In Sermon Illustrations: "Missing Out"

God Answers The Persistent Prayers Of A Father ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 18, 2010

God Answers the Persistent Prayers of a Father and a Congregation for a Wayward Daughter You never know what effect your prayers are having or what catastrophe you are preventing in the lives you are accountable for. In his book, “Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire”, Jim Cymbala tells the story of his wayward ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:1-8

Tags: Prayer Persistence

Erwin Mcmanus And His "John The Baptist"

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 28, 2011

ERWIN MCMANUS AND HIS "JOHN THE BAPTIST" As we begin today I would like to read a true account of an experience that pastor, speaker, and author, Erwin McManus had in the early years of his ministry. Listen to what he says... "I got a message through the urban grapevine that I was dead. It might ...read more

Scripture: Romans 1:14-17

Tags: Evangelism How To

I Wish I Had Torn It To Pieces  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

“I WISH I HAD TORN IT TO PIECES” On December 26, 2002, Jack Whittaker’s life changed forever Jack had grown up in West Virginia and he knew that it was like to be poor. At the age of 55 all of that had changed. It had changed with a lot of hard work and perseverance. He had managed to scrape ...read more

Tags: Parable Prodigal Son

Prayer Is The Breath Of The Soul

Contributed by Coz Von on Aug 27, 2017

I. INTRODUCTION A. Prayer is the breath of the soul B. Prayer is The most powerful force accessible to man. A lifting up our heart and soul to God: Ps 25:1; 143:8 Crying out to God: Ps 86:3 The breathing process of the Christian's soul. 5. A sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the ...read more

Tags: Praise His Name, Praying, Relationship, Prayers, Glorify His Name, Suplication, Prayer, Adoration, Pray, Connection, Connect, Communicate, Love, Communication  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

My Body, My Swat

Contributed by James Snyder on Nov 6, 2021

Usually, I am not easily offended, nor do I easily lose my temper. I did lose my temper when I was six years old but have not been able to find it since. Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage is trying to find it but so far, she has not found it. Many people are ticked off by some minor little thing ...read more

Scripture: Song of Songs 2:15

Tags: Patience, Temper, Offended

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Wherever They Are I Will Find Them

Contributed by James Snyder on Feb 12, 2022

Recently, The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage and her spouse took a short vacation that was long overdue. Vacations are very hard to organize and schedule when you have a busy life. But, thanks to the ingenuity of my wife, we were able to plan out a vacation. The motel we stay in is owned by ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 18:22

Tags: Thriftstore, Bargin

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

When Is It Okay To Be Snarly?

Contributed by James Snyder on Aug 6, 2022

Normally, whatever normal means, I don’t get agitated by many things. I can keep my cool under the most bizarre circumstances. Nothing gets under my skin, and I can take everything with a grin. I can’t remember the last time I lost my temper and got mad. I’ve been married for over 50 years, so I ...read more

Scripture: John 8:44

Tags: Humor, Telemarketers, Snarly, Aggitation

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

My Oh My What A Nice Slice Of Pie

Contributed by James Snyder on Aug 13, 2022

Whenever things go better than you can imagine, it is always a red flag to pay attention because something is wrong. I don’t always catch it, and I have paid the price. One day this past week, The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage and our daughters and granddaughters planned a girl’s day. I ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 37:4

Tags: Together, Sharing

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

See Cookie Will Sneak

Contributed by James Snyder on Oct 29, 2022

For more years than I care to remember, I have been on a diligent pursuit, and I won’t stop until I reach my goal. My quest is to find a cookie I don’t like. Throughout the years, I have eaten every cookie I could find and loved them all. My biggest obstacle in this pursuit is The Gracious ...read more

Scripture: Mark 14:38

Tags: Temptation, Humor

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Don’t Knock On The Door If You Like Breathing

Contributed by James Snyder on Mar 23, 2024

I’m unsure if this is a new phenomenon or I’m just starting to catch up on the culture. I know I have a lot to catch up on, and I’m slowly doing it. Lately, there’s been a lot of activity at our front door. That’s not to diminish the activity at the back porch door. That activity has to do with a ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 118:8

Tags: Confidence, Scams, Trust

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Second Thoughts Can Be Dangerous To My Health

Contributed by James Snyder on Mar 30, 2024

Many things in life can be rather dangerous. For me, the most dangerous things in my life are thoughts. I thought about this one day, and by the end of the day, I was in deep trouble. Thoughts have a way of doing that with me. My New Year’s resolution one year was to have one thought per day. ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 4:12

Tags: Obedience, Opinion, Thoughts

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Unsung Heroes: An Egyptian Slave Who Helped David

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Jun 20, 2024

Introduction: He had been taken as a slave and now was far from his homeland. He was so sick he almost died but David and his men found him. When this slave had recovered, he gave David some very vital information which helped David a great deal! Text: 1 Samuel 30:13-19, KJV: 11 And they found an ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 30:13-19

Tags: David, Amalekites, Ziklag

Denomination: Baptist

[204]. A Message From A Poem - Once I Was Lost – Now I Am Saved

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Sep 17, 2025

[204]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - ONCE I WAS LOST – NOW I AM SAVED (Shakespeare) When Macbeth heard that Lady Macbeth was dead these words were spoken – “Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow Creeps in this petty pace from day to day To the last syllable of recorded time; And all our yesterdays ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 2:14, 1 Timothy 2:5, Acts 4:12, John 9:25

Tags: Rejection, Natural Man, Christian Poems, Name, Salvation, Cross, Testimony  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[237 L] [12]. A Message From A Poem - Scenes From The Gospels - Part 12

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Dec 14, 2025

[237 L] [12]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - SCENES FROM THE GOSPELS - PART 12 THIS IS THE LAST ONE OF THESE CAMEO SCENES They are here to enjoy! Scenes from the Gospels are very special to me. I love them. They have taken a lot of effort, and many, many months revision to get them as correct as ...read more

Scripture: Luke 1:1-4, Matthew 13:10-13, Matthew 14:15-21, Matthew 7:13-21, Mark 11:12-13, Mark 11:19-22, John 18:1-11, Matthew 14:22-33  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Roman Cohort, Whom Do You Seek, Peter Had A Sword, Broad Way, Fourth Watch Of The Night, Five Loaves Two Fishes, Five Thousand Men, Jesus Cursed The Fig Tree, Fig Tree Withered, Judas, Betrayal, Malchus, Narrow Gate, Little Faith, Walk On Water, Fear, Disciples  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[261]. A Message From A Poem – The Devil Snake

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 10, 2026

[261]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THE DEVIL SNAKE Most people hate snakes. They run from them and scream out. Snakes are evil creatures but their cunning is well know. I have a love hate relationship with snakes. I think they are beautifully created which does not surprise me because Lucifer ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 11:8-9, 2 Corinthians 11:3, Revelation 12:9, Genesis 3:14-15, Genesis 3:1  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Bruise On The Heel, Bruise The Head, Western Brown Snake, Cunning, The Devil, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, Cunning Snakes, Satan Is The Serpent, Serpent, Snake  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Different Use In Heaven  PRO

Contributed by Tim Gibson on Nov 23, 2000

DIFFERENT USE IN HEAVEN A millionaire Christian is sleeping in his bedroom when an angel comes to him and wakes him up. "It’s time for you to go to heaven", says the angel. "Oh, i’m not ready, what should I bring ?", says the millionaire. "Nothing, just yourself", replies the angel. But the ...read more

Tags: Death Nearness, Finding Fulfillment, Heaven

Denomination: *other

Some Of Us Get So Used To The Adrenaline Rush Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 14, 2001

Some of us get so used to the adrenaline rush of handling crises that we become dependent on it for a sense of excitement and energy. How does urgency feel? Stressful? Pressured? Tense? Exhausting? Sure. But let’s be honest. It’s also sometimes exhilarating. We feel useful. We feel ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:16-21, Luke 10:38-42

Tags: First Things

There Was A Young Boy Living In Paris At The End ...  PRO

Contributed by Kyle Meador on Jan 15, 2001

There was a young boy living in Paris at the end of the World War II. He had been orphaned by the atrocities committed within his city by the occupying German forces. He scrounged around the ruined city as best as he could to find food, clothes and shelter. But everyone was living in desperate ...read more

Tags: Love Of The Disciples, Giving General, Compassion

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

God’s Design Is For A Man And Woman To ...  PRO

Contributed by James Wilson on Nov 23, 2000

God’s design is for a man and woman to enter into a permanent, intimate relationship with one another. A relationship like Eddie and Mary enjoy. Let me read you a letter that Eddie wrote to Ann Landers: Dear Ann Landers: On Aug. 14, 1945, the war ended in the South Pacific. That was the day I ...read more

Tags: Romantic Love, Unconditional Love, Marriage Commitment

Denomination: Baptist

Simple Confession, Profound Forgiveness  PRO

Contributed by Timothy Peck on Feb 1, 2001

SIMPLE CONFESSION, PROFOUND FORGIVENESS In 1818 one out of six women who had children died of something called "childbirth fever." A doctor’s daily routine back then started in the dissecting room, where he performed autopsies, and from there he made his rounds to examine expectant mothers. No one ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 1:9

Tags: Forgiveness, Cleansing, Confession Of Sin, Lord's Supper, Mothers, God's Forgiveness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational