In Sermon Illustrations: "Powerful Name"

There's Always Hope  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 25, 2009

THERE'S ALWAYS HOPE Ever felt like your life was the most unlucky of all? No matter what, the human spirit can be an amazing thing. Take for example the case of Larry Hanratty, who was named by the Los Angeles Times in 2007 the most unlucky man in California. This poor man was nearly executed to ...read more

Scripture: Lamentations 3:19-30

Tags: God Brings Hope

Homeless Man Comes Home To His ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 1, 2010

Homeless Man Comes Home to His Mother In 1988 there was a story in the LA Times entitled “A Mother’s Search for Russell Love.” It told of a woman in Houston named Beverly Elliott. She had not seen her son, Russell Love, for four years and had not heard from him in two years; but she knew he was ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:11-32

Tags: Parable Prodigal Son

Holiness And Red Buttons  PRO

Contributed by Mark Stepherson on Aug 6, 2011

HOLINESS AND RED BUTTONS In studying holiness as a prayer key, I got bogged down with trying to understand it. I had an even harder time trying to explain it. I felt like the Red Buttons character in the movie, "Hatari." In that movie, John Wayne led a team of hunters in Africa capturing wild ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 2:8, Matthew 22:15-22

Tags: Holy, Prayer, Holiness

Denomination: Baptist

Hate The Politics, Not The Person

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Oct 29, 2011

HATE THE POLITICS, NOT THE PERSON In his book, The Life God Blesses, Gordon MacDonald describes his encounter with a black South African, a high-ranking member of the African National Congress. He was profoundly impressed by the man's understanding of African history and politics and his insight ...read more

Tags: Discipleship

Denomination: Anglican

Love Is Face To Face

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Jul 6, 2012

LOVE IS FACE-TO-FACE By Erwin Raphael McManus in SOUL CRAVINGS – PREQUEL, pp. 28ff: "I once met a girl named Kim, and I fell in love. I pursued her with my love and pursed her with my love until I felt my love had captured her heart. So I asked her to be my wife, and she said no." I could feel ...read more

Tags: God's Love, Galilee, Feeding 5000, Five Thousand

Denomination: Independent/Bible

If ...

Contributed by Joe Bertone on Aug 1, 2012

IF ONLY There was a great Scotch writer and historian in the nineteenth century named Thomas Carlyle. He married a woman, who’d worked as his secretary named Jane Welsh. But Carlyle was dedicated to his writing so he didn’t spend much time with her. He just mostly wrote. At one point she became ...read more

Scripture: James 4:13-17

Tags: Death, Remorse, Parable Ten Virgins, Regret

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Covetousness And The Emperor's New Grove

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 3, 2013

COVETOUSNESS AND THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROVE In Disney's thirty-ninth animated film, "The Emperor's New Groove," self-proclaimed "King of the World" Kuzco (COOS-coh), who had an evil female advisor named Yzma (EEZ-muh), made plans to demolish an entire village to build a new water park. At the highest ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 21:1-29

Tags: Greed

A Teaching On Hospitality  PRO

Contributed by Richard L. Brown on Oct 1, 2016

My wife’s grandmother was a real character. Her name was Ora Gee Craycraft . Everyone in the family just called her Mom. She was a loving lady, always smiling, full of compassion, always putting others before herself. Her strong suit was nurturing. If you were sick, or someone hurt your ...read more

Scripture: Luke 14:1-14, Hebrews 13:2

Tags: Compassion, Practicing Faith, Faith And Obedience

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Great Endurance Produces Great Reward

Contributed by Charlie Roberts on Jun 23, 2019

I’m reminded of the story of a man born in the late 1800s. One of several children being the oldest, took care of the younger children and began to cook for them at a young age of seven yrs old. His father died when he was young leaving him even more responsibility. He worked many jobs in his ...read more

Scripture: James 1:2

Tags: Endurance, Faithfulness, Reward

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Timothy: Paul Called Him A "Man Of God”

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Jul 2, 2020

Text: 1 Tim 6:11 But thou, O man of God (Timothy), flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Thoughts: we know at least a few things about Timothy, as recorded in the New Testament. He was from Lystra, a city in Asia Minor (Acts 16:1, this city ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:11, Acts 16:1, 2 Timothy 1:7, Hebrews 13:23

Tags: Paul, Man Of God, Timothy

Denomination: Baptist

Seeking God

Contributed by Richard L. Brown on Aug 6, 2023

“Seeking God” Isaiah 55: 1-9 08/06/23 When my grandson Isaiah was three years old, he had a problem of wandering off and hiding. One day my daughter Maeghan and my wife Becky were shopping at a local mall and of course, he slipped off. All of a sudden, they realized he was missing. They ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 55:1-9, Luke 11:9, Jeremiah 29:13, Deuteronomy 4:29-31

Tags: Seeking God, Obeying God

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Leave Behind The Past, Reach For The Future

Contributed by Saumiman Saud on Feb 18, 2025

LEAVE BEHIND THE PAST, REACH FOR THE FUTURE Heavenly Father, I thank You for giving me the opportunity to enter a new year. May I love and serve You diligently, Father. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Philippians 3:13-14 "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:13-14

Tags: Future, Past

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[272]. A Poem Message – The Infant Christ Has Come (Christmas) (Version 1)

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 23, 2026

[272]. A POEM MESSAGE – THE INFANT CHRIST HAS COME (Christmas) (Version 1) Most Christians think of the Nativity at Christmas time but it ought not be like that. In one way the birth of Christ; His ministry; His death, burial and resurrection; and His ascension, are all equal in importance for ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:6-7, Philippians 2:10-11

Tags: Christmas, Jesus Christ Is Lord, Manger Scene, The Nativity, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, The Infant Christ, Babe In The Manger  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[273]. Poem Message – The Infant Christ Has Come (Christmas) (Version 2)

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 23, 2026

[273]. A POEM MESSAGE – THE INFANT CHRIST HAS COME (Christmas) (Version 2) Most Christians think of the Nativity at Christmas time but it ought not be like that. In one way the birth of Christ; His ministry; His death, burial and resurrection; and His ascension, are all equal in importance ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:6-7, Philippians 2:10-11

Tags: Manger Scene, The Nativity, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, The Infant Christ, Babe In The Manger, Christmas, Jesus Christ Is Lord  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Bear And The Atheist  PRO

Contributed by Brent Williams on Jun 1, 2001

The Bear and the Atheist An atheist was walking through the woods looking at the beautiful trees and flower that had just bloomed. Because he was an atheist he couldn’t thank anyone for the beautiful landscape that he was witnessing. As he was gazing at the sky he saw a bear running toward him, ...read more

Tags: Creation, Apologetics God, Prayer Adoration

Denomination: Baptist

Body Of Christ, Citation: Billy Waters, Teacher ...  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Jul 5, 2001

[Body of Christ, Citation: Billy Waters, Teacher Touch (Colorado Springs: Cook, 1999)] After an accident in which she lost her arm, a girl named Jamie refused to go to school or church for an entire year. Finally the young teen thought she could face her peers. In preparation, her mother called ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ, Children

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Of Woman On Phone. The Telephone ...  PRO

Contributed by Ian Biss on Oct 16, 2001

Illustration of woman on phone. The telephone rings, and the young mother answers. "Honey, it’s mom. I called because I know that you’re busy with the three children, and I want to give you some help. I’m going to stop by to clean the house, take care of the baby, and prepare dinner for when the ...read more

Tags: Emotions, God Brings Hope

Denomination: Grace Brethren

A Sinking Ship  PRO

Contributed by Tony Britt on Jan 23, 2002

A SINKING SHIP Back in the days of steam ships, only rich white people sailed at sea. One day while sailing, something suddenly happened to the ship and it was about to sink. Terrified, the white folks aboard didn’t know what to do. Someone suggested that they do what the black folks ...read more

Tags: Taste, Racism

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

That Question Went Through The Minds Of Daryl And ...  PRO

Contributed by Ryan Johnson on Mar 6, 2002

That question went through the minds of Daryl and Clarita Gusstafson? This God loving, dedicated Christian couple was infertile for many years, despite exhaustive medical tests and procedures. They prayed consistently for God to grant them the privilege of bringing a child into the world, but the ...read more

Tags: Disappointment, Emotions, Hardship Of Life

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Cradles Of Eminence  PRO

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Mar 19, 2002

CRADLES OF EMINENCE In a famous study by Victor and Mildred Goertzel, entitled Cradles of Eminence, the home backgrounds of 300 highly successful people were investigated. These 300 subjects had made it to the top. They were men and women whose names everyone would recognize as brilliant in ...read more

Tags: God's Forgiveness, God Brings Hope

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ