In Sermon Illustrations: "Lighten Up"

General Douglas Macarthur I Shall Return

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Sep 1, 2021

Psalm 34:3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. 4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. General Douglas MacArthur had a terrible battle. The struggle was against mighty odds. The ALLIED FORCES were lacking in support. There was ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:7-10, Luke 5:5

Tags: Heavy, I Shall Return, Weary

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Evil Has Arrived

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Sep 7, 2021

I am afraid that if Paul Revere rode through our towns crying, "The evil is coming! The evil is coming" Church folks would go back to sleep instead of rising to arms and in the morning have him arrested for disturbing the peace. The same works for revival. The call may come and God ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 2:5, Romans 13:11, Ezekiel 33:6-7

Tags: Candlestick, Awake, Hell, Soul, Sleep, Watchman  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Prisoner 4664 Nelson Mandela

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Oct 15, 2021

46664… PRISONER 46664… 1 Corinthians 4:12 And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: There are times it seems our hurt and wounds are our testing zones and we are put on display for others to mock. It is like the spectacle at the end ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 4:12

Tags: Forgive, Wounded

Denomination: Assembly Of God

A Funny Thanksgiving Joke To Share!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Nov 18, 2021

A FUNNY THANKSGIVING JOKE TO SHARE! A retiree in Florida phones his daughter in New Jersey and says, “Honey, I have bad news for you. Your mother and I have decided that 52 years of marriage is enough. We’re calling it quits and getting a divorce.” His daughter yells, “Are you crazy? What the ...read more

Tags: Thanksgiving, Humor, Jokes, Sermon Introduction, Funny Stories  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Understanding The Spirit Named Pan

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 31, 2022

THE SPIRIT NAMED PAN Many creatures, or demonic spirits, that have been called mythological gods are not mythological at all. They are real in the kingdom of darkness. Pan’s appearance in mythology is with horns, ears, and legs of a goat on a man’s body. His sudden appearance was supposed to ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:11-18

Tags: Pandemic, Spirits, Satan, Spiritual Warfare, Prayer, Demons, Panic, Fasting  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

If You Could Visit Hell For Just Ten Seconds

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Apr 19, 2022

Charles Spurgeon, the famous evangelist and theologian, was teaching young men in seminary how to preach. He told them, “Gentlemen, when you speak of Heaven, let your face be all aglow and smiling and lifted up and brilliant and let it be unashamed when you speak of Heaven. But when you speak of ...read more

Tags: Lost, Unbelievers, Preachers, Hell, Death, Satan, Truth, Judgment  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I'm Only A General, But He's A Son!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Nov 30, 2022

Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. grew up under the shadow of a large man. His father was the hero of San Juan Hill and the President of the United States. The pressure to excel often caused him problems, but Teddy, Jr. went on to be a highly decorated Brigadier General during World War II, receiving the ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 3:26-29

Tags: Children Of God, Authority, Sons, Mothers

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Amazing Forgiveness

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 31, 2022

A policeman recounted an incident when he and other officers shot an eighteen-year-old boy and burned the body. Eight years later the policeman returned to the same house and seized the boy's father. The wife was forced to watch as policemen bound her husband on a woodpile, poured gasoline over ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 65:3

Tags: Grace, Forgiveness

Remember The Duck

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 31, 2022

A little boy visiting his grandparents was given his first slingshot. As he practiced in his Grandma’s backyard, he spied her pet duck. On an impulse, he took aim and let fly. The stone hit, and the duck fell dead. The boy panicked. Desperately he hid the dead duck in the woodpile only to look up ...read more

Scripture: Mark 11:25

Tags: Grace, Forgiveness

The Incredible Value Of One Child

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Feb 12, 2023

An elderly preacher was rebuked by one of his deacons one Sunday morning before the service. "Pastor," said the man, "something must be wrong with your preaching and your work. There's been only one person added to the church in a whole year, and he's just a boy." The ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23

Tags: Evangelism, Children, Holy Spirit, Faithfulness, Success, Spiritual Fruit, Flesh, Fruit Of The Spirit, Souls  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Ancient Christian Fable - There Is No Other Plan

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Mar 13, 2023

There is an ancient Christian fable ... that tells of Jesus encounter ...as he reentered ...Heaven. As the angels spoke with him, ...Gabriel, noticed ...that Jesus bore the marks of the cross, ...and being inquisitive, ...said to Jesus: Master, ...you must have suffered terribly for those people ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 4:19, Romans 10:14, Acts 8:4-7, Acts 1:8

Tags: Plan, Salvation, You, Fisher Of Men

Denomination: Anglican

When C.i. Scofield Met Jesus

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Mar 14, 2023

Many years ago in St. Louis, a lawyer visited a Christian to transact some business. Before the two parted, his client said to him, "I've often wanted to ask you a question, but I've been afraid to do so." "What do you want to know?" asked the lawyer. The man replied, ...read more

Scripture: Romans 3:23

Tags: Evangelism, Sin, Salvation, Gospel, Alcohol, Adam, Witnessing, Drunkenness, Sinful Nature, Sinners  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Man Who Couldn't Kill Himself

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Aug 21, 2023

Centuries after Esther lived, there lived a man named William Cowper. At the young age of thirty-two, wracked by deep depression and despair, Cowper decided finally to take matters into his own hands and kill himself. He hired a carriage to take him to the Thames River. The carriage driver, a ...read more

Tags: Hymn Stories, Mysteries, Death, Miracles, Depression, Providence, Suicide  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I Sent You Two Boats And A Helicopter!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Nov 21, 2023

A man of faith is on top of a roof during a great flood in the South. Another man comes by in a boat and says, "Get in, get in, the water is rising!" The man of faith replied, "No, sir. I have faith in God and I know that He will answer my prayer and give me a miracle." So, ...read more

Tags: Protection, Prayer, Angels, Miracles, Miracles Of Jesus, Faith, Fear  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Giving

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Nov 22, 2023

I was raised in the church. My dad pastored 65 years. I graduated college and was married. We returned home for Christmas. We all gathered around the tree. I remembered my speedometer and God’s goodness. My wife and mom handed out the presents. Each family member had several gifts. In the ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16

Tags: Jesus, Giiving

Denomination: Assembly Of God

The Significance Of The Manger

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Dec 9, 2023

If you try to point out something to a dog, the dog will often look at your finger instead of the object you’re trying to point to. This is frustrating, but it illustrates a natural mistake we all make from time to time. It’s the mistake many people make when reading the Christmas story in Luke’s ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:1-20

Tags: Messiah, Christmas, Manger, Shepherds, Sign  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Charles Schwab's Challenge

Contributed by David Swanger on Jan 19, 2024

Dale Carnegie tells of a mill manager whose men were not producing. The owner, whose name was Charles Schwab, asked why. The manager had no idea. "I've coaxed the men; I've punished them; I've sworn and cursed; I've threatened them with damnation and being fired. But nothing ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 9:10

Tags: Challenge, Motivation

The Thief On The Cross Didn't Go To Church!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Feb 3, 2024

A pastor saw one of his sheep in the grocery store and got around to asking where they had been lately. Was it something I said? Is it another church?" The man laughed and said, "Oh, no, we love you and the people of our church." The pastor was left to his own curiosity. He then ...read more

Scripture: James 2:14-26

Tags: Work, Excuses, Tithing, Thief On The Cross, Faith, Grace, Service, Baptism, Church, Salvation  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Power Of God's Word In The Philippines

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Apr 17, 2024

Joanne Shetler, a dedicated missionary, spent years living among the Balangao people in the Philippines. Her mission was to translate the Bible into their language and share the good news of the Savior. However, progress was slow. One day, Ama, a man who had adopted Joanne as his Balangao ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 4:12

Tags: Genealogies Of The Bible, Bible, Salvation, Missions, Miracles, God's Word  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Stand By Me

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Oct 13, 2024

STAND BY ME I played the video of the song, "Stand By Me" by Home Free in a recent worship service right before I came up to preach. Our people wondered: "Pastor Larry, why play a secular song for a Sunday morning service??" Maybe I need to share what I discovered about the ...read more

Tags: Marriage, Support, Loyalty, God's Promises, Hymns, Friends, Songs, Black Spirituals, Gospel Songs  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational