In Sermon Illustrations: "Living In Darkness"

We Are Sinners. (The Ache In The Human Heart)

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Jul 4, 2023

There is in each of us a dis-ease, a sense of unfulfillment of some high destiny unmet, of some lofty vow broken and shattered. We are sinners! We long for some word of forgiveness which will make us whole. We sense we have a homeland, but we are exiles. We perceive that we are of royal ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:1

Tags: Sin, Depravity, Disobedience

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Seek Spiritual Advice From Spiritually Mature Christians

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Aug 7, 2023

Seek Spiritual Advice from Spiritually mature Christians. Albert Einstein ... had difficulty speaking until he was four years old ... and did not read ... until he was seven. Beethovens music teacher said: .... As a composer, ... he is hopeless. When Thomas Edison was a young boy, ... his ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 14:22-33, Mark 6:45-52

Tags: Advice, Spiritual

Denomination: Anglican

God Can Turn Evil To Good

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Aug 26, 2023

Myra Wattinger was 40 years old and living in Pasadena, Texas when she experienced a traumatic event in her life. She was raped and then became pregnant. She did not feel that she could take care of a child, so she placed an ad in the Houston Post newspaper at the time she gave birth to a baby ...read more

Tags: Sovereignty, God's Will, Testimony, Providence, Rape, Preachers, Miracles  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Here's Your Thanksgiving Joke!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Nov 15, 2023

In Budapest, a man goes to the rabbi and complains, "Life is unbearable. There are nine of us living in one small apartment. What can I do?" The rabbi answers, "Take your goat into the apartment with you." The man is totally upset when he hears this, but the rabbi insists. ...read more

Tags: Griping, Thanksgiving, Gratitude, Perspective, Complaining, Attitude  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Dads - Happy Fathers Day

Contributed by Loyd C. Taylor on Jun 15, 2024

DADS Dads are trustworthy and strong, accepting their lead, giving words of truth sharing wisdom’s seed. Dads are courageous and brave, chasing fears away. They are living examples, walking right each day. Dads are devoted and true, showing us the way, mindful of their deeds, guarding words ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 20:12, 1 Chronicles 29:17, Joshua 1:9, Joshua 24:15, 1 Kings 15:11, Proverbs 3:1-12, Ephesians 6:4  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Parents, Father's Day, Respect, Dads, Mother, Poems For Dads, Honor, Father  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

My Donkey Stopped, What Now?

Contributed by Andrew Moffatt on Oct 25, 2024

Well, this is where it gets interesting. Say 100 years ago, two hundred years ago, I can almost certainly state as a matter of fact that if you were living at that time, you or someone you knew would have had a donkey, or a mule or a horse or a bullock. A beast that has been replaced by the ...read more

Scripture: Numbers 22:1-41

Tags: Death, Justification, Combustion Engine, History, Sword, Context, Angel, Repentence, Lithium Ion Battery  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Salvation Army

Do It Scared

Contributed by John Bright on Feb 20, 2025

Let me share from an email I got from the Navigators about their summer outreach with college students: “This past summer, the students had over 700 gospel conversations with strangers. From those discussions, 22 people gave their lives to Christ and were connected with local churches. For one ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:15

Tags: Evangelism, Scared, Outreach

Denomination: Methodist

God Has A Good Sense Of Humour

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Oct 24, 2025

The Lord has a good sense of humour. In 1992, I was working as a patent attorney in a Swiss multinational pharmaceutical company called Sandoz. I had been asked to fill out a form, in which Sandoz had asked me where I would be prepared to go and live - if the company wanted to send me abroad to ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:10

Tags: True Story, Humor

Denomination: Anglican

Forgotten Lifeboat

Contributed by David Dunn on Nov 3, 2025

When the church stops rescuing the lost, it loses its reason to exist. God calls us from comfort back to mission. Years ago, a small village sat along a rocky coastline where shipwrecks often happened. Volunteers built a tiny rescue hut and kept watch, rowing out whenever a distress call came. ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:4, Matthew 28:19

Tags: Complacency, Mission

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Still Standing

Contributed by David Dunn on Dec 16, 2025

When I was in ninth grade, I was chosen to recite the Declaration of Independence in a high school patriotic play. I had the whole thing memorized. Every word. Every pause. I had practiced it until it lived in my bones. What I didn’t know — and wouldn’t discover until later — was that my zipper ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:9, 1 Corinthians 1:27

Tags: Grace, Weakness

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Hope For The Return Of Christ

Contributed by John Bright on Jan 15, 2026

Hope is interesting because it depends on a person's circumstances. Around the world, there are literally millions of persecuted Christians. They often to the end of the Bible for hope: Revelation 22:20 “20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 22:20, 1 Corinthians 16:22

Tags: Hope, Rapture, Maranatha, Return Of Christ, Persecuted Christians  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Methodist

Worship In Spirit And In Truth, By Leann Gabel ...  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Aug 3, 2001

[Worship in Spirit and in Truth, by Leann Gabel of Amarillo, TX] In Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman, it didn’t take long before their conversation turned to worship. I would guess that was as hot a topic then as it is today. The woman’s question was sincere, "I know there are two ways to ...read more

Scripture: Nehemiah 1:5

Tags: Church Practices, Bible Truth, Holy Spirit General, Woman At Well

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I Recently Heard About A Doctor Who Seemed To ...  PRO

Contributed by Cameron Horsburgh on Feb 1, 2002

I recently heard about a doctor who seemed to have had a huge amount of success as a GP. Whilst he only had a small number of patients on his books, they all stayed in remarkable health. A journalist heard about this doctor, and decided to pay him a visit. Now this journalist, a man by the name of ...read more

Scripture: Luke 5:29-32, 2 Chronicles 7:14

Tags: God Brings Hope

Denomination: Holiness

Sing To The Children  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 25, 2002

SING TO THE CHILDREN A tradition that Evelyn Knowles has chosen for posterity is to sing to her babies. The very first time she held each of her newborn grandchildren cheek to cheek and heart to heart, they heard their grandmother softly sing-- Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells ...read more

Tags: Parenting, Children

New Hope From Nothing  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 10, 2002

NEW HOPE FROM NOTHING In Jim Cymbala’s book, Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire, there is the story of a woman named Roberta Langella. A story she tells in her own words. At the age of 16 she left a broken home to move to New York City where she began living with a man twice her age. A man that got her into ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:5

Tags: Faith, God Brings Hope

Faithful For A Sign  PRO

Contributed by Kenneth Squires on Oct 2, 2002

FAITHFUL FOR A SIGN Tracy Harp of Lynnwood, Washington is 34 years of age and has been a diabetic for 21 years. She sent me the following letter. “On Monday, August 19, 2002 I was running late for work. I had missed my carpool, which meant I had to drive myself into work. I work at 4:00pm to ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 17:1-13

Tags: Faith General, God's Provision

Denomination: Pentecostal

Dave Galloway Told Of A Soldier Who Had ...  PRO

Contributed by Melvin Newland on Jan 3, 2001

ILL. Dave Galloway told of a soldier who had just returned from Viet Nam. His parents were socialites, very well-to-do. It was near Christmas, and they were getting ready to go out to the first of the round of parties of the Christmas season. Just then the phone rang, & it was their son on the ...read more

Tags: Children, Disappointment, Emotions

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Babe Of Roaring Camp  PRO

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Dec 22, 2002

THE BABE OF ROARING CAMP Bret Harte wrote a story entitled “The Luck of Roaring Camp”. The story goes that Roaring Camp was supposed to be the meanest, toughest mining town in all of the West. It was reported that there were more murders and thefts than any other place around. It was a ...read more

Tags: Christmas, Christmas Advent

Denomination: Methodist

The Man Who'd Die For Her—communion Meditation  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 2, 2003

THE MAN WHO’D DIE FOR HER-- COMMUNION MEDITATION On the southern border of the empire of Cyrus, there lived a great chieftain named Cagular who tore to shreds and completely defeated the various detachments of Cyrus’ army sent to subdue him. Finally the emperor, amassing his whole army, marched ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:35-45, Isaiah 42:1-9

Tags: Romantic Love, Lord's Supper, Forgiveness In Jesus

Fifteen Years Ago, I Was Serving As Pastor In ...  PRO

Contributed by David Dykes on Apr 10, 2003

Fifteen years ago, I was serving as pastor in Alabama and our church was in a capital stewardship campaign to raise money to build a new building. There was one particular lady in our church who was a widow. Her husband had left her a lot of money, and she had a lot more than she really needed. She ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:14-29

Tags: Gifts Giving

Denomination: Baptist