In Sermon Illustrations: "Last Meal"

Gethsemane

Contributed by Sam Mccormick on Aug 12, 2017

Several years ago, I began to reflect on the happenings at Gethsemane. It started when I saw some movie in which an actor did an okay job of portraying Jesus, except that he failed abysmally in his attempt to show what I think Jesus' agony at Gethsemane must have been really like. I realized that ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 26:36-46, Mark 14:32-42, Luke 22:39-46, 2 Corinthians 5:21

Tags: Agony, Sweat, Pass, Thy Will Be Done, Your Will Be Done, Garden, Gethsemane, Cup  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Lillie Mae And The Rookie

Contributed by Steve Kinnard on Feb 18, 2019

Lillie Mae and the Rookie (Fruit of the Spirit) Gal 5:21-25 Do you all remember Bubba and Billy Bob; I called ole Bubba down in Hazel Green this week to check on Billy Bob, Daisy and the rest of the family. I ask him how everyone was doing. He said everything is fine with everyone; but they had ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:21-25

Tags: Fruit Of The Spirit, Lying

Denomination: Pentecostal

Unsung Heroines-Huldah, The Prophetess

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Jun 10, 2022

Introduction: When King Josiah of Judah heard the Word of God from Shaphan, he immediately tore his clothes and asked a group of men to “inquire of the LORD”. These men found Huldah, a prophetess, and God gave His message to them through her. Text: 2 Kings 22:14-20. KJV: 14 So Hilkiah the priest, ...read more

Scripture: 2 Kings 22:14-20

Tags: Judgment, Josiah, Huldah, Unsung Heroines

Denomination: Baptist

I Don't Believe In Hell

Contributed by Raymond Petzholt on Jul 5, 2023

Illustration: “I don’t believe in Hell.” The fact that a lot of people have a tough time believing in a literal Hell was brought home to me in a very meaningful way. When I pastored in Chino, CA we lived in a parsonage right next to the Church. I soon noticed that a certain man was walking up ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 10:28, Mark 9:43-45, Luke 16:23

Tags: Hell, Salvation, Facing Death

Denomination: Baptist

Misapplied Scriptures: Amos 3:7

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Oct 2, 2023

Introduction: Like many believers, I didn’t spend too much time reading the Bible, let alone doing serious study, for many of my years as a believer. It seems some religious leaders or devout followers know this and use verses such as this one to prove a point. If true believers don’t have a ...read more

Scripture: Amos 3:7

Tags: False Prophets, Prophets, Misapplied Scriptures

Denomination: Baptist

I Wasn't Supposed To Live...

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Apr 13, 2024

I believe that God called me to preach in the summer of my freshman year in high school. He gave me a dream about one of my best friends who was somewhere in eternity screaming in pain: He was crying out to me, "You never told me. You never told me! Larry, you talked to me about baseball. ...read more

Tags: Death, Healing, Prayer, Purpose, God's Will, Testimony, Pastors, God's Call, Miracle, Fathers, Preachers  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[121]. A Message From A Poem – From Where Did God Originate?

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jul 5, 2025

[121]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – FROM WHERE DID GOD ORIGINATE? The real title of this poem is HE IS BEFORE ALL THINGS, AND IN HIM ALL THINGS HOLD TOGETHER but the title is too long for SermonCentral to accept, so I changed the title. This is a dialogue poem. There are 4 speakers. Speaker 1 is a ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 1:16-17, Colossians 2:20-23

Tags: Rationalist, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, Atheist, All Things, Agnostic, Gnostics, Gnosticism, Existence Of God, Christian, Creation, Jesus  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[211]. A Message From A Poem – Panoramic View From The Pinnacle (Part 2)

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Sep 24, 2025

[211]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – PANORAMIC VIEW FROM THE PINNACLE (PART 2) NOTE: When I went to post this it could not be sent because it said the whole thing was too long. Therefore I had to split it into two Parts.. This is Part 2, the final part. This is a longer poem. Some might find it ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 16:9, Hebrews 4:13

Tags: Pinnacle Of A Rock, Tech Companies, Degradation, Way, Images, Reprobates, Lovers Of Money, Christian Poems, Sports, Wickedness, Delusion, Reprobate, Humanism, Allegory, Faith  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Unwanted: An Original Husband

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Sep 26, 2025

Unwanted: An Original Husband Introduction: The story of David and his first wife, Michal (daughter of King Saul) could be one of the most tragic love stories of all time. We may never know what happened but we do have a record of the sad results. Full disclosure, Sermon Central has already ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 18:20, 1 Samuel 19:11-17, 2 Samuel 6:14-16

Tags: David, Unwanted Items, Michal Daughter Of Saul

Denomination: Baptist

[275]. A Message From A Poem – The John 14 Triad

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 24, 2026

[275]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THE JOHN 14 TRIAD This poem is based on one verse which is this in answer to a question Thomas asked – {{John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I AM THE WAY, AND THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE. No one comes to the Father but through Me.”}} This is a critical verse for eternal ...read more

Scripture: Acts 4:12, John 14:6

Tags: I Am The Way, I Am The Life, I Am The Truth, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, John 14 Triad, No Other Way Of Salvation, Triad  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

God's Plan For Pain!" Matthew 16:21-28 Key ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Mar 6, 2005

“God’s Plan for Pain!” Matthew 16:21-28 Key verse(s): 25:“‘For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.’” “And whatever you do, make sure you don’t hurt yourself!” The tractor tire was heavy; definitely a two man job. Perched on the back of his ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 16:21-28

Tags: Endurance

Denomination: Lutheran

Like A Bird In The Hand!" Matthew 8:14-17 Key ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Mar 8, 2005

“Like A Bird in the Hand!” Matthew 8:14-17 Key verse(s): 16-17:“When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: ‘He took up our infirmities and ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 8:14-17

Tags: God's Provision, Forgiveness In Jesus

Denomination: Lutheran

Passing Through The Shadows!" 1 Corinthians ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Mar 21, 2005

“Passing Through The Shadows!” 1 Corinthians 11:23-34 Key verse(s): 26:“‘For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes’.” “Smile and the world smiles with you! Cry and you cry alone.” Walking through life with a smile on our faces is something to ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 11:23-34

Tags: Easter Maundy Thursday

Denomination: Lutheran

Easter On The Bench!" Matthew 28:1-10 Key ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Mar 27, 2005

“Easter on The Bench!” Matthew 28:1-10 Key verse(s) 5:“The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.’” Spending Easter Sunday alone is no way to spend Easter! Yet, when you have a bad virus and don’t want to infect anyone else, it may ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:1-10

Tags: Easter Resurrection

Denomination: Lutheran

Our Jacob's Ladder!" John 20:19-31 Key Verse(S) ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Mar 29, 2005

“Our Jacob’s Ladder!” John 20:19-31 Key verse(s) 19:“On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!.’” It’s hard to keep your mind on hope when you are ...read more

Scripture: John 20:19-31

Tags: World, Vision, Easter Resurrection, Eagle, Challenge, Breathe, Friend, Jesus, Hedge, May Day, Need  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Lutheran

Sheila-Ism?" Matthew 25:14-30 Key Verse(S) ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Apr 6, 2005

“Sheila-ism?” Matthew 25:14-30 Key verse(s) 24:“Then the man who had received the one talent came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.’” Taking the safest route is something that my father always ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:14-30

Tags: Faith, Faith General, Gift, Money, Obedience  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Lutheran

Just As We Are!" Exodus 14:13-14 Key Verse(S) ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Apr 29, 2005

“Just As We Are!” Exodus 14:13-14 Key verse(s) 14:“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Keeping a positive outlook on life is pretty hard when nothing much positive seems to be happening in your life. Let’s face it, when things are going bad, really bad, there is nothing worse ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 14:13-14

Tags: Disappointment

Denomination: Lutheran

Nobody Ever Tells Me That!" Ezra 5:1-2 Key ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on May 5, 2005

“Nobody Ever Tells Me That!” Ezra 5:1-2 Key verse(s) 2b:“And the prophets of God were with them, helping them!” When was the last time that you went out of your way to encourage someone? I’m not talking about the little remark or that wink of an eye. While these things encourage, they are ...read more

Scripture: Ezra 5:1-2

Tags: Christian Love

Denomination: Lutheran

In 1998, Teresa And I Took Our Kids On A Short ...  PRO

Contributed by Philip Harrelson on Sep 7, 2006

In 1998, Teresa and I took our kids on a short vacation to St. Simon’s Island off the coast of Georgia. It would turn into one of the most memorable vacations that we would take over the course of the years. It was there that we begin to chase lighthouses scattered along the coastlines of ...read more

Denomination: Pentecostal

All Bets Are Off!" Matthew 28: 1-7 Key ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 8, 2004

“All Bets Are Off!” Matthew 28: 1-7 Key verse(s): 5&6 “The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.’” “When the game begins, all bets ...read more

Tags: Easter Resurrection