In Sermon Illustrations: "Parable Lost Son"

A Young Musician's Concert Was Poorly Received By ...  PRO

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Oct 18, 2000

A young musician’s concert was poorly received by the critics. The famous Finnish composer Jean Sibelius consoled him by patting him on the shoulder and saying, ’Remember, son, there is no city in the ...read more

Tags: Endurance, Disappointment

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

It Is Hard To Understand How God The Father ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

It is hard to understand how God the Father could abandon his only begotten Son, but “the only solution of the mystery is this, Jesus Christ was forsaken of God ...read more

Tags: Cross Agony

No One Can Be A Member Of The Christian ...

Contributed by Charles Wallis on Mar 10, 2009

"No one can be a member of the Christian fellowship who does not acknowledge Jesus as Christ and the Son of God and who does not love the brothers in obedience to the Lord." ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ

Denomination: Pentecostal

There Was A Church That Had A Young Lady That Had ...  PRO

Contributed by Dennis Jones on Jun 10, 2003

There was a church that had a young lady that had started attending the church. She had more than a checkered past to say the least. She had turned her life over to the Lord and had dedicated the rest of her life to serving and following Jesus. She had worked very hard to not let her past get in ...read more

Tags: New Creation, God's Provision, God The Father, Forgiveness, Born Again  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Pentecostal

Prodigal Brings Christ Home, Citation: J. ...  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on May 24, 2002

[Prodigal Brings Christ Home, Citation: J. Granger, Sons: A Father’s Love (Word, 1999), quoted in Men of Integrity, Vol. 3, no. 2] My son called. Through years of drug abuse, Scott had stolen from our family, manipulated us, and failed us. It had been a relief not to hear from him for two ...read more

Tags: God's Forgiveness, God's Provision

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

James S. Hewett, Former Pastor Of Saratoga ...  PRO

Contributed by R. David Reynolds on Mar 23, 2008

James S. Hewett, former pastor of Saratoga (California) Presbyterian Church shares this story: “A little boy and his father were driving down a country road on a beautiful spring afternoon. Suddenly out of nowhere a bumblebee flew in the car window. Since the little boy was deathly allergic to ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:22, Luke 24:4-6

Tags: Atonement, Sacrifice, Salvation, New Life, Apostles General  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Methodist

In The Book, "Men Of Integrity" Mark Moring ...

Contributed by Paul Carlson on Feb 20, 2009

In the book, “Men of Integrity” Mark Moring shared this story about his son, Peter. He said, “It was late, and my young sons, Peter and Paul, had been in bed for at least an hour. My wife and I had just returned from our Bible study group, and I snuck into the boys’ room to say good night. "Dad, ...read more

Tags: Words

Denomination: Baptist

Pastor Florescu, Jesus ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 8, 2009

PASTOR FLORESCU, JESUS FREAK The Communist torturers came towards Pastor Florescu again, this time with red-hot iron pokers. "Who else believes as you do? Give us their names." Florescu would not speak. They had already cut him again and again with knives and beaten him very badly. When he ...read more

Tags: Persecution

Don't Stop Ringing The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 13, 2009

DON’T STOP RINGING THE BELL Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that thou mayest believe, but believe that thou mayest understand. Augustine. A man took his son to the tiny rural community where he grew up. He was disappointed to discover that the little church ...read more

Scripture: Luke 4:18-19

Tags: Revival

Sphere Of Influence

Contributed by Bill Sullivan on Feb 15, 2010

SPHERE OF INFLUENCE There's another interesting definition I want to look at -- it relates to astrodynamics A sphere of influence (SOI) in astrodynamics and astronomy is the spherical region around a celestial body where the primary gravitational influence on an orbiting object is that body. ...read more

Tags: Worldliness

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

What Do You Mean "I Love You"?

Contributed by Bret Toman on Jan 4, 2011

WHAT DO YOU MEAN "I LOVE YOU"? Dennis Rainey interviewed a man who had been stung by his father’s filthy heart, his failure to love. As a boy his dad decided to leave his mom for another woman. The Dad kissed his son on the forehead, said “I love you,” and walked out the door. What could he ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:6

Tags: Christian Love

Denomination: Baptist

Death And Resurrection

Contributed by David Simpson on Jan 15, 2013

Our son, John learned a valuable lesson about death when he was a child. One day he took aim with his new BB gun at a little bird sitting on a limb near our back deck. He aimed and fired and hit his target and the bird collapsed to the ground. Dead. At first there was the excitement of being a ...read more

Scripture: John 14:19

Tags: Death, Resurrection

Denomination: Christian Church

When Things Get Smelly!

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Aug 22, 2021

When I was around eight, we were visiting some cousins out on the farm and as all kids back then we played tag. I went zipping around the barn and stepped in a slick patty. I fell, slid and rolled through a copious amount of bovine excrement. When I was able to stand up I went to the porch and ...read more

Scripture: Ezekiel 16:4-12

Tags: Love, Forgiveness, Stink

Denomination: Baptist

[025] A Message From A Poem - Balance Of God’s Attributes

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Feb 9, 2025

[025] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - BALANCE OF GOD’S ATTRIBUTES One area where it takes deeper study to understand, is the attributes of God. The attributes are what is the completeness in God and they are many. It is what God is. We speak about love and mercy and compassion, but we also have ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 85:10-11, Exodus 34:5-7, Hebrews 2:17

Tags: Love, Forgiveness, Faithful, Judgment, Balance, Merciful, Attributes, Penalty, Poetry, Attributes Of God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[051]. Message From A Poem – Convention Hymn – From The Old To The New

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 7, 2025

[051]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – CONVENTION HYMN (WRITTEN THEN) – FROM THE OLD TO THE NEW This was written during the Easter Keswick Convention at Atherton on the Atherton Tablelands in North Queensland, in the spare time I had there with all the organisation to do. These Conventions are ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:20-21, Romans 13:11-14, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 2:1-3

Tags: Salvation, Hymn, Hope, Redemption, Poetry, Poem  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Unsung Heroines-Rizpah

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Jun 3, 2022

Introduction: Rizpah is only mentioned in a couple of places in the Bible. We don’t know much about her aside from this tremendous act of love she demonstrated in this story. Text: 2 Samuel 21:8-11, KJV: 8 But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bare unto Saul, ...read more

Scripture: 2 Samuel 21:8-11

Tags: Famine, Gibeonites, Rizpah, Unsung Heroines

Denomination: Baptist

Upon Leaving Church One Morning, Our Pastor Asked ...

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Dec 24, 2003

Upon leaving church one morning, our Pastor asked our 4 year old son "if the Devil ever tells him to do bad things"? He ...read more

Tags: Temptation General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

How Completely Satisfying To Turn From Our ...  PRO

Contributed by Curtis Kittrell on Apr 17, 2002

“How completely satisfying to turn from our limitations to a God who has none.… For those out of Christ, time is a devouring beast; before the sons of the new creation, ...read more

Tags: God's Omnipotence, Church Body Of Christ

Denomination: Pentecostal

The Wise ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 6, 2008

The Wise Fool There is an old, corny story about the young man who was the first in his family to go to college. In fact, he was the first in his small town to go to college. And so when he came home after his freshman year, he was the apple of his father’s eye. His dad, who had never in his life ...read more

Tags: Wisdom

An Epiphany On Generosity

Contributed by Todd Catteau on Jun 23, 2023

I recently drove my adult son to the airport for a trip he was taking with some friends. He lives in Arkansas but was flying out of DFW, so he drove to our home in Denison to spend a little time with us. While he was gone I drove his car a few times just to make sure it was running well. I guess ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:7, James 1:17

Tags: Generous, Steward, Giving, Stewardship, Give, Generosity, Selflessness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ