In Sermon Illustrations: "Practicing Faith"

Doctor Cho: Walking On Water

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Jun 15, 2022

Matthew 14:27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. 28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. 29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 14:27

Tags: Faith, Walk On Water

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Getting The Gospel Right!

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Jul 18, 2022

Martin Niemoeller was a German Pastor during the Nazi era and was imprisoned multiple times for his opposition to Hitler. Niemoeller understood that Hitler was distorting the gospel to serve his political agenda. In April 1945 American forces liberated northern Italy where Niemoeller had been ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 1:9, Romans 1:16, 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, Ephesians 2:8-9

Tags: Faith, Salvation, Gospel

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

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

Stop Look And Listen

Contributed by David Parks on Oct 11, 2023

Stop Look and Listen Early in the 20th century, with the advent of the automobile, the country's largest railroad became concerned about the many collisions at crossings. The company offered $2,500 for the three best words to use on a warning sign. The top prize winner was paid $833 for ...read more

Scripture: Luke 12:15-21, Romans 10:17, Psalm 19:1

Tags: Spirituality, Materialism, Faith

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Why Palm Sunday Is Important

Contributed by Richard L. Brown on Mar 26, 2024

In 1997 I traveled to Pittsburgh to attend a Promise Keepers Meeting at Three Rivers Stadium. Men from the Ashland Area Churches rented a bus and traveled there together. Promise Keepers was created to issue a calling to men to live up to their biblical responsibilities to be good Husbands, ...read more

Scripture: Mark 11:1-11, Isaiah 50:5-7

Tags: Faith, Palm Sunday

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Knowledge Of Jesus

Contributed by Samuel M on May 16, 2024

The knowledge of you (Jesus) changes my understanding of who I am. The words I speak, the way I think, the life I live will radically change when I see you and get to know you Jesus. ‘I’ in me will alter (change or destroy) to become more like you (Jesus). Knowing and seeing you Jesus helps me to ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:8

Tags: Faith, Knowledge Of God

The Journey Of A Black Artist

Contributed by Jessie Manuel on Dec 30, 2024

Consider the journey of a fictional Afro American artist named Maya, who grew up in a neighborhood plagued by inequity. Her early life was fraught with challenges—families losing homes, schools underfunded, and dreams foiled by systemic barriers. However, Maya found solace in art, a channel ...read more

Scripture: Joel 2:25

Tags: Hope, Faithfulness, Restoration

Denomination: Methodist

Little Is Much If ...

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Aug 22, 2025

LITTLE IS MUCH IF GOD IS IN IT --- BY KITTIE L. SUFFIELD, 1924 IN THE HARVEST FIELD NOW RIPENED, THERE IS A WORK FOR ALL TO DO; HARK! THE VOICE OF GOD IS CALLING, TO THE HARVEST CALLING YOU. LITTLE IS MUCH WHEN GOD IS IN IT, LABOR NOT FOR WEALTH OR FAME; THERE IS A CROWN AND YOU CAN WIN IT ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 91:4

Tags: Faith, Little Is Much

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Soul Food

Contributed by David Dunn on Oct 8, 2025

A certain man who had been absent from church for a long time received an inquiring visit from the Pastor. The man told the Pastor, "I've attended nearly every Sunday for 30 years. In that time, I have heard something like 1,500 sermons. In all of those years, people were shouting ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 103:1-5, Isaiah 40:31, John 6:35

Tags: Worship, Faithfulness, Nourishment

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Girolamo Savonarola

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Oct 24, 2025

At the very start of his ministry there, Savonarola noticed an elderly woman who used to come and pray regularily before that statue of the Virgin Mary. One day, he took an elderly priest aside who had been serving in the cathedral for many years and said, "Look how devoted this woman is. ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:9-14

Tags: Girolamo Savonarola, Faith

Denomination: Anglican

Corrie Ten Boom

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Nov 28, 2025

Corrie Ten Boom was a Jew that worked with the underground resistance against Hilter. 6 million died. Corrie, her dad Caspar and sister, BETSY were arrested. They were taken into captivity by the Germans in the Jewish Death Camps. Corrie and her sister were captives. In her book THE HIDING PLACE, ...read more

Scripture: Job 42:10, Matthew 11:28-30

Tags: Faith, Plan, Trust

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Power Steering

Contributed by Kelly Benton on Feb 3, 2026

Before power steering, turning a car was basically CrossFit. Two hands on the wheel. Face red. Whole body involved. You didn’t turn—you wrestled that thing like it owed you money. Then power steering came along. And suddenly a pinky finger could do what used to take a full upper-body workout. Same ...read more

Tags: Faith, Obedience, Power

Denomination: Other

Heart Transplant

Contributed by Kelly Benton on Feb 3, 2026

A heart transplant doesn’t make a sick heart healthier. It removes the failing heart completely and replaces it with a living one. After surgery, the patient doesn’t just act alive— they are alive. They don’t breathe because they’re disciplined. They breathe because they have a new source of life ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17

Tags: Faith, New Creation

Denomination: Other

L.a. Laker Power Guard A.c. Green Is One Example ...  PRO

Contributed by Big Tommy Sirotnak on Apr 25, 2003

L.A. LAKER POWER GUARD A.C. GREEN is one example of a man who will stand for the truth at all costs. I knew A.C. during his rookie season with the Lakers. Like all rookies, he had to endure harassment and practical jokes. As he started to practice one day, a teammate came up to him and told him ...read more

Tags: Sharing My Testimony, Sharing Your Faith

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Albert Barnes - " It Is Not Enough For Salvation ...  PRO

Contributed by Eric Muldoon on Nov 18, 2002

Albert Barnes - " It is not enough for salvation without the benevolent and holy acts to which it would prompt, any more than the good wishes and kind words of the benevolent are enough to satisfy the wants ...read more

Tags: Poverty, Examples Of Faith, Faith Vs. Works, E

Denomination: Holiness

Martin Luther And The Gospel

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Jul 20, 2022

Martin Luther: 1483-1546 In 2017 – the 400th anniversary of the Reformation, I had the privilege to visit Wittenberg, Germany, birthplace of the Reformation. I walked the cobblestone streets, and even toured Luther’s home. The prodigious Martin Luther appeared headed for the legal profession but ...read more

Scripture: Romans 1:17, 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, Galatians 1:1-9

Tags: Faith, Salvation, Gospel, The Cross, Reformation, Justification By Faith  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Importance Of Really Living The Christian ...  PRO

Contributed by Evie Megginson on Jun 28, 2001

The importance of really living the Christian life is illustrated in the life of the famous author Mark Twain. Church leaders were largely to blame for his becoming hostile to the Bible and the Christian faith. As he grew up, he knew elders and deacons who owned slaves and abused them. He heard men ...read more

Tags: Workplace Integrity, Leadership General, Faith

Denomination: Baptist

Those Little Maybe's! (08.12.05--Character ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Aug 11, 2005

Those Little Maybe’s! (08.12.05--Character Counts!--Romans 5: 3-4) A drought tests the metal of a man. It tests his fortitude and his faithfulness. It also tests his resourcefulness and his ingenuity. I come from a long line of “resourceful” folks who seemed to see in every bleak and forlorn ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:3-4

Tags: Perseverance, Character, Diligence, Faith

Denomination: Lutheran

D. L. Moody, The Great Evangelist Of The ...  PRO

Contributed by Lou Nicholes on Apr 6, 2005

D. L. Moody, the great evangelist of the nineteenth century, assigned some ministerial students to conduct evangelistic tent meetings throughout the city of Chicago. The students were to preach nightly sermons as a means of winning souls for Christ and to practice their preaching. Dr. Moody ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:12-19

Tags: Easter Resurrection, Faith, Studying Youth

Denomination: Baptist

E. Stanley Jones Once Said To Mahatma Ghandi: "I ...  PRO

Contributed by John Williams Iii on Mar 19, 2003

"E. Stanley Jones once said to Mahatma Ghandi: "I am very anxious to see Christianity nationalized in India, so it will no longer be a foreign thing identified with a foreign people and a foreign government, but a part of the national life of India contributing its power to India’s uplift and ...read more

Tags: Sharing Your Faith, Basics Of Christianity

Denomination: United Methodist