In Sermon Illustrations: "Praying"

Weathering The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 13, 2009

WEATHERING THE STORMS Pastor Ron Ritchie once talked about a friend of his named Jack who called him one night many years ago. He sensed immediately that his heart was heavy with grief. A few months prior his wife Cindy had become pregnant for the first time after years of waiting on the Lord to ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:10

Tags: Trials And Difficulties

Maybe It's Good News......maybe It's Bad News.

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Oct 15, 2019

Many times we really don’t know what we should specifically pray for. We are not omniscient. We don’t know everything, nor can we see into the future. So we don’t know whether the things we’re asking for will turn out good or bad for us. An old story illustrates: A Chinese gentleman lived on the ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:28

Tags: Prayer, Will Of God

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Horse Won't Stop!

Contributed by John Bright on Jan 17, 2021

There's this guy who had been lost and walking in the desert for about 2 weeks. One hot day, he sees the home of a missionary. Tired and weak, he crawls up to the house and collapses on the doorstep. The missionary finds him and nurses him back to health. Feeling better, the man asks the ...read more

Scripture: Mark 1:35

Tags: Supplication, Prayer

Denomination: Methodist

Jingle Bells At A Funeral?

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Dec 22, 2022

Several years ago, a pretty well-known singing group made a monster mistake at a funeral service. This group traveled all around the USA singing and sharing Christ. One of the men in their home church back in Texas told them that he prayed for them, supported them greatly and loved to hear them ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 1:9

Tags: Christmas, Communication, Confession, Confusion, Embarrassment, Funerals  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Sin No Nym

Contributed by David Dunn on Sep 29, 2025

Sin No Nym Josie loved words. She liked to clap their sounds and spell them out. One day she wrote a big word on her paper: S I N N O N Y M She giggled. “Listen! It sounds like sin–no–name.” --- Word Play at Home Daddy peeked over. “That’s funny,” he said. “What do you think it ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 1:9, Psalm 103:12

Tags: Grace, Forgiveness

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

One Line Sermons

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Oct 25, 2025

Be Fishers of Men … You catch ‘em, He’ll clean ‘em. A family altar can alter a family. A lot of kneeling will keep you in good standing. Don’t put a question mark where God put a period. Don’t wait for six strong men to take you to church. Exercise daily. Walk with the Lord! Forbidden fruits ...read more

Tags: Wisdom, One Line Sermons

Denomination: Anglican

Steve Bouman Tells The Story We Began To Find ...  PRO

Contributed by Charles R. Swindoll on Sep 28, 2004

Steve Bouman tells the story We began to find our power as a congregation in New Jersey as a matter of being a place where you can go when there’s no where else to go. When you invite the poor and the homeless, they do come such as Edgar. He is by anybody’s standards a strange character. He lives ...read more

Tags: Giving, Palm Sunday, Patience, Church Purpose Of

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Firmes En La Fe Y Mansedumbre En Predicación ...

Contributed by Major Gerardo Balmori on Mar 22, 2010

Firmes en la fe y mansedumbre en PREDICACIÓN (Translation follows) ¿Cómo actúa usted cuando alguien no le escucha? ¿Cómo le responde cuando creen tener la razón por encima de Dios y su Palabra? ¿Se pelea y discute con la persona? Si usted hace eso, ya tiene perdida la batalla. B. Aunque no ...read more

Denomination: Salvation Army

Norman Vincent Peale On Spreading Love

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Mar 16, 2013

Norman Vincent Peale wrote this: "Ralston Young carries bags for a living but his real job is living the spirit of Christ as a porter in one of the world's greatest railway stations. One day he was asked to take a little old lady to her train. She was in a wheel chair so he took her down on the ...read more

Tags: Character

Denomination: Anglican

Does Evil Exist?

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2008

DOES EVIL EXIST? Romans 8:28 We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him... Sometimes we just want things to turn out well--especially in a bad situation. Before Tom left for deployment to Iraq, he prayed that God will guide him in doing good in a land full of ...read more

Tags: Grace

Misapplied Scriptures, John 9:31: Does God Hear Sinners, Or Not?

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Oct 13, 2023

Introduction: This is another verse of Scripture which has been used and misused by many people for a long time. Some folks teach that it’s basically useless for any sinner to pray because “well, right there, it says, ‘God heareth not sinners!’” But is that what the verse really teaches? Here’s ...read more

Scripture: John 9:31, Psalm 66:18

Tags: Blind Men, Misapplied Scripture, Unusual Healings, Jesus

Denomination: Baptist

Unintentionally Humorous Texts: The "Bad Axe” Incident

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on May 3, 2024

Introduction: This is a follow up to the story of Elisha being asked, maybe as an afterthought?, to go with student prophets as they built a new facility. One of these men had borrowed an axe but something awful happened. By the way, this story has nothing whatsoever to do with the city of Bad ...read more

Scripture: 2 Kings 6:1-7

Tags: Elisha, Jordan River, Sons Of The Prophets, Axes

Denomination: Baptist

[031] A Message From A Poem – Before Him Lay The Cross

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Feb 19, 2025

[031] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – BEFORE HIM LAY THE CROSS We have a retrospective view of the cross in a very limited understanding, but the Lord’s view in the Garden of gethsemane was a forward one. The anticipation of that ordeal was a dreadful one. That comes out in the description and this ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:2, John 3:16-17, Psalm 69:1-3, Psalm 22:13-16, Matthew 26:38-39  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Love, The Cross, Anticipation, Endurance, Cross, Suffering, Gethsemane, Endure, Calvary  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[206]. A Message From A Poem – Opposition Is Here So Be Committed

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Sep 20, 2025

[206]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – OPPOSITION IS HERE SO BE COMMITTED There are two things I say over and over, that are expected from a Christian in these last days. One is FAITHFULNESS, and the other is COMMITMENT. In this poem the emphasis is on both. Too many Christians are “fair weather ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 2:10, Matthew 16:24

Tags: Commitment, Faithful, Faithfulness, Opposition, Dark Days, Christian Poems  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

God Knows Where We Are  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 23, 2011

GOD KNOWS WHERE WE ARE Ken Gaub wrote about an experience he had back in the 1990s: "Do you believe that God not only loves you, but knows where you are and what you’re doing every minute of the day? I certainly do after an amazing experience I had several years ago. "At the time I was driving ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 139:1-18

Tags: God's Omniscience, Love Your Enemies

The Mission Of David Livingstone  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 30, 2011

THE MISSION OF DAVID LIVINGSTONE The modern missionary movement really got started about 150 years ago with people who were concerned about the continent of Africa. There was a Scottish preacher by the name of Robert Moffatt who was serving in South Africa. He returned to Scotland to try to enlist ...read more

Scripture: Romans 15:14-24

Tags: Missions, Intercessory Prayer

[015] A Message From A Poem - All About Me But What About The Lord?

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jun 18, 2024

[015] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - ALL ABOUT ME BUT WHAT ABOUT THE LORD? This is a very serious poem even though it is written in a partly informal way. The title says it all. “Everything revolves around me, and the Lord should be grateful for the time I give to Him.” Of course that attitude is ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 3:15-17, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Tags: Communion, Commitment, Study, Excuses, Selfish, The Bible  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Story Of Hudson Taylor

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Oct 24, 2025

Hudson Taylor began the study of medicine as well as Greek, Hebrew, and Latin. He realized, however, that the most important preparation of all must take place in the realm of his own soul. In China he would have to depend utterly upon his Lord for protection, supplies -- everything. Lest a ...read more

Scripture: John 14:13-26

Tags: Hudson Taylor, Trust

Denomination: Anglican

A History Of Halloween  PRO

Contributed by Shawn Drake on Oct 25, 2001

A HISTORY OF HALLOWEEN The Celtic festival of Samhain is probably the source of the present-day Halloween celebration. The Celts new year began on November first. A festival that began the previous evening honored Samhain, the Celtic lord of death. The celebration marked the beginning of the ...read more

Tags: Supernatural

Denomination: Baptist

Isn't It Strange?, Unknown Author, Submitted By ...  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Mar 8, 2002

[Isn’t it Strange?, unknown author, submitted by Jerry Pearcy] Isn’t it strange how a 20 dollar bill seems like such a large amount when you donate it to church, but such a small amount when you go shopping? Isn’t it strange how endless an hour seems when we are serving God, but how short it is ...read more

Tags: Church Practices, Commitment To Christ

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational