In Sermon Illustrations: "James On Doing"

[061]. A Message From A Poem – Do You Love Me More Than These?

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 14, 2025

[061]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – DO YOU LOVE ME MORE THAN THESE? How sound is our love? How enduring is it? How sturdy is it – does it flicker on and off like some lights? Is your love for the Lord, your Saviour, prepared to go to a martyr’s death? The inspiration for this poem came from that ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 2:4-5, 1 John 4:19, John 21:15-17

Tags: Love, Friendship, Poetry, Poem, First Love  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Some Of Us Are Like The Preacher Who Was On A ...  PRO

Contributed by Timothy Smith on Oct 3, 2004

Some of us are like the preacher who was on a diet and prayed as he drove to work- "Now, Lord if it is your Will for me not to have any donuts this morning You make sure there are no parking places in front of the donut shop." And he later said, "I ate the donuts because there were two places right ...read more

Tags: Fat, Doing God's Will, Obese, Preacher, Overweight, Knowing God's Will  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian Church

During Super Bowl Xxxvii, Fedex Ran A Commercial ...  PRO

Contributed by Raymond L. Johnson on May 27, 2013

During Super Bowl XXXVII, FedEx ran a commercial that spoofed the movie Castaway, in which Tom Hanks played a FedEx worker, whose company plane went down, stranding him on a desert island for years. Looking like Tom Hanks in the movie, the FedEx employee in the commercial goes up to the door of a ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 25:8-10

Tags: Fulfillment, Discovery, Doing God's Will, God's Sovereign Will, Knowing God's Will  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

[139]. A Message From A Poem – If Your Life Belongs To Jesus

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jul 22, 2025

[139]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – IF YOUR LIFE BELONGS TO JESUS In June 2020 I found a poem of mine that I began some time in the past and had forgotten about. It was unfinished for 9 years. I then checked the date and it said 29 May 2011. It was in June 2020 that I wanted to finish it. The ...read more

Scripture: John 16:33, John 1:10, Philippians 2:14-16

Tags: Do Not Fear, Stand For Jesus, Christian Poems, Belong To Jesus

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Communion: In Remembrance

Contributed by Gene Gregory on Aug 11, 2012

COMMUNION: IN REMEMBRANCE A man was working in his backyard one day, when his neighbor began talking to him over the fence. He said, "Yeah, my wife and I went to one of those seminars yesterday, you know, where they teach you ways to improve your memory and such." His neighbor commented, ...read more

Scripture: James 1:19-21, James 1:19

Tags: Lord's Supper

Denomination: Baptist

Historically Profound Moral Understanding  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 28, 2002

HISTORICALLY PROFOUND MORAL UNDERSTANDING COMMUNION MEDITATION Dallas Willard writes: "What Jesus had to say about human good and evil was of sufficient depth, power, and justification to dominate European culture and its offshoots for two millennia. Nobody even has an idea of what 'Europe' and ...read more

Scripture: James 1:19, James 1:18

Tags: Lord's Supper, Humanity Of Christ

I Don't Know How Often I Still Do It, But I Used ...  PRO

Contributed by Clark Tanner on Sep 19, 2003

"I don’t know how often I still do it, but I used to smooth my moustache a lot, in a certain way. Once when Nicole was about six she accompanied my oldest daughter, Charlene, who was driving out to meet me on a country road and pick me up. When they were still at a distance they saw a man ...read more

Tags: Joy, Faith

Denomination: Orthodox

Warren Wiersbe Writes, "Our Values Determine Our ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 31, 2001

Warren Wiersbe writes, "Our values determine our evaluations. If we value comfort more than character, then trials will upset us. If we value the material and physical more than the spiritual, we will not be able to count it all joy! If we live only ...read more

Scripture: James 1:9-11, James 1:2-12, James 1:19-27

Tags: Endurance, Human Body, Joy, Prayer

Complaint Department

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on May 29, 2019

A gentleman decided to withdraw from society and its busyness. He joined a monastery and took a vow of silence.At the end of each year he could say two words. At the end of the first year of absolute silence, he met with his supervising monk and was given the opportunity to say two words. With ...read more

Scripture: James 3:1-12, James 1:19-21, James 1:26

Tags: Words, Complaining, Tongue

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Underdoing Personal Responsibility

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 5, 2010

UNDERDOING PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY Craig Groeschel, a well known pastor and author of the "Christian Atheist" says: "As Christians, we can be tempted to 'overdo faith.' I put that in quotes because it would be more accurate to say it's 'underdoing personal responsibility.' There's really no way ...read more

Scripture: James 2:14-26

Tags: Faith Vs. Works

Stethoscope Theology

Contributed by Todd Catteau on Aug 12, 2021

I recently attended a “White Coat Ceremony” for first year medical students. During the ceremony the incoming first year students receive a white coat symbolic of the beginning of their journey into the medical profession. Before the white coats were distributed the Dean of the college introduced ...read more

Scripture: James 1:19, James 1:19-20, James 3:3-12, Proverbs 10:19

Tags: Hear, Communication, Wisdom, Listen, Hearing, Listening  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The World Needs Followers Of Jesus

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 28, 2024

THE WORLD NEEDS FOLLOWERS OF JESUS... who cannot be bought; whose word is their bond; who put character above wealth; who possess opinions and a will; who are larger than their vocations; who do not hesitate to take chances; who will not lose their individuality in a crowd; who will be as honest ...read more

Scripture: James 1:13-21

Tags: Disciples, Witnesses, Followers Of Jesus, Sacrifice, Commitment, Christians  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Oyster  PRO

Contributed by John Edmerson on Sep 13, 2001

The Oyster There once was an oyster whose story I tell, Who found that sand had got under his shell; Just one little grain, but it gave him much pain, For oysters have feelings although they’re so plain. Now, did he berate the working of Fate Which had led him to such a deplorable state? Did ...read more

Scripture: James 1:2

Tags: God In The Hardships, Human Body, Christian Love

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

You Break It, You Fix It

Contributed by James Snyder on Oct 19, 2024

Every once in a while, I hear or see something that reminds me of my father. He’s been gone for over 15 years, but his memory is still fresh in my mind. His most famous saying, that I remember, was, “It’s better to ask for forgiveness than for permission.” He lived that to the very end of his ...read more

Scripture: James 1:5-6

Tags: Wisdom, Fixing

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Tomorrow  PRO

Contributed by David Parks on Sep 18, 2006

TOMORROW He was going to be all that a mortal should be Tomorrow No one would be better than he Tomorrow Each morning he stacked up the letters he would write Tomorrow It was too bad indeed he was too busy to see Bill, but he promised to do it Tomorrow The greatest of workers this man would ...read more

Scripture: James 4:13-17

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Abraham Lincoln's Secretary Of War, Edwin ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 10, 2006

Abraham Lincoln’s secretary of war, Edwin Stanton, was angered by an army officer who accused him of favoritism. Stanton complained to Lincoln, who suggested that Stanton write the officer a sharp letter. Stanton did, and showed the strongly worded missive to the president. "What are you going to ...read more

Scripture: James 2:1-13

Tags: Emotions

The Story Is Told Of A Father Of 5 Who Came Home ...  PRO

Contributed by Steve Malone on May 15, 2001

THE STORY IS TOLD OF A FATHER OF 5 WHO CAME HOME WITH A TOY, HE SUMMONED HIS CHILDREN AND ASKED WHICH ONE SHOULD BE GIVEN THE PRESENT. "WHO IS THE MOST OBEDIENT, NEVER TALKS BACK TO MOM AND DOES EVERY THING HE OR SHE IS TOLD TO DO?" HE ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 32:9-10, Genesis 5:3-16

Tags: Father, Father's Day, Faith, Doing God's Will, Obedient, Respect, Present  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Surrounded By Idiots

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Aug 10, 2021

Do you ever feel like you are surrounded by idiots? One web site collected stories… I was signing the receipt for my credit card purchase when the clerk noticed that I had never signed my name on the back of the credit card. She informed me that she could not complete the transaction ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 29:5-7

Tags: Sense, Brains, Idiots, Dumb Things We Do, Halfwit, Stupid  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

[168]. A Message From A Poem – Leave The Future With Your God

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Aug 18, 2025

[168]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – LEAVE THE FUTURE WITH YOUR GOD I think it is true to say that we all run around making plans and trying to resolve problems in the ordering of our lives. We are creatures of this earth, though we are citizens of heaven. (Philippians 3:20). Things in this life ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 56:11, 2 Timothy 3:13, Matthew 6:34, Matthew 6:31, Matthew 6:25, Philippians 3:20  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Do Not Worry, Christian Poems, Future, Anxiety, Worry, Wait On The Lord  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Gradual Road To Hell  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 27, 2011

THE GRADUAL ROAD TO HELL In C.S. Lewis’ book The Screwtape Letters, we read the story of an older demon counseling a younger demon. At one point in the book, we read these words: "You will say that these are very small sins, and doubtless, like all young tempters, you are anxious to be able to ...read more

Scripture: James 1:13-15

Tags: Sin Deceptive, Risk Of Sin