In Sermon Illustrations: "Inner Turmoil"

The Donkey And The Demon: A Tale Of Revenge And Remorse.

Contributed by Jm Raja Lawrence on Sep 22, 2023

Once upon a time, a donkey was tied to a tree when a demon came and untied it. The donkey ran into the fields and began destroying the crop. When the farmer's wife spotted this, she shot and killed the donkey. The donkey's owner was so upset that he shot the farmer's wife. When the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 22:37-39, Exodus 20:1-17, 1 Corinthians 13:13

Tags: Ego, Demon, Donkey, Revenge

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Adopted By Christ  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Howell on Jul 9, 2001

Illus.: “Adopted by Christ” John was born into a family of 12 children. They were very poor. He was the youngest. He never remembered his father eating a meal with the rest of the family. He had to work long hours to feed his family. One day his father ran off with another woman, leaving his ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 15:11-20

Tags: Ashes, Beauty, Children, Trinity, God's Provision  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Wesleyan

He Writhed On The Floor While Men And Women ...

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Mar 6, 2010

He writhed on the floor while men and women gathered around him hurling their prayers. That’s the best way I can describe it. "Come out in Jesus name!" they said, and he writhed all the more as if in pain, and certainly in turmoil. The voices rose, "Come out you unclean spirit!" I had been ...read more

Tags: Demons

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Is It Still Alive?  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 9, 2002

IS IT STILL ALIVE? The Lundy-Smiths are a remarkable family from inner-city New Orleans. Susie Mae Lundy and husband, Willie J. Smith, a Baptist pastor, raised nine successful children. According to FORTUNE magazine, the parents set an entrepreneurial example built around commitment, faith and ...read more

Tags: Children, Parenting, Workplace

There Is A Movie That Was Recently Produced That ...  PRO

Contributed by James May on Oct 20, 2002

There is a movie that was recently produced that was titled “Shallow Hal”. In that movie, Hal was given a gift of seeing a woman, not as she physically looked but as their heart would appear. There were some who were over weight, some who were not so physically appealing to the normal observer, ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 16:1-7

Tags: Christian Values, Evangelism The Lost, Romantic Love

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Magic Of Three Days  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 6, 2004

THE MAGIC OF THREE DAYS It was a beautiful spring day, and a sense of peace stayed with me as I left the cathedral on Easter Monday morning. I paused for a moment on top of the steps leading to the avenue, now crowded with people rushing to their jobs. Sitting in her usual place inside a small ...read more

Tags: Easter Resurrection, Human Body

Rappeling Down The Wall Of Fear

Contributed by Jim Kane on Feb 27, 2010

RAPPELING DOWN THE WALL OF FEAR In a book, whose title and author escapes my memory is the author’s story of rappelling down the side of a steep cliff as part of an outdoor learning experience. Now rappelling involves ropes, strong ropes, safety equipment, helmet, good shoes, and guts. It ...read more

Tags: Fear And Worry

Denomination: Church Of God

Mr. Incredible, Jesus, And The Pharisees

Contributed by Nickolas Kooi on Jun 1, 2018

In the movie The Incredibles, there is a scene where ex-Super Hero Bob Parr, aka Mr. Incredible, has a confrontation with his boss. Mr. Incredible has been forcibly retired from the hero business for years, and is working at an insurance company. He is doing a good job, but too good of a job. He ...read more

Scripture: Mark 3:1-6

Tags: Healing, Sabbath, Sabbath Controversy, Healing By Jesus

Denomination: Lutheran

I Don't Remember  PRO

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Dec 31, 2008

"I DON'T REMEMBER." Some will accept that they are going to heaven but not that they are forgiven while they still live on this earth. Bruce Larson tells the true story of a Catholic priest living in the Philippines, a much-loved man of God who once carried a secret burden of long-past sin buried ...read more

Tags: Inconsistency, Forgiveness General, Expectation

Denomination: Pentecostal

Bless Assurance: Fanny Crosby

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Jan 16, 2021

ASSURANCE: free from doubt, a positive declaration intended to give confidence, a sure promise, in a religious sitting it means salvation by the inner witness of the Holy Spirit that we are justified. No harm will come, with great faith. FANNY JANE CROSBY was born in 1820 and died in 1915 at the ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16, John 14:27, John 14:1-3

Tags: Assurance, God Can

Denomination: Assembly Of God

God Held My Hand  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 27, 2003

GOD HELD MY HAND As a child my parents took me to church You see for me they didn’t have to search. And when at my grandparents house we all went together. In rain, snow, heat and all kinds of weather. Growing up on a farm in rural Kentucky, work was all we knew Of the outside world we had no ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness In Jesus, God's Love

Alexander M. Sanders, Jr., Is The Chief Judge Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Mary Lewis on Jun 11, 2004

Alexander M. Sanders, Jr., is the Chief Judge of the South Carolina Court of Appeals. When his daughter Zoe graduated from the Univ. of South Carolina in 1992, he told this story that happened what she was just three years old. Sanders came home from work one day to find his home – and especially ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:16, Philippians 4:4

Tags: Children, Commandments Murder

Denomination: Baptist

[011] A Message From A Poem - A Very Present Help In Times Of Trouble

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jun 14, 2024

[011] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - A VERY PRESENT HELP IN TIMES OF TROUBLE Stanza 1 - Psalm 54:1-4 Stanza 2 - Psalm 56:3-4 Stanza 3 - Psalm 50:15,23 Stanza 4 - Psalm 55:22 This poem of four stanzas has a stanza dedicated to each of four verses in the Psalms. I love the Psalms and at times of ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 54:1-4, Psalm 56:3-4, Psalm 50:15, Psalm 55:22, Psalm 50:23  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Help, Burden, Deliverer, A Present Help, Save Me, The Day Of Trouble  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[173]. A Message From A Poem – Look Up Look Up

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Aug 22, 2025

[173]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – LOOK UP LOOK UP Two lines I wrote in the poem are:- “Your heart is where your mind is set. Your mind is what your heart has fixed.” This is not a circular argument and is allied with this verse – {{Colossians 3:2 “SET YOUR MIND on the things above, not on the ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:1, Colossians 3:2

Tags: The Mind, Set Your Mind, Christian Poems, Earthly, Look To Christ, Looking To Jesus, Heavenly Minded, Look Up, The Heart  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Resisting The Temptation To ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 9, 2010

Resisting the Temptation to Lie It’s the only thing we can do when we can’t see ahead – follow the Lord step-by-step. That means doing what we know HE wants us to do, even if it doesn’t always make sense to us. Jim George, in his book, God’s Man of Influence, talks about trying to sell a used ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 3:5-6

Tags: Temptation Resisting

I Wish I Could Live Life Over Again

Contributed by Chuck Sligh on Jun 14, 2011

I WISH I COULD LIVE LIFE OVER AGAIN I remember when I was an assistant pastor in TN visiting a man who had lived his whole life in sin and selfishness. He finally came to the Lord in his sixties. When he was diagnosed with cancer, I went to visit him at his home shortly before his death. The day ...read more

Tags: Christian Values

Denomination: Baptist

William Borden: No Reserves, Retreats, Regrets

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Jan 23, 2012

WILLIAM BORDEN: NO RESERVES, RETREATS, REGRETS In 1903, a young, bright man named William Borden graduated from high school – a millionaire. He was the heir to the Borden Dairy fortune. Following graduation, William traveled around the world. Everywhere he went he was touched by the needs of ...read more

Tags: Commitment To Christ

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Wise Farmer Can Usually Depend On ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 1, 2008

"...the wise farmer can usually depend on expected timetables of seedtime and harvest. Not so in the spiritual life. One of the greatest frustrations in the Christian ministry, and principal cause for 'weariness in well doing' is the inability to calculate the spiritual outcome of faithful labors ...read more

Tags: Endurance

Be Someone's Consistent Help  PRO

Contributed by Paul Dietz on Sep 20, 2008

Be Someone's Consistent Help Paul, in his letter to the Hebraic Christians, makes this point: "…exhort one another daily, while it is called Today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." [Hebrews 3:13] I will be the first to admit that when it comes to the inner-workings ...read more

Tags: Christian Love

Denomination: *other

Counting On Them  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2008

COUNTING ON THEM The wise farmer can usually depend on expected timetables of seedtime and harvest. Not so in the spiritual life. One of the greatest frustrations in the Christian ministry, and principal cause for "weariness in well doing" is the inability to calculate the spiritual outcome of ...read more

Tags: Servanthood