In Sermon Illustrations: "Hold On"

The Power Of The Holy Spirit To Change Lives

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Aug 27, 2023

Dr. Harry A. Ironside the great evangelist and Bible teacher was living in the San Francisco Bay area working with a group of believers called “Brethren.” One Sunday as he was walking through the city he came upon a group of Salvation Army workers holding a meeting on the corner of Market and Grant ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 19:7-9

Tags: Changed Lives, Power Of The Holy Spirit, Henry Ironside, Holy Spirit, Transformation, Agnosticism  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Trouble? Joe Was Trouble...

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Oct 25, 2023

TROUBLE? JOE WAS TROUBLE! SOMEONE IS HURTING! I had taught school in Virginia several years. I was assistant principal. I often observed the kids in the younger classes and thought someday I will teach that child. There was a young boy named Joe. Joe was in the office pretty often in some kind ...read more

Scripture: Micah 6:8, Mark 12:29

Tags: Help, Trouble, Ministry

Denomination: Assembly Of God

[034] A Message From A Poem – Beneath His Wings – My Prayer

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Feb 22, 2025

[034] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – BENEATH HIS WINGS – MY PRAYER In this poem there is a little word interplay in each stanza. It is simple to see. The reason for this poem is to express a prayer for personal concerns. I tried to cover a number of points I thought were important. These are ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 14:29-31, Luke 18:10-11, Nehemiah 2:4, Luke 18:13-14, Romans 12:12  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Prayer, Sincerity, Poetry, Devoted To Prayer, Silent Prayer  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[206]. A Message From A Poem – Opposition Is Here So Be Committed

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Sep 20, 2025

[206]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – OPPOSITION IS HERE SO BE COMMITTED There are two things I say over and over, that are expected from a Christian in these last days. One is FAITHFULNESS, and the other is COMMITMENT. In this poem the emphasis is on both. Too many Christians are “fair weather ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 2:10, Matthew 16:24

Tags: Commitment, Faithful, Faithfulness, Opposition, Dark Days, Christian Poems  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[343]. A Message From A Poem - Whoa! Stop Your Gallop And Take Stock

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Apr 30, 2026

[343]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - WHOA! STOP YOUR GALLOP AND TAKE STOCK Paul said to examine oneself in this passage – {{2 Corinthians 13:5 “TEST YOURSELVES to see if you are in the faith. EXAMINE YOURSELVES, or do you not recognise this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you - unless ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:12, 1 Corinthians 4:4, Galatians 6:4, 2 Corinthians 13:5

Tags: Examine Yourself, Test Yourself, Christian Poems, Gallop, Take Stock, Neglect Of The Bible  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

In God's Eyes," By Candace Carteen Of Portland, ...  PRO

Contributed by Brian Atwood on May 5, 2008

"In God's Eyes," by Candace Carteen of Portland, Oregon. By the time I was ten, I was totally ashamed of my father. All my friends called him names: Quasi-Moto, hunchback, monster, little Frankenstein, the crooked little man with the crooked little cane. At first it hurt when they called him ...read more

Tags: Faults

Denomination: Baptist

A Day In The Life Of A Shepherd  PRO

Contributed by Ervin Kimrey on Jun 29, 2005

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A SHEPHERD With a spring in his step and an eye to the sky, at sunrise, he makes straight for the sheep fold. As soon as he rattles the gate, he gives his morning call, greets the sheep, often by name, every sheep is on its feet. They spring toward the gate, with expectancy ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 40:11

Tags: Forgiveness In Jesus, Promises Of God

Denomination: Baptist

Elie Wiesel Was A Fourteen Year Old Boy When The ...  PRO

Contributed by Philip Harrelson on Feb 8, 2006

-Elie Wiesel was a fourteen year old boy when the Germans started loading the Jews on trains and sending them to the death camps authorized by Adolph Hitler. This excerpt picks up as he is traveling by in a cattle car on a train from Transylvania (which at the time was under the control of ...read more

Tags: Hell

Denomination: Pentecostal

Don Richardson, In His Book Eternity In Their ...  PRO

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Sep 11, 2005

Don Richardson, in his book Eternity in Their Hearts, tells an amazing story of spiritual harvest. In an area once called Burma, which is now modern Myanmar, lying between China and Thailand, and touching the border of Laos, there lived about a quarter-million tribal people called the Lahu. For ...read more

Tags: Love Of The Disciples

Denomination: Methodist

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

A Special Occasion  PRO

Contributed by Eric Ferguson on May 8, 2008

A SPECIAL OCCASION If you are waiting for a special house guest or a special occasion to use something you cherish in your house, consider the following following article by Ann Wells that appeared several years ago in the Los Angeles Times: My brother-in-law opened the bottom drawer of my ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-18

Tags: Happiness

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Phillip Keller Visited A Potter In Pakistan A...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 13, 2009

Phillip Keller visited a potter in Pakistan and gained the most understanding ever of the meaning found in "Your will be done in earth as it is in heaven." The words of the prophet came to mind: "Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause you to hear my words" (Jer. 18:2). ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:10

Tags: Lord's Prayer

Generations And The Bible  PRO

Contributed by Billy Nale on Oct 19, 2009

GENERATIONS AND THE BIBLE A new research report from the Barna Group examines recent nationwide studies on how different generations of American adults view and use the Bible. For the purposes of this research, the Mosaic generation refers to adults who are currently ages 18 to 25; Busters are ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 1 Timothy 4:12-16

Tags: Bible Truth

Denomination: Baptist

World War Ii Prison Camp Inmates In Burma ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 6, 2010

World War II Prison Camp Inmates in Burma Transformed by God’s Love and Grace, the Case of Ernest Gordon Ernest Gordon was serving as a captain in the British army during the Second World War when he was captured by the Japanese, marched with other prisoners into the Southeast Asian jungles, and ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:43-48

Tags: Christian Love

Busted Knuckles

Contributed by Jack Kale on May 10, 2016

Busted Knuckles The blades needed replacement on the old red Murray riding mower we use at the camp. I purchased two 21” blades from Lowes and got around to replacing them this past weekend for the first mow of the year. I hoisted the front end of that insanely heavy grass cutter and secured ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:28

Tags: Work, Scars, Pain And Suffering, Hurting

Denomination: *other

Blueprints For Your Children’s Character

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Dec 15, 2020

There is a Minister who received an urgent note that said that a man in his congregation wanted to get a hold of him. The man’s problems have been 10 years in the making but have become urgent when the consequences of neglect suddenly materialized. The minister met the man at his office. He was a ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 22:6, Deuteronomy 7:9

Tags: Children, Parenting, Blueprints

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Three Ten Commandments

Contributed by Marc Heatherington on Aug 1, 2021

THE THREE TEN COMMANDMENTS By Marc Heatherington The Ten Commandments were given to Moses three times. The first time, the Ten Commandments were first spoken by God in Exodus 20:1-17. And God spoke all these words, saying: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 31:18, Exodus 34:1-4, Exodus 20:1-17

Tags: Ten Commandments, Picture Of Christ

Denomination: Baptist

Parallels Between The Serpent On The Pole And Christ On The Cross

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Apr 8, 2023

Parallels between the Serpent on the Pole and Christ on the Cross: 1. The bronze serpent was God’s means of salvation for the Israelites who were bitten by the serpents in the wilderness. Jesus Christ crucified is God’s means of salvation for everyone who has been bitten by the deadly venom of sin ...read more

Scripture: John 3:14-16

Tags: Redemption, Judgment, Christ, Forgiveness, Easter, Sin, Israel, Cross  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[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

[048]. A Message From A Poem – Christmas Travesty – Pseudo Christmas

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 6, 2025

[048]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – CHRISTMAS TRAVESTY – PSEUDO CHRISTMAS Walking through a shopping centre at Christmas time was a depressing trip. All around were merchants parading their wares with full commercialisation; fake Santa Claus(es) everywhere and the occasional songs being played – ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:6-7, Luke 2:8-14

Tags: Travesty, Infant Jesus, Pseudo Christmas, False Christmas, Christmas, False, Poetry, Poem, Santa Claus, Commercialism  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational