In Sermon Illustrations: "Over Thinking"

A Contentious Spirit - Speaking Strife

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Feb 11, 2025

Here’s a fun fact: You don’t actually have to correct someone when they’re wrong. Shocking, I know! There’s no official appointment letter naming you Earth’s Guardian of Truth and Accuracy. (If there is, it probably got lost in the mail.) Sometimes, it’s okay to just let it go—yes, even if they ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 21:9, Proverbs 26:21

Tags: Contentious, Strife, Contentious Spirit

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Bug! Bug! Where’s The Bug?

Contributed by James Snyder on Nov 14, 2020

As far back as I can remember, every time I would leave the house, the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage would say, "Be careful. Drive safely." It’s as though she doesn’t think I could drive carefully without giving me some instructions. I think it has become just a routine for ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:12

Tags: Mistakes, Together, Harmony

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

What Would The World Be Without Apple Fritters?

Contributed by James Snyder on Apr 24, 2021

Stress is not something new in my life or anybody else's, for that matter. The thing about stress is that you never get used to it, or at least I don't. I don't know what I would do if one week I had no stress at all. When that happens, I'll let you know. This past week has not ...read more

Scripture: John 16:33

Tags: Stress, Pleasure

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

I May Be A Knucklehead, But I'm Not Insane

Contributed by James Snyder on May 15, 2021

Nobody is perfect except maybe the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage comes close. I've never caught her in some imperfection, or if I had, nobody would know it from me. There is such an obsession today for people to be perfect. And, of course, their definition of perfect is what they are. ...read more

Scripture: Amos 3:3

Tags: Humor, Family, Agreement

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

What The World Needs Today Are Fathers

Contributed by James Snyder on Jun 18, 2022

There is much talk today about what’s wrong with our society. That list is pretty long, but the most important cause of problems in our culture today is the lack of fathers. So many children grow up without a father in the home. How tragic. I was fortunate enough to know my father. My father ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 23:24

Tags: Father, Family, Authority

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Can We Love Someone We Find Unloving? Galatians ...

Contributed by Clifford Good on Jul 18, 2008

Can we love someone we find unloving? Galatians 5:13-14 says that we are given freedom to serve one another in love. Whenever I take a trip I come home with lots of stories that come out of the things I see and the people I meet. Here is a story from the last trip to highlight this point about ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:13-14

Tags: Love Of The Disciples

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Do I Need To Repeat That?

Contributed by James Snyder on Jul 30, 2022

Of all the holidays during the year that I like, my birthday is at the bottom of the list. Now that I'm at my current age, I prefer not to be reminded that I'm getting older. All a birthday does for me is tell me I'm just getting older. Who wants to be reminded of that? Then, the worst ...read more

Scripture: Romans 10:17

Tags: Unity, Hearing

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

My Tok Doesn’t Always Tik

Contributed by James Snyder on Feb 15, 2025

Dr. James L. Snyder Throughout my life, I have always lived on a schedule. Every day is devoted to certain tasks, and it has worked for me so far. I know what day it is by what I am doing that day. Unlike The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage, I cannot multitask. I have to do one thing at a ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:15-16

Tags: Schedule, Planning

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Bob Russell Shared That Several Months Before ...  PRO

Contributed by Michael Demastus on Oct 22, 2001

*Bob Russell shared that several months before they moved into their new church building in 1998, their ministry staff met at the new site for a special staff meeting. Most of the building still wasn’t carpeted, and some of the rooms still had no drywall. They handed out hard hats, magic markers, ...read more

Scripture: Nehemiah 1:1-11

Tags: Bible Influence

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Give Me Liberty  PRO

Contributed by Michael Gibney on Aug 7, 2002

GIVE ME LIBERTY March 23, 1775. A man with his eternal perspective addressed the House of representatives and said, “ No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as abilities, of the very worthy gentlemen who have just addressed the House. But different men often see the same ...read more

Tags: God's Omniscience, Independence Day

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Ruth Axsom Is A Dear Friend Of Ours And She ...  PRO

Contributed by Timothy Smith on Oct 12, 2002

Ruth Axsom is a dear friend of ours and she relates this true story of her father that I think it illustrates so well what we’ve been discussing this morning. Ruth’s father, Robert Eason was 8 years old when he lost his father, John Eason. It is hard to lose your father at any time but Robert ...read more

Tags: Promises Of God, God's Forgiveness, God's Provision

Denomination: Christian Church

I'm A Different Person  PRO

Contributed by Clark Tanner on Jul 27, 2003

I'M A DIFFERENT PERSON “…that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind…” When I still lived in California, and for a while was selling cars until I repented, I worked with a very lovely young woman named Sheri. We became good friends, because we were hired very close to the same time. She ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:1-2, Colossians 3:12-17

Tags: Disciplines Meditation, Call Of The Disciples

Denomination: Orthodox

Living The Impossible Dream!" Job 40: 1-5: Key ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Aug 3, 2004

“Living the Impossible Dream!” Job 40: 1-5: Key verse(s): 2 “‘Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!’” Sooner or later everyone reads or hears about Cervantes’ story of Don Quixote. Cervantes is thrown in prison in Seville. Finding himself ...read more

Scripture: Job 39:1-5

Tags: Endurance

Denomination: Lutheran

A Fair Piece To Go!" Zechariah 12:10-14 Key ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on May 16, 2005

“A Fair Piece to Go!” Zechariah 12:10-14 Key verse(s) 10:“And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication.” Restlessness! When we were children it was not unusual for us to be restless. In fact, it was that restlessness that often got ...read more

Scripture: Zechariah 12:10-14

Tags: Holy Spirit Attributes, Holy Spirit In Believers, Cleansing

Denomination: Lutheran

Bob Had Been A Christian For About 6 Years And ...  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Willis on Jan 2, 2007

Bob had been a Christian for about 6 years and had come to Dallas to head up a major city wide evangelistic campaign, hosting a daily radio program and working with some of the largest churches in America. He was beginning to think he was close to reaching the ultimate in Christian maturity - ...read more

Tags: Hope, Despair, Restoration

Denomination: Baptist

Training Of Arabian ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 5, 2009

Training of Arabian Horses The gospel we as Christ-followers are called to proclaim requires that we make sacrifices and at times even suffer a bit, but because of what Christ has already done, the return on such sacrifices is enormous! God’s Kingdom is glorified and expanded! With that in mind, I ...read more

Scripture: Luke 6:40

Tags: Discipleship

Ever Been Bothered By People?

Contributed by John Herrmann on Mar 25, 2011

EVER BEEN BOTHERED BY PEOPLE? Sometimes church and worship can keep us from the living water people need and that we need. People can actually hide behind church, the machinery of church and worship. Recently I attended a Wednesday Lenten service with my wife in my former church. A stranger - a ...read more

Tags: Unconditional Love

Denomination: Lutheran

I'll Go Back And Tell Them Again.

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 30, 2011

"I'LL GO BACK AND TELL THEM AGAIN." In a book entitled "Jungle Harvest," written by a missionary named Ruby Scott, she describes some of her experiences in reaching a people group known as the Tila Indians who lived in a remote village in the jungles of south Mexico, just north of the Guatemalan ...read more

Scripture: Luke 14:25-35

Tags: Evangelism Urgency

The Parable Of The Dragonfly

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 23, 2011

THE PARABLE OF THE DRAGONFLY Down below the surface of a quiet pond lived a little colony of water bugs. They were a happy colony, living far away from the sun. For many months they were very busy, scurrying over the soft mud on the bottom of the pond. They did notice that every once in a while ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21

Tags: Heaven

Power And Discipline  PRO

Contributed by Jeff Strite on May 5, 2013

POWER AND DISCIPLINE Over here is a wall socket. There is power in that socket. Because of that power, I can plug lamps, fans, microwaves and phone chargers into it and magically empower those devises. I can even plug a car charger into a wall socket and revive a dead car battery (like I’ve had to ...read more

Tags: Experience

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ