In Sermon Illustrations: "I Am God"

Hope In Anguish

Contributed by Richard Francis on May 10, 2009

HOPE IN ANGUISH I remember times of betrayal that cut deep into my heart, pain beyond a flesh wound. These are the deepest cuts that never seem to heal, a soul wound like Frodo stabbed by the ring-wraith's sword, an ache that will not heal. I remember times of fear wondering how the money would ...read more

Tags: God Brings Hope

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

No Faith, No Power

Contributed by Ken Pell on Jun 5, 2011

NO FAITH, NO POWER When I was growing up in Oklahoma, there was a lake my family and I frequented a lot called Keystone Lake. Keystone was not a natural lake; prior to its creation in 1962, there were towns located there, one of which gives the lake its name. The town was to be flooded to make a ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:3

Tags: God Brings Hope

Denomination: Nazarene

It's Not What's Happening Today That Drags A Man ...  PRO

Contributed by Clark Tanner on Nov 8, 2000

“It’s not what’s happening today that drags a man down. It’s remorse over what happened yesterday, and dread of tomorrow.” ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:34

Tags: God Brings Hope, God's Forgiveness, Peace

Denomination: Orthodox

When The Now-Famous Poet Elizabeth Barrett Became ...  PRO

Contributed by Frank Gallagher on Oct 18, 2000

When the now-famous poet Elizabeth Barrett became the wife of Robert Browning, her parents disowned her because they disapproved of the marriage. Their daughter Elizabeth, however, wrote almost every week, telling them that she loved them and longed for a reconciliation. After 10 years, she ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:10, 2 Corinthians 5:18-19, Mark 2:2-12

Tags: God's Forgiveness, Sin Separates From God

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Mankind Has Been Trying To Get Satisfaction For ...  PRO

Contributed by Owen Bourgaize on Oct 30, 2000

Mankind has been trying to get satisfaction for an inner longing. Someone put it in terms of our having a "God-shaped gap" in our make-up. The famous poet, Lord Byron, described his experience vividly: he "Drank every cup of joy, drank early, deeply drank, drank draughts which common millions ...read more

Tags: God's Provision, Evangelism The Lost, Promises Of God

Denomination: Baptist

The Life Of Jesus Christ Was An Absolute ...  PRO

Contributed by David Yarbrough on Jan 17, 2001

"The life of Jesus Christ was an absolute failure from every standpoint except God’s. But what seemed to be failure from man’s standpoint was a triumph from God’s standpoint, because God’s purpose is never the same ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 29:11

Tags: Promises Of God, God's Omniscience, Forgiveness In Jesus

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Mary Farwell Of Green Castle Missouri, Told Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Jan 21, 2001

Mary Farwell of Green Castle Missouri, told of the time she was listening to her 5 year old son, Matthew, as he worked on his Speak and Spell™ computer. He was concentrating intensely, typing in words for the computer to say back to him. Matthew punched in the word “God.” To his surprise, the ...read more

Tags: Apologetics God, Lordship Of Christ, God The Father

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

It Was Related That Once When The Duke Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Victor Yap on Jan 25, 2001

It was related that once when the Duke of Wellington remained to take communion at his parish church, a very poor old man went up to the opposite aisle, and reaching the Communion table, knelt down close by the side of the Duke. (Immediately, tension and commotion interrupted the silence of the ...read more

Scripture: James 2:1-4

Tags: Descriptions Of God, Lord's Supper, Promises Of God

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Late Dr. Boice Had Some Interesting Thoughts ...  PRO

Contributed by Nathan Robertson, Jr. on Nov 3, 2000

The late Dr. Boice had some interesting thoughts as to why God’s justice is offensive. In human affairs we rightly value justice and the "wrath" of the judicial system, for they protect us. If by chance we ourselves run afoul of the law, there is always the chance that we can cop a plea, escape on ...read more

Scripture: Mark 12:1-12

Tags: Forgiveness General, God's Judgment, God's Forgiveness

Denomination: Baptist

We Talk About Forgiveness A Lot. But We Know ...  PRO

Contributed by Mary Lewis on Feb 2, 2001

We talk about forgiveness a lot. But we know very little of it. We have heard the offer so often that we have lost the wonder of it. German scholar Helmut Thielicke said, "It can be the death of ...read more

Tags: God's Forgiveness, God The Father, Forgiveness For Others

Denomination: Baptist

A Car Is Made To Run On Petrol [gasoline], And It ...  PRO

Contributed by Clarence Crane on Feb 9, 2001

A car is made to run on petrol [gasoline], and it would not run properly on anything else. Now God designed the human machine to run on himself. He himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other. That is why it is just no ...read more

Tags: Bible Influence, God's Provision, God's Omnipotence

Denomination: Pentecostal

Fulton J. Sheen Has Written These Words From The ...  PRO

Contributed by Alan Stokes on Mar 4, 2001

Fulton J. Sheen has written these words from the heart, “The human heart is not shaped like a valentine heart, perfect and regular in contour; it is slightly irregular in shape as if a small piece of it were missing out of its side. That missing part...may very well man that when God created each ...read more

Tags: God's Provision, Heaven, Children, Promises Of God

Denomination: Holiness

A True Story - A Woman Entered A Haagen-Dazs ...  PRO

Contributed by Scott Weber on Mar 23, 2001

A true story - a woman entered a Haagen-Dazs store on the Kansas City Plaza for an ice-cream cone. After making her selection, she turned and found herself face to face with Paul Newman. He was in town filming the movie Mr. and Mrs. Bridge. Newman’s blue eyes caused her knees to ...read more

Tags: God's Omnipotence, Church Practices, Promises Of God

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Young Couple Began Attending A Midwest Church. ...  PRO

Contributed by Doug Johnston on Apr 23, 2001

A young couple began attending a midwest church. They had been saved ony about 8 months when they announced that they needed prayer; they had experienced several miscarriages and had just discovered they were with child again. The congregation responded; they had the most prayed for baby in the ...read more

Tags: God In The Hardships, God Brings Hope, Death

Denomination: Baptist

Indeed, If We Consider The Unblushing Promises ...  PRO

Contributed by Alan Perkins on Apr 25, 2001

"Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling around about drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is ...read more

Tags: Kingdom Of God, Knowing God's Will, Bible Influence

Denomination: Baptist

One Of The Characters In The Movie, Toy Story, Is ...  PRO

Contributed by Jim Kane on Apr 29, 2001

One of the characters in the movie, Toy Story, is Buzz Lightyear, a new toy to Andy’s room. Buzz is an astronaut, with a lot of neat things attached to him. Buzz comes into the other toys’ lives thinking that there are no other Buzz Lightyears around. He is the only one. Woody, a cowboy toy, and ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:7-10, 2 Corinthians 4:7-18

Tags: Lordship Of Christ, God's Provision, Descriptions Of God

Denomination: Church Of God

William Provine Of Cornell University Said, ...  PRO

Contributed by Lynn Floyd on May 4, 2001

William Provine of Cornell University said, “Darwinism is not just about mutations and fossils, it is a comprehensive philosophy stating that all of life can be explained by natural causes acting randomly—which implies that there is no need for the Creator. And if God ...read more

Tags: God Brings Purpose, Apologetics God, Creation

Denomination: Baptist

Sin Is Like Quicksand: Your Own Efforts Only Make ...  PRO

Contributed by Brian Mavis on May 10, 2001

Sin is like quicksand: Your own efforts only make you sink deeper. Only an outside hand can ...read more

Tags: Sin Bondage To, God's Forgiveness, God The Father

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

During The Late 1800’s An English ...  PRO

Contributed by Tom Dooley on May 14, 2001

During the late 1800’s an English evangelist named Henry Moorhouse made several trips to preach in America. On one of those occassions he was taking a walk through a poor section of town when he noticed a small boy coming out of a store with a pitcher of milk in his hands. Just then, he ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-10

Tags: God's Forgiveness, God's Holiness, Grace, Transformation

Denomination: Baptist

Ravi Zacharias Tells In One Of His Books About A ...  PRO

Contributed by Kenneth Henes on Jun 21, 2001

Ravi Zacharias tells in one of his books about a trip he made to Vietnam in 1971 to travel the country and preach. Wherever he traveled for a month in Vietnam a Vietnamese man who translated for him accompanied him. They were both young, and they saw many things that shocked them, things neither ...read more

Tags: Bible Influence, God In The Hardships, God's Provision

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ