In Sermon Illustrations: "Knowing God"

Perhaps You've Seen The Movie O Brother, Where ...

Contributed by W F on Jun 25, 2006

Perhaps you’ve seen the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou? It’s a comedy set during America’s Depression era. The story revolves around three petty criminals who escape from a chain gang. George Clooney stars as the leader named Everett Ulysses McGill. He tells his companions that he has buried ...read more

Tags: Apologetics God

Denomination: *other

No Fire Without Heat And Smoke! (06.14.05--The ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Jun 12, 2005

No Fire Without Heat and Smoke! (06.14.05--The Tie That Binds--1 John 4:19) It’s been hot here lately at Beech Springs. It has been unusually hot and humid. The beech woods understory that blankets our little valley are getting crisper under foot daily. The trilliums came and went and are withered ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 4:19

Tags: Promises Of God

Denomination: Lutheran

Looking Back, Looking Forward  PRO

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Jul 28, 2002

LOOKING BACK, LOOKING FORWARD Hudson Taylor founder of China Inland Mission) used to hang in his home a plaque with two Hebrew Words on it: EBENEZER & JEHOVAH JIREH. The first word means ‘Hitherto hath the Lord helped us’ and the second, ‘The Lord will see to it or provide.’ One looked back while ...read more

Tags: Promises Of God, Faithfulness, God's Promises, God's Provision

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Good Pilots Do What It Takes To Get Their Passengers Home.

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Jul 9, 2018

A good pilot does what it takes to get his passengers home. A good example of this, is the story of a flight when the attendant told everyone to take their seats because of impending turbulence. It was a rowdy flight; the folks weren’t quick to respond; so she warned them again. “The flight is ...read more

Scripture: Acts 9:3-11

Tags: Listening To God, Hearing From God, Gods Voice

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Parable Of The Big Plane

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 16, 2020

A boy asked his father, “Dad, what is the size of God? How big is He?” The Father looked up at the sky and saw a little plane In the far distance and asked his son, “What is the Size of the plane in the sky?” The boy replied, “It is really small. I can hardly see it in the sky." Then, the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-12

Tags: Worship, God, Beatitudes, Seeing God, Greatness Of God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Unintentionally Humorous Texts: Laban, "Why Did You Steal My Gods?”

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Feb 23, 2024

Introduction: Let me say first of all that the Bible is a very sacred Book, not to be trifled with. It’s precious and untold numbers of believers have given their lives to simply have and read it, let alone defend it against any number of attacks. Having said that, there are a number of places ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 31:26-30

Tags: Laban, Idols, Teraphim, Jacob, Rachel  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Milan Ford:

Contributed by Charles Wallis on Mar 26, 2009

Milan Ford: "One of the most powerful tools you and I have to help align our faith and relationship with God is through praise. Our ability to become consumed with His character and attributes is essential to our growth in Him. Like prayer, praise and worship is not a time for us to try updating an ...read more

Tags: Worship Purpose, Worship General

Denomination: Pentecostal

Poor Little Orphan Annie! It's "A Hard-Knock ...  PRO

Contributed by Jim Luthy on Jan 23, 2002

Poor Little Orphan Annie! It’s "a hard-knock life" for her and her friends. All the hard chores, the abuse, and the neglect only add insult to injury to these poor little girls already carrying the weight of abandonment. But if you’ve seen the musical "Annie," either on stage or screen, you know ...read more

Tags: God In The Hardships, Endurance, Descriptions Of God

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Predestination Talks

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 12, 2009

THE PREDESTINATION TALKS Ligon Duncan, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, MS, tells the following story: I well remember as a fifteen year-old boy at my grandparents’ house, reading through Ephesians 1 with grandmother and granddad and my aunt and the family for our morning ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:3-14

Tags: God's Sovereign Will

Va Baily Wrote About The Time He Realized The ...  PRO

Contributed by Ryan Johnson on Mar 6, 2002

VA Baily wrote about the time he realized the plan and purpose of life. I hurried into the local department store to grab some last minute Christmas gifts. I looked at all the people and grumbled to myself, "I am going to be in here forever." Christmas was beginning to become such a drag. I kinda ...read more

Tags: Promises Of God, God Brings Purpose

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

I Want To Read You A Page From The U.s. ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

I want to read you a page from the U.S. Government Peace Corps Manual for its volunteers who work in the Amazon Jungle. The page I’m going to read concerns what to do in case you’re attacked by an Anaconda. The Anaconda is the largest snake in the world. It grows to 35 feet in length and weighs ...read more

Tags: God In The Hardships

Warren Wiersbe On True Worship  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 7, 2011

WARREN WIERSBE ON TRUE WORSHIP Warren Wiersbe, in his book on True Worship, says, "We must beware of trying to get chummy with God. I know the apostle John leaned on the bosom of Jesus in the Upper Room; but he fell at the feet of Jesus when he beheld Him in His sovereign glory (Revelation 1:17)." ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 6:1-8

Tags: Worship Definition

Promises Are ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 17, 2009

PROMISES ARE SACRIFICES Promises are funny things. They’re easy to make and often easier to break, but generally hard to keep. Robert Frost poetically captured that truth in his poem, Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening. He talks about how sometimes we wish we could be free, for just a little bit ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 119:140

Tags: Promises Of God

The Bully And The Boy

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

The Bully and the Boy Bavaria. 1934. It was the wrong time and the wrong place to be a Jew. And Heinz was a Jew. The little Bavarian village of Fürth was already overrun with Hitler’s young thugs. To be a Jew…of any age…was to be a target. And Heinz was only eleven. It was the first minute of a ...read more

Tags: Doing God's Will

My Goal Is God Himself...at Any Cost, Dear Lord, ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 20, 2002

My Goal is God Himself...at any cost, dear Lord, by any ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:13-21

Tags: Call Of The Disciples, Growth In Christ

We Don't Seem To Want To Worship A God Who's Too ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 20, 2002

We don’t seem to want to worship a God who’s too big, too authoritative. We seem more comfortable with a deity who’s ...read more

Tags: God's Sovereign Will, Emotions, Descriptions Of God

God Loves Us The Way We Are But He Loves Us Too ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 20, 2002

God loves us the way we are but He loves us too much to leave us that way. ...read more

Tags: Faith General, Growth In Christ, Holiness

Eugene Peterson Writes, "If We Don't Want God, Or ...  PRO

Contributed by Robert Leroe on Sep 22, 2002

Eugene Peterson writes, “If we don’t want God, or don’t want Him very near, we can hardly be expected to be very ...read more

Tags: Heaven

Denomination: Congregational

God Has Promised You Won't Starve. He Is Going ...  PRO

Contributed by David Dykes on Mar 31, 2003

God has promised you won’t starve. He is going to meet your needs. He never promised to meet your wants or your luxuries, but He will meet your needs. And the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 19:1-33

Tags: God's Provision

Denomination: Baptist

Yet God Is Bigger Than Our Suffering. We Can Have ...  PRO

Contributed by Shawn Williams on Jun 19, 2004

Yet God is bigger than our suffering. We can have hope as we place our trust in Him —in His faithfulness and in His ability to work out in our lives His purposes ...read more

Tags: God In The Hardships

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ