In Sermon Illustrations: "Joshua 24 1 3a 14 25"

When The Door Opened

Contributed by Austin W. Duncan on Apr 18, 2026

Before Cassy and I moved to Middle Tennessee, we were in West Texas. I was running a pretty small graphic design business and driving for Uber and Lyft in the evenings, and I was frustrated overall. Not because anything was particularly wrong, but because I kept feeling like I wasn't doing what ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 3:8, 1 Corinthians 16:9

Tags: God's Timing, Calling

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[346]. A Message From A Poem - Willy Willy Wagtail, You Sweet Bird

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on May 11, 2026

[346]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - WILLY WILLY WAGTAIL, YOU SWEET BIRD This may seem an unusual poem. It is about an Australian bird that belongs to the Wagtail or Fantail family. The identification for this bird is “Rhipidura leucophrys” and you may hear its call on this site - ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 17:41-44, James 5:12

Tags: Praise, Bird, Joyful, David And Goliath, Black And White, Singing, Cast Down, Christian Poems, Downcast Christians, Wagtail  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Ernest Hemmingway Was Once Asked To Write A Story ...  PRO

Contributed by W F on Jul 8, 2008

Ernest Hemmingway was once asked to write a story in just six words. He wrote a sad one ... "For sale: Baby shoes. Never worn." The world's shortest story inspired writer Larry Smith who wondered what memoirs people might be able to concoct in just six words. So he began a website which, to date, ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1:13-18, Psalm 39:5

Tags: Fulfillment

Denomination: *other

A Thanks Offering For His Plans For Us  PRO

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

A Thanks Offering For His Plans for Us Jeremiah 29:11-13 says, "For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 29:11-13, 1 Corinthians 12:12-31

Tags: God's Plan, God's Timing, God's Direction, Wisdom Of God, God's Sovereign Will  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Henry Blackaby In "Experiencing God" Words It ...  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Feb 26, 2009

Henry Blackaby in "Experiencing God" words it this way: The crisis of belief An encounter with God requires faith. Encounters with God are God-sized. What you do in response to God's revelation (invitation to the task) ...read more

Scripture: Acts 28:1-10, 1 Kings 17:8-24

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Washington And Madison On God's Law  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 19, 2011

WASHINGTON AND MADISON ON GOD'S LAW James Madison, the primary author of the Constitution of the United States, said this: ’"We have staked the whole future of our new nation NOT upon the power of government; far from it. We have staked the future of all our political constitutions upon the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 2:1-4, Romans 13:1

Tags: Independence Day

Do You Like To Be Blind?  PRO

Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Mar 30, 2011

DO YOU LIKE TO BE BLIND? Our grand-kids came to visit our church one Sunday, and I asked our grandson, Caleb, how he liked Sunday School. He said he didn't like it at all! I asked him why and he explained that the teacher made them close their eyes for a long time and wouldn't let them open ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:1-7, 1 John 4:19-21

Tags: Miracles Of Jesus

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

When Does The Size Of A House Become Sinful?  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 4, 2011

WHEN DOES THE SIZE OF A HOUSE BECOME SINFUL? Several years ago, Millard Fuller of Habitat for Humanity addressed the National Press Club on public radio, on which he recalled a workshop he conducted at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary with 200 pastors in attendance. The assembled pastors quickly ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:6-10, Daniel 1:5-16

Tags: Greed

Who Made Me?  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 2, 2011

WHO MADE ME? I love the story of the boy sitting on his father's lap as they were looking into a mirror. The boy said to his dad, "Dad, who made me?" He said, "God made you, son." He said, "Dad, who made you?" He said, "God made me, son." He said, "Dad, who made granddad?" He said, "God ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 127:3-5, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Tags: Love, Creation

Marathon Finishers

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 11, 2011

MARATHON FINISHERS Charlie Engle, Ray Zahab, and Kevin Lin know endurance better than most. For 111 days, they ran the equivalent of two marathons a day in order to cross the entire Sahara Desert on foot. They touched the waters at Senegal and then made their way through Mauritania, Mali, Niger, ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 4:14-21, Psalm 42:1-11

Tags: Discipleship

Colors Of Storms

Contributed by Ronnie Miller on Jul 27, 2011

COLORS OF STORMS As I was watching the weather warnings run across the TV screen, I began to think about how we go through life's storms without any warnings. Each one of the storms we go through are painted a different color of severity, Green, Yellow, Orange and Red. It could be that a Green ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 4:12, Psalm 34:17-19

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Denomination: Baptist

Church As A Spectator Sport

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 5, 2011

CHURCH AS A SPECTATOR SPORT A British pastor and author made this observation a few years ago. I think it’s still accurate. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones said, "Men and women no longer...exercise in sport as they used to. Instead, people tend to sit in crowds and just watch other people play. ...And I ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-16, 1 Corinthians 12:27

Tags: Church Practices

Holiness And Red Buttons  PRO

Contributed by Mark Stepherson on Aug 6, 2011

HOLINESS AND RED BUTTONS In studying holiness as a prayer key, I got bogged down with trying to understand it. I had an even harder time trying to explain it. I felt like the Red Buttons character in the movie, "Hatari." In that movie, John Wayne led a team of hunters in Africa capturing wild ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 2:8, Matthew 22:15-22

Tags: Holy, Prayer, Holiness

Denomination: Baptist

Knowing The Sound Of His Voice  PRO

Contributed by Tim Smith on Oct 8, 2011

KNOWING THE SOUND OF HIS VOICE Brian Brown tells the story of being at the community pool with his family. Kids were screaming, playing, and splashing in the pool, music was playing, the lifeguard whistles were blowing and in the midst of the conversation, his wife shooshes him. He said, "What are ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:10-18, John 10:4

Tags: Prayer General

Denomination: Methodist

Luther's Confessions

Contributed by Mark Stepherson on Dec 8, 2011

LUTHER'S CONFESSIONS Before writing, "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God," before becoming a leader of the Reformation, before his 95 Theses, Martin Luther was a Catholic priest. One thing that did not change for him was a passionate conviction that Christians must repent and confess their sins. As a ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 1:9, Psalm 66:18

Tags: Confession, Repentance, Confession Of Sin

Denomination: Baptist

Is He Real Or Pretend?

Contributed by Mark Stepherson on Dec 15, 2011

IS HE REAL OR PRETEND? I think George Reeves was the first actor to be Superman on TV. Back in the 50's, TV actors were not quite as "elite" as some seem to be now. They would throw out the first pitch at a Los Angeles little league game. They would fire the starting pistol for a soap box derby ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 16:7, Isaiah 29:13

Tags: Hypocrisy, Sincerity

Denomination: Baptist

When One Is Threatened  PRO

Contributed by Pramod Kumar Eleti on Feb 12, 2012

WHEN ONE IS THREATENED A Mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package. "What food might this contain?" The mouse wondered. He was devastated to discover it was a Mouse-Trap Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning. "There is a ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:4, 1 Corinthians 12:26

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

No Faith In The Future, No Power For The Present

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 12, 2012

NO FAITH IN THE FUTURE, NO POWER FOR THE PRESENT Years ago, a small town in Maine was proposed for the site of a great hydroelectric plant. Since the dam would be built across the river, the entire town would be submerged. When the project was announced, the people were given many months to ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 29:10-14, 1 John 3:3

Tags: Future

Standard Of Comparison  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 27, 2012

STANDARD OF COMPARISON Michael Green, in his book Illustrations for Biblical Preaching, shares a good lesson which I think is appropriate for beginning our message this evening. He states: All of us frequently compare ourselves favorably with someone else. We all think of someone whom we ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:13-16, Exodus 7:8-23

Tags: Holiness

The Truth Of The Book  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Oct 23, 2012

THE TRUTH OF THE BOOK John Ortberg states "It’s a strange thing: the book has never been so accessible. According to Guinness Book of Records, L. Ron Hubbard’s writings of scientology have been translated into 65 languages; the Koran is supposed to be read in Arabic so it hasn’t been translated ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16-17, 1 Corinthians 13:1-7

Tags: Bible Truth

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational