart?

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Oct 16, 2023

Here’s a story about a little boy that was to have heart surgery. The surgeon sat beside the boy's bed and his parents sat across from him. The surgeon said to the little boy, "Tomorrow morning, I'll open up your heart." The little boy interrupted the surgeon and said; ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1-12, Romans 10:13

Tags: Jesus, Heaven, Evangelism, Death, Children, Unbelievers  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Prayer Is The Strongest Form Of Abiding That ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 1, 2008

Prayer is the strongest form of abiding that there is. A retired teacher was giving her little nephew some help with his schoolwork. He was normally a good, attentive child, but on this occasion he could not fix his mind on his work. Suddenly he said, "Aunt Sally, may I kneel down and ask God to ...read more

Tags: Faith

Payer Is The Strongest Form Of Abiding That There ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 12, 2008

Payer is the strongest form of abiding that there is. -- A retired teacher was giving her little nephew some help with his schools work. He was normally a good, attentive child, but on this occasion he could not fix his mind on his work. Suddenly he said, "Aunt Sally, may I kneel down and ask God ...read more

Tags: Prayer General

Prayer Is The Strongest Form Of Abiding That ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 27, 2008

Prayer is the strongest form of abiding that there is. -- A retired teacher was giving her little nephew some help with his schools work. He was normally a good, attentive child, but on this occasion he could not fix his mind on his work. Suddenly he said, "Aunt Sally, may I kneel down and ask God ...read more

Tags: Prayer General

The King Who Owned Everything

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Apr 11, 2018

Once upon a time there was a king who ruled a vast domain. He was the wealthiest person in the world: thousands of horses, dozens of homes, access to anything his heart desired. There was nothing anyone could give him that he did not already possess. One day at the door of the throne room a ...read more

Tags: Worship, Praise, Generosity

Denomination: Baptist