In Sermon Illustrations: "Lost Souls"

A Study Of Impatience

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 11, 2011

A STUDY OF IMPATIENCE In March of 2006, the Associated Press and Ipsos surveyed 1,003 adults concerning Americans’ attitudes and behavior regarding impatience. Some of the findings included: • While waiting in line at an office or store, it takes an average of 17 minutes for most people to lose ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:22

Tags: Patience, Fruit Of The Spirit

Sola Fide: Faith Alone

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 1, 2012

SOLA FIDE: FAITH ALONE Sola fide isn’t a license to sin; it’s the motivation to follow your Savior Now, there was a time in the history of the church, when this doctrine was all but lost. By the fifteenth century the church had become a massive institution of power, and the gospel was polluted. ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-9

Tags: Faith Vs. Works

Against All Odds

Contributed by Ronald Franklin on Dec 28, 2012

Yesterday, the Tennessee Titans beat the Baltimore Ravens in a pro football playoff game. Before the game, all the commentators talked about was that the Titans had lost the last five games to the Ravens, and how the Ravens seem to have their number. Nobody gave the Titans a chance. So, how did ...read more

Tags: Perseverance, Sanctification

Denomination: Baptist

They Won't Let Me In, Either!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 27, 2014

THEY WON’T LET ME IN, EITHER! Years ago in the Deep South, a Baptist church was struggling over whether or not to allow a black gentleman to join their church. He had been their janitor for years and decided he wanted to be part of the church family. A special vote of the congregation was called ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 33:1-20

Tags: Church, Racism, Presence Of God

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Are You A Chicken Or An Eagle?

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Dec 2, 2020

John McNeil tells the story of a young eagle he had raised with a flock of chickens. The out-of-place bird had never learned to fly. One day McNeil thought he would teach this bird how, so he tried throwing it up in the air. But each time the bird would look down and fall to the ground. Then he had ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:33, Colossians 3:1-4, Hebrews 12:1-2, Isaiah 40:31

Tags: Holy Spirit, Vision, Spiritual Growth, Eagles, Things Of Earth  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Mommy, I'm So Thirsty  PRO

Contributed by David Yarbrough on Jan 28, 2002

Mommy I’m so thirsty. I want a drink. Susanna Petroysan heard her daughter’s pleas, but there was nothing she could do. She and four-year-old Gayaney were trapped beneath tons of collapsed concrete and steel. Beside them in the darkness lay the body of Susanna’s sister-in-law, Karine, one of ...read more

Tags: Easter Good Friday, Assurance Of Salvation, Cross

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Susanna Petroysan Heard Her Daughter's Pleas, But ...  PRO

Contributed by Joel Vicente on May 27, 2004

Susanna Petroysan heard her daughter’s pleas, but there was nothing she could do. She and four-year-old Gayaney were trapped beneath tons of collapsed concrete and steel. Beside them in the darkness lay the body of Susanna’s sister-in-law, Karine, one of the fifty-five thousand victims of the worst ...read more

Tags: Easter Good Friday

Denomination: Baptist

Coming To Grips With The Sovereign Will Of God  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 9, 2011

COMING TO GRIPS WITH THE SOVEREIGN WILL OF GOD I want to tell you a story about my friend, Jim Pence. Jim is an author who has written several books. But his first novel was titled "Blind Sight" and was published by Tyndale a number of years ago. Jim wrote this book, but he really didn't think it ...read more

Scripture: Acts 4:18-31, Job 1:21

Tags: God's Sovereign Will

Distractions Along The Way

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Dec 27, 2014

“I live in Charlotte, North Carolina, 200 miles from the coast. And yet our local Wal-Mart has a random smattering of seagulls that soar overhead and eat French fries and other debris from neighboring fast food restaurants. The truth is the seagulls are lost. They’ve taken a wrong turn. And instead ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 27:14

Tags: Lust, Distractions, Self Discipline

Denomination: Charismatic

Suppose Two Women Were Planting A Vegetable ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 21, 2005

Suppose two women were planting a vegetable garden. On the same day, they prepared the earth and planted their seeds. One then neglected her garden and waited for her vegetables to grow. The other woman worked in her garden regularly. She put cages around the young tomato plants, she drove in ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:24-27

Tags: Jesus, Midst

Other Faiths On Heaven  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 14, 2002

OTHER FAITHS ON HEAVEN Heaven has many cartographers, and through the centuries many different heavens have been charted. To the variety of celestial landscapes in the West, Islam and Buddhism have raised their own particular paradises: the Koran details a heaven filled with beautiful, large eyed ...read more

Tags: Jesus Teachings, Heaven, World Religions

What Does God's Voice Sound Like?  PRO

Contributed by Anne Benefield on Feb 4, 2009

WHAT DOES GOD'S VOICE SOUND LIKE? Erwin McManus, a pastor in Los Angeles, tells a great story about recognizing God's voice. My son, Aaron, was five or six when he began asking me, "What does God's voice sound like?" I didn't know how to answer. A few years later, Aaron went off to his first ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 3:1-21

Tags: Hard Heart, Dealing With Conflicts

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

[109]. A Message From A Poem – Groaning Takes Its Toll On Me (Psalm 6)

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jun 18, 2025

[109]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – GROANING TAKES ITS TOLL ON ME (Psalm 6) This poem is a retelling in poetic form of Psalm 6. We can gather from the Psalm that David was having a dreadful time. This is the beauty of the Psalms, for they cover the whole range of human emotions and failures, and ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 6:2-3, Psalm 6:6-8, Psalm 6:9-10

Tags: Christian Poems, Despair, Upset, Weeping, Christian Poetry  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[203]. A Message From A Poem - On The Eve Of Trial

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Sep 17, 2025

[203]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - ON THE EVE OF TRIAL This poem was written at the airport when I had to go away for a very unjust hearing before a wicked, unjust Commissioner/Judge, and the whole setup was so evil. If you ever feel the dragon’s breath then you will know what I mean. I don’t wish ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:13, John 16:33

Tags: Unjust, Trials, Trepidation, Peace, Overcome, Tribulation, Control, Trial, Injustice, World, Fear, Christ  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Locked Out: I Climbed Through The Window

Contributed by Austin W. Duncan on Apr 17, 2026

A little while ago I was installing a keypad lock on the door to my upstairs studio. I set the keypad up, got the old handle out of the door, got the batteries in, set the code, all of that. I stepped out of the studio, closed the door behind me, pressed lock, and it locked. Great. That's what ...read more

Scripture: Mark 2:3-4

Tags: Evangelism, Faith

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Lady Who Had A Small House On The Seashore Of ...  PRO

Contributed by David Yarbrough on May 7, 2001

A lady who had a small house on the seashore of Ireland at the turn of the century was quite wealthy but also quite frugal. The people were surprised, then, when she decided to be among the first to have electricity in her home. Several weeks after the installation, a meter reader appeared at her ...read more

Scripture: John 15:7

Tags: Faith General, Prayer How To, Holy Spirit Attributes

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

One Tribe Of Native Americans Had A Unique ...  PRO

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Oct 9, 2001

One tribe of native Americans had a unique practice for training young braves. On the night of a boy’s thirteenth birthday, he was placed in a dense forest to spend the entire night alone. Until then he had never been away from the security of his family and tribe. But on this night he was ...read more

Tags: Descriptions Of God, God's Provision, Parenting

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Philip Makari Has A Little To Say About Giving ...  PRO

Contributed by Richard Wafford on Apr 13, 2005

Philip Makari has a little to say about giving which is good, “Here I speak of a special type of giving, the giving of our total selves first to God. It is the giving of body, soul and spirit for God’s use that we may achieve, for ourselves and for others, the higher ends of God. This is not, ...read more

Tags: Servanthood

Denomination: Baptist

Kenneth Chaflin, A Seminary Professor Who Often ...  PRO

Contributed by Richard Berry on Jun 21, 2004

Kenneth Chaflin, a seminary professor who often speaks and writes about building stronger families was home getting ready to eat supper before heading off to a speaking engagement. His 5yr old daughter came and said, “Daddy will you stay home with me tonight?” Her plea pierced his soul. He thought ...read more

Tags: Parenting, Father's Day

Denomination: Baptist

During One Summer While I Was In Seminary, I ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

During one summer while I was in seminary, I worked as a chaplain at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, MD. I discovered while I was there that there were one group of people who were really open to prayer and to hearing about the need for Christ in their lives. Who were they? Men in the cardiac ...read more

Tags: Endurance