In Sermon Illustrations: "New Beginning"

He Wrote Her A Letter Every Day

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jul 13, 2023

A few years ago, the Harry S. Truman Library in Independence, MO made public 1,300 recently discovered letters that the late President wrote to his wife, Bess, over the course of a half-century. Mr. Truman had a lifelong rule of writing to his wife every day they were apart. He followed this rule ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:18-25, 1 John 4:7-13

Tags: Love, Marriage, Husband, Wife, Compassion, Leadership, Kindness, Lead By Example, Presidents  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

If You Had A Bank That Gave You $86k Per Day....

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Mar 22, 2024

If you had a bank that credited your account each morning with $86,000 that carried over no balance from day to day...Allowed you to keep no cash in your account, and every evening cancelled whatever part of the amount you failed to use during the day, what would you do? Draw out every cent every ...read more

Tags: Time, Regret, Values, Death, Eternity, Life, Repentance  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Fire Of The Holy Spirit

Contributed by Samuel M on Jul 17, 2024

The New Testament church (during Pentecost) did not have good instruments, equipment’s, music, and large buildings, but they had the fire of the Holy Spirit. This fire produced many miracles and wonders. When the shadow of disciples fell on people, they were healed. There was fire in the preachers, ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 3:4

Tags: Holy Spirit, Fire

Deconstruction, Deconstruction, Deconstruct, Decon....

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Sep 20, 2024

One cannot insist that all truth claims are power plays, that all truth claims destroy freedom. C. S. Lewis writes in The Abolition of Man: “But you cannot go on ‘explaining away’ forever: you will find that you have explained explanation itself away. You cannot go on ‘seeing through’ things ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:16, John 18:38, Acts 26:25

Tags: Doubt, Truth, Objective Truth, Deconstructing Faith

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Surprise Surprise!

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 11, 2025

Blog stories: “Today, I went to my new job at a pre-school. I was really excited because everything was going so well, and a little boy even said he was drawing a picture of me. He even gave it to me when he was finished. Well it was me, but I was also on fire and being stabbed and shot multiple ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:13-17

Tags: Anger, Reaction, Surprise

Denomination: Independent/Bible

No One Will Know

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Mar 15, 2025

No one will know? A man works at a car factory… getting paid a fair wage for a fair day’s work. His job is to grease the u-joint on the drive train. He gets busy joking around with his co-workers. One car gets by him. He misses applying the grease. He knows it will fail inspection. So he puts a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:25

Tags: Knowledge, Small Things, No One

Denomination: Assembly Of God

When Rules Can’t Save

Contributed by David Dunn on Sep 27, 2025

The great Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy inherited vast wealth and hundreds of serfs. Though he freed them and gave away his book royalties, he was tormented by guilt and could not find peace. He invented endless rules —rise early, eat little, conquer lust —to perfect himself, but slid deeper into ...read more

Scripture: Romans 7:18-25, Galatians 2:16

Tags: Grace, Freedom, Justification, Sanctification

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Funny Story - Rest In Peace

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Feb 25, 2026

The wife ... of a man who had recently died ... assumed ... they were well off financially, ... so she gave him a very nice funeral ... and a fancy tombstone that read, ... "Rest in Peace." However, ... when the estate was settled ... she was informed by their attorney ... that he had ...read more

Scripture: Mark 2:23-28, Colossians 2:14-17, Hebrews 4:9-10

Tags: Rest, Tombstone, Shabbat, Peace, Wife, Anger  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Anglican

Grace  PRO

Contributed by Donnie Martin on Aug 18, 2004

Grace The boy stood defiantly. “Go ahead, give it to me.” The principal looked at the young rebel and asked, “How many times have you been here?” The child sneered rebelliously, “Apparently not enough.” “And you have been punished each time?” the principal responded. “Yeah, I been ...read more

Tags: Chosen, E, God The Father, Grace, Set Apart  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

[237 A]. A Message From A Poem - Scenes From The Gospels - Part 1

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Oct 31, 2025

[237 A]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - SCENES FROM THE GOSPELS - PART 1 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 possible with the difficult word limitations. ...read more

Scripture: Luke 8:26-39, Luke 15:11-32, John 2:1-11, Luke 10:38-42, Matthew 14:22-31, Luke 1:1-4, Matthew 13:10-13  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Stories, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, Poetry Reading, Parables  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[237 B]. A Message From A Poem - Scenes From The Gospels - Part 2

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Nov 1, 2025

[237 B]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - SCENES FROM THE GOSPELS - PART 2 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 possible with the difficult word limitations. ...read more

Scripture: Luke 8:26-39, Luke 15:11-32, John 2:1-11, Luke 10:38-42, Matthew 14:22-31, Luke 1:1-4, Matthew 13:10-13  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Christian Poems, Poetry Reading, Barley Loaves, Mary At The Tomb, Parables, Nicodemus, Temptation Of Christ, Stories, The Sower, Christian Poetry  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[237 C]. A Message From A Poem - Scenes From The Gospels - Part 3

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Nov 8, 2025

[237 C]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - SCENES FROM THE GOSPELS - PART 3 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 possible with the difficult word limitations. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 2:1-2, Matthew 2:9-12, Luke 24:13-32, Matthew 14:25-33, Matthew 15:21-28, Matthew 23:23-33, Luke 1:1-4, Matthew 13:10-13  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Parables, Poetry Reading, On The Emmaus Road, The Canaanite Woman, Pharisees, Peter Walks On Water, Stories, The Magi, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[237 D] [4]. A Message From A Poem - Scenes From The Gospels - Part 4

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Nov 17, 2025

[237 D] [4]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - SCENES FROM THE GOSPELS - PART 4 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 possible with the difficult word limitations. ...read more

Scripture: Luke 1:1-4, Matthew 13:10-13, Luke 17:19, John 11:38-44, Luke 16:19, Matthew 9:1-8, Matthew 15:12-14, Matthew 23:15-26  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Forgiveness, Resurrection, Paralytic, Blind Guides, Blind Pharisees, Christian Poems, Ten Lepers Cleansed, Hades, Rich Man, Bethany, Poor Man, Sins, Stories  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[237 E] [5]. A Message From A Poem - Scenes From The Gospels - Part 5

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Nov 17, 2025

[237 E] [5]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - SCENES FROM THE GOSPELS - PART 5 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 possible with the difficult word limitations. ...read more

Scripture: Luke 12:16-21, John 14:1-6, Matthew 2:12-13, Matthew 16:24-27, Matthew 22:16-22, Luke 1:1-4, Matthew 13:10-13  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Christian Poems, Paying Tax To Caesar, Overturn Tables, Take Up Your Cross, The Way, The Truth, The Life, Render To Caesar, The Rich Fool, Follow Jesus, Money Changers, Merry, Required, Stories, I Am The Way, Temple, Soul, Eat, Thomas, Drink  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[237 J] [10]. A Message From A Poem - Scenes From The Gospels - Part 10

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Dec 12, 2025

[237 J] [10]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - SCENES FROM THE GOSPELS - PART 10 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 possible with the difficult word limitations. ...read more

Scripture: Luke 1:1-4, Matthew 13:10-13, Luke 4:38-39, Matthew 2:1-12, Luke 10:29-37, Matthew 3:7, Matthew 12:33-37, Matthew 11:7-15  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Herod The Edomite, Murderer, The Magi, The Good Samaritan, The Wise Men, Brood Of Vipers, Mother In Law Of Peter, Pharisees, Sadducees, John The Baptist, Levite, Fever, Jesus Heals, Wilderness, Herod  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[237 K] [11]. A Message From A Poem - Scenes From The Gospels - Part 11

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Dec 12, 2025

[237 K] [11]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - SCENES FROM THE GOSPELS - PART 11 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 possible with the difficult word limitations. ...read more

Scripture: Luke 1:1-4, Matthew 13:10-13, Matthew 21:1-9, Matthew 22:23-32, John 9:1-41, Matthew 7:7-12, Matthew 6:22-23  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Wash In Pool Of Siloam, Jesus Enters Jerusalem, Good Gifts, Fish, Man Born Blind, Clarity, Knock, Eyes, Lamp Of The Body, Receive, Darkness, Colt, Palm Sunday, Ask, Seek, Light, Marriage, Sin  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Who Invented The Autocorrect?

Contributed by James Snyder on Apr 15, 2023

The other day I recognized something that had been happening for quite a while. As I was texting, I noticed that there was AutoCorrect. So whenever I spelled a word, it would finish the spelling before I was done. And, if I was spelling it wrong, it corrected me. A few times, I am typing a word, ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 119:11

Tags: Correct, Errors

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

I’m Too Smart To Be Stupid.

Contributed by James Snyder on Jun 24, 2023

After being married for over 50 years, my wife, The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage, knows more about me than I know about myself. At least, that's the perception I get from her actions. It must be true when she says something about me, and I won't challenge her with anything she says. ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 12:15-16

Tags: Marriage, Relationship

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Voice Mail  PRO

Contributed by Dru Ashwell on Dec 20, 2001

VOICE MAIL While we have a direct access to our Heavenly Father, imagine if He had one of those computer-answering devices. It might be something like this: As we begin to pray we hear... Thank you for calling your Heavenly Father’s house. Your call may be monitored for quality assurance. Please ...read more

Tags: Ever, God's Omniscience, Illustration, Prayer Adoration, Prayer General  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Almost Ten Years Ago, I Taught A Life Science ...  PRO

Contributed by Dana Chau on Apr 15, 2002

Almost ten years ago, I taught a Life Science class at Mission High School in San Francisco. The class was made up of students who didn’t want to take Biology and failed Life Science at least once before, some more than once. Many days, I would have students who came to class from the police ...read more

Tags: Christian Disciplines, Christian Love

Denomination: *other