In Sermon Illustrations: "Love Of The World"

Is There A Difference?  PRO

Contributed by Brian Mavis on Jul 26, 2002

IS THERE A DIFFERENCE? In their recent book "Unveiling Islam," Emir and Ergun Caner, former Sunni Muslims cite the major differences between Islam and Christianity as the "personalness" of God, and "grace as opposed to works." "Jesus Christ ... is ultimately personal and wants to have a ...read more

Scripture: John 14:6

Tags: World Religions, God's Forgiveness, Faith Vs. Works

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Years Ago There Was A Woman Crossing The Hills ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Years ago there was a woman crossing the hills of South Wales on foot in the midst of a blizzard but she was not as fortunate as my wife and I were in South Dakota. She never made it to her destination. When they found her frozen body they did not understand why in that climate she was not wearing ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:8, John 3:16

Tags: Atonement, Salvation, Cross, World Religions, Eternal Life  (view more)  (view less)

Doctrine Of Atonement

Contributed by John Bright on Mar 1, 2025

We need to have core beliefs that do not change over time – NO MATTER WHAT! The doctrine of atonement is under attack today. It is attacked by folks who look at humans and see each one as basically good who occasionally do bad things. They talk about each person’s freedom to become your ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:17

Tags: Scripture, Atonement, Authentic, Holy God, Fallen World  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Methodist

[096]. A Message From A Poem – From Earth To Heaven

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on May 3, 2025

[096]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – FROM EARTH TO HEAVEN This poem is one of rhyming couplets and the theme is “now on earth, but looking towards being in heaven with the Lord.” Do you love the world? Well my answer is yes and no. I absolutely love the world, that is, the creation in the world. ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 3:2-3, Hebrews 6:19, Romans 3:11-18, Psalm 8:3, Psalm 19:1-3  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Creation, Glory, Heaven, Hope, Poem, The World, Christian Poetry  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Some Of You Know That I Built A Little Cabin Up ...  PRO

Contributed by Mike Wilkins on Oct 14, 2005

Some of you know that I built a little cabin up at my family’s property on the way to Ottawa. What you might not know is that it is built on the edge of a small cliff with a good view of the lake. The north end of the cabin is on solid Canadian Shield rock, but the south end hangs over the cliff ...read more

Tags: Discipleship, Love Of The Disciples

Denomination: *other

Recently My Family And I Were Traveling North On ...

Contributed by Chris Surber on Jan 19, 2010

Recently my family and I were traveling north on 251 to visit a local retail store. While we drove we noticed a huge plume of smoke in the air. As it turns out, we were not the only people in town who had gathered to witness the blaze at Crafter’s Village. Upon pulling into a nearby parking lot ...read more

Tags: God's Love, Purification

Denomination: Christian Church

The Christian's Passion  PRO

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

The Christian's Passion "Denying Oneself" There is a tale of the great English actor Macready. Macready was once asked by a preacher; "What is the difference between you and me?" You see the actor appeared before crowds night after night proclaiming fiction and people listened with delight. The ...read more

Scripture: Mark 8:34-37

Tags: Passion, Christian Love

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

How To Smell Like God" By Steven ...  PRO

Contributed by Troy Borst on Aug 10, 2004

ILLUSTRATION... “How to Smell Like God” by Steven James. Cincinnati: Standard, 2002. Pgs 4-5. In his book for teens, “How to smell like God,” Steven James says, “When I first met Tanya, I knew she was different. Part of it was the way she acted. The way she smiled. The way she looked at you. ...read more

Tags: Faith, Christian Love

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

When Things Get Smelly!

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Aug 22, 2021

When I was around eight, we were visiting some cousins out on the farm and as all kids back then we played tag. I went zipping around the barn and stepped in a slick patty. I fell, slid and rolled through a copious amount of bovine excrement. When I was able to stand up I went to the porch and ...read more

Scripture: Ezekiel 16:4-12

Tags: Love, Forgiveness, Stink

Denomination: Baptist

[062b]. A Message From A Poem – Does Suffering Cancel Out A God Of Love?

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 14, 2025

[062B]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – DOES SUFFERING CANCEL OUT A GOD OF LOVE? THE POEM AS IT IS WILL NOT FIT IN THE ILLUSTRATION SPACE AVAILABLE. I HAVE SPLIT IT INTO THREE PARTS. THIS IS THE SECOND PART THE INTRODUCTION FOR THE POEM IS IN PART 1. PART 2 SECTION B - PART 1 (THE CHRISTIAN ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 45:6-7, John 3:16, Exodus 34:6-7

Tags: Hurt, Pain, Love, Compassion, Comfort, Suffering, Tragedy, God Of Comfort, God Of Love  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

When We Vote We Demonstrate Our Beliefs By The ...  PRO

Contributed by Timothy Peck on Feb 1, 2001

When we vote we demonstrate our beliefs by the way we vote. Some people demonstrate by joining political organizations, others by writing letters to government leaders or editorial pages for the local newspaper. Some people demonstrate by picketing, whether it’s an abortion clinic or a casino. Some ...read more

Tags: Love Of The Disciples, Jesus Teachings, Christian Love, Betrayal

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Or Would You Be More Like The Woman Who Was ...  PRO

Contributed by Russell Brownworth on Dec 11, 2000

Or would you be more like the woman who was bitten by a rabid dog, and it looked like she was going to die from rabies. The doctor told her to put her final affairs in order. So the woman took pen and paper, and began writing furiously. In fact she wrote and wrote and wrote. Finally the doctor ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 19:1-19, Mark 12:28-34

Tags: Love, Christian Love, Anger, Forgiveness For Others

Denomination: United Methodist

A Husband Was Told By The Marriage Counselor To ...  PRO

Contributed by Ross Mitchell on Jan 30, 2001

A husband was told by the marriage counselor to try and be nice to his wife. One day he comes home from work. He’s dressed up in a suit, he has cologne on, he has a bouquet of flowers and a box of candy in his hands. He’s trying to make a good impression. The wife says, "Oh, I can’t ...read more

Tags: Romantic Love, Christian Love, Marriage Struggle

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

One Of Life’s Major Mistakes Is Being The ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Hensley on Oct 18, 2000

One of life’s major mistakes is being the last member in the family to come down with the flu -- after all ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness General, Christian Love, Romantic Love

Denomination: Baptist

Nothing Can Choke The Heart And Soul Out Of ...  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Oct 11, 2001

Nothing can choke the heart and soul out of walking with God like legalism. Consider the story of Hans the tailor. Because of his reputation, an influential entrepreneur visiting the city ordered a tailor-made suit. But when he came to pick up his suit, the customer found that one sleeve ...read more

Scripture: Luke 5:33-35, Mark 5:1-12

Tags: Love Of The Disciples, Christian Love, What Is Evangelism?

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I Heard A Definition Of The Contrast ...  PRO

Contributed by Melvin Newland on Nov 14, 2001

ILL. I heard a definition of the contrast between infatuation & love. It says, "Infatuation is when you think your husband is as handsome as Tom Cruse, as amusing as Rodney Daingerfield, as intellectual as Albert Einstein, as devout as Billy Graham, & as athletic as Hulk Hogan." That is ...read more

Tags: Romantic Love, Marriage Commitment, Christian Love

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Measure Of A Life, After All, Is Not Its ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 16, 2001

The measure of a life, after all, is not its duration, but its donation. ...read more

Tags: Christian Love, Giving General, Love Of The Disciples

John Wesley's Rule For His Life  PRO

Contributed by Dru Ashwell on Dec 16, 2001

John Wesley had this rule for his life: Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23

Tags: Christian Values, Christian Love, Love Of The Disciples

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Christ Demands That The Driving Force In Your ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 20, 2002

Christ demands that the driving force in your life must be love. All other things, although important, are secondary. Love is the sign ...read more

Tags: Love Of The Disciples, Jesus Teachings, Christian Love

For Goodness' Sake  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 27, 2003

FOR GOODNESS’ SAKE "Starting next year, high school and college students in Thailand will reportedly be graded not just on academics, but on ’goodness’ as well. Concerned that the competitive education system puts too much emphasis on materialism and not enough on morality, officials told the ...read more

Tags: Christian Love, Christian Values, Love Of The Disciples