In Sermon Illustrations: "Living Hope"

How Long Is Eternity?

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Dec 22, 2022

A young boy went up to his pastor after his sermon and said, "Pastor, how long is forever?" The pastor knelt down by the side of the boy and said, "Why would you ask me that question, Billy?" Billy said, "Well, Pastor, you said that we were going to live in one of two ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16

Tags: Eternity, Heaven, Time, Everlasting Life, Hell  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Three Levels Of Fruit Bearing

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 2, 2023

Galatians 5:19-23 describes the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit described by Paul in Galatians 5 is not something that is a goal for Christian living produced by the ability of the believer. No, it is the very character of Christ produced within us by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. In ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:19-23

Tags: Fruit Of The Spirit, Spiritual Maturity, Leaders, Spirit Filled Life, Fruit Bearing, Holy Spirit  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Meekness When Inconvenienced

Contributed by Richard Tow on Mar 20, 2023

Charles Spurgeon tells the story of an archbishop who lived in a small house in Scotland. He had only one employee, but the employee tended to be forgetful. One day the employee got up before the bishop and decided to go fishing. As he headed out, he locked his Archbishop Leighton in the house with ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:5, Matthew 11:28-29, 1 Timothy 6:11

Tags: Gentle, Humility, Meekness, Contentment, Meek, Gentleness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Charismatic

Sometimes I Feel A Little Tugging On The Line!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Mar 20, 2023

A little boy was flying his kite in the windy city of Chicago, Illinois one day. He sent the kite up and let the line out as the wind took it away to the cloudy sky. About that time, an elderly man walked past the little boy and asked him a question. "What are you doing there, son?" he ...read more

Tags: Answers To Prayer, Prayer, Will Of God, Hearing God, God's Voice, Sovereignty Of God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

They Will Know What Jesus Looks Like Now

Contributed by Timothy Lueking on Apr 3, 2023

Maybe you have heard the story of a young boy who was given an assignment in his elementary art class. He was asked to draw a picture of something that was priceless to him. He thought about all things he valued and then the idea came to him as to what was most important and valuable. Throughout ...read more

Scripture: John 1:18, 1 John 4:12, 1 Timothy 6:15-16, Mark 16:15

Tags: Image Of God, Share Your Faith

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Dirty Windows

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jun 12, 2023

"A friend of mine, Bud Wood, founded Shepherds Home in Wisconsin for boys and girls with developmental disabilities. The original ministry opened its doors in 1964 to 36 children, providing them a loving residential environment and a school that would focus on their unique needs, helping them ...read more

Scripture: John 14:1-6, Philippians 3:20, 1 John 3:1-3

Tags: Return Of Christ, Disabled Children, Revelation, Children, Heaven, Second Coming, Rapture  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Church That Voted God Out!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 28, 2024

The story is told about a poor woman who lived across the tracks and wanted to join a very fashionable church. She talked to the pastor about it, but he sought to discourage her. He suggested she go home and think about it carefully for a week. At the end of the week she came back. He said, “Go ...read more

Scripture: James 2:1-12

Tags: Church, Revival, Favoritism, Pastors, Membership, Partiality  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Yesterday Today & Tomorrow

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on May 22, 2024

There are two days in every week about which we should not worry, two days which should be kept free from fear and apprehension. One of these days is YESTERDAY with its mistakes and cares, its faults and blunders, its aches and pains. YESTERDAY has passed forever beyond our control. All the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:34

Tags: Worry, Tomorrow, Today, Yesterday, Trouble  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Contact With Another World

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Aug 12, 2024

A group of scientists are directing their thoughts and needs into the heavens, but not to the God of the Bible. They have calculated that as many as fifty million civilizations may exist somewhere in space, and they believe that some of them may have found methods to improve our lives and control ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 33:3, Mark 11:24

Tags: Prayer, Intercession, Believing, Asking, Scientists, Faith  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Sagrada Familia Basilica.

Contributed by Andrew Moffatt on Dec 22, 2024

Well today just because I can I want to share with you a couple of pictures, one that I took and one that is much better than the one that I took of the same thing. The first is this whooping great big church the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain and the other is a small part of the building, ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 9:6

Tags: Nativity, Christmas, Donkey, Joseph, Baby Jesus, Mary  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Salvation Army

Seeing The Light, Reflecting The Light.

Contributed by Andrew Moffatt on Jan 24, 2025

Did anyone else see the comet during the week, Comet Atlas 3G? Janaki and I went out to Titahi Bay to see it, thankfully we had another dad and daughter park near us who could point it out, otherwise we might not have seen it. The power of their witness was in instructing us where to look. ...read more

Scripture: John 8:12, Matthew 5:14-16

Tags: Witness, Testimony, Salt, Salt And Light, The Light Of God, The Light Of The World, Reflecting Jesus  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Salvation Army

How Can We Know That We Are Truly Saved

Contributed by Hylton Davidson on Aug 13, 2025

Having assurance that one is saved is linked to the process called regeneration. Regeneration is not something a person initiates; it is a sovereign act of God. A person is born again when the Holy Spirit imparts spiritual life, enabling them to repent and believe in the gospel. This transformation ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-9

Tags: Assurance, Saved

Denomination: Christian Church

Amazing Grace

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Oct 24, 2025

Amazing Grace Paul wrote of a higher righteousness that comes from God himself and never depends on our doings. Whenever we know that righteousness of God firsthand, it always changes our lives. One man tells that one day he blundered into an affair with someone else’s wife. He was weak and ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:1-16

Tags: Higher Righteousness, Amazing Grace

Denomination: Anglican

They've All Been Wrong  PRO

Contributed by Timothy Peck on Feb 1, 2001

THEY'VE ALL BEEN WRONG Looking back at how Christians have viewed Christ’s second coming in the past, we find many people obsessed with figuring out all the details and making predictions. Here is a quote: "The last days are upon us. Weigh carefully the times. Look for him who is above all ...read more

Scripture: John 20:19-31, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Daniel 9:20-27

Tags: Second Coming

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Regret For Not Witnessing  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Nov 21, 2001

In Decision magazine, Peggy DesNoyers writes: My job as a psychiatric home-health nurse brought me in touch with many people who were hurt or angry and who were searching for answers to problems in their lives. I knew that Jesus was the answer, but I couldn’t bring myself to talk to them about ...read more

Tags: Great Commission, Sharing My Testimony, Sharing Your Faith

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Heaven Of Service  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 9, 2002

THE HEAVEN OF SERVICE Dr. Laura Schlessinger writes: "I was out at my mother and father’s house, a seventy mile round-trip from my own, because my mother needed a little help. She needed a little help because my father, who has full-blown Alzheimer’s, had taped duct tape all over the three long ...read more

Take Hold Of Every Moment  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 11, 2002

TAKE HOLD OF EVERY MOMENT A friend of mine opened his wife’s drawer and picked up a silk paper wrapped package: "This, - he said - isn’t any ordinary package." He unwrapped the box and stared at both the silk paper and the box. "She got this the first time we went to New ...read more

Tags: Finding Fulfillment, Fulfillment

John Donne Was An English Cleric And Poet Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Nov 10, 2002

John Donne was an English cleric and poet of exceeding intellect who lived his adult life in the early 1600’s. King James I appointed him the dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. But in 1623 he became ill and felt he was dying of the plague, which was taking so many lives at that time. While ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 139:7-12, Psalm 139:1

Tags: Death, Evangelism The Lost, Promises Of God

Denomination: Methodist

Peace Child  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 9, 2002

PEACE CHILD In 1962, the Sawi people of New Guinea still lived in relative isolation. They were head-hunting cannibals. Their culture could not be more different from that of Don and Carol Richardson, and yet this missionary couple attempted to share Christ with them. In fact, two rival Sawi ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 9:6

Tags: Christmas, Easter, Birth Of Jesus, Atonement, Gospel  (view more)  (view less)

Defining Moments Of Faith  PRO

Contributed by Rick Stacy on Dec 23, 2002

DEFINING MOMENTS OF FAITH Several years ago Jeff Strueker was a US Army Ranger posted in Mogadishu, Somalia. Today he is a master of divinity student at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. For him Oct 3-4, 1993 were the defining moments of his life. He was one of the ...read more

Tags: Examples Of Faith, Faith General, Peace, Rest, Sovereignty  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ