In Sermon Illustrations: "Power Of One"

Whatever Happened To Hell??

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Apr 18, 2022

Though it’s a frequently used word in the English language, it’s one of the least talked about. It’s used as an exclamation, an interjection, and a noun. What word is it? Hell. Pollsters tell us that most people who use the word don’t believe in the existence of Hell. While 90 percent of Americans ...read more

Tags: Evangelism, Hell, Death, Sin, Satan, Truth, Judgment, Last Days, Liberalism  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Some Thoughts About Gifts

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Nov 26, 2022

Text, 2 Corinthians 9:15, KJV: 15 Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. Thoughts: This is about the closest verse I can find to use as a text for this illustration. There may be others but please remember that God’s greatest gift ever was His Son, Jesus! Now I’ll share the illustration ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:15

Tags: Love, Gifts

Denomination: Baptist

Unsung Heroes-The Lad Who Helped Samson

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Feb 24, 2023

Introduction: The story of Samson is one of the saddest in the Bible. He started off well but ended his days as a captive of the Philistines, Israel’s greatest enemy at the time. Even then, there was an unsung hero who helped him when Samson couldn’t help himself. Text: Judges 16:23-26, KJV: 23 ...read more

Scripture: Judges 16:23-26

Tags: Samson, Philistines, Unsung Heroes

Denomination: Baptist

Unsung Heroes-Aquila And Priscilla

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Aug 12, 2023

Introduction: This couple is only mentioned a few times in the New Testament, but with each mention it’s clear they were serving the Lord. They are truly unsung heroes of the Bible! 1 Ministering with Paul in Corinth Text: Acts 18:1-3. KJV 1 After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came ...read more

Scripture: Acts 18:1-3, Acts 18:18-21

Tags: Priscilla, Aquila, Unsung Heroes

Denomination: Baptist

An Amusing Sight!

Contributed by Loyd C. Taylor on Sep 2, 2023

An Amusing Sight! Use as an Icebreaker. Ron, Billy, a Dodge Truck and a Red Lawnmower Humorous story, in which you can change the names to fit a couple of guys from your congregation. Make sure you get their permission to joke about them. We know how thin skinned some people are. Lead in... As you ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 17:22, Job 8:21, Psalm 65:12-13, Psalm 96:12, Proverbs 15:13, Proverbs 31:25  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Laughter, Icebreaker, Funny Story, Trucks, Bikes, Lighten Up, Joy, Humor  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Misapplied Scriptures, Numbers 5:11ff: Abortion?

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Sep 27, 2023

Introduction: By now we’ve seen a few examples where selected (!) Scriptures are taken out of context and used in ways the writers never intended. There are some people who flat-out either twist or attempt to misapply the Scriptures in a much more devious way. They’ll take or quote a passage that, ...read more

Scripture: Numbers 5:11-31

Tags: Spirit Of Jealousy, Abortion, Adultery, Misapplied Scriptures

Denomination: Baptist

Encourage: Plant A Tree

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Mar 6, 2024

There was a man that looked around the barren community where he lived. The man wanted to do something to help the lifeless areas around his community. The man decided there was nothing he could do to help his neighbors. He prayed and asked God to help him help his family and his friends to bring ...read more

Scripture: Jude 1:22, Ezekiel 11:19

Tags: Help, Encourage, Make A Difference

Denomination: Assembly Of God

When I Passed Out Preaching On Death!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Mar 25, 2024

I met Christ as my personal Lord and Savior when I was 15 years old. I had grown up in church and had faithfully gone to church 3 or 4 times per week my whole life......but I did not have a personal relationship with Jesus. After trusting Him as my Savior, I felt that God spoke to my heart ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 9:27

Tags: Death, Heaven, Preaching, Humor, Pastors, Churches, Fainting  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Mr. Welch

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Apr 12, 2024

Stories of pivotal prayers: Story from Tim Elmore “Pivotal Praying” (Page 1): His life’s dream was to be a missionary, and it looked as though it was finally coming true. As the nervous young man sat in the mission’s agency’s office, he assured the interviewer that he and his new bride were ...read more

Tags: Giving, Story, Welch

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[005]. Message From A Poem - A Mirror On The State Of The World

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on May 29, 2024

[005]. MESSAGE FROM A POEM - A MIRROR ON THE STATE OF THE WORLD We are citizens of this world, but we also are citizens of heaven. Those dear souls who are unsaved are just citizen of this world. They have singular citizenship. When we look at the awful political systems the world has, and at ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:18-20, John 16:33

Tags: Authority, Sadness, The World, Sin, Suffering, Mirror, Distress  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Was Jesus Involved In Politics?

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Nov 4, 2024

WAS JESUS INVOLVED IN POLITICS? I hear that all the time as the excuse for Christians not voting. Is that biblically true? I spent hours searching through the Gospels for the truth and found these key teachings that describe Jesus' attitude and involvement toward the issue of government and ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 21:1, John 10:10, Isaiah 9:6

Tags: Jesus, Evil, America, Corruption, Elections, Rulers, Presidents, Politics, Second Coming, Government, Return Of Christ, Voting, Kings  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[026] A Message From A Poem – Based On Psalm 17

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Feb 9, 2025

[026] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – BASED ON PSALM 17 The Psalms are always wonderful. Each one has come from the emotional positions of the writers. They represent worship, praise, request, history, prophecy, and prayer, among other things, such as the great Psalm 119 uplifting the word of ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 17:8-9, Psalm 17:6-7, Psalm 17:15, Psalm 17:12-13

Tags: David, Poetry, Prayers, The Psalms, Song Book, The Apple Of The Eye  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[094]. A Message From A Poem – Forgetting The Past, Look Ahead

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Apr 30, 2025

[094]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – FORGETTING THE PAST, LOOK AHEAD Someone posted to a Christian forum I was on, a four line stanza once, that in effect said that you can not go back and fix the past, i.e. to go back and alter the beginning but you can start from here and make a brand new end. I ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:16, Matthew 11:28-30

Tags: Regret, Hope, Past, End, Failure, Start, Look Ahead  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[152]. A Message From A Poem – Jesus Christ Is All In All In All Matters

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Aug 1, 2025

[152]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – JESUS CHRIST IS ALL IN ALL IN ALL MATTERS This is the only poem I have written this way. It is quite unusual as you see with scattered words that rhyme, and play on words. I think of it as one long thread with all these points hanging from it. I don’t expect ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:23, 1 Corinthians 15:28

Tags: Friend, Christian Poetry, Christian Poem, All In All, Pain, Believe, Gift, Cost  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Failure/ Success

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Sep 13, 2025

DO YOU WANT TO HEAR ABOUT A FAILURE, A BASKET CASE? Let us look at a man experience in failure. 1. At 14 dropped out of school. 2. He got a job working on a farm. The work was hard labor. He hated the farm work. 3. He lied about his age and at 16 he joined the ARMY. He could stand the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 19:26, 2 Chronicles 16:9

Tags: Faith, Effort

Denomination: Assembly Of God

[217]. A Message From A Poem - Placed In Perilous Times

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Oct 3, 2025

[217]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - PLACED IN PERILOUS TIMES Placed in perilous times spells the conditions that often apply to Christians in all ages. The believers in Roman times could very well know that. The Huguenots certainly knew that when hunted down by incited mobs from the French Catholic ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 11:26-27, 2 Timothy 3:1

Tags: A Sure Foundation, Christian Poems, Scriptures Are God Breathed, Persecution, Christianity, Danger, Peril, Unfeigned, A Crown Of Righteousness, Love  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[223]. A Message From A Poem - Our Boast Is In The Lord

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Oct 10, 2025

[223]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - OUR BOAST IS IN THE LORD Last Sunday I preached on this verse - {{Galatians 6:14 “MAY IT NEVER BE THAT I SHOULD BOAST, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”}} Then we looked at how ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:31, Luke 18:10-13, Galatians 6:14

Tags: Boast In The Lord, Christian Poems, Darwall Tune, Paul, Glory, Hymn, Cross, Boasting, Boast  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Be An Encourager, Fathers Day - My Relationship With My Son

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Nov 25, 2025

God the Father ... Loves His Children ... and He is also quick to .... encourage His children. (Long Pause) And ... I learned that ... the hard way. As a father ... you want the best for your children ... you want them to succeed. To succeed ... at everything they do. Kristin ... our first ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 1:9, Ephesians 4:29, Romans 8:38-39, Romans 5:8

Tags: Prayer, Encouragement, Friend, Encourage, Father, Children, Son  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Anglican

Unwanted Donations!?

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Dec 10, 2025

Unwanted Donations!? Introduction: What kinds of materials were needed for Israel to make the Tabernacle? Text, Exodus 36:2-7, KJV: 2 And Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whose heart the LORD had put wisdom, even every one whose heart stirred him up to come unto ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 36:2-7

Tags: Tabernacle, Freewill Offerings, Material Offerings

Denomination: Baptist

[247]. A Message From A Poem – Spiralling Downwards

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 2, 2026

[247]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – SPIRALLING DOWNWARDS There is nothing sadder than to see a light plane on fire and spiralling downwards to the ground. We know that is a tragedy that ends in death. Any spiralling downwards will be a disaster and death. This poem looks at the state of the world ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 60:1-3, Zechariah 14:16-17, Zechariah 14:9

Tags: Immorality, Deep, Spiral, Gross, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, World, Night, Evil, Darkness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational