In Sermon Illustrations: "John Piper"

The Compass And God's Truth

Contributed by Timothy Lueking on Jul 1, 2025

Let me tell you a story to bring this passage home. Back in the 1800s, the thick forest of northern Michigan there was a young logger, confident in his sense of direction, set out one crisp morning to scout new timber. The forest was dense, the sky hidden by a canopy of green. Hours passed, and as ...read more

Scripture: John 2:3-6, John 8:31-32

Tags: Compass, Waver, Bible, Direction, Truth, God's Word  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Matthew Henry Said, "When Christ Died He ...  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Howell on Jul 10, 2001

MATTHEW HENRY SAID, “When Christ died He left a will in which He gave His soul to His Father, His body to Joseph of Arimathea, His clothes to the soldiers, and His mother to John. But to His disciples, who had left all to ...read more

Scripture: John 6:36-40, Deuteronomy 23:2-3, John 14:1-20, John 6:20-21, John 20:19-23, John 14:27  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: God Brings Hope, Funerals Christian, Peace, Call To Worship

Denomination: Wesleyan

[143]. A Message From A Poem – In The Furnace And The Lions’ Den

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jul 26, 2025

[143]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – IN THE FURNACE AND THE LIONS’ DEN This poem is the telling of two stories in Daniel, one of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the blazing furnace, and the other of Daniel in the lion’s den. Both stories testify to the goodness of God, and both are examples of ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 11:33, Romans 12:2, Revelation 2:10

Tags: African Persecution, Mouths Of Lions, A Crown For Martyrs, John Huss, Fiery Furnace, Meshach, Abednego, Nigeria, Martyrs, Christian Poems, Daniel, Persecution, Crown Of Life, Shadrach, Darius, Sudan, Death  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Do You Know Christ?  PRO

Contributed by Terry Cavanaugh on Mar 20, 2002

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST? Billy Graham said in his message “Saved or Lost” in Texas in 1965. “..one of the fruits of the Spirit is joy. You might not be able to work up joy yourself, but God the Holy Spirit living inside of you can produce this joy supernaturally, and a Christian is to have joy. He ...read more

Scripture: John 15:11, John 15:11, Galatians 5:13-25, John 15:11

Tags: Joy

Denomination: Methodist

The Meaning Of Thirst  PRO

Contributed by Kenneth Squires on Jun 6, 2003

THE MEANING OF THIRST Do you know the importance of water to our physical bodies? When our bodies fail to retain the right amount of water, dehydration sets in. It is the water in our body that determines the vitality, strength, and energy associated with daily living. Think about these facts ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 42:1-5, John 4:10-15, John 4:10-15, John 4:10-15

Tags: Easter Good Friday, Jesus Christ

Denomination: Pentecostal

Jesus Feet

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Oct 5, 2020

His naked feet intrigued him, for they moved with purpose which his mind had not yet measured. Besides they each one wore a curious scar of some wound as yet unopened; yet they had been there long before his birth. What twist of meaning had Earthmaker given him, ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1-4, John 1:14, John 3:16, James 5:16

Tags: Christmas, Easter, Salvation, Gospel, The Cross  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Pentecostal

[007]. A Message From A Poem - A Shepherd Left His Comfort Zone

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jun 1, 2024

[007]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - A SHEPHERD LEFT HIS COMFORT ZONE Shepherds and sheep feature quite often in the biblical record and Jesus used parables and illustrations involving sheep. This poem was developed from a comment a Convention speaker made when teaching on the Lost Sheep. The ...read more

Scripture: John 10:9, John 10:10-11, John 10:14-15, Luke 15:4-6

Tags: Love, Night, Sheep, Lost Sheep, Crucified, The Good Shepherd, Jesus Our Shepherd, Jesus Died For The Sheep, 100 Sheep  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

You Have Probably Never Heard Of The Island Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Damien Spikereit on Dec 7, 2000

- You have probably never heard of the island of Molokai. Well, it’s located in the state of Hawaii. And it has quite a history. You have to go way back to the late 1800’s to understand its significance. You see, back then, there was no cure for the highly contagious and deadly disease called ...read more

Scripture: John 1:14

Tags: Compassion, Humanity Of Christ, Forgiveness In Jesus

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Most Christians Believe The Virgin Birth Is ...  PRO

Contributed by James Wilson on Dec 17, 2000

Most Christians believe the Virgin Birth is true. According to George Barna, 85% of those surveyed believe that Jesus Christ was born to a virgin. He also found that even 75% of the people who do not embrace Jesus as their Savior believe that he was ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1-14

Tags: Mary Jesus Mother, Apologetics Jesus, Christmas

Denomination: Baptist

Obedience Is Seeking God With Your Whole Heart. ...  PRO

Contributed by Rich Young on Jan 17, 2001

Obedience is seeking God with your whole heart. Performance is having a quiet time because you’ll feel guilty if you don’t. Obedience is finding ways to let the Word of God dwell in you richly. Performance is quickly scanning a passage so you can check it off your Bible reading plan. Obedience is ...read more

Scripture: John 14:15-26

Tags: Faith, Doing God's Will, Anxiety, Obedience, Peace  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Army Chaplain Had A Sign On His Door That Said, ...  PRO

Contributed by Rich Young on Jan 18, 2001

Army Chaplain had a sign on his door that said, “If you have troubles, come in & tell me all about them. If you don’t have ...read more

Scripture: John 16:33

Tags: Apologetics General, Compassion, Joy

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Bill Hybels, The Pastor Of Willow Creek ...  PRO

Contributed by Denn Guptill on Oct 31, 2000

Bill Hybels, the pastor of Willow Creek Community Church just outside of Chicago makes this statement. “If you create a loving community, ...read more

Scripture: John 9:1

Tags: Christian Love, Church Body Of Christ, Unity

Denomination: Wesleyan

Marquis De Lafayette Was A French General And ...  PRO

Contributed by Damien Spikereit on Nov 3, 2000

- Marquis de Lafayette was a French general and politician who helped George Washington in the American Revolution. After the war was over, he returned to France and resumed his life as a farmer of many estates. In 1783, the harvest was a terrible one, and there were many who suffered as a ...read more

Scripture: John 4:35-42

Tags: Giving General, Christian Love, Compassion

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

I Heard Of One Pastor Who Spoke Up And Said, ...  PRO

Contributed by Guy Mcgraw on Jan 30, 2001

I heard of one Pastor who spoke up and said, ‘Bro. Brown would you please stand and ...read more

Scripture: John 17:20-23

Tags: Unity, Communication General, Christian Love, One

Some Time Ago, A Teenager, Arthur Hinkley, Lifted ...  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Howell on Feb 1, 2001

Some time ago, a teenager, Arthur Hinkley, lifted a 3,000-pound tractor with his bare hands. He wasn’t a weight lifter, but his friend, Lloyd Bachelder, 18, was pinned under a tractor on a farm near Rome, Maine. Hearing Lloyd scream, Arthur somehow lifted the tractor enough for Lloyd to wriggle ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16

Tags: Forgiveness In Jesus, Descriptions Of God, Deliverance, Addiction, Christian Love  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Wesleyan

This Last Week I Was Thinking About This ...  PRO

Contributed by Timothy Peck on Feb 1, 2001

This last week I was thinking about this priority of love and I saw an incredible example of it on Dateline NBC. It seems that two members of the same church participated in a 40 day prayer and fasting time to seek God’s will for their lives. One of the woman badly needed a kidney transplant, and ...read more

Scripture: John 12:20-50

Tags: Christian Love, Compassion, Prayer Persistence

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

How Do You Feel About People? A Pastor Arranged ...  PRO

Contributed by Russell Brownworth on Feb 2, 2001

How do you feel about people? A pastor arranged for a gathering of the women’s auxiliary. It was to be a garden party on the church lawn, under the old oak. At the last moment, the morning of the party, Mrs. Preacher discovered she left Sister Hissyfit off the invitation list. The parson ...read more

Scripture: John 3:14-21

Tags: Forgiveness General, Forgiveness For Others, Prayer Answered, Grace

Denomination: United Methodist

An Ancient Story Is Told About A Slave Who ...  PRO

Contributed by Melvin Newland on Feb 23, 2001

An ancient story is told about a slave who traveled with his master to Baghdad. As he walked the busy streets he found himself in the market place where he saw Death in human form. Death looked at him with such a piercing look that it frightened the slave, & he interpreted that look to mean that ...read more

Scripture: John 20:21

Tags: Death Nearness

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

I Love The Commercial Where A Daddy Takes His ...  PRO

Contributed by Damien Spikereit on Mar 2, 2001

- I love the commercial where a daddy takes his little girl to a public pool with the purpose of teaching her how to dive off the diving board. Maybe you’ve seen it, I think it is advertising Kodak or something. And so there they are, the day begins with them both having high hopes of a ...read more

Scripture: John 4:4-11

Tags: Doing God's Will, Faith In God

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

In Hampton Court Near London, There Is A ...  PRO

Contributed by David Dewitt on Apr 1, 2001

In Hampton Court near London, there is a grapevine under glass; it is about 1,000 years old and has but one root which is at least two feet thick. Some of the branches are 200 feet long. Because of skillful cutting and pruning, the vine produces several tons of grapes each year. Even though some ...read more

Scripture: John 15:1-8

Tags: Jesus Teachings, Lordship Of Christ, Character

Denomination: Church Of God