In Sermon Illustrations: "Jesus Presence"

For Me The Most Powerful Way To Experience The ...

Contributed by Anne Benefield on Apr 28, 2008

For me the most powerful way to experience the presence of the Spirit is in stories. When I was in seminary, I took a course on the Holy Spirit. The professor required that we write our final paper on one of three documents. I chose the 1978 position paper on the Holy Spirit of the Presbyterian ...read more

Tags: Holy Spirit General

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

This Story Comes From Reggie ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 28, 2009

This story comes from Reggie McNeal: I was sitting on a bench on a beach boardwalk late one afternoon, resting after an hour walk. I had passed a woman in a green uniform pushing a broom several times. She came toward my bench doing her meticulous sweeping of the sidewalk. Suddenly she stopped, ...read more

Tags: Servanthood

The Power Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 25, 2009

THE POWER OF GOD Hudson Taylor: "Many Christians estimate difficulties in the light of their own resources, and thus attempt little and often fail in the little they attempt. All God’s giants have been weak men who did great things for God because they reckoned on His power and presence with ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:13

Tags: Power

A Tree Grows In England

Contributed by Ken Pell on Apr 6, 2010

A TREE GROWS IN ENGLAND In Tewin, England's St. Peter's churchyard stands a great four-trunked tree growing out of a grave. Its presence there is a constant reminder of resurrection for residents in the community. The grave from which it grows is that of the 18th century's Lady Anne ...read more

Tags: Easter Resurrection

Denomination: Nazarene

Joy In The Midst Of Rough Waters

Contributed by Rev. Matthew Parker on Feb 13, 2011

JOY IN THE MIDST OF ROUGH WATERS I’ve spent a fair bit of time in recent weeks doing funeral pre-planning for my parents. Making decisions about final disposition of the remains of people you have loved all your life is not any fun at all. It can be overwhelmingly sad. After spending hours with ...read more

Tags: Joy

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Eeyore Syndrome  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 22, 2011

THE EEYORE SYNDROME In the past I have spoken of what I call, "The Eeyore Syndrome"--these are Christians who walk around acting like Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh. They choose to look at the gloomy side of life. Their eyes are cast down, their countenance is cheerless, and they have no enthusiasm ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:13-26

Tags: Disappointment

The Devil Never Takes A Day Off

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Aug 7, 2023

Not long ago, ... a minister shared... a conversation ...he had ... with one of his ...parishioners. He said that one day ... a church member ... called him up on the telephone, ... and angrily said ... I phoned you Saturday, ... but I could not get you. The pastor explained that it was his day ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 4:9-10, Mark 2:23-28, Exodus 34:21, Matthew 11:28

Tags: Sabbath, Rest

Denomination: Anglican

David's Demons

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Nov 16, 2010

DAVID'S DEMONS Many years ago I worked in an organisation called SCILS - Sunshine Coast Independent Living Skills. We worked with people who had mild to moderate intellectual disabilities. David (not his real name) was helped to find a place to rent in the community. He had been in danger of ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 12:43-45

Tags: Demons

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[051]. Message From A Poem – Convention Hymn – From The Old To The New

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 7, 2025

[051]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – CONVENTION HYMN (WRITTEN THEN) – FROM THE OLD TO THE NEW This was written during the Easter Keswick Convention at Atherton on the Atherton Tablelands in North Queensland, in the spare time I had there with all the organisation to do. These Conventions are ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:20-21, Romans 13:11-14, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 2:1-3

Tags: Salvation, Hymn, Hope, Redemption, Poetry, Poem  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[237 L] [12]. A Message From A Poem - Scenes From The Gospels - Part 12

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Dec 14, 2025

[237 L] [12]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - SCENES FROM THE GOSPELS - PART 12 THIS IS THE LAST ONE OF THESE CAMEO SCENES 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 ...read more

Scripture: Luke 1:1-4, Matthew 13:10-13, Matthew 14:15-21, Matthew 7:13-21, Mark 11:12-13, Mark 11:19-22, John 18:1-11, Matthew 14:22-33  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Roman Cohort, Whom Do You Seek, Peter Had A Sword, Broad Way, Fourth Watch Of The Night, Five Loaves Two Fishes, Five Thousand Men, Jesus Cursed The Fig Tree, Fig Tree Withered, Judas, Betrayal, Malchus, Narrow Gate, Little Faith, Walk On Water, Fear, Disciples  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I Read Of A Man Who Had Committed A Crime For ...  PRO

Contributed by Owen Bourgaize on Aug 26, 2003

I read of a man who had committed a crime for which he was deeply ashamed. When he’d served his prison sentence and was about to be released he wondered if his family would reject him because of the scandal he’d caused and the shame brought on the family. He wrote his parents saying that he would ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:11-32

Tags: God The Father, Promises Of God

Denomination: Baptist

Dear Abby Letters – How To Dress In Church  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

DEAR ABBY LETTERS – How To Dress In Church Dear Abby: May I respond to your reply regarding attire in church? As a priest and pastor, I’m appalled at how some people come dressed for Sunday worship. You said that “Dress codes have been greatly relaxed in recent decades,” which I find to be ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Story Of Anne

Contributed by David Selleck on Oct 26, 2006

Story of Anne. Anne Lamott, a fellow messy Christian describes perfectly what happens when Jesus pursues us. In her book Traveling Mercies, Anne recounts her conversion to Jesus. Things were not going well in her life: addicted to cocaine and alcohol, involved in an affair that produced a child ...read more

Denomination: Methodist

Heart Of ...

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Heart of Temptation “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God… does [not] tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives ...read more

Scripture: James 1:13-15

Tags: Temptation General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Alexander Solzhenitsyn  PRO

Contributed by John Gullick on Dec 22, 2000

Alexander Solzhenitsyn was a prisoner in Russia. he was on a program of hard labour and slow salvation. One day he felt like giving up. He felt his life could not make a difference. He sat down on a bench knowing that when he was spotted by a guard he would be ordered back to work when he failed ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-6, Ephesians 5:4-7, Job 2:9, 1 Kings 19:4

Tags: God Brings Hope, Peace

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

A Time Better Served on January 9, 1985, A...  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Apr 25, 2002

A TIME BETTER SERVED On January 9, 1985, a Congregational pastor in Bulgaria named Christo Kuleczef, was arrested and put in jail. His crime was preaching in his church, just like I am right now. It was a crime because the week before the village committee had appointed a new pastor. The secular ...read more

Tags: Endurance, God In The Hardships, Human Body

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Einstein Gave Grudging Acceptance To "The ...  PRO

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Jul 28, 2004

Einstein gave grudging acceptance to "the necessity for a beginning" and eventually, to "the presence of a superior reasoning power," but never did he accept the doctrine of a personal God. Two specific obstacles blocked his way. According to his journal writings, Einstein wrestled with a deeply ...read more

Tags: Apologetics God

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Once, I Took The Kids Up To The Cabin Without ...  PRO

Contributed by Mike Wilkins on Dec 29, 2004

Once, I took the kids up to the cabin without Pam. The cabin is a rustic place with no running water, no electricity, but plenty of space for the kids to run and play. On the day that we were to come back home, I got them dressed in the morning, packed up the van, and loaded them in. I took a ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 6:5

Tags: God's Holiness

Denomination: *other

Most Remarkable Are The Ndes [near Death ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 16, 2005

Most remarkable are the NDEs [Near Death Experiences] of little children. Diane Komp, an oncologist and professor of pediatrics at Yale University, did not start her adult life as a believer. “When I was in medical school,” she told Life magazine, “I was hanging out somewhere on that nebulous ...read more

This Was Something That Blessed Me From Craig ...

Contributed by Tunde Edu on Jan 15, 2008

This was something that blessed me from Craig Hill’s book, Deceived! Who me? Some of you have seen this small radios that can only operate in two bandwidths or range of frequencies, AM and FM. If set to AM you can only get certain stations that you will not get on FM and if you tune it to FM you ...read more

Denomination: Church Of God