In Sermon Illustrations: "Psalm 103 1 7 8 13"

The Boston Marathon

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 19, 2015

Around here in Boston, Patriots Day is famously known for “The Boston Marathon” in which runners from all over the world participate. I watched with keen interest as the gun shot went off for the 116th Boston Marathon. Upmost in every ones mind was the question “Who will get the grand prize worth ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Tags: Self-Control, Run To Win, Running The Race, Self-Discipline

More Non-Christians: Over The Past 10 Years, The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 18, 2006

More Non-Christians: Over the past 10 years, the number of adults who identify with a non-Christian religion rose from 5.8 million to 7.7 million, according to a Graduate Center of the City University of New York report. This represents an increase from 3.3% to 3.7% of the population. The American ...read more

Tags: Evangelism Urgency

[105]. A Message From A Poem – Godliness With Contentment Is Great Gain

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jun 8, 2025

[105]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – GODLINESS WITH CONTENTMENT IS GREAT GAIN This is a one off for me in this particular style. I had in mind to write a song and got this far. The lyrics are not a problem, just the tunes. This poem would be a song for more than one singer as I see the parts in the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:5-7, 1 Timothy 6:11, Hebrews 13:5, 2 Corinthians 12:10

Tags: Christian Poems, Godliness, Contentment, Gain, Materialism, Difficulty, Christian Poetry  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Despair  PRO

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Oct 22, 2001

DESPAIR During the Thirty Years’ War in the 17th century, German pastor Paul Gerhardt and his family were forced to flee from their home. One night as they stayed in a small village inn, homeless and afraid, his wife broke down and cried openly in despair. To comfort her, Gerhardt reminded her of ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:7-9, 1 Peter 1:17-18, Matthew 28:1-4

Tags: Promises Of God, Wait, God's Provision

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Losing Someone Or Something Is Very Heartbreaking

Contributed by Jm Raja Lawrence on Oct 17, 2023

In the midst of an unforgiving tempest, a cataclysmic convergence of nature's wrath struck with an unforgiving fury. Banda Aceh, Indonesia, and the remote Andaman and Nicobar Islands found themselves entangled in the merciless grip of a relentless tsunami. At that fateful moment, I stood as the ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 91:1-4, Isaiah 41:10, Galatians 6:2, Matthew 25:35-36, Luke 15:11-32, Psalm 107:28-30, Philippians 4:6-7  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Love, Tsunami Survival Tale, Banda Aceh, Andaman, Nicobar, Heartbreaking, Church, Earthquake, Care, Indonesia, Panicking, Islands  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Contrast: Christ Versus Antichrist  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 16, 2002

THE CONTRAST: CHRIST VERSUS ANTICHRIST 1. Christ came from above. Antichrist will ascend from the pit. 2. Christ came in His Father’s name. Antichrist will come in his own name. 3. Christ humbled Himself. Antichrist will exalt himself. 4. Christ was despised. Antichrist will be admired. 5. ...read more

Tags: Antichrist

Rules To Help Women Understand Men:  PRO

Contributed by Davon Huss on Jun 20, 2005

Rules to Help Women Understand Men: 1. Learn to work the toilet seat. If it’s up- don’t come tell us about it. Put it down. 2. Don’t make us guess. 3. If you ask a question you don’t want an answer to- expect an answer you don’t want to hear. 4. Sometimes we’re not thinking about you. 5. We’re ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:2

Tags: Men And Women, Women

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

History Of Spam  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 30, 2010

HISTORY OF SPAM In the 1930s, Jay Hormel noticed that there was some perfectly good, though not necessarily desirable, pork-shoulder meat going to waste in his meat-packing plant. So he, being the entrepreneur that he was, came up with the idea of processing that meat with a little ham and ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 17:1-24

Tags: God's Provision

The Number Of Baptisms Is Declining Throughout ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 20, 2007

The Number Of Baptisms is declining throughout the Christian community according to USA Today. Southern Baptists baptisms fell about 35% from ‘72 to ‘85 and has remained flat since. SBC membership increased from 13.6 million in ‘80 to 16.2 million in ‘04, while baptisms dropped from 430,000 in ‘80 ...read more

Tags: Becoming A Christian

Mockery Of The Church

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 22, 2025

New Zealand, Feb. 26 [2016] (UPI) -- Members of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, otherwise known as Pastafarians, registered their first official marriage celebrant in New Zealand. The group announced the news on its Facebook page, although the first couple that was set to be married by ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:7, 1 Timothy 3:15

Tags: Mocking The Church, Mocking Christianity, Ridiculous, Religion, Mockers, Mocking  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Leaders At The Poles

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 7, 2011

LEADERS AT THE POLES In his book, Leading at the Edge, Dennis Perkins contrasts the leadership values of two different explorers: Earnest Shackleton and Vilhjalmur Stefansson. In 1914, Shackleton led a daring expedition to reach Antarctica in the South. A year earlier, Stefansson led an expedition ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:1-4

Tags: Leadership General

[231]. A Message From A Poem - Reflections In Older Life

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Oct 18, 2025

[231]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - REFLECTIONS IN OLDER LIFE This poem was completed in 2020 when I was 77 years old. I don’t think I am unique in any way. I believe as people get older and know that most of their life has already gone, there comes a time for reflection on one’s life. That is what ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 16:31, Psalm 71:17-18, Isaiah 46:4

Tags: Old Age, The Shepherd, Reflections, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, Grey Head, Old  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[192]. Message From A Poem – No Contradiction Found Here

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Sep 8, 2025

[192]. MESSAGE FROM A POEM – NO CONTRADICTION FOUND HERE I am not sure if I should explain each of these or let you work them out for yourselves. I was going to explain what seems to be contradictions, then I changed my mind. I will decide on that tomorrow! Well, I have decided to let you ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:10, John 3:7, 1 Peter 1:3, Titus 2:13

Tags: The Blessed Hope, Paradoxes, Contradictions, Christian Poems, Born Again  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Pastors Perceptions: Barna Research Has Recently ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 18, 2006

Pastors Perceptions: Barna Research has recently completed an extensive survey of Senior Pastors in America. 83% describe themselves as "evangelical Protestant and 81% say they are "theologically conservative." 37% claimed to be Wesleyan or Arminian and 32% are Reformed or Calvinist in their ...read more

Tags: Church General

The Persuasion Of A Changed Life

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 18, 2011

THE PERSUASION OF A CHANGED LIFE The power of your changed life can be very persuasive even to those who refuse to be persuaded by the word itself. Just a few years ago, Decision magazine told the story of Rick and Shawna Pilat, a Winnipeg couple who had recently come to faith in Christ. For ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:1-2

Tags: Character

David: Brokenness Leads To Loyalty

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Jul 19, 2009

DAVID: BROKENNESS LEADS TO LOYALTY Psalm 51 Our text was written by King David about a year after he had an adulterous affair. While his men were off to war he was home relaxing. The story results in a series of events that went from adultery to deception and finally murder to cover his tracks and ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 28:13

Tags: Humility

Denomination: Salvation Army

The Meaning Of The Cross

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 25, 2011

THE MEANING OF THE CROSS In the 19th century, Armenian Christians, under a Turkish Muslim government, experienced a tremendous amount of persecution. The government lifted the ban on Muslims converting to Christianity in 1856. Then just eight years later, they began arresting these Muslim converts ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 4:12-19

Tags: Persecution

[056]. A Message From A Poem – Death Is Not A Mystery

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 12, 2025

[056]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – DEATH IS NOT A MYSTERY We just had a poem on Death for the Christian, and in this one now, the concept is continued, though the poems are separated by over 20 years. Each stanza deals with a different aspect of life. For me the poem is a testimony of the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:54-55, 1 Corinthians 2:9, Acts 2:27

Tags: Death, Mystery, Poetry, Poem, Sheol  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Recent Survey Of Discipleship Journal Readers ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 10, 2006

A recent survey of Discipleship Journal readers ranked areas of greatest spiritual challenge to them: 1. Materialism. 2. Pride. 3. Self-centeredness. 4. Laziness. 5. (Tie) Anger/Bitterness. 5. (Tie) ...read more

Tags: Call Of The Disciples

If It's Not True...  PRO

Contributed by Bishop Johnathan Hester on Sep 10, 2009

IF IT'S NOT TRUE... The fact is, if Jesus Christ died on the cross and did not rise again from the dead, everything we live for and believe as Christians means absolutely nothing, Ill. 1 Cor. 15:12-20. 1. v.13 Christ Is Not Risen a. He died in vain, Rom. 4:24; 5:10 b. He lied, Mt. 16:21; ...read more

Tags: Confidence

Denomination: Apostolic