In Sermon Illustrations: "Knew The Shepherd"

Unsung Heroines-The Widow Of Zarephath

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on May 4, 2022

Introduction: this widow woman probably wasn’t even an Israelite but she believed the words of Elijah, the prophet of the LORD, God of Israel. She received much more than she gave Elijah! Text: 1 Kings 17:8-16, KJV: 8 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, 9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 17:8-16

Tags: Elijah, Widow Of Zarephath, Unsung Heroines

Denomination: Baptist

From Roast Turkey To Reindeer

Contributed by James Snyder on Dec 9, 2023

Nothing is more confusing than being in the middle of two holidays. I have just finished Thanksgiving, and now Christmas is before me. Each year, it gets more difficult to adjust to the next holiday. It’s hard for me to keep up. For months, the focus was on that roast turkey for Thanksgiving. And ...read more

Scripture: Amos 3:3

Tags: Turkey, Reindeer, Christmas, Thanksgiving

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

As If I Didn’t Already Know

Contributed by James Snyder on Oct 12, 2024

I've been accused of many things throughout my life, but never having a great memory. It's not that I don't try to remember things; I can't remember things I'm supposed to remember. It has nothing to do with my age because it started as far back as I can remember. This ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 139:23-24

Tags: Memory, Relationship

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

[179]. A Message From A Poem – Lost Three Things - Lost One Coin

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Aug 27, 2025

[179]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – LOST THREE THINGS - LOST ONE COIN In this trilogy of poems we are looking at three objects lost – a sheep, a coin and a son. All three were loved and precious and the owners knew stress at the lost. When each was found it resulted in great rejoicing. These three ...read more

Scripture: Hosea 11:8, Genesis 6:6, Luke 15:8-10

Tags: Heart Of God, The Heart Of God, Grieved, Christian Poems, Parable, Lost, Lost Coin, Lost And Found, Rejoicing  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Following Words Come From The Language Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Rick Stacy on Mar 24, 2002

The following words come from THE LANGUAGE OF LOVE, by Gary Smalley and John Trent: His leaving had been abrupt and unforeseen. His wife had come home from shopping one day and found the note on the refrigerator. The words were brief and cold. He was tired of trying to make their marriage work. He ...read more

Tags: Divorce, Marriage Struggle

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Last 3 Days Have Been Painful. Literally ...

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Feb 1, 2010

The last 3 days have been painful. Literally painful! I was playing with my grandson and crawling, on my knees, through tunnels that we made out of the cushions on the lounge – our secret castle to hide in (I know, castles aren’t normally secret but this one was). The next day I felt the pain ...read more

Tags: Prayer How To

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Blood And Water  PRO

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Mar 24, 2013

THE BLOOD AND WATER Before I became a minister I attended a secular college for a couple of years. While I was there I took several classes I thought would help me when I went to Bible college, and some of those classes were in Philosophy. Now Philosophy and Christianity are somewhat at odds. ...read more

Tags: Blood Of Christ

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

An Atheist Defends Evangelism In Africa

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Dec 30, 2008

AN ATHEIST DEFENDS EVANGELISM IN AFRICA I would like to conclude by reading you an article – that Andrew sent to me - from the Sunday Times dated 27th December 2008 written by Matthew Parris: December 27, 2008 (full article) As an atheist, I truly believe Africa needs God Missionaries, not aid ...read more

Tags: Christian Witness

Denomination: Anglican

[055]. A Message From A Poem – Death For The Christian

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 12, 2025

[055]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – DEATH FOR THE CHRISTIAN We deal with a subject today we often like to forget about. When we are young we give it little thought but when we are old, it tends to preoccupy our minds a lot more. This poem is not so much about the subject of death itself, as it is ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 1:18, 2 Corinthians 5:8, Hebrews 9:27

Tags: Egypt, Poetry, Poem, Christian Death, Absent From The Body, Keys Of Death And Hades, Death, Fear  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[097]. A Message From A Poem – Gates Of Hesitation

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on May 3, 2025

[097]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – GATES OF HESITATION This poem tells a story. Jesus told His listeners something – {{Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter by the narrow gate for THE GATE IS WIDE and the way is broad that leads to destruction and many are those who enter by it, for THE GATE IS SMALL and the way ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 18:21, Matthew 12:30, Psalm 1:1-6, Matthew 7:13-14

Tags: Two Ways, Broad Gate, Gates, Destruction, Hesitation, Narrow Gate  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[098]. A Message From A Poem – Genesis Synopsis

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on May 7, 2025

[098]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – GENESIS SYNOPSIS How can you possibly put the book of Genesis into a poem? The answer is, be brief and try not to miss the main events. I had the desire to write a Genesis poem and this is the result. The poem begins of course with Chapter 1 and works to the ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 15:13, Genesis 12:3, Genesis 15:18, Matthew 24:37-38, Genesis 1:1  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Genesis, Creation, Egypt, Isaac, Nimrod, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, Abraham, Noah, Jacob, Adam, Joseph, Cain  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Right Before The Jetway Door Closed, I Scrambled ...  PRO

Contributed by Charles R. Swindoll on Sep 27, 2004

Right before the jetway door closed, I scrambled aboard the plane going from LA to Chicago, lugging my laptop and overstuffed briefcase. It was the first leg of an important business trip and I was running late. I had a ton of work to catch up on, half wishing, half praying I muttered, "Please God, ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness In Jesus, Promises Of God

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Power Of Prayer

Contributed by Larry Grant on Jan 12, 2025

Luke 18:1-8 “The Power of Prayer” January 5, 2025 All of us have prayed about serious problems that God has not or did not seem to give us an answer to. Every one of us has had an issue that we have brought before the Lord and it seems as if He did nothing. Most of us have suffered some type of ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:1-8

Tags: Power, Refine, Redirect, Plans, Petitions  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

The Visited Planet,

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 14, 2009

“The Visited Planet,” by J.B. Phillips Once upon a time a very young angel was being shown round the splendours and glories of the universes by a senior and experienced angel. To tell the truth, the little angel was beginning to be tired and a little bored. He had been shown whirling galaxies and ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1-18

Tags: Christmas

Understanding

Contributed by Larry Grant on Jan 21, 2025

In 1988 at the Democratic National Convention the Reverend Jesse Jackson gave a speech called “Common Ground” in which he challenged us to never give in to demagoguery. He said, Don't you surrender and don't you give up. Don't surrender and don't give up! Why cannot I challenge you ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 4:7

Tags: Ronald Reagan, Martin Luther King, Barack Obama, Jesse Jackson

Denomination: Baptist

The High Cost Of Low Living

Contributed by Larry Grant on Nov 8, 2025

Judges 16:15 "THE HIGH COST OF LOW LIVING" November 9, 2025 There is an old preacher story of a large carnival that came into a country town every two years. And people from miles around would bring their children to see all the colors and sights and sounds. But there was a particular ...read more

Scripture: Judges 16:15

Tags: Lifestyle, Lessons, Losses

Denomination: Baptist

It All Happened On A Subway

Contributed by Dr. Bradford Reaves on Mar 10, 2022

Marcel Sternberger was a methodical man of nearly 50, with bushy white hair, guileless brown eyes, and the bouncing enthusiasm of a czardas dancer of his native Hungary. He always took the 9:09 Long Island Railroad train from his suburban home to Woodside, N.Y.., where he caught a subway into the ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:10

Tags: Grace, Mercy, Salvation, Chance, Divine Appointments  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Brethren

Elie Wiesel Was A Fourteen Year Old Boy When The ...  PRO

Contributed by Philip Harrelson on Feb 8, 2006

-Elie Wiesel was a fourteen year old boy when the Germans started loading the Jews on trains and sending them to the death camps authorized by Adolph Hitler. This excerpt picks up as he is traveling by in a cattle car on a train from Transylvania (which at the time was under the control of ...read more

Tags: Hell

Denomination: Pentecostal

I Want To Tell You About A Practicing Christian, ...  PRO

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on May 22, 2007

I want to tell you about a practicing Christian, a public figure who lives out his faith in Jesus Christ. Here is a behind-the-scenes story. There was a lot of excitement in watching the Indianapolis Colts, led by Head Coach Tony Dungy, win their trip to the Super Bowl this past January. A TV ...read more

Scripture: Daniel 1:1

Tags: Peace, Heaven, Chance, Hope, Assurance, Forget, Expectancy, Renew  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Pentecostal

Metamorphosis  PRO

Contributed by Paul Dietz on Aug 16, 2008

METAMORPHOSIS I can recall how taken back I was, in my fourth grade science class, when I first became aware of this almost magical phenomena of an ugly, old caterpillar becoming a beautiful butterfly. Of course at that age I had a very hard time understanding the whole biological time-clock thing ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ

Denomination: *other