In Sermon Illustrations: "Jesus Death"

God Answers The Persistent Prayers Of A Father ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 18, 2010

God Answers the Persistent Prayers of a Father and a Congregation for a Wayward Daughter You never know what effect your prayers are having or what catastrophe you are preventing in the lives you are accountable for. In his book, “Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire”, Jim Cymbala tells the story of his wayward ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:1-8

Tags: Prayer Persistence

Grocery Store Meltdown

Contributed by Eduardo Quintana on Oct 4, 2015

Many times you’ll have no clue what to do. But you still have to pretend you are in control. Like when your three-year old melts down at the grocery store. What do you do? You are wearing a "WWJD" bracelet and still you have no valid answer. You’ve read a ton of parenting books and although many ...read more

Scripture: Malachi 4:6

Tags: Parenting, Fatherhood, Dads

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Please Don't Mess With My Peanut Butter

Contributed by James Snyder on Jan 18, 2020

Normally, I'm a rather calm, cool and collected person. Actually, my creditors trying to collect things from me, mostly money, are responsible for this and I have been officially collected. If I could only collect my thoughts, but the pieces are too small and too few. Anybody who knows me ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 23:4

Tags: Comfort, Happiness

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

[062a]. A Message From A Poem – Does Suffering Cancel Out A God Of Love?

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 14, 2025

[062A]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – DOES SUFFERING CANCEL OUT A GOD OF LOVE? THE POEM AS IT IS WILL NOT FIT IN THE ILLUSTRATION SPACE AVAILABLE. I HAVE HAD TO SPLIT IT INTO THREE PARTS. THIS IS THE FIRST PART PART 1 INTRODUCTION TO THIS POEM This is my most serious poem because it addresses ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 45:6-7, John 3:16, Exodus 34:6-7

Tags: Comfort, Suffering, Tragedy, God Of Comfort, God Of Love, Hurt, Pain, Love, Compassion  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[074]. Poem Message – Excerpts Certain Psalms Part 5 – Psalms 9, 27, 100

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Apr 4, 2025

[074]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – EXCERPTS FROM CERTAIN PSALMS PART 5 – PSALMS 9, 27, 100 {{Psalm 59:16-17 “As for me, I SHALL SING OF YOUR STRENGTH. Yes, I SHALL JOYFULLY SING OF YOUR LOVING-KINDNESS in the morning, for You have been my stronghold and a refuge in the day of my distress. O my ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 59:16-17, Psalm 27:1, Psalm 9:9, Psalm 100:3, Psalm 100:4  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Gates, Light, Praise, Salvation, Thanks, Stronghold, Trouble  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Story Behind The Hymn "when Peace Like A River"

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Oct 21, 2025

Story: The last but one time that I went to Israel , when we went to the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem our Guide pointed across Jersualem to some buildings and told us that is where Horatio Spafford used to live. Many on our trip didn’t know who Spafford was. Horatio Spafford, a well-known Chicago ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:24-34

Tags: Peace, Worry, River, Perspective, Horatio Spafford  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Anglican

[261]. A Message From A Poem – The Devil Snake

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 10, 2026

[261]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THE DEVIL SNAKE Most people hate snakes. They run from them and scream out. Snakes are evil creatures but their cunning is well know. I have a love hate relationship with snakes. I think they are beautifully created which does not surprise me because Lucifer ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 11:8-9, 2 Corinthians 11:3, Revelation 12:9, Genesis 3:14-15, Genesis 3:1  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Bruise On The Heel, Bruise The Head, Western Brown Snake, Cunning, The Devil, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, Cunning Snakes, Satan Is The Serpent, Serpent, Snake  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[321]. A Message From A Poem - Uniquely First In Many Ways - Cain

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 25, 2026

[321]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - UNIQUELY FIRST IN MANY WAYS - CAIN Cain is never considered in a good light. He is mentioned three times in the New Testament and this is one of them – {{1 John 3:12 “not as Cain who was of the evil one and slew his brother, and for what reason did he slay him? ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 4:6-7, Jude 1:11, 1 John 3:12

Tags: Sacrifice, Unique, Rejection, Cain, Abel, Disobedience, Murderer, The Way Of Cain, Christian Poems  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Trouble In The Church  PRO

Contributed by Douglas Duvall on Dec 3, 2006

Trouble in the Church ACTS 15:1-12 I. Decision 15:1-4 A. Men 15:1 B. Method 15:2 C. Messages 15:3-4 II. Demand 15:5-6 A. Demands 15:5 B. Deliberations 15:6 III. Declaration 15:7-12 A. Choice 15:7 B. Comparison 15:8-9 C. Conversion 15:10-12 Introduction Peter had ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 12:24-27

Denomination: Baptist

The Following Story Was Written By A Missionary ...

Contributed by Dennis Davidson on Mar 26, 2009

The following story was written by a missionary doctor who worked in Africa. "One night I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all we could do, she died, leaving us with a tiny, premature baby and a crying two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping ...read more

Tags: Prayer Answered

Denomination: Baptist

Discipleship Calls For Wholehearted Commitment To ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 31, 2009

Discipleship Calls for Wholehearted Commitment to Christ “I have seen the most horrible things, but I have met people who are still full of faith in spite of what they have endured.” That was the opening statement to a gathering of leaders and supporters of Samaritan’s Purse, the organization led ...read more

Scripture: Luke 14:25-33

Tags: Missions

When I First Came To Reno To Start A Church, Now ...

Contributed by James Wallace on Nov 12, 2009

When I first came to Reno to start a church, now about 22 years ago, my church planting advisors pointed me toward two men, two pastors who had had an extremely positive and successful experience in their church planting experiences. They had both planted churches in the past decade which had ...read more

Tags: False Teaching

Denomination: Bible Church

Where Do All My Nasal Fluids Come From?

Contributed by James Snyder on Oct 5, 2024

I am finally, in what I think is the last phase of my recent health confusion. My nose is dripping, and I think I use at least one box of tissues daily. I did not know I had so much of this in my body, and I am not exactly sure where it came from. When I was young, I remember having a bad case of ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 5:4-5

Tags: Overcome, Victory, Sneeze

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

[240]. A Message From A Poem – Smothering Of Delusional Creep

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Dec 20, 2025

[240]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – SMOTHERING OF DELUSIONAL CREEP This is a very serious poem. It is about delusion that is now a feature of this world in many ways. What does the title mean? Well first of all we have delusion that creeps along like a snail, but creeps steadily. As it goes it ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 12:9, 2 Timothy 3:13, 2 Thessalonians 2:8-9, Colossians 2:4

Tags: Homosexuality, Delusion, Climate Change, Marxism, Evolution, Deception, Islam  (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

Pete O'brien Played First Base For The Texas ...  PRO

Contributed by Melvin Newland on Nov 6, 2001

Pete O’Brien played first base for the Texas Rangers for several years & did so well that he was given a contract with the Seattle Mariners for multi-million dollars. He now plays first base in Seattle, but still lives in the Arlington area. Dennis Slaughter, minister of the Valley View Christian ...read more

Tags: Humility, What Is Evangelism?

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Bill Hybels Recalls A Time When Dr. Gilbert ...  PRO

Contributed by Matthew Rogers on Feb 21, 2002

Bill Hybels recalls a time when Dr. Gilbert Bilezikian was speaking for a leadership conference at Willow Creek Community Church. He writes about it like this… “Dr. Bilezikian said there’s life-changing fellowship in biblically functioning community. That was a far cry from the childhood ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 17:17

Tags: Church Body Of Christ, Church Small Groups, Community, Friendship General, Money  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

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

During Telemachus' Life The Gladiatorial Games ...  PRO

Contributed by Karl Eckhoff on Nov 13, 2003

During Telemachus’ life the gladiatorial games were very popular. People were fascinated by the sight of blood and gore upon the arena floor. And that alone was enough to bring the criticism of bishops and priests from within the church. But worse than all of this was the fact that most of the ...read more

Tags: Faith, Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Lutheran

Many Years Ago C.s. Lewis Wrote The Screwtape ...  PRO

Contributed by Tim Zingale on Dec 4, 2003

Many years ago C.S. Lewis wrote the Screwtape Letters. Screwtape was an assistant devil writing to his nephew Wormwood. Screwtape was telling his nephew how to make the "patient" leave the camp of the arch enemy, the Prince of Peace, and dwell in the camp of the real boss, the prince of darkness. ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:4, Matthew 3:1-12

Tags: Temptation Pride

Denomination: Lutheran