In Sermon Illustrations: "No Fruit"

Wesley: God's Will For Marriage

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 6, 2011

WESLEY: GOD'S WILL FOR MARRIAGE When John Wesley was thirty-two years old, he was a bachelor missionary in the colony of Georgia. While he was serving a church in Savannah, he met a young woman named Sophia Christian Hopkey. She was pretty and intelligent, and Wesley fell head over heels in love ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 3:5-6

Tags: Knowing God's Will

Thank You, Sensei Don

Contributed by Chuck Sligh on Feb 12, 2012

THANK YOU, SENSEI DON Dr. Don Sisk, the former president of the mission board I'm with, BIMI, tells of winning an old "papa-sahn" to Christ, the father of one of the ladies in his church. He had such a grateful spirit for Dr. Sisk, whom they referred to as "Sensei Don" which means "Teacher Don." ...read more

Tags: Missions

Denomination: Baptist

Letter Home From A W Va Farm Kid Enduring Marine ...  PRO

Contributed by C. Scott Ghan on Aug 5, 2013

Letter home from a W VA farm kid enduring Marine Basic Training on Paris Island. Dear Ma and Pa, I am well. Hope you are. Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer the Marine Corps beats working for old man Minch by a mile. Tell them to join up quick before all of the places are filled. // I was ...read more

Scripture: Ezra 3:1-13, Hebrews 12:7-11

Tags: Restoration, Rebuild

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Not A Slave? Think Again

Contributed by Nickolas Kooi on Jun 22, 2017

Paul says that you were a slave. Slavery is unfortunately still alive and well in our world. The story of a young girl named “Dodzi” is a common one in Ghana. Dodzi was orphaned at nine months and lived with her Grandmother, who served as her guardian. Her Grandmother had a lot on her plate as ...read more

Scripture: Romans 6:12-23

Tags: Sin, Slave

Denomination: Lutheran

Don't Oppress The Poor

Contributed by James Dina on Nov 16, 2020

DON'T OPPRESS THE POOR "A poor man that oppresses the poor is like a sweeping rain which leaves no food." (Proverbs 28:3) Anyone who oppress the poor reproach the Almighty God that creates the poor but those that honor Him has mercy on the poor (Proverbs 14:31). It is a grievous ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 28:3, Proverbs 28:27

Tags: Love, Poor, Rain, Oppression

Denomination: Pentecostal

Thin Slices! (07.15.05--Tomorrow--Deuteronomy ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Jul 13, 2005

Thin Slices! (07.15.05--Tomorrow--Deuteronomy 29:29) Did you ever notice how at least having just a taste of something, a little hint or just a brief encounter with what we were anticipating, can be so much fun? I know a lot about anticipation. Being a bird watcher for many years, I am familiar ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 29:29

Tags: Promises Of God

Denomination: Lutheran

My Daily Confession Of Who I Am In Christ ...  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Dec 4, 2003

[“My Daily Confession of Who I am in Christ Jesus,” Larry Millemon] I am free from the curse of the law—poverty, sickness, and death. (Deuteronomy 28:15-68) Jesus was made the curse for me. (Galatians 3:3) I am no longer under the bondages of Satan; I’ve been translated into the Kingdom of God. ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:7

Tags: Basics Of Christianity, Worry

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Hot-Sync Your Marriage!

Contributed by Mike Fox on Feb 23, 2008

Hot-Sync Your Marriage! "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." Proverbs 18:21 We used to have just PDA’s. Now, like most, we’ve updated to PDA Phones, mainly for business. But when we had our PDA’s, we had a feature called "Hot-Sync". The ...read more

Denomination: Apostolic

The Way Of The ...

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

The Way of the Righteous What They Don’t Do “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 1:1-3

Tags: Righteousness

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Blessed Are The Merciful

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Blessed Are The Merciful In the Sermon on the Mount, we notice that Jesus' subject was not on how people are to be saved, but on the fruit of those who allow the Holy Spirit to work in their lives. One of the signs or evidences that a person has been converted is that he is now merciful. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:7

Tags: Character

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Proverbs On The Words That We Speak

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Feb 18, 2024

PROVERBS ON WORDS THAT WE SPEAK The Book of Proverbs shows us the seriousness of our words before the Lord. _________________________________________ "Violence covers the mouth of the wicked" (Proverbs 10:11). "The mouth of the foolish is a present destruction" (Proverbs ...read more

Tags: Lying, Wisdom, Mouth, Words, Speech, Lips  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[047]. A Message From A Poem – Christians Who Are And Who Are Not

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 6, 2025

[047]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – CHRISTIANS WHO ARE AND CHRISTIANS WHO ARE NOT The main idea in this poem is the contrast between Christians in places of persecution who are committed and real, and the many Christians of the West who are lax and non-committed, who are asleep. It is a shame this ...read more

Scripture: Romans 13:11-12, Romans 15:26-28

Tags: Persecution, Support, Sleep, Awake, Voice Of The Martyrs, True Christians  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[092]. A Message From A Poem – For We Are Flesh And Blood

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Apr 30, 2025

[092]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – FOR WE ARE FLESH AND BLOOD We are emotional people and emotions often influence our feelings and life and behaviour. Emotions do need controlling e.g. a person might be “in a bad mood” but must not let that become bad attitudes to others. Sometimes we can be down ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 4:15, Romans 8:26, Revelation 21:4-5

Tags: Bad Mood, Weakness, Depressed, Human Nature, Flesh And Blood, Feeling Down, Mood Swings, Emotions, Joy  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[117]. A Message From A Poem – He Became Sin For Us

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jun 27, 2025

[117]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – HE BECAME SIN FOR US This poem resulted from some discussion in one of the Christian forums on Isaiah 52 and 53. I was thinking into the sufferings of the Lamb upon the cross trying to capture the stark reality of that sacrificial death. Of course God blotted out ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 53:4-5, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 12:2

Tags: Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, He Became Sin For Us, Sin, Salvation, Endurance, Cross, Suffering, The Cross, Christ  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[123]. A Message From A Poem – He Will Receive Us To Himself

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jul 8, 2025

[123]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – HE WILL RECEIVE US TO HIMSELF Time for confession. It is no secret that the theme that occurs in a few of my poems (sometimes only a brief mention) is that of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in Person for all His disciples. That coming is soon and is ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

Tags: Caught Up, The Coming Of The Lord, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, Jesus Receives Us, Received To Him  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[265]. A Message From A Poem – The Glory Of The Son [version 1]

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 17, 2026

[265]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THE GLORY OF THE SON [Version 1] I get very uneasy about songs sung in churches that seem to glorify the person of man rather than the Person of Christ. Singing today is too egocentric and that takes away the glory from Christ. All praise and glory belong to ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 17:1-3, 1 Corinthians 15:17-20

Tags: Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, Glory, Praise, Resurrection, Glory To God, Mount Of Transfiguration  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[266]. A Message From A Poem – The Glory Of The Son [version 2]

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 17, 2026

[266]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THE GLORY OF THE SON [Version 2] I get very uneasy about songs sung in churches that seem to glorify the person of man rather than the Person of Christ. Singing today is too egocentric and that takes away the glory from Christ. All praise and glory belong to Him; ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 17:1-3, 1 Corinthians 15:17-20

Tags: Christian Poems, Glory, Praise, Resurrection, Glory To God, Mount Of Transfiguration, Christian Poetry  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[323]. A Message From A Poem - Vanitas Vanitatum – Part 1 Of 3

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 27, 2026

[323]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - VANITAS VANITATUM – PART 1 of 3 This poem begins with the story of a man who is committed to so many things but in the end he became worn out and finally could not find fulfillment in what he was doing. He began to despair and could not see the purpose of life. ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 1:2-3, 1 Timothy 6:7, Ecclesiastes 1:14, Ecclesiastes 2:11, Ecclesiastes 10:1, Ecclesiastes 9:13-18, Ecclesiastes 3:1-2  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Vanity, Wisdom, Despair, Foolishness, Folly, Under The Sun, Remember Your Creator, Vanity Of Vanities, Vanitas Vanitatum, Christian Poems, An Appointed Time, Under Heaven  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Prayer Nag! (09.28.05--Teach Me To ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Sep 26, 2005

A Prayer Nag! (09.28.05--Teach Me to Pray!--Colossians 1:9) Does god ever weary of hearing our prayers? I mean, it’s the same old, same old–day in and day out. Does He really need to hear the same things over and over again? Being a “broken record,” the one that just can’t get over the rut in ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 1:9

Tags: Prayer Persistence

Denomination: Lutheran

Have You Seen The Movie Antwone Fisher? It's The ...

Contributed by Bruce Emmert on Oct 9, 2006

Have you seen the movie Antwone Fisher? It’s the true story of a young man abandoned at birth by his mother and then raised in abusive orphanages, foster homes, and reform schools. Denzel Washington adapted the story into a movie that was released a few years ago. After his 18th birthday, Antwone ...read more

Tags: Death

Denomination: United Methodist