In Sermon Illustrations: "Prayer Before Meals"

Unsung Heroes: The Shepherds Of Bethlehem

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Dec 14, 2020

Introduction: the Christmas story, the birth of Jesus Christ into this world, is one of the most beautiful ever told. Many believers and others are more or less familiar with Mary and Joseph traveling from Nazareth to Bethlehem, and how Jesus was born in an inn and laid in a manger because there ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:8-20

Tags: Mary, Birth Of Jesus, Shepherds, Unsung Heroes

Denomination: Baptist

Well, Here We Go Again

Contributed by James Snyder on Jan 9, 2021

I have lived long enough to know that the only change that has any kind of reality is the change in my pocket. I keep track of that change with great supervision and count it every day. When people tell me that this is a New Year and there will be a lot of changes this year, I search my pocket ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 1:9

Tags: Old, Humor, Change, New Year

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Something Seems To Be Missing

Contributed by James Snyder on Apr 10, 2021

Did you ever have a week when it felt like something was missing, but you didn't quite know what it was? I had that kind of a week this past week. It felt like something was missing, and I could not figure out what it was. The past week was typical in many regards. Everything seemed to be ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:9

Tags: Missing, Filling, Empty

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Bump, Bump, Bump, Where’s The Scratch?

Contributed by James Snyder on Jun 26, 2021

Life can get crazy because there are so many crazy people in the world. I know, I’m one. Through the years, I have come to appreciate crazy people. They make life interesting and make me look less crazy than I really am. The interesting thing is that a crazy person shows up in your life when you ...read more

Scripture: Mark 14:38

Tags: Accident, Crazy, Temptation

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

What's All These Gadgets For?

Contributed by James Snyder on Aug 14, 2021

Without any hesitation, I will gladly admit that I am on the short side when it comes to gadgets. For me, most of them do not make any sense at all. Instead, I like things simple and easy. As for the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage, she is obsessed with gadgets. She loves them almost as much as ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 1:7

Tags: Frustration, Wisdom, Humor, Instruction

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Ready Or Not, Here I Quit

Contributed by James Snyder on Sep 18, 2021

I do not quit easily. When I start a project, I like to work until it's finished. I hate to quit before something is completed. One thing I have learned through the years is not to start something unless I have the time and resources to finish it. How many projects I started in the past and ...read more

Scripture: Amos 3:3

Tags: Quitting, Agreement, Humor

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Green Thumb Versus Black And Blue Thumb

Contributed by James Snyder on Oct 16, 2021

If you came to our parsonage, you would discover all over our property, plants and flowers. Just don’t ask me to identify what they are. I can tell a plant from a flower, but that’s as far as it goes with me. That is not true with the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage. She gets all the credit for ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Tags: Unity, Differences

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

What A Crazy World We Live In

Contributed by James Snyder on Feb 26, 2022

Driving home from an appointment across town, my wife and I encountered some crazy driver weaving in and out on the road in front of us. The fact that there was not an accident was somewhat surprising. “What,” The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage exclaimed, “is wrong with people?” Looking at ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Tags: Family, Crazy

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Just When I Think I Got Everything Covered

Contributed by James Snyder on Apr 16, 2022

Dr. James L. Snyder I like to have an organized life. I must confess that my idea of organization is not The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage’s idea. We may share many things, but not planning and organization. When she begins a project, it is well planned and organized down to the tiniest ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 14:40

Tags: Organization, Planning, Crafts

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Unsung Heroines-Another Woman At A Well

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on May 7, 2022

Introduction: Many of us are familiar with the story of “the woman at the well” in Samaria who spoke with Jesus (John 4). Many years before, another woman, at another well, helped save David’s life and maybe even the kingdom! Text, 2 Samuel 17:15-20, KJV: 15 Then said Hushai unto Zadok and to ...read more

Scripture: 2 Samuel 17:15-20

Tags: Unsung Heroines, Wells, Hushai

Denomination: Baptist

See Cookie Will Sneak

Contributed by James Snyder on Oct 29, 2022

For more years than I care to remember, I have been on a diligent pursuit, and I won’t stop until I reach my goal. My quest is to find a cookie I don’t like. Throughout the years, I have eaten every cookie I could find and loved them all. My biggest obstacle in this pursuit is The Gracious ...read more

Scripture: Mark 14:38

Tags: Temptation, Humor

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Another Jingle Bell Christmas In The Tree

Contributed by James Snyder on Dec 23, 2023

It doesn't seem possible another Christmas has come and gone. They come and go so fast that I'm not sure I can keep up with all of this. Every year, our family has more people, which is never bad. One thing we do is gather as a family around the Christmas tree and enjoy a wonderful time of ...read more

Scripture: Numbers 32:23

Tags: Christmas, Jingle Bell

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

The Key To Life Is Forgetting The Right Things

Contributed by James Snyder on Jan 27, 2024

The thing that has concerned me as I have aged was about forgetting things. How could I remember everything when I was crowding my brain with all kinds of new things? In this regard, there is no comparison between The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage and myself. I have a problem remembering, and ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:13-15

Tags: Remember, Forget

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Unintentionally Humorous Texts: Micah’s Misfortunes, Part 2

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Mar 11, 2024

Introduction: The first verses of Judges 17 tell the story of Micah. In a word, he stole a lot of money from his mother, but returned it to her after she pronounced a curse on the stuff—and, probably, the thief whoever it may have been. The section concludes with Micah establishing his own ...read more

Scripture: Judges 17:7-13

Tags: Micah, Idolatry, Levites, Mount Ephraim

Denomination: Baptist

Dancing In My Pajamas

Contributed by James Snyder on May 4, 2024

After 2 weeks of being sick with many days in bed, I have come to appreciate what some people go through when they have a severe sickness. My sickness wasn’t that devastating. It just sucked the energy out of me and caused me a lot of coughing and sneezing. I barely had enough energy to get out of ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 41:10

Tags: Dancing, Pajams, Health, Sickness

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Unsung Heroes At The 'battle Of The Ditches'!

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Aug 30, 2024

Introduction: Ask any veteran or anyone who served in the military for the strangest duty they ever performed and you may get some interesting replies! The soldiers in this story were asked (!) to put down their swords and take up some shovels in order to dig a lot of ditches! This story also has ...read more

Tags: Jehoshaphat, Elisha, Unsung Heroes, Ditches

Denomination: Baptist

The Ministry Of Truth And Honesty

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Dec 6, 2024

Introduction: If there’s one thing that’s sorely and surely needed these days, it’s truth and honesty. It’s no secret that both and each are in short supply. Just look at some of the so-called testimony which “witnesses” utter before either house of the U S Congress, for example. The concept if not ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 8:21

Tags: Paul, Truthfulness, Honesty

Denomination: Baptist

[027] A Message From A Poem – Based On Psalm 91

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Feb 10, 2025

[027] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – BASED ON PSALM 91 When people are asked for their favourite Psalm, usually Psalm 23 is given, the Shepherd Psalm. There are a few who chose Psalm 91 as a Psalm they love and the reasons are not hard to find in this Psalm. This is a beautiful Psalm. I am pasting ...read more

Scripture: Luke 4:9-11, Psalm 91:1-4, Psalm 91:5-10, Psalm 91:11-13, Psalm 91:14-16  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Compassion, Angels, Protect, Rescue, Care, Refuge, Shelter, Deliver  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[054]. A Message From A Poem – Day Is At Hand

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 12, 2025

[054]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – DAY IS AT HAND This poem is figurative in a sense. I look at the early glimmer of light in the east as the sun soon will rise. Then it increases until it is full day with the bright shining sun. What the poem does is begin with the harbinger of the dawn in ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:1-2, Isaiah 11:6-9, Romans 8:19-22, 2 Peter 1:19, Malachi 4:1-3  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: The Lion, Poetry, Set Free, Poem, Morning Star, Millennial Kingdom, Sun Of Righteousness, Messiah, Nature, Prophecy, Second Coming, Rapture, The Church  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Another Week On My Own

Contributed by James Snyder on Mar 22, 2025

Several weeks ago, The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage informed me she would be in St. Augustine with our daughter and granddaughter for spring break. As always, I really didn’t properly process this information. I get so busy with other things that there are some things I can’t process. It ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:13

Tags: Sin, Temptation, Cheating

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance