In Sermon Illustrations: "Persecuted Christian"

Looking Well Ahead

Contributed by Andrew Moffatt on Jul 14, 2010

LOOKING WELL AHEAD I once did this driving course called an anti-skid driving course. One of the really valuable learnings that I got out of it was that when you drive, you should drive with your eyes looking well ahead maybe a couple of hundred metres ahead, not on the car just in front of you, ...read more

Tags: Future

Denomination: Salvation Army

I'll Miss The Challenge

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 2, 2010

I'LL MISS THE CHALLENGE A certain rabbi was adored by his community; everyone was always delighted with what he had to say. All, that is, except for Isaac, who never missed an opportunity to contradict the rabbi's point of view and point out flaws in his teachings. The others were disgusted with ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 28:23

Tags: Character

Not In Vain

Contributed by Stephen Wright on Apr 9, 2011

NOT IN VAIN In Washington, a Sunday school class was disrupted by a boy who wouldn’t behave. He also kept the other children from paying attention. The faithful teacher became discouraged and felt that his efforts were in vain. The mischievous youngster grew to manhood and travelled west, where he ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

God Wants To Live In Your House

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 9, 2011

GOD WANTS TO LIVE IN YOUR HOUSE C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity: "Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew that those jobs ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:4-5

Tags: Sanctification

Church As A Spectator Sport

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 5, 2011

CHURCH AS A SPECTATOR SPORT A British pastor and author made this observation a few years ago. I think it’s still accurate. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones said, "Men and women no longer...exercise in sport as they used to. Instead, people tend to sit in crowds and just watch other people play. ...And I ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-16, 1 Corinthians 12:27

Tags: Church Practices

Lessons From A Banana Tree

Contributed by Michael Walther on Aug 8, 2011

LESSONS FROM A BANANA TREE I once learned an interesting lessons from a retired pastor who grew banana trees in his backyard. Bananas will grow in our hot and humid Southern Illinois summers. But the season isn't long enough for them to produce much fruit. Some people tried to overcome this by ...read more

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Denomination: Lutheran

The Holy Spirit Compared To Hydroelectric ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 9, 2012

THE HOLY SPIRIT COMPARED TO HYDROELECTRIC POWER As Christians we may be compared with a reservoir for producing electrical power, like one of those you see when you drive to Niagara Falls. When we accept Christ, construction of our reservoir is complete. We now have the potential to be useful and ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:8

Tags: Holy Spirit In Believers

Grits And Grace

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 10, 2012

GRITS AND GRACE How blessed is the person whose sin God does not take into account. Even if you don’t deserve it; God provides for you. True story. Two pastors were on their way to Atlanta, Georgia for a large Christian men’s gathering. One of them had never been in the south before. After ...read more

Scripture: Acts 15:6-11

Tags: Grace

Worship In The Thrill And The Agony

Contributed by K. Edward Skidmore on Sep 25, 2012

WORSHIP IN THE THRILL AND THE AGONY The 2012 Olympics gave a great illustration of how Christians can trust God in the thrill of victory AND the agony of defeat. If you watched the Olympics, you probably saw Gabby Douglas's big smile. When she won the Individual Gold in gymnastics. She said, "I ...read more

Tags: Worship General

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Francis Chan's Servant Witness

Contributed by Bret Toman on Oct 31, 2012

FRANCIS CHAN'S SERVANT WITNESS Francis Chan was flying to Africa and seated next to him was a man who happened to be a Muslim. So they were talking about what they believed and the man said "Ya, I know some Christians and I hear their message and it turns me off. I’m not interested." So the ...read more

Tags: Servanthood

Denomination: Baptist

The Relationship We Share

Contributed by Davon Huss on Jun 2, 2014

While many people hunger for family closeness, we often miss the opportunities that stand immediately before us. Tammy Harris of Roanoke, Virginia, began searching for her biological mother when she turned 21. A year of searching proved fruitless. Tammy did not realize, however, that her ...read more

Scripture: Mark 3:34-35

Tags: Family, Church Family

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Quotes On Suffering For Christ

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 4, 2021

There is a certain kind of maturity that can be attained only through the discipline of suffering. - D. A. Carson Do not kick against suffering, for in so doing you may be fighting against God. - Spurgeon Life without struggle and difficulty is thin and tasteless. How can a noble life be ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:10-12

Tags: Pain, Spiritual Warfare, Discipleship, Suffering, Take Up Your Cross  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Don't Wait For A Cyclone To Preach The Word!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 25, 2021

A.W. Tozer once said, "I heard of one graduate of a theological school who determined to follow his old professor’s advice and preach the Word only. His crowds were average. Then one day a cyclone hit the little town and he yielded to the temptation to preach on the topic, “Why God Sent A ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Timothy 4:1-3

Tags: Preaching, Pastors, Churches, The Word Of God

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

C S Lewis - The Choice

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Sep 19, 2022

I am trying here to prevent anyone from saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Jesus. “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God.” That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things ...read more

Scripture: John 14:1-6, Philippians 2:5-11, Colossians 1:15

Tags: Jesus, Jesus Divinity, Nature Of Jesus, Moral Teacher

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Be Doers Of The Word

Contributed by Brad Beaman on Oct 8, 2022

There is a made-up story about a man who had a dream about heaven. The story is not true but the point it illustrates is true. In this story a man had a dream he died and went to heaven. He toured heaven and it was marvelous just as he imagined it would be. He sees mansions, streets of gold and ...read more

Scripture: James 1:19-25

Tags: Doing, Great Sermons, Doers Of The Word, Practical Faith, Not Hearers Only, Do What It Says, James On Doing  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

He's A Liar!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jul 2, 2023

A missionary to the American Indians was in Los Angeles with an Indian friend who was a new Christian. As they walked down the street, they passed a man on the corner who was preaching with a Bible in his hand. The missionary knew the man represented a cult, but the Indian saw only the Bible. He ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 4:1-5, John 17:17, 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Tags: Spirit Of Error, Satan, Discernment, Truth, False Teachers, False Teaching, Spirits, Holy Spirit  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Three Types Of Suffering

Contributed by John Bright on Feb 25, 2025

“Wesley adopted a traditional Christian distinction between types of suffering: natural, moral, and penal. People suffer because of disease and natural disaster; people suffer because other people harm them; and people suffer because they are punished for wrongdoing. (Natural Suffering) Wesley ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:17

Tags: Suffering, Moral, Natural, Penal

Denomination: Methodist

The Church Is Not Selfish - President Kennedy Quote

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Dec 9, 2025

Our society ... the world in which we live ... is a self-first ... a self-oriented society. The big question ... often asks by those in the world is ... "What's in it for me?" or "How will I benefit from this?" However, ... we as followers of the Christ ... are a new ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:4, James 3:8-10, John 13:15, Philippians 2:1-11

Tags: Body, Self, Selfish, Individual, Benefit, Caring, Spirit  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Anglican

[195]. Message From A Poem – Not In Degrees Or Pedigrees But On Your Knees

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Sep 10, 2025

[195]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – NOT IN DEGREES OR PEDIGREES BUT ON YOUR KNEES One thing that used to frustrate me in teaching was to see really good teachers who did not get recognition because they did not have a string of degrees. The Education Department thinks the more qualifications, the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 2:4-8, Acts 4:13, 2 Timothy 2:15

Tags: Apostle Peter, Poison, Equipped, Qualifications, Academic Degrees, Pedigrees, Holy Spirit, Pride, Appointment, Ability  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[043] A Message From A Poem – Christ Upholds The Battling One

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 3, 2025

[043] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – CHRIST UPHOLDS THE BATTLING ONE (Longer Introduction) Do you face battles? Do trials and opposition buffet you and make the way ahead very hard? This poem partly addresses that. Well there is good news for you. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Your Saviour goes with you all ...read more

Scripture: John 10:2, John 10:11, John 10:14, 2 Timothy 3:12

Tags: Battling, Mary Stevenson, Comfort, Dreams, Poetry, Burdens, Footprints In The Sand, I Had A Dream, Grace  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational