In Sermon Illustrations: "How To Be Great"

[278]. A Message From A Poem – The Light Of The World

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 25, 2026

[278]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD This was a poem written before I really started writing poems seriously. Part of the idea was to write a hymn and some tunes will fit its 8-8-8-8 metre. The title, “The Light of the World” was to cover several aspects suggested to me by ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 4:3, Matthew 17:1-3, Luke 24:47, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

Tags: Brilliance Of The Lord, The Brightest Star, Nasa Christian Poems, Forgiveness Of Sins, The Light Of The World, Pure Light, Hubble Telescope, Christian Poetry, The Transfiguration, Light, Shining Face, The Rapture  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[331]. A Message From A Poem - We Need The Lord Always

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Apr 8, 2026

[331]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - WE NEED THE LORD ALWAYS In the past, maybe 150 years ago, divers who dived for pearls in clams, would have a tube for air going from a boat on the surface and it was operated by a pump. I think the tube might have been made from rubber. There was no such thing ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 10:22-23, Hebrews 4:16, James 4:8

Tags: Walk, Faithfulness, Needy, Need, Draw Near To God, Walk With The Lord, Christian Poems, Closer Than A Brother, Pearl Divers  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Story Of Encouragement  PRO

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Aug 29, 2001

Story of Encouragement:   Several months ago when I was seated on the bus at the terminal and going home from work, a woman showed a kindness that up to now I cannot forget. The bus was still not full. I sat on the third row, by the window, on the driver’s side. It was nearly six p.m. but the ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16

Tags: Christian Disciplines, Compassion, Kindness, Hearing God, Servanthood, Listen  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I Would Like To Read You Something I Came Across ...  PRO

Contributed by Mary Lewis on Sep 24, 2001

I would like to read you something I came across this week. It was written by a man named Tamim Ansary– who is an Afghani-American writer [ taken from Salon.com ]. I don’t generally like to read something of this length, but I think it is important for us to hear. [start quote] I’ve been hearing a ...read more

Tags: Stand Fast, World Religions

Denomination: Baptist

Bob Russell Shared That Several Months Before ...  PRO

Contributed by Michael Demastus on Oct 22, 2001

*Bob Russell shared that several months before they moved into their new church building in 1998, their ministry staff met at the new site for a special staff meeting. Most of the building still wasn’t carpeted, and some of the rooms still had no drywall. They handed out hard hats, magic markers, ...read more

Scripture: Nehemiah 1:1-11

Tags: Bible Influence

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Experiences Of Mediocrity, Bob Russell, When God ...  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Nov 1, 2001

[Experiences of Mediocrity, Bob Russell, When God Builds a Church, Howard Publishing Co, 2000, pp 110-11] The experience for a first-time visitor in many … churches goes something like this: You drive into the parking lot of the church at 10:40 Sunday morning. You assume you’re five minutes early ...read more

Tags: Church Practices

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

His Name Is Roger Crawford … He's About Forty ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 6, 2001

His name is Roger Crawford … he’s about forty years old. He makes his living as a consultant and public speaker. He has written two books and travels all across the country working for Fortune 500 companies, national and state associations, and school districts. Those aren’t bad credentials. But ...read more

Listen, Son: I Am Saying This As You Lie Asleep, ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2001

Listen, son: I am saying this as you lie asleep, one little paw crumpled under your cheek and blond curls stickily wet on your damp forehead. I have stolen into your room alone. Just a few minutes ago, as I sat reading my paper in the library, a stifling wave of remorse swept over me. Guiltily I ...read more

Tags: Parenting, Children

Thanksgiving Without Martha  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 17, 2002

THANKSGIVING WITHOUT MARTHA Martha Stewart will not be dining with us this Thanksgiving. I’m telling you in advance, so don’t act surprised. Since Ms. Stewart won’t be coming, I’ve made a few small changes: Our sidewalk will not be lined with homemade, paper bag luminaries. After a trial run, it ...read more

Tags: Thanksgiving Holiday, Thanksgiving, Thankfulness

I'm A Different Person  PRO

Contributed by Clark Tanner on Jul 27, 2003

I'M A DIFFERENT PERSON “…that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind…” When I still lived in California, and for a while was selling cars until I repented, I worked with a very lovely young woman named Sheri. We became good friends, because we were hired very close to the same time. She ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:1-2, Colossians 3:12-17

Tags: Disciplines Meditation, Call Of The Disciples

Denomination: Orthodox

Dr. Frederic Loomis Faced The Most Difficult ...  PRO

Contributed by Tom Mccrossan on Jan 21, 2004

Dr. Frederic Loomis faced the most difficult decision a physician could ever make--whether to allow a deformed baby to live or die. He had only seconds to decide. Dr. Loomis had delivered hundreds of babies, but this one was different. The infant lay in a breech position, promising at best a ...read more

Tags: Abortion

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Living The Impossible Dream!" Job 40: 1-5: Key ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Aug 3, 2004

“Living the Impossible Dream!” Job 40: 1-5: Key verse(s): 2 “‘Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!’” Sooner or later everyone reads or hears about Cervantes’ story of Don Quixote. Cervantes is thrown in prison in Seville. Finding himself ...read more

Scripture: Job 39:1-5

Tags: Endurance

Denomination: Lutheran

O God, Don't Let That Be All There Is?" John 1: ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Dec 22, 2004

“O God, Don’t Let That Be All There Is?” John 1: 14-18 Key verse(s): 14-18: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” The recent news story of the pregnant Missouri woman who was ...read more

Scripture: Ezekiel 16:1-14, John 1:14-18

Tags: Christmas Eve

Denomination: Lutheran

The ‘holy Grail' Of Super Glues!" John 17:1-5 ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on May 15, 2005

“The ‘Holy Grail’ of Super Glues!” John 17:1-5 Key verse(s) 4:“I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.” It takes a special hand to deal with glue! Some are born to handle the sticky and others not. I am one of the latter lot. While, like most men, I find the ...read more

Scripture: John 17:1-5, Ephesians 4:1-6

Tags: Holy Spirit Attributes, Holy Spirit In Believers

Denomination: Lutheran

Comfortable Out-On-A-Limb!" Romans 11:33-36 Key ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on May 23, 2005

“Comfortable Out-On-A-Limb!” Romans 11:33-36 Key verse(s) 11:“For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.” Get real! When as a youth I heard this phrase, it often gave me reason to pause. If someone was insisting that I was caught up in a fantasy and ...read more

Scripture: Romans 11:33-36

Tags: Trinity

Denomination: Lutheran

Bob Had Been A Christian For About 6 Years And ...  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Willis on Jan 2, 2007

Bob had been a Christian for about 6 years and had come to Dallas to head up a major city wide evangelistic campaign, hosting a daily radio program and working with some of the largest churches in America. He was beginning to think he was close to reaching the ultimate in Christian maturity - ...read more

Tags: Hope, Despair, Restoration

Denomination: Baptist

Cuban Missle Crisis Compared To Spiritual ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 1, 2009

Cuban Missle Crisis Compared to Spiritual Brinkmanship It is October 14th, and the sun is reflecting mirages of water on an Air Force base runway in southern Florida. The silence of that scene is interrupted as a long-winged plane touches down on the runway and taxies to the hanger. A thousand ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 7:1

Tags: Holiness

Love Of God

Contributed by Sean Harder on Jun 16, 2010

LOVE OF GOD Let’s say you had a child who kept getting in trouble, you kept bailing him out as a child, and eventually as he grew up even you couldn’t bail him out anymore, you had to let him go live his life the way he was choosing because nothing you or anyone else did could stop ...read more

Tags: God's Love

His Last Thoughts Were Of His Children

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 4, 2010

HIS LAST THOUGHTS WERE OF HIS CHILDREN A Union sergeant was killed on the first day of fighting in Gettysburg. He was just one of more than 3,000 Union soldiers who died in the three-day conflict. When his body was found later that week, lying in a secluded spot in Gettysburg, he was holding a ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 3:1-2

Tags: Love, Father's Day

Revealing The Spectrum Of God’s Love

Contributed by Fred Parker on Oct 23, 2014

Written by Pastor Fred Parker Sat, 4th June, 2011 Matthew 5:16 “…let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” NIV Early one morning not long ago, I was reminded that the aura of God is revealed in the beauty of His light. The clouds were ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:16

Tags: Love, Light Of Truth, Spectrum, Jesus Loves

Denomination: Pentecostal