In Sermon Illustrations: "Lack Of Joy"

Wag Your Tail!

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Nov 30, 2010

WAG YOUR TAIL! When missionaries in the northern part of Alaska, where the Eskimos live, they were trying to get the Bible translated, and they had some difficulty. When you go to translate the Bible in any culture, there’s a difficulty in translating some words, because cultures and languages ...read more

Tags: Joy

Denomination: Brethren

Laugh Or Die

Contributed by Davon Huss on Dec 27, 2010

LAUGH OR DIE In writing about Lincoln’s Civil War years, author Richard Hanser says that on September 22, 1862, the War Cabinet was summoned to the White House for a special session. Lincoln was reading a book as everyone came in. Secretary of War Stanton later said this of the meeting: ...read more

Tags: Joy

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Sing A New Song

Contributed by Jason Bonnicksen on Mar 21, 2011

SING A NEW SONG Boom! Boom! The two-fold pounding of the avalanche cannon awoke me from my slumber. No, we didn't get snow last night, I mused. But sure enough, God dumped nine inches of fresh snow onto the mountains above. Now, I love winter; it's great skiing on fresh powder. However, I ...read more

Tags: Joy

Denomination: Lutheran

What Occupies Your Heart

Contributed by Scott Carroll on May 20, 2011

WHAT OCCUPIES YOUR HEART I squirmed a bit as I forced myself to listen to my friend cataloging her problems. After three hours, I interrupted her gently to ask, "If you were to draw a circle to represent your life, what would be in the center? She thought a moment, then said, "My problems." My ...read more

Tags: Joy

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Need For Delight

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 9, 2011

THE NEED FOR DELIGHT St. Thomas Aquinas Wrote; "No man can live without delight, and that is why a man deprived of spiritual joy goes over to evil ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 16:11

Tags: Joy

Nuk Nuk Nuk

Contributed by Brad Henry on Sep 27, 2011

NUK NUK NUK As you know our 12-year-old son Chase is autistic. I have introduced both our boys to a very intellectual series of programs called The Three Stooges. The problem with Chase being autistic is he can do a "Nuk Nuk" almost anywhere at anytime. So the slapstick has started at our house. I ...read more

Tags: Joy

An Outward Expression Of An Inward Experience

Contributed by Christian Cheong on May 11, 2012

AN OUTWARD EXPRESSION OF AN INWARD EXPERIENCE David Ring was born with cerebral palsy. He had complications at birth and he was technically dead for 18 minutes after delivery. No oxygen reached his brain and a portion was permanently damaged. His family’s story was catastrophic – his father had ...read more

Tags: Joy

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Telling A Secret

Contributed by Rick Gillespie- Mobley on Dec 18, 2012

Is there anybody here who has ever told somebody a secret? What’s the first thing you say, when you are about to tell somebody a secret? Right-Don’t tell anybody. But if the secret is some really good news, and you’re the person who is being told the secret, your face lights up, your eyes get ...read more

Tags: Joy

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Opposite Of A Christian

Contributed by Fr Mund Cargill Thompson on Jan 29, 2013

THE OPPOSITE OF A CHRISTIAN What would you say was the opposite of a Christian people? would it be an atheist people? a pagan people? Perhaps even a hypocritical people, an unforgiving people. What would be your answer? When the novelist George bernanos was asked this question "What is the ...read more

Tags: Joy

Denomination: Anglican

In Her Book "Smoke On The Mountain”, ...

Contributed by Curry Pikkaart on Jan 31, 2010

In her book “Smoke on the Mountain”, Joy Davidson told of a missionary in a dark corner of Africa where the men had a habit of filing their teeth to sharp points. The missionary was working hard at trying to convert an old native chief. This missionary was very much Old Testament in his approach, ...read more

Tags: Joy, Christian Joy

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Joy Comes From Doing What You Were Designed To ...  PRO

Contributed by Rick Stacy on Oct 15, 2003

Joy comes from doing what you were designed to do. Have you ever driven a really cool car that was designed to run flat out on the road. Years ago I took my 65 Ford Falcon on a trip up north – no cars – just deer and jack pines for hundreds of square miles. I took it up to just shy of 100 mph ...read more

Tags: Giving General, Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Enjoy Them All! (07.04.05--Joy Every ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Jun 30, 2005

Enjoy Them All! (07.04.05--Joy Every Day--Ecclesiastes 11:7-10) Only a dozen or so years and then, sweet, sweet retirement. Having worked for over 35 years, my time of hope and sweet happiness is now firmly planted on the horizon. In but a decade or so, I could be retired. No more getting up at ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 11:7-10

Tags: Finding Fulfillment

Denomination: Lutheran

Too Easily Pleased! (07.06.05--Joy Every ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Jul 5, 2005

Too Easily Pleased! (07.06.05--Joy Every Day--Ecclesiastes 9:7-10) I was happy with things the way they were. Why should I go to any great length to make them any better when, as it were, I was contented with how my car looked and drove? This was my response about a year ago when my wife ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 9:7-10

Tags: Fulfillment

Denomination: Lutheran

Christmas Joy: A Cnn/Usa Today/Gallup Poll Finds ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 27, 2006

Christmas Joy: A CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll finds 96% of all U.S. adults celebrate Christmas (consistent over the past decade). This includes a high level of participation, 84% among non-Christians. Most Americans feel positive toward Christmas. 50% say it is a great time, including 15% who say it ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Lina Joy, 43, Lost The Court Battle To Change Her ...

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Jun 25, 2007

Lina Joy, 43, lost the court battle to change her religion from Islam to Christianity on Wednesday when the Malaysian Federal Court ruled she should seek permission to officially change her religion from Islam to Christianity at Islamic Shariah courts. Joy had been engaged in a legal battle for six ...read more

Denomination: Other

Some Years Ago, I Had The Sheer Joy Of Seeing ...

Contributed by Isaac Butterworth on Mar 7, 2008

Some years ago, I had the sheer joy of seeing the movie adaptation of Fulton Oursler’s novel, The Greatest Story Ever Told. I loved the way Max von Sydow brought the personality of Jesus to the screen; it was perhaps the most natural portrayal of our Lord that I’ve ever seen. It was a long movie ...read more

Tags: Easter Resurrection

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

So Find Joy In Whatever Your Lord Gives You To ...

Contributed by Gregg Bitter on Jan 3, 2010

So find joy in whatever your Lord gives you to do in this year ahead. Serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all your days. Bring your service to him like a little child bringing her coloring page home from school. She gives it to Mom and Dad not because she thinks she’s ...read more

Tags: Servanthood

Denomination: Lutheran

Others Have Developed Dysfunctional Ways To View ...

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on May 14, 2010

Others have developed dysfunctional ways to view life in hope it would bring contentment, fulfillment and eternal life! a. Optimism: By looking through rose-colored glasses, we can convince ourselves that we live on Fantasy Island, existing under cloudless skies and surrounded by oceans of love, ...read more

Tags: Thought, Attitude General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Sara Hughes Illustration: The Women's' Ice ...  PRO

Contributed by William Yates on Jun 12, 2002

Sara Hughes Illustration: The Women’s’ Ice Skating Competition in the 2002 Winter Olympics was supposed to be a clash of the Titans for the gold with U.S. skater Michelle Kwan pitted against Irina Slutskaya. Sara Hughes, a 16-year-old fourth place contender, however, stunned the world when she took ...read more

Tags: Giving Yourself

Missionary Paralyzed Learns How To Thrive In ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 1, 2010

Missionary Paralyzed Learns How To Thrive in Suffering Scott Larson shared a personal encounter. “Annette and her husband were missionaries in Western Europe when she began to have pain in her back. When the pain became so unbearable that she could no longer function, even with muscle relaxants, ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 23:1-6

Tags: Suffering Joy In, Joy In Trials