In Sermon Illustrations: "Isaac"

The Lonely Frog

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Dec 8, 2014

You’ve heard the one, I ‘m sure, about the lonely frog who goes to see a fortune-teller. He’s told not to worry. She says, “You’re going to meet a beautiful young girl, and she will want to know everything about you.” “That’s great!” the excited frog says. “When will I meet her?” And the psychic ...read more

Scripture: Ruth 2:1-13

Tags: Fate, Providence

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Abandoned At Seventeen

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Dec 8, 2014

One of the characters in Kent Haruf’s novel Plainsong, is Victoria, a seventeen-year-old girl who is four months pregnant. When her boyfriend finds out about her condition, he breaks up with her. And when her mother finds out, she kicks her out of the house and says to her, “You got yourself into ...read more

Scripture: Ruth 3:1-13

Tags: Support, Abandonment

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Emporer's Clothes

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Dec 19, 2014

Do you remember the story of the emperor’s clothes? If I am recalling it right, someone persuaded the emperor to buy a suit of clothes that only people with the most exquisite taste in fashion could see. Of course, the emperor could not see the clothes, nor could anyone else – because the peddler ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:10-11

Tags: Flattery, Self Deception

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Beholding The Night Sky

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Jan 2, 2015

When our daughter was in Junior High School, she made friends with a group of girls from Olney, Texas, a community about forty minutes to the south of us. And they invited her to a function their school was having on a certain Friday night. So, I drove her over, and, when the time came, I went ...read more

Scripture: Romans 1:18-23

Tags: Creation, Doctrine Of God

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Vastness Of Space

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Jan 2, 2015

I have read that the nearest star to our sun is called Proxima Centauri, and it’s about 4.22 light years away. As you know, a light year is not a measurement of time; it is a measurement of distance. Light is the fastest thing we know of, and a light year is how far it takes light to travel in a ...read more

Scripture: Romans 1:18-23

Tags: Creation, Astronomy

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Persecuted For Faithfulness

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Aug 6, 2018

Many of our sisters and brothers are persecuted even in our own time. Voice of the Martyrs reports, for example, the experience of a young man named Philip, who lives in Laos. Philip walked two hours to another village to hear the gospel. Just three weeks after he returned home as a new believer, ...read more

Scripture: John 15:18-20

Tags: Persecution, Faithfulness

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Just ...

Contributed by Tony Abram on May 1, 2010

JUST REMEMBER... The next time you feel like God can’t use you, just remember... NOAH was a drunk.... ABRAHAM was too old... ISAAC was a daydreamer.... JACOB was a liar... LEAH was ugly... JOSEPH was abused... MOSES had a stuttering problem... GIDEON was afraid... SAMPSON had long hair, and was a ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 23:1-10

Tags: Worry, Useful To The Lord

The Next Time You Feel Like God Can't Use You, ...  PRO

Contributed by Sam George on Nov 8, 2004

The next time you feel like GOD can’t use you, just remember... Noah was a drunk Abraham was too old Isaac was a daydreamer Jacob was a liar Leah was ugly Joseph was abused Moses had a stuttering problem Gideon was afraid Sampson had long hair ...read more

Scripture: Nehemiah 1:1

Tags: Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

The Tough Questions

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on Sep 11, 2008

The Tough Questions Sandy Perry wrote me on Aug. 15, 2008: Today's paper had an article about the decision of Hope Presybterian to host a tribute to Isaac Hayes. Christians were opposed to the idea of hosting a tribute to a prominent, active Scientologist. One of my coworkers mentioned that all ...read more

Tags: Evangelism How To

Denomination: Pentecostal

The 10 Tests Of Abraham

Contributed by Perry Greene on Nov 6, 2012

THE 10 TESTS OF ABRAHAM Ten Tests of Abraham according to Maimonides: 1. God tells him to leave his homeland to be a stranger in the land of Canaan. (12.1) 2. Immediately after his arrival in the Promised Land, he encounters a famine. (12.10) 3. The Egyptians capture his beloved wife, Sarah, and ...read more

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Denomination: Independent/Bible

God Qualifies The Called

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Jun 13, 2026

I came across this quote that I found most helpful Before you say you are not qualified to be used by God please remember this Abraham was too old Isaac was a day dreamer Jacob was deceitful and a liar Leah was ugly Joseph was abused Moses was a murderer and couldn't talk Gideon was ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 9:9-26

Tags: Matthew, Qualified

Denomination: Anglican

The Bible Is Full Of Real And Imperfect People. ...  PRO

Contributed by Pat Cook on May 16, 2005

The Bible is full of real and imperfect people. Noah was a drunk; Abraham was too old and a liar; Sarah laughed at God’s promises; Isaac was a daydreamer; Jacob was a liar; Leah was ugly. Joseph was abused; Moses had a stuttering problem and a short fuse; Miriam was a gossip; Gideon was afraid; ...read more

Tags: Call Of The Disciples, Bible Influence

Denomination: Baptist

A Heart For ...

Contributed by Donnie Martin on Jun 1, 2010

A Heart for Praise Louis Albert Banks tells of an elderly Christian man, a fine singer, who learned that he had cancer of the tongue and that surgery was required. In the hospital after everything was ready for the operation, the man said to the doctor, “Are you sure I will never sing again?” The ...read more

Tags: Worship General

Denomination: Baptist

Joy To The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 5, 2009

JOY TO THE WORLD Sadly, our period in history is not, by any means, the first to argue, fight or shoot at one another over our opinions about what does and does not make a worthy song of worship. Nor is ours the first in which there were scores of people in the congregations who sang the words of ...read more

Scripture: John 4:22-24

Tags: Worship General

A Body Is Not Crippled 'til Its Heart Has Ceased ...

Contributed by Bruce Howell on Jan 22, 2009

A body is not crippled ’til its heart has ceased to praise. Louis Albert Banks tells of an elderly Christian man, a fine singer, who learned that he had cancer of the tongue and that surgery was required. In the hospital after everything was ready for the operation, the man said to the doctor, "Are ...read more

Tags: Suffering Joy In

Denomination: Wesleyan

With My Last ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 17, 2009

WITH MY LAST SONG Louis Albert Banks tells of an elderly Christian man, a fine singer, who learned that he had cancer of the tongue and that surgery was required. In the hospital, after everything was ready for the operation, the man said to the doctor, "Are you sure I will never sing again?" The ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 150:1-6

Tags: Worship General

Amazing!

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Dec 25, 2010

AMAZING! When dementia had taken its course, Bess (not her real name) was left with just a couple of words, but one word which she used to respond to almost any situation was the word "AMAZING!" After a lifetime of words, what a great word to have on your lips at the end of your life. Matthew ...read more

Tags: Examples Of Faith

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Let God's Grace Find You

Contributed by Steve Kinnard on Mar 1, 2019

LET GOD’S GRACE FIND YOU, IT WILL COME WHERE YOU ARE 1.GOD’S Grace went to the mountain top for Abraham when he was about to sacrifice Isaac; GOD provided a ram 2.GOD’S Grace went to the prison where Joseph was; Found Him and made Him second in command in all Egypt 3.GOD’S Grace went to the ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-9

Tags: Grace, Mercy

Denomination: Pentecostal

A. He's Closer Than You Think. Gen. 1:1 "In ...

Contributed by Jeffrey Dillinger on May 26, 2007

A. He’s Closer Than You Think. Gen. 1:1 “In the beginning GOD!” That is a wow statement. God began us, created us. In the days of creation he waited until the last thing to create was mankind. God created Adam and Eve and it was like these two chairs right next to each other. But then Eve ...read more

Tags: God Brings Hope

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Outlived His Children

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Dec 15, 2010

OUTLIVED HIS CHILDREN His weather worn face looked like ancient parchment stretched over a wire mesh skeleton and his eyes, haunted with memories, looked straight through me into my soul. As I gave my devotion that day I could tell that he understood the anguish Abraham must have felt as God said, ...read more

Tags: Hardship Of Life

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational