In Sermon Illustrations: "Mystery Found"

Unusual Banquet

Contributed by Davon Huss on Oct 22, 2013

Unusual Banquet Boston Globe's account in June 1990 of a most unusual wedding banquet. Accompanied by her fiance, a woman went to the Hyatt Hotel in downtown Boston and ordered the meal. The two of them poured over the menu, made selections of china and silver, and pointed to pictures of the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 14:12-14

Tags: Feed, Banquet, Repay

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Selling Your Cow  PRO

Contributed by Davon Huss on May 31, 2014

Daniel Overdorf: One of my older sisters and her husband served for 12 years as missionaries to Haiti. Among various other ministries, such as church plants, a school and feeding programs, they discipled a few young men who today lead various churches and ministries. One participant in this was ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 3:16-18

Tags: Help The Needy, Christian Giving, Sharing God's Bounty

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Just Let Go !

Contributed by Bruce Simpkins on Mar 11, 2015

In my younger years I thought it would be an exciting adventure to try sky diving. After checking into it, I found I could get a big discount if I brought 5 friends to jump with me . . . so I did. It was a beautiful sunny day in California when we arrived for a half day training and then an ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:8-9

Tags: He Is Strong, I Am Weak

Denomination: Baptist

Fatherhood Tips: Cherish Your Time With Them.

Contributed by Eduardo Quintana on Oct 4, 2015

FATHERHOOD TIPS 1.- Cherish your time with them. When we adopted our first child, we decided that it was outright important for the child to have a mom and a dad that were there for them. My wife quit her job and became a stay at home mother. She is amazing! And I also had to find a job that ...read more

Scripture: Malachi 4:6

Tags: Fatherhood, Cherish

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Second Chances

Contributed by Tim Smith on Sep 25, 2016

David Emory tells the story of baptizing a young father who had a 7 year old and 5 year old. They were close friends of his family and had never been a part of a church. But one Sunday, they came to worship, he gave his life to Christ and was baptized. At the end of the service, after everyone else ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 6:1-8

Tags: Sin, Repentance, Woe, Second Chances

Denomination: Methodist

World Trade Center Hero

Contributed by Tim Smith on Sep 25, 2016

Matt Chandler tells the story of Dave Karnes. When the World Trade Center tumbled to the ground on that dreadfully dark day, more than 3000 people lost their lives. But a few who were buried beneath the rubble miraculously survived. Two of these were Will Jimeno and John McLoughlin, a pair of Port ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:1-10

Tags: Evangelism, 911, Incarnation Of Jesus, Saving Others

Denomination: Methodist

This Is Going To Be A Wonderful Day

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Nov 18, 2016

Psalm 118:24 This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. I love the story of the lady that was in a terrible battle with cancer. She made a choice: THIS IS GOING TO BE A WONDERFUL DAY. She decided she was going to MAKE THE CHOICE TO BE THANKFUL and LOVE LIFE ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 118:24

Tags: Positive Attitude, A Good Day, Thankfulness

Denomination: Assembly Of God

The Power Of Daily Scripture Reading

Contributed by Tim Smith on Aug 13, 2017

ian Hardin tells the story of traveling a lot for work with his friend Bobby. As they travelled, he’d read the Bible aloud to him. But he wasn’t reading the Bible to gain deep insights… or to solve theological quandaries. He was just reading it… yet even then, it often said something that got stuck ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:1-9

Tags: Scripture, Scripture Reading

Denomination: Methodist

The Man Who Made A Pet Out Of A Rattlesnake

Contributed by David Goering on Nov 2, 2019

ILLUSTRATION: the story of the man who made a pet out of a rattlesnake. The "Memphis Commercial-Appeal" tells of a man across the river in Arkansas who had a pet rattlesnake. He had found it as a baby snake, taking it, fed it, and made a pet of it. The reptile would come when he ...read more

Scripture: Romans 6:23

Tags: Death, Sin

The Only Thing Left Was The Sign

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Jan 14, 2020

A number of years ago, I drove by a small shopping center in a Midwestern city. The display of signs stated there was everything from a bookstore to a pet shop to—my favorite—a hobby shop! I’ve been interested in model trains and aircraft for many years, and thought this would be a good place to ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 2:5

Tags: Forsaken Things, Closed Churches

Denomination: Baptist

Shemaiah, A Man Of God

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Jun 21, 2020

Text: 1 Kings 12:22, KJV: But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 23 Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying, 24 Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 12:22-24

Tags: Man Of God, Men Of God, Shemaiah

Denomination: Baptist

A New Year's Devotional

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 4, 2021

A New Year’s resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other! In fact, here are some startling stats about typical resolutions for the new year in America: • 27% break their resolutions by the first week of January. • 31% lose their resolutions by the second week of January. • 41% ...read more

Tags: New Year, Blessings, Resolutions, Material Possessions, Prayer For New Year  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Never Quit Growing

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Feb 9, 2022

GROWTH IS ESSENTIAL OR ONE WILL GET STAGNATE AND BEGIN A DECREASE. Growth is essential to long term survival. We must learn to take advantage of opportunities and take risk. GROWTH: improve, increase, develop, mature, progressive development, MATURITY, AGE, SIZE, WEIGHT, HEIGHT. 2 Peter 3:18 ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 3:18, Philippians 1:9

Tags: Plan, Growth

Denomination: Assembly Of God

The Seventeen Year Cicada Locust Lives Up To Its ...  PRO

Contributed by Russell Brownworth on May 1, 2007

The seventeen year cicada locust lives up to its name. When my children were little the locusts invaded. The little bugs had lived as larvae in the ground for a long seventeen year snooze. When they awoke one Saturday morning, it sounded like all the chain saws in the county had been ...read more

Tags: Love

Denomination: United Methodist

Kicking Rocks By Gary Williams (From Seniors ...

Contributed by Bobby Scobey on May 22, 2007

Kicking Rocks by Gary Williams (from Seniors Quiet Time Miscellany) One day a nine-year-old boy and a man began a walk to the beach. The man’s body was on vacation, many miles away from home and business, but his heart was still business-blinded. He thought his duty was to make sure that he and ...read more

Denomination: Pentecostal

The Apostles Were A Great Example Of The ...

Contributed by Austin Mansfield on Jun 3, 2007

The apostles were a great example of the difficulties of loving one another, and Jesus knew it. There’s a scene in the epic Franco Zefferelli movie, Jesus of Nazareth, in which Jesus arrives at the house of Matthew, the tax collector, for dinner as he told Matthew he would. Peter and the other ...read more

Denomination: Episcopal/Anglican

Brandon A. Bradley Told His Story In Pray ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Brandon A. Bradley told his story in Pray magazine last year: “I am a surgical assistant—the surgeon’s right-hand man. At one point in my career, I lost my passion. I wanted a job with spiritual significance, and I prayed for that. Imagine my shock when God led me to a position in plastic surgery. ...read more

Tags: Heaven, Care

Jesus Didn't Just Sit Around The Synagogue All ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Jesus didn’t just sit around the synagogue all day. Jesus didn’t just hang around the temple courtyard all the time. Instead Jesus went out where the people were. He didn’t isolate himself alone on a mountain top. Although he certainly did retreat there from time to time for prayer and refreshment. ...read more

Tags: Call Of The Disciples

The Year Was 1992. A Man Was On Parole For Child ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

The year was 1992. A man was on parole for child molesting. His fellow apartment renters complained of odors and chainsaw noises. When the police searched his apartment, they found it full of skulls, headless torsos and body parts. He would murder, mutilate and sometimes cannibalized boys and men. ...read more

Tags: Cross Agony

Mark Early Tells This Remarkable Story Of How ...

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Jul 9, 2007

Mark Early tells this remarkable story of how truly following Jesus transforms the lives of those who follow him and the lives with whom they come into contact. “For thirteen weeks, former child soldier Ishmael Beah has seen his memoir, A Long Way Gone, hover in the top ranks of the New York Times ...read more

Denomination: Methodist