In Sermon Illustrations: "Not Now"

A Good Friend Of Mine, Who Has Been Sober And ...

Contributed by Daryl Grimes on Sep 25, 2009

A good friend of mine, who has been sober and drug-free now for many, many years shared his testimony with me several years ago. After being caught in the 1970’s as a teenager with cocaine his dream of becoming a Major League Baseball Player was over. He used this discouragement and depression as ...read more

Tags: Church

Denomination: Baptist

The Hope In The Transfiguration  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 22, 2010

THE HOPE IN THE TRANSFIGURATION In the Winter of 1966, a voters registration card arrived in the mail at the home of Vernon Dahmer. On the surface, something like this is no big deal; it happens every day. But this was different, for a number of reasons. It was different because Vernon Dahmer was ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:12-15

Tags: Forgiveness For Others

The Cane Ridge Revival

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 23, 2011

THE CANE RIDGE REVIVAL One of those great revivals of the American past took place in the late spring and early summer of 1801 at Cane Ridge in central Kentucky. A pastor named Barton Stone, who had been called to serve this little Methodist church by Daniel Boone, decided to call a four-day ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 7:14

Tags: Revival

The Light Racing To Save Us

Contributed by Paul Barreca on Mar 31, 2013

THE LIGHT RACING TO SAVE US One of the most tragic stories of WW2 involves the tale of the survivors of the sunken USS Indianapolis. The ship went down in the last days of the war and the survivors remained unaccounted for five days. Many were in the water for that time with nothing more than a ...read more

Tags: Salvation

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Fear Of Aging

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Dec 27, 2014

“Inside every older person is a younger person wondering what happened.” - Jennifer Yane As you grow older, what’s inside you doesn’t change but your body changes, and it’s confusing to look in the mirror. If you live your life as though you are a perpetual image contestant, your age is ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:3-4

Tags: Aging, Serving, Inner Beauty

Denomination: Charismatic

Getting Help From Above.

Contributed by Eduardo Quintana on Oct 4, 2015

I’ll never forget the day I became a dad. My wife and I had registered to adopt a child with our state’s Division of Youth and Family Services through BCFS. Then one day we got a call from them saying there was someone special they’d like us to meet. A baby still at the hospital was needing a ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 43:4, Isaiah 43:1-7

Tags: Fatherhood, Dads

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Cobia, Bigfoot, And God - Elusive Searching

Contributed by Jack Kale on May 10, 2016

Cobia, Bigfoot, and God I’ve been three times now and I’m starting to lose hope. I keep hearing rumors about these tasty leviathans that meander just off the second sandbar on their annual pilgrimage around the Gulf of Mexico. I’ve heard rumors of folks catching them off the pier and even seen ...read more

Scripture: John 20:29

Tags: Search, Finding God, Fishing, Bigfoot

Denomination: *other

This Is Good. This Is Really Good!  PRO

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Mar 8, 2017

HAVE YOU READ THE STORY ABOUT THE KING'S SERVANT THAT ALWAYS GAVE THANKS AND SAID: "THIS IS GOOD!" The King had a special servant that always traveled with him. The King loved being around this servant as he was always upbeat and positive. The man always said kind things and was quick to edify and ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Psalm 106:1

Tags: Thankfulness, Positive Attitude, This Is Good

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Baseball - The Curious Case Of Scooter Gennett

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Dec 31, 2018

Baseball And The Curious Case Of Scooter Gennett Baseball is known for its surprises. It's a beautiful game that lets grown men play a kids game. For more than a century of baseball and thousands of games, only 16 men have homered four times in one game. The last was Josh Hamilton, five years ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 11:1-3, 1 Corinthians 13:13, Romans 5:1-4

Tags: Perseverance, Hope, Good News

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

How Can Salvation Be Free While Following Christ Demands Everything?

Contributed by Garris Hudson on May 31, 2022

I am often asked, "How can salvation be free, but, yet, Jesus said that we cannot by His disciple unless we forsake everything for Him?" (Luke 14). Let me explain the answer to this question in a story. Once there was a man who collected and traded in pearls. He had a fine collection ...read more

Tags: Count The Cost, Grace, Commitment, Salvation, Discipleship, Obedience  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Sad Story Of Norma Jean

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jul 13, 2023

Years ago Father John Powell told the sad story of a young woman named Norma Jean. "Norma Jean Mortenson. Remember that name? Norma Jean's mother, Mrs. Gladys Baker, was periodically committed to a mental institution and Norma Jean spent much of her childhood in foster homes. In one of ...read more

Tags: Evangelism, Love, Peace, Fame, Hollywood, Fortune, Emptiness, Deception, Compassion, Satan, Sex, Lost, Loneliness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Salvation Is Free, But It Will Cost Your Life

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 28, 2024

I am often asked, "How can salvation be free, but, yet, Jesus said that we cannot by His disciple unless we forsake everything for Him?" (Luke 14). Let me explain the answer to this question in a story. Once there was a man who collected and traded in pearls. He had a fine collection of ...read more

Tags: Sacrifice, Salvation, Discipleship, Free, Eternal Life, Grace, Mercy  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Unintentionally Humorous Texts: The "Bad Axe” Incident

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on May 3, 2024

Introduction: This is a follow up to the story of Elisha being asked, maybe as an afterthought?, to go with student prophets as they built a new facility. One of these men had borrowed an axe but something awful happened. By the way, this story has nothing whatsoever to do with the city of Bad ...read more

Scripture: 2 Kings 6:1-7

Tags: Elisha, Jordan River, Sons Of The Prophets, Axes

Denomination: Baptist

[028] A Message From A Poem – Be Not Conformed To The World

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Feb 15, 2025

[028] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – BE NOT CONFORMED TO THE WORLD “If you don’t agree with us, you are not included.” “We will finance your new building but only if you add a night club.” This world is absolutely full of compromise. It happens in relationships (sexual pressure on a woman), in ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:10, 1 Peter 1:14, Romans 12:1-2, Romans 10:17

Tags: Compromise, Poetry, Conform, Conformity, Conformed To His Death, Conformed To The World  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[031] A Message From A Poem – Before Him Lay The Cross

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Feb 19, 2025

[031] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – BEFORE HIM LAY THE CROSS We have a retrospective view of the cross in a very limited understanding, but the Lord’s view in the Garden of gethsemane was a forward one. The anticipation of that ordeal was a dreadful one. That comes out in the description and this ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:2, John 3:16-17, Psalm 69:1-3, Psalm 22:13-16, Matthew 26:38-39  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Love, The Cross, Anticipation, Endurance, Cross, Suffering, Gethsemane, Endure, Calvary  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[034] A Message From A Poem – Beneath His Wings – My Prayer

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Feb 23, 2025

[034] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – BENEATH HIS WINGS – MY PRAYER In this poem there is a little word interplay in each stanza. It is simple to see. The reason for this poem is to express a prayer for personal concerns. I tried to cover a number of points I thought were important. These are ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 14:29-31, Luke 18:10-11, Nehemiah 2:4, Luke 18:13-14, Romans 12:12  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Prayer, Sincerity, Poetry, Devoted To Prayer, Silent Prayer  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[080]. A Message From A Poem – Faithfully He Is Watching

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Apr 12, 2025

[080]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – FAITHFULLY HE IS WATCHING The poem here you will read is one of my top favourites. It resonates so much with me. It just flowed and when it does that it is joyous. I truly hope you can relate to it. This poem was written on the day I received notification that ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 23:6, Job 1:21

Tags: Watching, God Hears, Forsake, Poem, Orphans, Cares, Abandoned, Faithful, Friendship, Deliverance, Merciful, Poetry  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[128]. A Message From A Poem – His Hands, His Feet And His Brow

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jul 11, 2025

[128]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – HIS HANDS, HIS FEET AND HIS BROW Introducing the Poem: This poem underneath actually resulted from a true story. On 16 June, 1997 a news item came over the radio of an incident that happened in Saudi Arabia. This is the true incident: [[A Saudi-Arabian woman ...read more

Scripture: John 20:26-27, Zechariah 13:6, Isaiah 53:5

Tags: Hands And Feet Pierced, Saudi Arabia

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[133]. A Message From A Poem – I Am The Son Who Is Blessed

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jul 17, 2025

[133]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – I AM THE SON WHO IS BLESSED This poem has as its basis the parable of the Lost Son sometimes called The Prodigal Son. The first two stanzas are set when the lost son returns home. He was lost because he was lost to sin and the degradation of that lifestyle. Luke ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:20-24, 1 Corinthians 2:9

Tags: Heaven, Blessing, Christian Poems, Ring On The Finger, Fattened, Robe, Entering Heaven, The Prodigal Son, The Lost Son, Sandals, Christian Poetry  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[166]. A Message From A Poem – Know Jesus – Know Comfort And Peace

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Aug 15, 2025

[166]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – KNOW JESUS – KNOW COMFORT AND PEACE Obviously, the connection here is a vital one, and it’s an eternal one. Those who know Jesus should be living in comfort and peace. That needs defining. Comfort is not the comfort of materialism by having a great home with ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:1, Romans 3:17, Isaiah 48:22, 2 Corinthians 1:3-7, Acts 9:31  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Peace With God, Wicked, God Of All Comfort, Christian Poems, Holy Spirit, Peace, Comfort  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational