In Sermon Illustrations: "Human Authors"

What's In A Name, Anyway?

Contributed by James Snyder on Nov 16, 2019

I cannot express how ecstatic I was when someone gave me a coupon for a free donut. Normally, I am not overly excited about “free.” All I had to do was fill out a little survey online and they would send me a code that would guarantee me a free donut. In my “daily diary diet,” I have a whole ...read more

Scripture: John 8:32

Tags: Freedom, Choice

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

My Thoughts Are Worth More Than A Penny

Contributed by James Snyder on May 30, 2020

Dr. James L. Snyder I must admit that I do gravel a lot in thinking about my thoughts. It has been a habit of mine down through the years. Thinking is what really makes life worth living, or so I believe. My father had a saying whenever he saw me staring off into the distance, “A penny for your ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 139:17

Tags: Thoughts, Thinking, Penny

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Unintentionally Humorous Texts: "Don’t Ask Me, It Just Happened!”

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Mar 2, 2024

Introduction: Chances are either you, me, or someone we know has tried to excuse something that whoever it was, did. Excuses vary, but more often than not, the reply is something along the lines of “I don’t know how this happened!” One of the clearest cases of “I-don’t-know-itis” took place at the ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 32:21-24

Tags: Moses, Aaron, Golden Calf

Denomination: Baptist

[271]. A Message From A Poem – The "I Ams” Of John’s Gospel

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 21, 2026

[271]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THE “I AMs” OF JOHN’S GOSPEL There are 7 or 8 of the great “I Am” statements in the Gospel of John. I have done these in a Series on SermonCentral – about 18 messages I think - ...read more

Scripture: John 6:20, John 10:7, John 6:35, John 14:6, John 10:11, John 15:1, John 8:12, John 11:25, John 8:58  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Truth, Life, I Am, I Am The Way, I Am The Door, I Am The Bread Of Life, I Am The Good Shepherd, I Am The Resurrection, I Am The Light Of The World, I Am The True Vine, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, The I Ams Of John  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Memorial Day, A Time For Healing  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 19, 2002

MEMORIAL DAY, A TIME FOR HEALING Memorial Day, perhaps more than any other holiday, was born of human necessity. Deep inside all of us lies a fundamental desire to make sense of life and our place in it and the world. What we have been given, what we will do with it and what we will pass to the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Chronicles 29:1-5

Tags: Holidays Civic, Finding Fulfillment, Amos, Prophet

The Village That Lives By The Bible  PRO

Contributed by Rick Stacy on Mar 9, 2003

The Village that lives by the Bible by Clarence W. Hall It was early in 1945 when, as a war correspondent on Okinawa, I first came upon Shimabuku, the strangest and most inspiring community I ever saw. Huddled beneath its groves of banyan and twisted pine trees, this remote village of some 1000 ...read more

Tags: Bible Influence

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

How Dare You Accuse Me!" 1 Corinthians 15:55-58 ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Feb 8, 2005

“How Dare You Accuse Me!” 1 Corinthians 15:55-58 Key verse(s): 57:“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” How dare you? Indignation. Though I have few hairs left on this bald pate, the few that I have will come to attention pretty quick should my dignity be ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:55-58

Tags: Greed, Sin Exposed, Sin General, Submission

Denomination: Lutheran

Merely Mode!" Job 38:1-41 Key Verse(S): ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Mar 15, 2005

“Merely Mode!” Job 38:1-41 Key verse(s): 1ff:“Then the Lord answered Job out of the storm.” When tragedies happen, do you marvel at their randomness? Seven people are gunned down in a church on a Saturday evening. A young boy of 15 and an old man of 74. The newspaper headline called it ...read more

Scripture: Job 38:1-41

Tags: God's Forgiveness, God's Provision

Denomination: Lutheran

April 18, 2005 "Good Name Above Good Gain!" ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Apr 14, 2005

April 18, 2005 “Good Name Above Good Gain!” Genesis 43:1-12 Key verse(s) 12:“Take double the amount of silver with you, for you must return the silver that was put back in the mouths of your sacks.” In a world so caught up in rules and regulations it is not surprising that in that regulating ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 26:31-35, Genesis 43:1-12

Tags: Leadership General

Denomination: Lutheran

Is It Time Yet!" Psalm 75: 1-10 Key Verse(S): 2: ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Dec 28, 2004

“Is It Time Yet!” Psalm 75: 1-10 Key verse(s): 2: “You say, ‘I choose the appointed time; it is I who judge uprightly.’” “Is it time yet?” I can’t tell you how often I have heard those words over the years after having raised four children who were always interested in knowing when the “time” was ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 75:1-10

Tags: Descriptions Of God

Denomination: Lutheran

When You're Dealing With Something As Valuable ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 26, 2007

When you’re dealing with something as valuable and as complex and as truly amazing as a human life, even small degrees matter. All Satan needs to do is tap you a few degrees off course and you end up lost. That’s why I’m so narrow-minded about the Bible. If Susan ever lets me learn to fly, I’ll be ...read more

Kindness: The Closing Of A Life

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 25, 2011

KINDNESS: THE CLOSING OF A LIFE Because I drive the night shift, my cab often becomes a moving confessional. Passengers climb in, sit behind me in total anonymity, and tell me about their lives. I encounter people whose lives amaze me, some ennoble me, others make me laugh and sometimes make me ...read more

Scripture: Titus 3:1-8

Tags: Kindness

Sully And Second Nature

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 30, 2011

"SULLY" AND SECOND NATURE Thursday, January 15, 2009, was another ordinary day in New York City. Or so it seemed. But by that evening people were talking of a miracle. They may have been right. But the full explanation is, if anything, even more interesting and exciting. And it strikes just the ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23

Tags: Fruit Of The Spirit

Easter Eggs And Bloodhounds

Contributed by Jack Kale on Apr 6, 2016

Easter Eggs and the Bloodhound in Your Soul The rain forced us inside for our annual family Easter egg hunt, but we had a blast anyway. The kids started by hiding 120 eggs in the kitchen and den while the adults played cards in the dining room. Gangee, Pap-Pap, Uncle Paul, Aunt Kathryn, my ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:7

Tags: Truth, Hunting, Hiding Place, Finding God's Grace, Easter Egg Hunt  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: *other

In Praise Of Crazy

Contributed by James Snyder on Feb 1, 2020

I made a mistake the other night of complaining out loud. It is one thing to complain under your breath so that nobody hears you or knows what you are complaining about. But when you complain out loud, then you run the chance of somebody hearing you. The somebody I was most concerned about was the ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 3:7-8

Tags: Praise, Crazy

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Will There Be Television In Heaven?

Contributed by James Snyder on Jun 6, 2020

If anybody can ask hard questions, the award has to go to the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage. She knows how to ask a question and, more importantly, when to ask a particular question. Throughout our marriage, she has become an expert in the area of questionology. There is not a question I can ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 10:4

Tags: Television, Questions, Politicians

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Unsung Heroes: The Shepherds Of Bethlehem

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Dec 14, 2020

Introduction: the Christmas story, the birth of Jesus Christ into this world, is one of the most beautiful ever told. Many believers and others are more or less familiar with Mary and Joseph traveling from Nazareth to Bethlehem, and how Jesus was born in an inn and laid in a manger because there ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:8-20

Tags: Mary, Birth Of Jesus, Shepherds, Unsung Heroes

Denomination: Baptist

What A Crazy World We Live In

Contributed by James Snyder on Feb 26, 2022

Driving home from an appointment across town, my wife and I encountered some crazy driver weaving in and out on the road in front of us. The fact that there was not an accident was somewhat surprising. “What,” The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage exclaimed, “is wrong with people?” Looking at ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Tags: Family, Crazy

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

The Story Of Rick Warren And His Best-Selling ...  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Oct 20, 2008

The story of Rick Warren and his best-selling book the "The Purpose Driven Life." What is he doing with all the money? USA Today article: June 4th 2006 edition: A uniter, not a divider Warren is no liberal. He backed President Bush in the 2004 election and opposes abortion and stem cell ...read more

Tags: Giving Yourself

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

We Weren’t Expecting That

Contributed by James Snyder on Jul 1, 2023

Sometimes things happen that you never expected. When those unexpected things happen, if they are good, that is a blessing, if they are bad, that’s a different story. I learned this expectation of good from my good old Uncle Ted. He was a truck driver, and boy, did he have the stories to ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 2:15

Tags: Expectation, Free Lunch

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance