In Sermon Illustrations: "Mourning Over Sin"

The Clarence Principle

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 7, 2011

THE CLARENCE PRINCIPLE That's what spiritual maturity is--It's not just being a Christian for a little while. It's being able to discern the difference between right and wrong, because you have practiced applying the principles of God's Word in your every-day life. It's being able to discern the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:1-4

Tags: Leadership General

Howard Hughes Vs. Jim Elliot

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 8, 2012

HOWARD HUGHES VS. JIM ELLIOT Howard Hughes' last years were spent in isolation, hidden on the top floor of the Xanadu Hotel in the Bahamas. One biographer wrote about Hughes' appearance before he died: "He was emaciated, practically skeletal, with only 120 pounds stretched over his six-foot, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 16:24-28

Tags: Discipleship

Ministry Meltdown

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 3, 2013

MINISTRY MELTDOWN My dear friends, when life seems overwhelming, don't get busy; get help! Otherwise, you'll just wear yourself out and those around you. That's what Bob Merritt, pastor of the Eagle Brook Church in Minnesota, was doing. In a recent issue of Leadership Journal he writes about ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 11:28-30

Tags: Stress

Giving Out Of Need

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Dec 27, 2014

“Hunger also changes the world when eating can’t be a habit, then neither can seeing.” - Maxine Hong Kingston It had been a tough year and it didn’t appear to be getting any easier. She wasn’t working and he wasn’t working much. They had two teenage children to feed and bills to pay. The car ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:7

Tags: Compassion, Poverty, Generosity, Giving Out Of Need

Denomination: Charismatic

A Mother's Search

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 24, 2015

Longing to leave her poor Brazilian neighborhood, Christina wanted to see the world. Discontent with a home having only a pallet on the floor, a washbasin, and a wood-burning stove, she dreamed of a better life in the city. One morning she slipped away breaking her mother’s heart. Knowing what ...read more

Scripture: John 10:7-10

Tags: Grace, Forgiveness, Mothers, Prodigal

The Teddy Bear Of Jesus

Contributed by John Telgren on Feb 11, 2017

I put my son to bed, and went through the routine. "I love you, I love mommy, I love your brothers, etc." Then he stopped, looked up at me, and asked, "What about my Teddy, don't you love my Teddy?" I looked over at a tattered, dingy, stuffed animal that was on it's last leg quite literally. I ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:25-32

Tags: Church, Bride Of Christ, Church Appreciation

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Trapped , Sabotage

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Jan 3, 2020

WHEN MY OWN THINKING AND MY OWN WORDS SABOTAGE MY LIFE AND MY FAMILY. There was this woman that went to the Old Wise Man in the community to seek advice about her future. She approached the wise man to seek answers about her life... She asked him: SIR, WHAT WILL MY FUTURE HOLD? The wise man ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:12

Tags: Words, Sabotage, Attitudes

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Great Quotes By Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 16, 2020

While Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave many memorable quotations about freedom, civil rights, humankind and other critical issues, as a Christian pastor, some of his most notable quotes were on matters of faith. 1. “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” ...read more

Scripture: Amos 4:4, Matthew 5:1-12

Tags: Justice, Civil Rights, Equality, Martin Luther King

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Coming Soon !?

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Apr 13, 2020

Many of us, I'm sure, remember hearing the words "Coming soon to a (fill in the blank) near you . . ."m intended to grab your attention. Well, sometimes that did indeed happen, as a lot of us want to find something new, maybe the latest and greatest thing to come our way. There are a ...read more

Scripture: John 14:1-3, Acts 1:8, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Tags: Immanence, Coming Soon, Return Of Christ

Denomination: Baptist

Unsung Heroes-These Men Of Damascus Saved Saul’s Life!

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Oct 22, 2021

Text, Acts 9:23-25, KJV: 23 And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him: 24 But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him. 25 Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket. Thoughts: ...read more

Scripture: Acts 9:23-25, 2 Corinthians 11:32-33

Tags: Persecution, Saul Of Tarsus, Unsung Heroes

Denomination: Baptist

Unsung Heroines-Joash's Aunt And Nurse

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on May 2, 2022

Introduction: These two ladies risked certain death to save the crown prince (and, it might be added, the ancestor of the Messiah!) Text: 2 Chronicles 22:10-12, KJV: 10 But when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal of the house of ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 22:10-12

Tags: Joash, Unsung Heroines, Jehoshabeath

Denomination: Baptist

Curse Turned Blessing

Contributed by Todd Catteau on Dec 7, 2022

Sometimes missing a flight turns into a blessing. My older son was flying from Little Rock to Kansas City through Dallas but missed his connection because the flight was late leaving Little Rock. He called from the airport bemoaning his fate but said that there was another flight he could book ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 50:20, Romans 8:28

Tags: Blessing, Joseph, Providence, Opportunity, Blessings  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Christmas Flower

Contributed by Loyd C. Taylor on Dec 14, 2022

THE CHRISTMAS FLOWER “The Legend of Pepita’s Poinsettia” Thank you much, my pretty friend, For the beauty you display; Those colors of green and red Enhances our Christmas day. Great is your reputation- You’re like the Christmas Star, For you are highly regarded, No matter where you are. You ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 1:21, Luke 2:1-20, Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 9:6-7, Micah 5:2  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Poinsettia, Christmas Poems, Christmas Poetry, Poems About Christmas, Christmas Decorations, Nativity, Christ's Birth  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Fun Facts About The Month Of March

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Feb 27, 2023

Undoubtedly, March is the best month of the year for many people. It is the month that can have a new climate as well as events that make March unique from other months. Every individual has something to appreciate this time of year. Did you know that March was considered the start of the New Year ...read more

Tags: Time, Seasons, Feasts, Holidays, Birth, Aging, Change, History  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Losing Someone Or Something Is Very Heartbreaking

Contributed by Jm Raja Lawrence on Oct 17, 2023

In the midst of an unforgiving tempest, a cataclysmic convergence of nature's wrath struck with an unforgiving fury. Banda Aceh, Indonesia, and the remote Andaman and Nicobar Islands found themselves entangled in the merciless grip of a relentless tsunami. At that fateful moment, I stood as the ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 91:1-4, Isaiah 41:10, Galatians 6:2, Matthew 25:35-36, Luke 15:11-32, Psalm 107:28-30, Philippians 4:6-7  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Love, Tsunami Survival Tale, Banda Aceh, Andaman, Nicobar, Heartbreaking, Church, Earthquake, Care, Indonesia, Panicking, Islands  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

An Observation About A Billboard Worker

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Oct 24, 2024

Text: Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, KJV: 9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. 10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. How many of you have seen anybody changing the ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, John 15:5

Tags: Assistance, Billboards, Clergy Appreciation Month

Denomination: Baptist

[059]. A Message From A Poem – Distressful Times Will Come Upon Us

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 13, 2025

[059]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – DISTRESSFUL TIMES WILL COME UPON US Are you battling in life because of some problem that won’t go away? Are you weighed down by a stressful matter and can’t shake it? Does your life feel like it is starting to come apart? Do you feel the storms are thundering ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:20, 1 Peter 5:7, Matthew 11:28-30

Tags: Anxiety, Anxious, Distress, Cast, Heavy Laden, I Am With You Always, Stressful, Stressful Living  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[196]. A Message From A Poem – Not Worthy To Be Compared

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Sep 12, 2025

[196]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – NOT WORTHY TO BE COMPARED This poem has its basis in a few scriptures. This is one of them – {{Romans 8:18 “for I consider that the sufferings of this present time ARE NOT WORTHY TO BE COMPARED with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”}} Those who are like me ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:14-15, Philippians 3:12, Philippians 3:8, Romans 8:18

Tags: Christian Poems, Golf, Rubbish, Comparison, Press On, Goal, Christian Poetry, Glory, Worthy, Loss  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[274]. A Message From A Poem – The Instincts Of Life

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 24, 2026

[274]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THE INSTINCTS OF LIFE The purpose of this poem is to demonstrate the stupidity of evolution. Evolution is an excuse not to believe in God and therefore not to be accountable, but woe to the evolutionist, for a day of accountability is coming. {{Hebrews 9:27 ...read more

Scripture: John 1:3, Hebrews 9:27

Tags: Creation, Evolution, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, Water Birds, Jacana, Jacana Bird, Gradual Change, Jesus Christ Created Life, Everyone Is Accountable  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

He Led Them Up The Steep Slope Out Of The River ...  PRO

Contributed by Todd Anderson on Dec 8, 2005

“He led them up the steep slope out of the river valley and then slightly to the right apparently by the very same route which they had used that afternoon in coming from the hill of the stone table. On and on he lead them into dark shadows out into pale moonlight. Getting their feet wet with the ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-3

Tags: Narnia

Denomination: Lutheran