In Sermon Illustrations: "Psalm 139 1 6 13 18"

The Donkey That Spoke

Contributed by David Dunn on Oct 24, 2025

My name? Oh, I’m Sassy—the braying donkey. Not the fastest, not the strongest… and definitely not the prettiest. But I’ve got a good heart — and a loud voice! (pause) Most days I carry my master, Balaam. He’s a prophet—important and proud. I don’t mind. I’m used to carrying heavy loads. But one ...read more

Scripture: Numbers 22:28-31, Psalm 32:8, Proverbs 16:9, John 10:27, 1 Corinthians 1:17  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Obedience, Faithfulness, Courage, Voice, Listening  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Coming Soon !?

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Apr 13, 2020

Many of us, I'm sure, remember hearing the words "Coming soon to a (fill in the blank) near you . . ."m intended to grab your attention. Well, sometimes that did indeed happen, as a lot of us want to find something new, maybe the latest and greatest thing to come our way. There are a ...read more

Scripture: John 14:1-3, Acts 1:8, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Tags: Immanence, Coming Soon, Return Of Christ

Denomination: Baptist

How Do You Give Without Enabling?

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Apr 2, 2022

How do you give biblically and with a Christ-like approach to needy people, yet not enable the person to become co-dependent on your giving heart? (1) Learn to distinguish between DIVINE appointments and drive-by-guiltings (Luke 10:33/ 1 Timothy 5:8/ Deuteronomy 15:11 and Galatians 6:10/ ...read more

Tags: Needs, Enabling, Wisdom, Discernment, Giving, Finances, Tithing, Good Samaritan, Sacrifice  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Bob Johnson From: ...

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Mar 25, 2011

Bob Johnson from: http://tabernacle-of-david.com/catechism.html states: The majority of the Psalms were originally sung as prophetic songs in David's Tabernacle. They account in detail the expressions of worship offered by the Israelites before the Ark of the Covenant. In addition, they describe ...read more

Tags: Worship Benefits

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Unwanted Items—the Ark Of The Covenant

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Jul 16, 2025

Unwanted Items—The Ark of the Covenant Introduction: To “frame” this illustration, we’d need to look at a couple of chapters in 1 Samuel. In chapter 4, the writer tells us of Israel’s decision, foolish as it was, to bring the Ark of the Covenant out of the Tabernacle and down to the battlefield. ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 5:1-12

Tags: Philistines, Ark Of The Covenant, Unwanted Items

Denomination: Baptist

Holiness Is Developed In Community

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 23, 2010

HOLINESS IS DEVELOPED IN COMMUNITY In the 3rd and 4th Centuries, and even to some extent today, the popular image of holiness was solitude, silence and severity. The really (quote) "holy people" back then were those who lived like hermits, wandering in the desert alone -- fasting, praying and ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 2:1-10

Tags: Holiness

Works-Driven Rituals

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 4, 2011

WORKS-DRIVEN RITUALS Every year a great throng of people make pilgrimage to the Shrine of Guadalupe in Mexico, a site where supposedly the Virgin Mary once stood...however unlikely that is. They go there hoping to get her attention, and to get her to intervene for them with her son Jesus. They ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 1:7-10

Tags: Action

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

Misapplied Scriptures: "There Is But A Step Between Me And Death”

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Sep 24, 2023

Introduction: This verse, on the surface, seems pretty straightforward. The problem is that some well-meaning folks have used it in a different sense. Let’s take a deeper look: Text: 1 Samuel 20:3, KJV: 3 And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 20:3

Tags: David, Death, Jonathan, Misapplied Scriptures

Denomination: Baptist

Outward Pressure And Inward Pleasure

Contributed by Suresh Manoharan on Sep 12, 2025

Outward Pressure and Inward Pleasure Cross bearing is an indispensable part of a Christian’s life (Luke 9:23), so that work of molding a person into a Christ-like image which begins at the point of re-generation is completed in all respects (2 Cor 3:18) by the time of Rapture or one’s departure ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:7-8

Tags: Outward Pressure, Inward Pleasure

Denomination: *other

Whatever Happened To Hell??

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Apr 18, 2022

Though it’s a frequently used word in the English language, it’s one of the least talked about. It’s used as an exclamation, an interjection, and a noun. What word is it? Hell. Pollsters tell us that most people who use the word don’t believe in the existence of Hell. While 90 percent of Americans ...read more

Tags: Evangelism, Hell, Death, Sin, Satan, Truth, Judgment, Last Days, Liberalism  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Church As A Spectator Sport

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 5, 2011

CHURCH AS A SPECTATOR SPORT A British pastor and author made this observation a few years ago. I think it’s still accurate. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones said, "Men and women no longer...exercise in sport as they used to. Instead, people tend to sit in crowds and just watch other people play. ...And I ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-16, 1 Corinthians 12:27

Tags: Church Practices

Sin ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 24, 2009

SIN DEFINITIONS What is sin? Here are some suggestions: "Sin is like a kidney stone. No one likes a kidney stone, nor should anyone like sin." "Sin is like a rotten egg we try to cover up with spices." "Sin is like a cancer with a 0% survival rate." "Sin is like weeds in a garden; if not ...read more

Tags: Sin General

How To Miss The Treasure Of Pilgrim's Progress ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 7, 2010

How to Miss the Treasure of Pilgrim’s Progress Through Ignorance Ravi Zacharias tells this story: Some years ago, I was visiting the town of Bedford in England. The reason most tourists go to Bedford is because it was the home of the famed 17th Century writer John Bunyan who penned his immortal ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:13-16

Tags: Ignorance

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

Jill Briscoe On Submission

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 18, 2011

JILL BRISCOE ON SUBMISSION Jill Briscoe talks about the difference between her family and her husband, Stuart's, family and what that brought to their own marriage. She says, "My father, a quiet, gentle man, considered himself head of his home: protector, defender, and provider. My mom was a ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:1-2

Tags: Wife

Nolan Ryan Didn't Change Me  PRO

Contributed by Tim White on Feb 1, 2012

NOLAN RYAN DIDN'T CHANGE ME In 1991, Ryan, our son, age 6 at the time, played Challenger Baseball, a modified version of the game for disabled children. At the end of the season, each child received an official Challenger baseball for his or her participation. We asked Ryan what he wanted to do ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 1:6-7

Tags: Sanctification

Denomination: Baptist

Walking In The Confidence Of God

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Walking in the Confidence of God Marks of Contentment "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.' So we say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 13:5-6

Tags: Helper, Fear, Confidence

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Should Spiritual Beliefs Impact Work Life? 45% ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 6, 2006

Should Spiritual Beliefs Impact Work Life? 45% of American adults think they should, but only 1/3 of that group actually practice it. This is according to recent research by Life @ Work, a company formed by Tom Addington and Stephen Graves to help people understand how ...read more

Tags: Workplace Evangelism

Love Is A Process  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 10, 2011

LOVE IS A PROCESS When we obey the truth, whether we feel like it or not, we can "love one another deeply from the heart." That's what Bible College professor, Yohanna Katanacho, discovered. He pastors a small church in the Israeli city of Jerusalem. He is a Palestinian living in Israel, and a ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:22

Tags: Love Of The Disciples