In Sermon Illustrations: "Hiding Place"

How Much Does Prayer Weigh?

Contributed by Robert Castile on Nov 24, 2003

How Much does Prayer Weigh? Louise Redden, a poorly dressed lady with a look of defeat on her face, walked into a grocery store. She approached the owner of the store in a most humble manner and asked if he would let her charge a few groceries. She softly explained that her husband was very ill ...read more

Tags: Prayer Supplication, Prayer Adoration

Denomination: Holiness

Anybody Here Heard Of A Rich Man Called John ...  PRO

Contributed by Andrew Chan on Feb 21, 2004

Anybody here heard of a rich man called John Davis who lived in Hiawatha, Kansas? Davis, was a farmer and a self-made man. He began as a lowly hired hand and by sheer determination and frugality he managed to amass a considerable fortune in his lifetime. In the process, however, the farmer did not ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness General, Giving General

Denomination: Evangelical Free

From The Time Of Abraham To The Time Of Jesus, ...  PRO

Contributed by Bill Huffhine on May 27, 2004

From the time of Abraham to the time of Jesus, the Jewish people were the chosen people of God. They were the only people on the face of the earth who knew the one, true God. From Abraham, God raised up this nation to be his voice to the entire world. It was to them that God introduced Himself, ...read more

Tags: Baptism

Denomination: Free Methodist

Critical Thinking With Being Critical!" Matthew ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Jul 12, 2004

“Critical Thinking With Being Critical!” Matthew 7: 1-5 Key verse(s): 1-2 “‘Do not judge, or you too will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.’” Chuck Swindoll tells a humorous but rather sobering tale of the other side of the coin, the flip side that ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:1-5

Tags: Leadership General

Denomination: Lutheran

Let's Play ‘let's Pretend'. Let's Pretend That ...  PRO

Contributed by Charles R. Swindoll on Oct 13, 2004

Let’s play ‘Let’s Pretend’. Let’s pretend that you work for me. In fact, you are my executive assistant in a company that is growing rapidly. I’m the owner and I’m interested in expanding overseas. To pull this off, I make plans to travel abroad and stay there until a new branch office gets ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 3:1-13, Matthew 25:14-30, Matthew 17:1-13, James 1:22, John 19:30-31, John 11:1-45, John 11:45-57  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Remaining Thankful  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 16, 2004

REMAINING THANKFUL Boyce Mouton wrote this story when he ministered in California many years ago: “In 1954, a young missionary recruit to Alaska was stricken with a paralytic disease which left her bedfast for the last 10 years of her life. Her name was Marie Napier. The first time I met ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Tags: Thanksgiving Holiday, Peace

Our Poor Choices--His Good Grace!" Genesis 16: ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Nov 27, 2004

“Our Poor Choices--His Good Grace!” Genesis 16: 1-15 Key verse(s): 3: “So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife.’” Do you ever pray for discernment? People tend to pray for things that they ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 16:1-15

Tags: God The Father, God's Forgiveness, Commitment, Belief

Denomination: Lutheran

Sorry--No Spare Grace Today?" Leviticus 19: 9-10 ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Dec 12, 2004

“Sorry--No Spare Grace Today?” Leviticus 19: 9-10 Key verse(s): 9: “‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest.’” “Is your generosity based on facts or faith?” I would imagine that most of us would answer that ...read more

Scripture: Leviticus 19:9-10

Tags: Giving General

Denomination: Lutheran

I Want To Conclude With A Story That Tony ...  PRO

Contributed by Tim Richards on May 18, 2005

I want to conclude with a story that Tony Campolo tells about a time he was asked to speak at a Pentecostal college. He remembered that before the service, eight men had him kneel so they could place their hands on his head and pray. He was glad to have prayer, but each of them prayed a long time, ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness In Jesus, God's Forgiveness

Denomination: Baptist

A Comfortable Emptiness!

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Jun 2, 2005

A Comfortable Emptiness! On a faded scroll framed in mahogany and hung in the hallway of an old farmhouse I chanced many years ago to read what then, in my youth, seemed important but now many years later is ingrained in my heart as one of the most profound and impacting statements I have ever ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 12:12-18

Tags: Children, Parenting

Denomination: Lutheran

The Cavalry Is Already Here! (08.25.05--Under ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Aug 23, 2005

The Cavalry Is Already Here! (08.25.05--Under Pressure!--Judges 1:1) Working for a small, non-profit, I often find myself tackling projects on pretty much of a solo basis. The old adage, “If you want to get something done, you need to do it yourself!” is a prevalent attitude among those who work ...read more

Scripture: Judges 1:1

Tags: Endurance

Denomination: Lutheran

Paul Stanley Tells This Story From His Military ...  PRO

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Aug 28, 2005

Paul Stanley tells this story from his military experience: “As an infantry company commander in Vietnam in 1967, I saw Viet Cong soldiers surrender many times. As they were placed in custody, marched away, and briefly interrogated, their body language and facial expressions always caught my ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 3:9

Tags: Fear, Faith, Confidence, Control, Patience, God, Salvation, Repentance, Surrender, Wait  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Methodist

Life In A Box! (09.02.05--The Temporal ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Aug 31, 2005

Life In a Box! (09.02.05--The Temporal Things!--Matthew 6:21) Did you ever stop to think, about the legacy that you will leave once this life is over? Will you be remembered for the things you did or the things that you owned? I was asked that question the other day and the asker simply asked me ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:21, Psalm 34:10

Tags: Immanuel, God With Us, Goals, Legacy, Finding Fulfillment, Testimony, Struggles  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Lutheran

Heavenly Botox! (09.12.05--Heavenly Citizens!--2 ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Sep 8, 2005

Heavenly Botox! (09.12.05--Heavenly Citizens!--2 Cor. 5:17) Make-overs! We are a people obsessed with them these days. We restore our cars, pump botox into our chins and eyelids, remodel our homes at a record pace and are transfixed by the various shows on television whose story lines are founded ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17

Tags: Grace, Basics Of Christianity

Denomination: Lutheran

See Life As A Squint! (09.13.05--Heavenly ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Sep 11, 2005

See Life as a Squint! (09.13.05--Heavenly Citizens!--Romans 8:25) What is easily taught but not soon learned: easily preached, but not soon believed: good advice, but not easily followed: well spoken but hard to do?. The answer? Patience. If there is one thing that none of us is capable of doing ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:25

Tags: Peace

Denomination: Lutheran

Order Of The Wooden Cross! ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Oct 10, 2005

Order of the Wooden Cross! (10.11.05--Sacrifice!--1 Chronicles 21:22-24) Recently I was asked this question: “What have you sacrificed lately in light of all the sorrow, desolation and bloodshed that have gripped the world?” It was a challenge from a friend of mine who regularly gives to ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 11:17-19, 1 Chronicles 21:22-24

Tags: Giving General

Denomination: Lutheran

When Things Are Just Working Out! ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Oct 24, 2005

When Things Are Just Working Out! (10.26.05--Making It!--Judges 18:27) IF life is going well and I am in all things successful, does that me that God is pleased with me? That’s a good question! If I am successful in the things that I do, does that necessarily mean that God is behind that success? ...read more

Scripture: Judges 18:27

Tags: Joy, Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Lutheran

I Heard A Story That Illustrates This Point In An ...  PRO

Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Dec 13, 2005

I heard a story that illustrates this point in an interesting way. An author named Bret Harte wrote a story about the Wild West, called “The Luck of Roaring Camp.” Roaring Camp was the meanest, toughest Mining Town in all the West. There were more murders and thefts than any other place around. ...read more

Tags: Christmas, Advent, Birth Of Jesus, Incarnation

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Tomorrow's Trivia! (02.24.06--Do Not Worry!--Luke ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Feb 22, 2006

Tomorrow’s Trivia! (02.24.06--Do Not Worry!--Luke 22:24) An average person’s anxiety is focused on: 40% -- things that will never happen, 30% -- things about the past that can’t be changed, 12% -- things about criticism by others, mostly untrue, 10% -- about health, which gets worse with ...read more

Scripture: Luke 22:24

Tags: Fear And Worry

Denomination: Lutheran

History Remembers John Joseph Mcgraw Primarily As ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 17, 2006

History remembers John Joseph McGraw primarily as the famed and ferocious longtime manager of the New York Giants. But as unrelenting as McGraw was as a manager during the first three decades of the 20th century, he had been even more unrelenting as a player in the 1890s. It was an era of dirty ...read more

Tags: Sin General