In Sermon Illustrations: "Joy In Salvation"

Ancient Christian Fable - There Is No Other Plan

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Mar 13, 2023

There is an ancient Christian fable ... that tells of Jesus encounter ...as he reentered ...Heaven. As the angels spoke with him, ...Gabriel, noticed ...that Jesus bore the marks of the cross, ...and being inquisitive, ...said to Jesus: Master, ...you must have suffered terribly for those people ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 4:19, Romans 10:14, Acts 8:4-7, Acts 1:8

Tags: Plan, Salvation, You, Fisher Of Men

Denomination: Anglican

The Hound Of Heaven

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jul 2, 2023

In his book The Call, author Os Guinness writes: We cannot find God without God. We cannot reach God without God. We cannot satisfy God without God—which is another way of saying that our seeking will always fall short unless God’s grace initiates the search and unless God’s call draws us to Him ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-9, Titus 3:5

Tags: Grace, Salvation, Works, Sovereignty Of God

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

No More Sin!

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Jul 8, 2023

David Brooks in his book “The Road to Character” says this about sin... Today the word sin has lost it's power and awesome intensity. It’s now used to refer to desserts... fattening desserts. Most people in daily conversation don’t talk much about individual sin. If they talk about human ...read more

Scripture: Romans 3:23, Romans 1:18-20, Ephesians 2:1-3

Tags: Sin, Salvation, Gospel, Depravity, The Cross  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[006]. A Message From A Poem - A New Creation - From Death Unto Life

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on May 29, 2024

[006]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - A NEW CREATION - FROM DEATH UNTO LIFE This is an unusual poem that may not appeal to everyone, but it is based on emotions experienced by many who don’t know Jesus in their lives. The first, third and fifth stanzas are the viewpoint of one suffering in his/her ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 2:20, Ecclesiastes 12:8, Ecclesiastes 12:13

Tags: Solution, No Hope, No Satisfaction, Salvation, Miserable  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

God's Mercy

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Nov 2, 2024

Henri Nouwen tells the story of a family from Paraguay. The father spoke out against the military regime and its human rights abuses. The police arrested his teenage son and tortured him to death. Enraged townsfolk wanted to turn the boy's funeral into a huge protest march, but the doctor ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:1-18, Romans 5:1-11, Ephesians 2:1-5

Tags: Mercy, Sin, Evil, Salvation, Cross  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

How To Use A Gospel Tract

Contributed by John Bright on Feb 20, 2025

How to use a Gospel Tract You are all receiving an envelope with a variety of gospel tracts from a ministry, Moments With The Book – www.mwtb.org You can go to their website and see all the different tracts and order any of them you like. Today, look over the ones that are in your envelope. ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:15, John 3:16, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Ephesians 2:8  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Evangelism, Salvation, Prayer, Gospel Tract

Denomination: Methodist

[039] A Message From A Poem – Can We Understand His Goodness?

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Feb 28, 2025

[039] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – CAN WE UNDERSTAND HIS GOODNESS? This poem is one of my absolute top favourites. It just flowed and I attribute it to the Lord’s presence when I wrote it. I think it came to me late one night as a happy rhythm and flowed quite well so that it was written quicker ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:9-10, 2 Corinthians 6:2, Malachi 3:2-4

Tags: Love, Salvation, Goodness, Poetry, Understand  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[337]. A Message From A Poem - What My Saviour’s Done (Version 2)

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Apr 18, 2026

[337]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - WHAT MY SAVIOUR’S DONE (Version 2) This is short poem. The end of each line has an AABB etc. rhyme. The title is simple. {{Mark 5:19-20 and He did not let him, but He said to him, “Go home to your people and report to them WHAT GREAT THINGS THE LORD HAS DONE ...read more

Scripture: Mark 5:19-20

Tags: Salvation, Great Things, Christian Poems

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

In His Book, First Things First, Author Stephen ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 11, 2001

In his book, First Things First, author Stephen Covey write about Viktor Frankl, and Austrian psychologist who survived the death camps of Nazi Germany. Frankl made a startling discovery about why some survived the horrible conditions and some did not. "He looked at several factors - health, ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 27:13-14

Tags: Vision, History, Joy, Light, Perseverance, Foresight  (view more)  (view less)

A Large Family Sat Around The Breakfast Table One ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 1, 2001

A large family sat around the breakfast table one morning. As the custom, the father returned thanks, blessing God for the food. Immediately after, however, as was his bad habit, he began to grumble about hard times, the poor quality of the food he was forced to eat, the way it was cooked, and ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:20, Ephesians 2:8-10, Ephesians 2:1-10

Tags: Prayer General, Joy, Thanksgiving Holiday, Thanksgiving

Even Our Foundational Beliefs In This Country ...  PRO

Contributed by Wayne Major on Apr 23, 2001

Even our foundational beliefs in this country see the “pursuit of happiness” as a basic right of all individuals. Yet with all our pursuit, happiness seems to elude many of us for much of our lives. Nathaniel Hawthorne said, “Happiness is a butterfly, which, when pursued, is always just beyond ...read more

Tags: Joy, God Brings Hope, Finding Fulfillment

Denomination: Methodist

George Barna Reports That Over 70 Million ...  PRO

Contributed by David Yarbrough on Apr 30, 2001

George Barna reports that over 70 million Americans today are struggling to find some meaning in life. And that over 50% of ...read more

Tags: God Brings Hope, Joy, Finding Fulfillment

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Philip Yancey In Leadership States, "Like ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 10, 2001

Philip Yancey in Leadership states, “Like a victorious locker room, church is a place to exult, to give thanks, to celebrate the great news that all is ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ, God's Provision, Joy

Carlyle Fielding Ste, How Long Will You Limp?: ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 1, 2001

Carlyle Fielding Ste, How Long Will You Limp?: "Too many churches today are devoid of the Spirit of Pentecost because they are dry and stale, where people are in a stupor; where worship services are wooden and so scripted that they are hollow; where the preaching is dull and flat; where the ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:1-13

Tags: Apathy, Lack Of Joy, Revival, Preservation, Pentecost  (view more)  (view less)

Affluence And Gratitude  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 12, 2002

AFFLUENCE AND GRATITUDE In his new book 'Jesus, Lord of Your Personality,' pastor Bob Russell points out that having a lot doesn’t tend to produce a grateful spirit. "Have you had a taste of the best this world has to offer? You went to Hawaii once on vacation, so now it’s harder for you to enjoy ...read more

Tags: Joy, Mountain, Peace, Season, Finding Fulfillment  (view more)  (view less)

A Prayer And Happiness  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 7, 2003

A PRAYER AND HAPPINESS In his book Living Life on Purpose, Greg Anderson shares the story of one man’s journey to joy: ... his wife had left him and he was completely depressed. He had lost faith in himself, in other people, in God—he found no joy in living. One rainy morning this man went to a ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 7:14

Tags: Joy, Prayer Adoration, God Brings Hope

Boomerang!  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Jul 27, 2005

Boomerang! (07.28.05--Appreciation--Ezra 5: 1-2) “When someone does something good, applaud! You’ll make two people happy.” The life-long motto of film magnate, Samuel Goldwyn, he knew that appreciation was a two-way street. The one who received it benefited as well as the one who gave it. Both ...read more

Scripture: Ezra 5:1-2

Tags: Joy, Listen, Obedience, Forgiveness General, Samuel  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Lutheran

Identifies With Our Suffering

Contributed by Bruce Montgomery on Apr 28, 2008

IDENTIFIES WITH OUR SUFFERING His name was Joseph Damien, and you’ve probably heard his story before, but it bears repeating. A Belgian priest, he was sent in 1873 to minister to lepers in Hawaii. As soon as he arrived on Molokai, he began trying to build friendships with the residents of the ...read more

Tags: Suffering, Submit, Why Suffering, Suffering Joy In

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Revival Is Absolutely Essential To Restrain The ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"Revival is absolutely essential to restrain the righteous anger of God, to restore the conscious awareness of God, and ...read more

Tags: Doubt, Communion, Joy, Revival, Lord's Supper  (view more)  (view less)

But It Doesn't Always Go According To Plan; In ...

Contributed by Andrew Moffatt on Oct 5, 2009

But it doesn’t always go according to plan; in fact some days do anything but go according to plan. I can remember a day when I was on faults (I was for years a faults-man in the power distribution industry) I was called out in the wee small hours, to a Ute that had hit a pole and the lines had ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 29:11

Tags: Suffering Joy In, Planning, Plans, Making Plans

Denomination: Salvation Army