In Sermon Illustrations: "In The Place Of"

The Bible. God's Manual For Life

Contributed by Jesse Crooks on Mar 10, 2020

The Bible God’s manual for living Joshua 1:8 Psalm 119: 11 Last year we finally traded vans. We drive one until it falls apart in the road. Our van would no longer go in reverse, and it would have been too expensive to replace the transmission. The new one didn’t have the owner’s manual, ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 1:8, Psalm 119:11

Tags: Bible, Manuel

Mary Had The Little Lamb

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Dec 20, 2020

Mary Had The Little Lamb Mary had the little Lamb, who lived before His birth; Self-existent Son of God, from Heaven He came to Earth. Micah 5:2 Mary had the little Lamb; see Him in yonder stall- Virgin-born Son of God, to save man from the Fall. Isaiah 7:14 Mary had the little Lamb, obedient Son ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1-12

Tags: Mary, Messiah, Christmas, Jesus, Prophecy, Return Of Christ  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Unity Of The Bible

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 4, 2021

Notice the UNITY of the Bible. it is miraculous! * The Bible was written over a period of 1,500 years. • The Bible was written by over 40 different authors (Among them were kings, military leaders, peasants, philosophers, fishermen, tax collectors, poets, statesmen, musicians, ...read more

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

Tags: Bible, Scripture, Christ, Plan Of Salvation, Unity Of The Bible  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Do You Have Enough Points To Get To Heaven?

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Mar 12, 2023

I heard a story the other day about a guy who died and stood before the gates of heaven. An angel met him and said, “We have a new plan for getting into heaven. We’re now using a point system and you need 1,000 to enter.” The man told the angel that this would be no problem as he started rattling ...read more

Scripture: Romans 3:23

Tags: Justification, Sinners, Evangelism, Grace, Forgiveness, Sin, Heaven, Salvation  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Heaven, Not Earth Is My Home.

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Jul 4, 2023

In his book, "The Treasure Principle" Randy Alcorn says that the greatest deterrent to giving is the illusion that Earth is our home. He tells the following story. Suppose your home is in France and you're visiting America for three months, living in a hotel. You're told that you ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 11:13, 2 Corinthians 5:20, Luke 12:15, Revelation 19:7-9

Tags: Money, Heaven, Home, Rewards, Treasures  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Solar Eclipse Will Happen On Nisan 1.

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Apr 6, 2024

The next total solar eclipse that will streak across America takes place on April 8, 2024. On the Hebrew calendar, this is the first day of the month of Nisan which corresponds with April on the Gregorian calendar. At sundown in Israel on April the 8th at approximately 11 am (EST), Nissan 1 begins. ...read more

Tags: End Times, Prophecy, Second Coming, Last Days, Rapture, Passover, Return Of Christ, Solar Eclipse, Jewish Calendar  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Cookies Vs Brownies - Truth Is Subjective

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Apr 13, 2024

Cookies versus brownies Alisa’s Childers gave the following example in her book, “Live Your Truth and Other Lies”. What is the best dessert? Pie? Ice cream? Brownies? Cookies? Cake? If you choose cake with ice cream, you would be correct. Well, actually, it just means that you’re probably a really ...read more

Scripture: John 18:38, John 14:6

Tags: Tolerance, Truth, Objective Truth, Subjective Truth

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

How God Fulfils His Promises In Our Life?

Contributed by Samuel M on Sep 24, 2025

Every true promise of God passes through the stage of death before its fulfilled. The stage of death- is where we lose all hope, and the fulfilment of the promise looks impossible. The mere thought of the promise becomes burdensome. Sometimes we will forget the fact that we have such a wonderful ...read more

Tags: Faith, Hope

The Boy And The Sprinkles

Contributed by David Dunn on Oct 20, 2025

He couldn’t have been more than seven or eight. A mop of brown hair, freckles across his nose, and a handful of coins jingling in his palm as he stepped up to the counter. “Ma’am,” he asked shyly, “how much is a scoop of vanilla ice cream?” The waitress smiled. “Fifty cents.” He nodded and ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:48, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Tags: Love, Humility, Gratitude, Generosity, Kindness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Bearing Our Cross

Contributed by Suresh Manoharan on Apr 7, 2015

A "Natural" Rope a dope... Cross bearing is an indispensable part of a Christian’s life, so that work of moulding a person into a Christ-like image which begins at the point of re-generation is completed in all respects (2 Cor 3:18) by the time of Rapture or one’s departure from the Earthly ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 3:18

Tags: Tithing, Trials And Difficulties, Bearing, Discerning

Denomination: *other

It’s Too Late To Hide

Contributed by Mark Beaird on Dec 31, 2015

It’s Too Late to Hide I first noticed him as he shuffled past me while making his way through the crowd of excited children swarming around the room at the school for deaf and blind children outside Saigon, Vietnam. He moved slow, but steady. His arms and legs were twisted and drawn in such a ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 4:15-16

Tags: Blessings In Christ, Accepted By Grace, Acceptance In Christ

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Lights Along The Shore

Contributed by Sam Mccormick on Jul 9, 2017

The Lights Along the Shore To me, lighthouses are among the most charming of man-made structures. Their unique and essential purpose makes each one a thing of exquisite beauty. Seafarers seeking a haven on a stormy night find a beam from the shore as precious as life itself. Perhaps Philip ...read more

Scripture: John 1:3-7, John 8:12, Matthew 5:14-16, 2 Peter 1:19, Revelation 22:5, John 3:19-21, Malachi 4:2  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Harbor, Light And Darkness, Navigation, Light, Sea  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Misapplied Scriptures: Amos 3:7

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Oct 2, 2023

Introduction: Like many believers, I didn’t spend too much time reading the Bible, let alone doing serious study, for many of my years as a believer. It seems some religious leaders or devout followers know this and use verses such as this one to prove a point. If true believers don’t have a ...read more

Scripture: Amos 3:7

Tags: False Prophets, Prophets, Misapplied Scriptures

Denomination: Baptist

[188]. A Message From A Poem – My Jesus Is My Mighty Rock

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Sep 6, 2025

[188]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – MY JESUS IS MY MIGHTY ROCK In the Old Testament the “ROCK” featured a lot. The first incident was when Moses struck the Rock at the Lord’s command {{Exodus 17:5-6 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pass before the people and take with you some of the elders of Israel ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:8, Psalm 31:2-3, Psalm 18:1-2, Exodus 17:5-6, 1 Corinthians 10:4  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Moses Struck The Rock, Rock, Security, Rock Of Offense, Mighty Fortress, Mighty Rock, Christian Poems, Jesus, Moses, Safety, Salvation, Temptation  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[237 A]. A Message From A Poem - Scenes From The Gospels - Part 1

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Oct 31, 2025

[237 A]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - SCENES FROM THE GOSPELS - PART 1 They are here to enjoy! Scenes from the Gospels are very special to me. I love them. They have taken a lot of effort, and many, many months revision to get them as correct as possible with the difficult word limitations. ...read more

Scripture: Luke 8:26-39, Luke 15:11-32, John 2:1-11, Luke 10:38-42, Matthew 14:22-31, Luke 1:1-4, Matthew 13:10-13  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Stories, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, Poetry Reading, Parables  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[251]. A Message From A Poem – That Coffin Is Not Me

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 3, 2026

[251]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THAT COFFIN IS NOT ME This is a special poem and unusual for my style. It is full of meaning, very serious meaning. It is me telling my story (as if I had died). Some may find the subject strange; others may not want to think about such things. The point is, we ...read more

Scripture: John 10:9-10, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, 2 Corinthians 5:6-8, Hebrews 9:27, Genesis 2:17  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Funeral Service, Absent From The Body, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, Repent And Be Saved, Christian Burial, Death, Heaven, Alive, Dead, Coffin, Christian Funeral, Hell  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Sobbing Little Girl Stood Near A Small Church ...  PRO

Contributed by Jim Kane on Jun 4, 2001

A sobbing little girl stood near a small church from which she had been turned away because it ’was too crowded.’ "I can’t go to Sunday School," she sobbed to the pastor as he walked by. Seeing her shabby, unkempt appearance, the pastor guessed the reason and, taking her by the hand, took her ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 90:1

Tags: Giving General, Christian Disciplines, Church Practices

Denomination: Church Of God

On The Sunday Before Ash Wednesday This Year, The ...  PRO

Contributed by Guy Caley on May 5, 2003

On the Sunday before Ash Wednesday this year, the central dining facility in Camp Udairi (Kuwait) caught fire, flames quickly spread to engulf all five tents and completely destroyed them in less than 30 minutes. After the smoke cleared, and all units checked the status of their soldiers, it was ...read more

Tags: Trial, Struggles, Encouragement, Help, God In The Hardships  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Assembly Of God

The Following Incident Won The Runner-Up Prize In ...  PRO

Contributed by Steve Stewart on Feb 14, 2004

The following incident won the runner-up prize in the 1999 Darwin Awards: A Vermont native, Ronald Demuth, found himself in a difficult position. While touring the Eagle’s Rock African Safari (Zoo) with a group of thespians from St. Petersburg, Russia, Mr. Demuth went overboard to show them ...read more

Scripture: Romans 7:5, Romans 7:5

Tags: Sin Bondage To, Sin Exposed, Small Groups, Community, Group, Fellowship  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Those Nasty Redo's! (10.06.05--Beginning ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Oct 4, 2005

Those Nasty Redo’s! (10.06.05--Beginning Again!--Genesis 16:7-10) Time is one of the most precious commodities that God gives us daily. The time to do things is always limited. And, we need to balance the things we want to do with the things we need to do. Therein is the tension. I start each ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 16:7-10

Tags: God's Forgiveness, Promises Of God

Denomination: Lutheran