In Sermon Illustrations: "Kingdom Of Heaven"

Is The Church On The Endangered List?  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Aug 18, 2006

** IS THE CHURCH ON THE ENDANGERED LIST? Many Americans are on a spiritual quest. This should be good news for the church. But, according to researchers, many of them are choosing noninstitutional forms of religion. A recent poll by Gallup shows that weekly church attendance is holding steady at ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 71:18

Tags: Sanctuary, Church General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Movement To Jesus Within Islam

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 26, 2009

A MOVEMENT TO JESUS WITHIN ISLAM In an article entitled, "A Movement to Jesus Within Islam" this story is told: There was a Muslim holy man, a Sufi master, named Isaac. He lived in a remote region of a Muslim country, where he had a large following. Several thousand people looked to him for ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:18-20

Tags: Islam

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

Unsung Heroes: He Brought Meal To Save The Meal

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Nov 19, 2020

Introduction: This event took place in the days of Elisha, who followed Elijah as one of God’s prophets, during the days of Israel’s divided kingdom. Many of the people in both nations, Israel in the north and Judah in the south, gave up on the God of Israel and began to worship various false gods ...read more

Scripture: 2 Kings 4:38-41

Tags: Famine, Elisha, Unsung Heroes

Denomination: Baptist

David F. Lloyd In His Essay "Rights Vs ...

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Jul 16, 2008

DAVID F. LLOYD in his essay “Rights vs Responsibilities” Summer 2001 Issue of Vision: Legally, rights have never been so extensively defined. For starters, there are the rights of ethnic minorities. Then we have the rights of women. The rights of children. The rights of homosexuals. The right to ...read more

Tags: Patriotism

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Unsung Heroines-Another Woman At A Well

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on May 7, 2022

Introduction: Many of us are familiar with the story of “the woman at the well” in Samaria who spoke with Jesus (John 4). Many years before, another woman, at another well, helped save David’s life and maybe even the kingdom! Text, 2 Samuel 17:15-20, KJV: 15 Then said Hushai unto Zadok and to ...read more

Scripture: 2 Samuel 17:15-20

Tags: Unsung Heroines, Wells, Hushai

Denomination: Baptist

Unintentionally Humorous Texts: Micah’s Misfortunes, Part 1

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Mar 7, 2024

Introduction: The days of Israel’s judges, before Samuel and the kingdom, were known as ‘seesaw days”: Israel alternated between being true to the God of Israel, then abandoning Him to worship the idols of other nations. Israel would be oppressed, and then cry out to their God for help, but then ...read more

Scripture: Judges 17:1-6

Tags: Micah, Ephraim, Idols, Teraphim

Denomination: Baptist

[010] A Message From A Poem - A Tribute To Our Mothers - Mothers' Day

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jun 6, 2024

[010] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - A TRIBUTE TO OUR MOTHERS - MOTHERS' DAY I was asked to write a poem for Mothers’ Day and this is it. I forget the context of it now but it had something to do with a children’s group in a church. ORIGINS AND IMPLICATIONS OF MOTHERS’ DAY The origins, ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:6-7, Matthew 19:13, Luke 18:15-16, 2 Timothy 1:5

Tags: Mothers Day, Mothers, Timothy, Honor Mothers, Ann Reeves Jarvis, Honour Mothers, Jesus Blesses Children  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[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

A Third Grader's Explanation Of God  PRO

Contributed by Brian Mavis on Apr 4, 2001

A THIRD GRADERS EXPLANATION OF GOD Written by Danny Dutton, age 8, from Chula Vista, California, for his third grade homework assignment to "Explain God." One of God’s main jobs is making people. He makes them to replace the ones that die so there will be enough people to take care of things on ...read more

Scripture: Mark 7:1-23, Galatians 5:1-26

Tags: God The Father, Children

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

To Say The Least, I Was At First Shocked To Read ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 26, 2001

To say the least, I was at first shocked to read the headline, Baby Ate Cocaine Dad Left Nearby. According to the Associated Press a father from Ravenna, Ohio was sentenced to one year in prison for endangering his daughter, who was six-months-old at the time of the incident. He evidently stashed ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 127:1

Tags: Father's Day, Children, Parenting

Call Home Often  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 22, 2004

CALL HOME OFTEN Max Lucado in his book "In the Eye of a Storm" talks about traveling from one speaking engagement to another. He had traveled from San Antonio to Boston and had spoken at a gathering in Boston. Then he was flying on to Edmonton, Canada to fulfill a speaking engagement there. When ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 1:1-3

Tags: New Year's Day, Prayer General

Rach And I Have A Friend Who Is A Source Of Grief ...  PRO

Contributed by Christopher Lanham on Feb 17, 2005

Rach and I have a friend who is a source of grief for us. It is not that he has done anything to us – he is quite dear to us actually. Rather it is what he has done to himself, what he has chosen to believe. About ten years ago, this friend began absenting himself from church. He was getting ...read more

Tags: Worship Purpose

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Name Auschwitz Brings Terror And Grief To The ...  PRO

Contributed by Fred Sigle on Mar 12, 2007

The name AUSCHWITZ brings terror and grief to the hearts of many people. It is the sight of an infamous NAZI DEATH CAMP where 4 million Jews died during World War II. A half-ton of hair is still PRESERVED. The SHOWERS that once sprayed POISON GAS still stand. Maximillian Kolbe, a Franciscan ...read more

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Complaining On The Day Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 30, 2009

Complaining on the Day of Judgment The story is told of billions of people scattered on a great plain before Almighty God’s Throne. Some of the groups near the front talked heatedly - not with cringing shame; but, with belligerence. "How can God Judge us?" said one. "What does He know about ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16-18

Tags: Injustice, God's Judgment

Fear And The Deceits Of The Heart  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 3, 2010

FEAR AND THE DECEITS OF THE HEART I think Edward Welch chose brilliantly the title for his book on overcoming the fear of man: When People are Big and God is Small. Maybe you can relate to his personal awakening to this problem when he was a high-school senior: "I had always been shy and ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 51:11-13, Isaiah 51:12-16

Tags: Ransom, Fear And Worry

Why Did Jesus Need To Be Baptized?  PRO

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Mar 3, 2013

Why would Jesus need to be baptized by John? Well... Jesus' baptism by John was the beginning of Jesus' ministry. Mark 1:1 starts out: "The BEGINNING of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" and then Mark starts telling us about Jesus' baptism by John. In Luke 3:23 ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 3:13-15

Tags: Ministry, High Priest, Water Baptism, Jesus' Ministry, Baptism  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Glorify God In Your Body

Contributed by Sam Mccormick on Dec 15, 2016

When I was in high school at Littlefield, Texas, a boy was occasionally seen in the corridors who I did not ever see in my classes. His head was a grayish purple color, irregularly shaped, and at least twice the size of a normal person’s head. I understood that he was a student at the school who ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 6:20

Tags: Body, Glorify, Elephant, Proteus

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Make This Muddled World A Better Place

Contributed by David Simpson on Feb 5, 2018

Make This Muddled World A Better Place January 24, 2018 Lanier Christian Church David Simpson The Academy Award Nominations came out yesterday. Of the movies nominated, one of them is about famous British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, entitled: Darkest Hour. Churchill left us with many ...read more

Tags: Bless Others, Give Of Self, Be A Blessing To Oth, Service, Compassion, Winston Churchill  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian Church

Honor Your Father And Mother

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Jun 13, 2020

Father’s Day 2020 is just a few days away as I write this. My dad left this world in 2018 but I still remember so many things about him. Some of course are too personal to share but there a good number of good memories I’ll always cherish. Dad was about five feet, ten inches in height—the smallest ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 20:12, Ephesians 6:2

Tags: Memories About Dad, Father's Day, Fathers

Denomination: Baptist