In Sermon Illustrations: "Lack Of Joy"

Why Do So Few Christians Share Their Faith?

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Apr 4, 2022

What makes people hesitate to share their faith? Here are some of the fears that have been mentioned to me: "I am afraid I might do more harm than good." "I don't know what to say." "I may not be able to give snappy answers to tricky questions." "I may ...read more

Tags: Great Commission, Fear Of Man, Great Supper, Man Pleasing, Evangelism, Fear, Gospel, Parables, Excuses, Witnessing  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Simple Confession, Profound Forgiveness

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 31, 2022

In 1818 one out of six women who had children died of something called “childbirth fever.” A doctor’s daily routine back then started in the dissecting room, where he performed autopsies, and from there he made his rounds to examine expectant mothers. No one even thought to wash his hands...at ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 1:9

Tags: Grace, Forgiveness

Duckswaddle?

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Apr 3, 2026

Hear a lesson: THERE WAS A GROUP OF DUCKS THAT LOVED THE LORD, THEY LOVED THEIR DUCK CHURCH AND THEY LOVED THEIR DUCK PASTOR. The ducks waddled to church three times a week. Their duck preacher had heard from the Lord and the duck preacher had a revelation. So the duck preacher preached ...read more

Scripture: Jonah 4:9, Galatians 6:9

Tags: Heavy, More, Fly High

Denomination: Assembly Of God

The Peace Prayer Of St. Francis  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2001

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; Where there is sadness, joy. Divine Master, Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled ...read more

Tags: Love Of The Disciples, Character, Christian Values

Joseph Stowell Tells Of Having Dinner With Billy ...  PRO

Contributed by Ray Ellis on Sep 10, 2003

Joseph Stowell tells of having dinner with Billy Graham at a dinner for the staff and board of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Billy was eighty at the time and Dr. Stowell asked him a question: “Of all your experiences in ministry, what have you enjoyed most?” “Was it you time spent ...read more

Tags: Examples Of Faith, Faith General, Growth In Christ

Denomination: Free Methodist

John Newton, The Writer Of The Most Popular Hymn ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 30, 2001

John Newton, the writer of the most popular hymn in history, "Amazing Grace" said: "… if two angels in heaven were given assignments by God at the same time, one of them to go and rule over the greatest nation on earth and the other to go sweep the streets of the dirtiest village, each angel would ...read more

Everything Worth Having Has Pain

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on May 2, 2009

EVERYTHING WORTH HAVING HAS PAIN "In everything worth having, even in every pleasure, there is a point of pain or tedium that must be survived, so that the pleasure may revive and endure: the joy of reading Virgil comes after the bore of learning him; the glow of the sea-bather comes after the icy ...read more

Tags: Disciplines General

Denomination: Catholic

Point Of View Is Everything

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Sep 5, 2011

POINT OF VIEW IS EVERYTHING ABC's "The View" - the winner of the 2003 Daytime Emmy® Award for "Outstanding Talk Show" as quoted by its own website! ABC News correspondent Barbara Walters, the renowned Whoopi Goldberg, comedian Joy Behar, actress/comedian Sherri Shepherd, and The Australian Outback ...read more

Tags: God's Sovereign Will

Denomination: Salvation Army

Get The Bugs Out

Contributed by Perry Greene on Mar 20, 2012

GET THE BUGS OUT A huge clock was built and placed in the tower of the Pottsdam Garrison Church by the Emperor Frederick the Great of Prussia. This magnificent timepiece would chime out the hymn, "Praise Ye the Lord" every half hour. One day the melody ceased. Repairmen opened the gearbox of the ...read more

Tags: Worship Benefits

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Go To Sleep

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2008

GO TO SLEEP A mother and her little four-year-old daughter were preparing to retire for the night. The child was afraid of the dark, and the mother, on this occasion alone with the child, felt fearful also. When the light was out, the child caught a glimpse of the moon outside the window. ...read more

Tags: Fear And Worry

9 Characteristics Of Revivals In The Bible

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 31, 2022

In his book Revival Fire, Geoff Waugh lists nine similarities among Biblical revivals: They occurred in times of moral darkness & national depression. Each began in the heart of a consecrated servant of God who became the energizing power behind it. Each revival rested on the Word ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 7:14

Tags: Holy Spirit, Revival, Last Days, Old Testament, New Testament, Church  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Mansion Builder

Contributed by David Dunn on Oct 7, 2025

A story is told of a believer who arrived in heaven and was greeted by an angel who offered to show him his new home. They walked down golden streets lined with breathtaking mansions. Each home seemed larger and brighter than the one before—until they reached a small, simple cottage at the end of ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:19-21, Revelation 22:12, 1 Timothy 6:18-19, Luke 12:33-34

Tags: Eternity, Stewardship, Faithfulness, Generosity

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

May 5, 2004 "You Can Walk Boy!" John 16: 19-24 ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 4, 2004

May 5, 2004 “You Can Walk Boy!” John 16: 19-24 Key verse(s): 21 “‘A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world.’” Why do Christians have to suffer? If I had ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:1-11

Tags: Hardship Of Life

[304]. A Message From A Poem - They Have Gone To Be With Jesus

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 4, 2026

[304]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - THEY HAVE GONE TO BE WITH JESUS Right at the outset I want to say I LOVE THIS POEM. IT MEANS SO MUCH TO ME. I love it because the Lord gave it freely to me and the truth of it now for 27 years has been part of the way I address the loss of a Christian loved one. ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 9:27, 2 Corinthians 5:6-8

Tags: Present With The Lord, Absent From The Body, Christian Poems, Christian, Jesus, Heaven, Home, Gone, In Christ, Death  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Leading A Neighbor To Christ During A Time Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 14, 2009

Leading a Neighbor to Christ During a Time of Grief Someone in Elgin once had a neighbor named Jack. Jack was a tough man. He worked hard, he drank hard, he fought hard, and he was harsh and gruff in his manner. Most people were afraid of Jack. But this one neighbor got brave and said hello to him ...read more

Scripture: Acts 17:1-15

Tags: Christian Witness

[106]. A Poem Message – Golgotha – With Jesus In The Midst (Easter Poem)

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jun 8, 2025

[106]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – GOLGOTHA – WITH JESUS IN THE MIDST Easter Poem This poem is an Easter poem constructed around the events played out at Golgotha. I called it Golgotha (the place of the skull) and not Calvary in the title because of this reason – The word Calvary occurs in the ...read more

Scripture: John 19:17-18, Matthew 27:33-34

Tags: Calvary, Christian Poems, Easter Poem, Golgotha, Lamb Of God, Three Crosses, Jesus Crucified, Place Of The Skull, Christian Poetry  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[291]. A Message From A Poem – The Stamp On Our Lives As Christians

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Feb 18, 2026

[291]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THE STAMP ON OUR LIVES AS CHRISTIANS This poem is set out with three sets of three making 9 stanzas. The final line in the stanza marks what set it is in. The title means the ownership of our lives by God, similar to the wax seal that used to be applied in days ...read more

Scripture: Romans 14:7-9, 2 Corinthians 1:21-22

Tags: Belong, Holy Spirit, Sealed, Own, Stamp, Christian Poems, Lord  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I Would Like To Bring In Here The Story Of The ...  PRO

Contributed by Paul Kallan on Nov 18, 2002

I would like to bring in here the story of the film “Chocolate” directed by Lasse Hallström [Heinrich Jacob, Der Prediger und Katechet, 6/2002. pages. 849-851]. A small, sleepy, and quiet french city. The inhabitants are lower-middle class, strictly moralistic, tied to tradtion, scrupulous and ...read more

Tags: Basics Of Christianity, Church Body Of Christ, God Brings Hope

Denomination: Catholic

Introduction... The Clock That Had A Nervous ...  PRO

Contributed by Troy Borst on Aug 5, 2004

INTRODUCTION... The Clock that had a Nervous Breakdown, C. Swindoll This new clock was ticking away on the shelf two ticks to the second as any good, self-respecting clock should tick when it began to think about how many times it was going to have to tick. “Two ticks to the second means 120 ticks ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:38-39

Tags: Faith General

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Walker Percy, In His Book Lost In The Cosmos, ...

Contributed by Austin Mansfield on Sep 18, 2007

Walker Percy, in his book Lost in the Cosmos, describes a scenario that can help us be a little more introspective. Imagine you’re bringing your garbage can out one evening. You roll it down your driveway, out to the street and you see your neighbor, John. You say hi, and he says hi. Then he ...read more

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican