In Sermon Illustrations: "Power In Prayer"

Who, In Hell

Contributed by Jim Butcher on Apr 13, 2018

The business meeting at First Baptist was well into its second hour. It had been another cantankerous one. Lots of angry comments, snide remarks, and power plays. And, making it especially sad, the issue on the table wasn’t even an important one. The debate was over a relatively minor recent ...read more

Tags: Evangelism, Hell, Church, Unity, Division, Church Fights  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Man Uses Gun For Backscratcher, Shoots Himself

Contributed by Matt Neace on Jun 19, 2018

Jorge Espinal was drinking beer and playing poker around 3 a.m. on a Sunday morning in his house, when he got up from the table and walked into another room. His poker buddies probably thought, "Oh, well. He has to go to the bathroom or to get something to drink." But while he as in the other ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 38:5-8

Tags: Temptation, Mistakes, Alcohol, Choices

Denomination: Baptist

Propitiation Is Important

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Sep 30, 2019

“In 2012, Getty's hymn "In Christ Alone" was involved in a controversy with the Presbyterian Church (USA) hymnal committee in the creation of their new hymnal "Glory to God". The committee requested permission from Getty and Stuart Townend to use an alternative lyric to the ...read more

Scripture: Romans 3:21-31

Tags: Atonement, Propitiation, Penal, Death Of Christ, Penal Atonement, Solid Doctrine, Standing For Truth  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Coronavirus And Our Need For The Transcendent

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Mar 21, 2020

Children, as Jesus said, Don't be afraid. Your family is probably founded on some kind of faith. Listen to your parents and other adults whom you trust, and know that nearly everyone is working hard to get us through this trouble. ? In fifty years you will remember this crisis as one of the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 14:27

Tags: Fear, Forgiveness, Pandemic, Covid 19

Denomination: Catholic

The Road From Jerusalem To Jericho

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Mar 20, 2022

Jesus told the Parable of the Good Samaritan and said that "a man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho", Matoon explains that "It was on this road where the victim was mugged. This road was about 17 miles long and it was a very dangerous path to travel. It was steep. Jerusalem ...read more

Tags: Jerusalem, Jericho, Parables, Kindness, Good Samaritan  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Let Me Get A Fry?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 20, 2022

Once upon a time, last week, I picked up my son after football and he was hungry. So he and I stop at Burger King to pick up a snack. Well, I bought my son two of his basic food groups, Chicken Nuggets, and French Fries. After going through the drive-through, and tossing the bag of food in the ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 24:1

Tags: Giving, Tithes, Offerings

God Can Destroy Everything On Earth!

Contributed by Paul Clemente on Nov 12, 2022

Genesis 7:17-24 See Hebrews 11:7 – What can we learn from this? - faith includes God's instructions and obedience God gave Noah a huge task (almost an impossibility to load up all sorts of animals and necessities in 7 days!) We do not note God indicating to Noah that God was going to help, ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 7:17-24

Tags: Judgement, Grace, God, Flood, Noah  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Hope Ain't Hoping

Contributed by John Bright on May 27, 2023

I want to give you a shorthand way of remembering the difference between the hope in our Bibles and the hope out in the world. Hope ain’t hoping. Today, folks plan outside events and say, “I sure hope it doesn’t rain.” Every Sunday, some folks may show up here and say, “I sure hope PJ doesn’t ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:3-5

Tags: Faith, Hope, Hoping

Denomination: Methodist

Whose Are You?

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Jul 5, 2023

Do you remember, how once in the gospel, the Pharisees, trying to trap Jesus, came with that question about paying your tax? And how he asked them, “Show me the coin used for paying the tax." And how then he asked: "Whose portrait is it?" And how they answered, "It bears the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 22:21

Tags: Image, Caesar, Debts, Jesus The Stranger, Joseph G Donders, Money  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Warmth In Cold Thoughts: Finding Spiritual Resilience In Challenging

Contributed by Jung Lee on Jan 21, 2024

"As I made my way to work amidst the severe cold, a sharp contrast to the warm, southern climes of Mississippi where I spent over a decade, the wind felt like it was slicing through my skin. In these freezing moments, as my pace quickened, almost to a run, my thoughts instinctively turned to ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:8

Tags: Mental Focus, Positive Thinking, Divine Guidance, Warmth, Christian Strength, Overcoming Challenges, Spiritual Resilience, Endurance, Hope, God's Grace, Cold  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

When Darkness Is Mentioned In The Bible

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Apr 6, 2024

In the Bible, darkness is a powerful metaphor that carries both physical and spiritual significance. Let’s explore its various meanings: Physical Darkness: Genesis 1:4: God separated light from darkness during the creation of the world. Darkness represents the absence of light, ...read more

Tags: Evil, Satan, End Times, Prophecy, Judgment, Last Days, Darnkness, Rapture, Signs, Return Of Christ, Spiritual Darkness, Kingdom Of Darkness, Solar Eclipse  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Word Of Encouragement For Discouraged Pastors

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Aug 12, 2024

A great evangelist, Dr. Chapman, has often told an amazing story about himself. He had been in business and became minister of a great church in Philadelphia. One Monday he was more than usually dispirited. (Mondays are hard on pastors!). The Sunday had been a poor one, and he felt, as ministers ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 1:9, Isaiah 40:31

Tags: Faith, Ministry, Hope, Encouragement, Anointing, Discouragement, Pastors, Calling, Quitting, Resigning  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Sharing Your Personal Testimony

Contributed by John Bright on Feb 19, 2025

Preparing Your Personal Testimony - Sharing how you came to know God personally is one of the most powerful ways you can help friends grasp how much God loves us. If someone asked you to share today, would you find it challenging to explain how you came to believe in God, or what he means to ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:15

Tags: Evangelism, Salvation, Testimony

Denomination: Methodist

Mr. Rogers Cardigan

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Apr 13, 2025

We learn how God so loved the world. God sent His Son. He didn’t just say, “I love you.” He showed it. He gave something deeply personal. Something costly. Something that met our greatest need. And in a much smaller, but still powerful way, Fred Rogers—yes, Mister Rogers—modeled that kind of ...read more

Scripture: John 13:34

Tags: Love, Give, God Gave, Love Gives, Love Costs  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Resolutions Of Jonathan Edwards  PRO

Contributed by Alan Perkins on Jan 5, 2003

The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God’s help, I do humbly entreat him by his grace to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ’s sake. Remember to read over these Resolutions once a week. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:5

Tags: Discipleship, New Year's Day

Denomination: Baptist

May 5, 2004 "You Can Walk Boy!" John 16: 19-24 ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 4, 2004

May 5, 2004 “You Can Walk Boy!” John 16: 19-24 Key verse(s): 21 “‘A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world.’” Why do Christians have to suffer? If I had ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:1-11

Tags: Hardship Of Life

Just As We Are!" Exodus 14:13-14 Key Verse(S) ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Apr 29, 2005

“Just As We Are!” Exodus 14:13-14 Key verse(s) 14:“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Keeping a positive outlook on life is pretty hard when nothing much positive seems to be happening in your life. Let’s face it, when things are going bad, really bad, there is nothing worse ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 14:13-14

Tags: Disappointment

Denomination: Lutheran

Is The Church On The Endangered List?  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Aug 18, 2006

** IS THE CHURCH ON THE ENDANGERED LIST? Many Americans are on a spiritual quest. This should be good news for the church. But, according to researchers, many of them are choosing noninstitutional forms of religion. A recent poll by Gallup shows that weekly church attendance is holding steady at ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 71:18

Tags: Sanctuary, Church General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A "Conquering" Faith

Contributed by Ken Pell on Jan 31, 2011

A "CONQUERING" FAITH The following story comes from Hank Hanegraaff's book, "The Last Disciple" (which refers to the Apostle John, the last one of the 12 to die). It is set within the historical context of first century Rome's persecution of the church. Leah is the sister of a young Christian ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:28-37

Tags: Persecution

Denomination: Nazarene

Unintentionally Humorous Texts: Look What I Just Made!

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Mar 27, 2024

Introduction: Idols, man-made objects of worship, have been around and have been used for thousands of years. These items were made out of stone, clay, various metals, as well as wood. Now imagine the carpenters or other craftsmen who made these objects, knowing what they had made, and what they ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 44:12-17

Tags: Isaiah, Idols, Types Of Trees

Denomination: Baptist