In Sermon Illustrations: "Light And Darkness"

Grace And George Williams

Contributed by Tim Smith on Feb 19, 2012

GRACE AND GEORGE WILLIAMS Max Ellerbusch tells the story of the Friday six days before Christmas. He was working feverishly in his instrument repair shop so he could have all of the Christmas holiday at home with the family when the call came. His 5-year-old Craig had been fatally struck by a car. ...read more

Tags: Grace

Denomination: Methodist

Howard Hughes Vs. Jim Elliot

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 8, 2012

HOWARD HUGHES VS. JIM ELLIOT Howard Hughes' last years were spent in isolation, hidden on the top floor of the Xanadu Hotel in the Bahamas. One biographer wrote about Hughes' appearance before he died: "He was emaciated, practically skeletal, with only 120 pounds stretched over his six-foot, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 16:24-28

Tags: Discipleship

Being Ready

Contributed by Richard L. Brown on Oct 1, 2016

Being Ready Luke 12: 32-38 This illustration is about not being afraid for the return of the Master. When I was a young boy in the Fourth Grade at Yost Elementary School, our teacher, Mrs. Conley, would periodically leave the room and say, “I’ll be back in a few minutes. Just work quietly at ...read more

Scripture: Luke 12:32-38

Tags: Following Directions, Being Prepared

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Glory Of Springtime

Contributed by Todd Catteau on May 30, 2023

Don’t you just love spring? It’s simply glorious. Trees blooming. Plants blossoming. It’s all so beautiful. Unless of course you were looking at my front yard earlier this year. Last summer we bought three bushes that looked so promising. The leaves were supposed to turn all kinds of spectacular ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 10:23, Romans 5:2

Tags: Galatians 5, Hope, Fruit, Life, Maturity, Fruit Of The Spirit, Trees, Bible, Grace, Forgiveness, Church, Spring, Perseverance  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

[059]. A Message From A Poem – Distressful Times Will Come Upon Us

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 13, 2025

[059]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – DISTRESSFUL TIMES WILL COME UPON US Are you battling in life because of some problem that won’t go away? Are you weighed down by a stressful matter and can’t shake it? Does your life feel like it is starting to come apart? Do you feel the storms are thundering ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:20, 1 Peter 5:7, Matthew 11:28-30

Tags: Anxiety, Anxious, Distress, Cast, Heavy Laden, I Am With You Always, Stressful, Stressful Living  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[076]. A Message From A Poem – Expectations, Testimony And Pleading

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Apr 11, 2025

[076]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – EXPECTATIONS, TESTIMONY AND PLEADING The three words in the title are what the poem is about. Firstly there is expectation of our heavenly home when we are transported from the physical life. Then there is testimony and that is about the way God looks after us, ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-9, Psalm 119:143, Psalm 119:77, Psalm 119:47

Tags: Great Things, Pleading, Expectations, Turn To The Lord, Scripture, Testimony, Poetry, New Home, Delight, Poem  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[176]. A Message From A Poem – Lord, May I Share My Thoughts With You?

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Aug 26, 2025

[176]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – LORD, MAY I SHARE MY THOUGHTS WITH YOU? This poem is exactly what it says; my thoughts that I share with God. There is so much I don’t understand and too many problems to solve, but I think we are not meant to do that. We just need simple, uncluttered faith in ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 37:28

Tags: Christian Poetry, Guide, Knowledge, Share, Desires, Thoughts  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[184]. Poem – Mirror Mirror On The Wall, Who’s The Worst Of Us All?

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Sep 5, 2025

[184]. POEM MESSAGE – MIRROR MIRROR ON THE WALL, WHO’S THE WORST OF US ALL? This is an unusual poem I think, the name taken from the saying, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of us all?” Here we have a reflective poem and a challenging one in our personal lives. There is often so ...read more

Scripture: James 1:23, 2 Corinthians 3:18, Matthew 9:2, Revelation 12:10

Tags: Disgrace, Mirrors, The Accuser, Mirror Mirror On The Wall, Forgiveness, Sin, Reflection, Shame  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[222]. A Message From A Poem - Praise Ye The Lord

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Oct 10, 2025

[222]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - PRAISE YE THE LORD This is a praise hymn though no current tune fits the rhythm flow of the lines, and it requires tweaking of the lines for the exact rhythm. I am not doing that right now. There are six stanzas, each one with a new theme set in the first ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 15:2, 1 Kings 19:3-4

Tags: Praise The Lord, Struggle, Works, Despondent, Christian Poems, Praise, Power, Strength, Redemption, Goodness, Majesty, Elijah  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[265]. A Message From A Poem – The Glory Of The Son [version 1]

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 17, 2026

[265]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THE GLORY OF THE SON [Version 1] I get very uneasy about songs sung in churches that seem to glorify the person of man rather than the Person of Christ. Singing today is too egocentric and that takes away the glory from Christ. All praise and glory belong to ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 17:1-3, 1 Corinthians 15:17-20

Tags: Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, Glory, Praise, Resurrection, Glory To God, Mount Of Transfiguration  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[266]. A Message From A Poem – The Glory Of The Son [version 2]

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 17, 2026

[266]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THE GLORY OF THE SON [Version 2] I get very uneasy about songs sung in churches that seem to glorify the person of man rather than the Person of Christ. Singing today is too egocentric and that takes away the glory from Christ. All praise and glory belong to Him; ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 17:1-3, 1 Corinthians 15:17-20

Tags: Christian Poems, Glory, Praise, Resurrection, Glory To God, Mount Of Transfiguration, Christian Poetry  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Sailing Away  PRO

Contributed by Joel Vicente on Aug 17, 2002

SAILING AWAY A personal testimony. Inspired by His calling, Joel Vicente. ------- I was secure at home when I heard the voice from the Captain exclaim, "Come follow me. Go where I send you. No need to fear. I will be with you." I asked, "But Captain, may I remain here on the shore where it is ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ

Denomination: Baptist

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

Tom White's Story

Contributed by Deborah Westbrook on Aug 13, 2008

TOM WHITE'S STORY Sometimes there are great revelations that come out of our storms. Let me tell you about a man named Tom White. In the 1970’s when America was full of protest marches and flower power, stories began coming out of Castro’s Cuba of terrible torture and imprisonment of Christians ...read more

Tags: Discipleship

Denomination: Methodist

Evangelism And Football  PRO

Contributed by Paul Dietz on Sep 28, 2008

Evangelism and Football We are now in the midst of one the hottest seasons of the year. No, I'm not talking about the weather and its accompanying temperatures. After all we have just finished having summer this past week and autumn is upon us. And also some trees up on the mountains in Grant and ...read more

Tags: Youth Day, Evangelism Fear Of

Denomination: *other

A Little Boy Converts His Mother

Contributed by Dwight L. Moody on Jun 11, 2009

A LITTLE BOY CONVERTS HIS MOTHER I remember, when on the North Side, I tried to reach a family time and again and failed. One night in the meeting, I noticed one of the little boys of that family. He hadn’t come for any good, however; he was sticking pins in the backs of the other boys. I thought ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 11:6

Tags: Evangelism How To

Denomination: *other

Go Back And Tell Them Again  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 14, 2009

GO BACK AND TELL THEM AGAIN Jesus said "Follow me and I will make you Fishers of Men." In a book entitled "Jungle Harvest," written by a missionary named Ruby Scott, she describes some of her experiences in reaching a people group known as the Tila Indians who lived in a remote village in the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 4:19

Tags: Evangelism The Lost

John Mccain's Personal Account At The Republican ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 6, 2010

John McCain’s Personal Account at the Republican National Convention of Being a POW in Viet Nam I suggest we can learn something from John McCain’s personal testimony segment of his speech. The Republican nominee said: Long ago, something unusual happened to me that taught me the most valuable ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 15:33

Tags: Patriotism

This Is Good. This Is Really Good!  PRO

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Mar 8, 2017

HAVE YOU READ THE STORY ABOUT THE KING'S SERVANT THAT ALWAYS GAVE THANKS AND SAID: "THIS IS GOOD!" The King had a special servant that always traveled with him. The King loved being around this servant as he was always upbeat and positive. The man always said kind things and was quick to edify and ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Psalm 106:1

Tags: Thankfulness, Positive Attitude, This Is Good

Denomination: Assembly Of God

[031] A Message From A Poem – Before Him Lay The Cross

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Feb 19, 2025

[031] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – BEFORE HIM LAY THE CROSS We have a retrospective view of the cross in a very limited understanding, but the Lord’s view in the Garden of gethsemane was a forward one. The anticipation of that ordeal was a dreadful one. That comes out in the description and this ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:2, John 3:16-17, Psalm 69:1-3, Psalm 22:13-16, Matthew 26:38-39  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Love, The Cross, Anticipation, Endurance, Cross, Suffering, Gethsemane, Endure, Calvary  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational