In Sermon Illustrations: "Ransom From Sin"

It Is Finished

Contributed by Ronnie Miller on Jul 27, 2011

IT IS FINISHED I was raised on a tobacco farm and when Dad would ask me to do some chores while he was gone.... it was for my best interest and the seat of my pants that I did it. But when I finished it and did the very best I could to please my Dad there was a great satisfaction in seeing his ...read more

Scripture: John 19:30

Tags: Sin, Obedience, Neglect, Disobedience, Forgive, Forgiveness In Jesus  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Stretching Your Conscience Like Silk  PRO

Contributed by Davon Huss on Aug 27, 2013

Adam Clarke was a sales clerk in a store that sold fine silk to people of the upper classes in London. One day his employer showed young Adam how he could increase sales and profits by stretching the silk as he measured it out. Young Adam Clarke looked his ...read more

Scripture: Romans 14:22-23, Proverbs 20:10

Tags: Sin, Dishonesty, Conscience, Temptation General, Clear Conscience  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The $100,000 Car, The Thief, & The Tree Of Knowledge

Contributed by Jason Evans on Oct 4, 2016

Let’s say there is a man who owns a brand new $100,000 car. He decides he wants to take it out one day to go to the store and parks in a lot around a lot of other cars. When he comes out it has been stolen. When they find the thief and arrest him the thief says "Well you should have known better ...read more

Tags: Temptation, Temptation General, Tree Of Knowledge, Guilt Of Sin

Denomination: *other

Tweeners!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Aug 12, 2019

"Too many Christians are “’tweeners”: they live between Egypt and Canaan, saved but never satisfied; they live between Good Friday and Easter, believing in the Cross but not entering into the power and glory of the Resurrection. It is clear, then, that the believer cannot deliberately be ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:1-8

Tags: Canaan, Crucified Life, Identification With Christ, Sin, Egypt  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

God Is Missing!!!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 15, 2020

Two young boys in a Christian school had been continually mis-behaving and were sent to the principal’s office on several occasions. The principal knew what they really needed was to have God in their lives, so she brought the first boy in and set him down. “I want to ask you a question. Where is ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 11:28-30, Psalm 46:10, John 3:16, Romans 5:8

Tags: Humor, God's Love, Guilt, Unconfessed Sin, Confusion  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Remember The Duck! (Stop Living In Bondage To Satan)

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Feb 27, 2022

A little boy visiting his grandparents was given his first slingshot made by his grandfather. He practiced trying to hit a tin can, but he could never hit it. As he walked across the yard, he saw Grandma’s pet duck. On an impulse he took aim and let fly. The stone hit, and the duck fell dead. The ...read more

Tags: Spiritual Warfare, Confession, Covering Sin, Delieverance, Forgiveness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

God Means Business

Contributed by Roger Hasselquist on May 28, 2022

Little Johnny was going to a public school and he was doing very poorly in math. So his mother decided to put him into a Catholic school. When she got his report card at the end of the term, his grades in math had improved tremendously. So she asked him why. He replied, "When I saw that ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16

Tags: Cross, Hope In Jesus, Sin's Penalty, Law Upheld

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

3 Temptations Satan Uses Against Us

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Feb 27, 2023

Eve’s descent into depravity is an illustration of James 1:14-15: “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” This is the Bible’s description of sin’s slippery ...read more

Scripture: James 1:14-15

Tags: Eve, Sin, Satan, Temptation, Garden Of Eden, Backsliding  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Artist And The Beggar

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Mar 12, 2023

Some time ago an artist wanted to find a man that would represent the prodigal. One day, walking up the streets, he met a poor beggar, and the thought occurred to him: “That man would represent the prodigal.” He told him what he wanted, and found the beggar was ready to come to his place of ...read more

Scripture: Romans 3:1-23

Tags: Evangelism, Grace, Sin, Salvation, Redemption, Justification, Sinners  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Comparing Cain And Abel

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jun 26, 2023

"Physically, Cain still lived, while spiritually he was dead. Physically, Abel was dead, but spiritually, he gloriously lived. You can think of Abel in death, but you can also think of Cain in death. The sinner is dead, while he lives. The ...read more

Tags: Hate, Cain, Abel, Eve, Sin, Murder, Adam  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Was Esther Taken Forcefully In Sex Trafficking?

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Aug 21, 2023

"So it came about when the command and decree of the king were heard and many young ladies were gathered to Susa the capital into the custody of Hegai, that Esther was taken to the king’s palace into the custody of Hegai, who was in charge of the women". (Esther 2:8). I’m intrigued by ...read more

Tags: Esther, Rape, Force, Sexual Sins, Sex Trafficking  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Rebellion At The Heart Of Mankind (Funny Story)

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Nov 20, 2025

When my granddaughter was about three years old, ... my wife Lee and I ... were babysitting our grandchildren in Morton Illinois. Anna wanted to go outside and play on our own. I thought this was a good teaching moment. So, ... I knelt down beside her ... so that we could look at each other ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 6:12-23, Romans 6:16-18, John 8:34, John 8:31-32  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Slave, Mortal, Freedom, Sin, Heart, Teach, Rebellion  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Anglican

Powerful Prayer Delivered To The Kansas State Senate

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Dec 22, 2022

This prayer was delivered on January 23, 1996 by the Rev. Joe Wright in Kansas. It was said that most of those in attendance were outraged and some walked out. Without a doubt, it is a blunt and direct indictment on modern culture. Within just a few weeks, the Central Christian Church, where ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 33:3, 2 Chronicles 7:14

Tags: Holiness, Government, Politicians, Sin, America, Prayer, Revival, Repentance  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Parallels Between The Serpent On The Pole And Christ On The Cross

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Apr 8, 2023

Parallels between the Serpent on the Pole and Christ on the Cross: 1. The bronze serpent was God’s means of salvation for the Israelites who were bitten by the serpents in the wilderness. Jesus Christ crucified is God’s means of salvation for everyone who has been bitten by the deadly venom of sin ...read more

Scripture: John 3:14-16

Tags: Redemption, Judgment, Christ, Forgiveness, Easter, Sin, Israel, Cross  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

His Cross

Contributed by Loyd C. Taylor on Mar 14, 2023

HIS CROSS The idols of my heart were many, I sunk low beneath the Law’s demand. Satan’s chains held me a prisoner, Burdened down by sin, I could not stand. Then there before me stood the answer! Guilt and slavery would soon be loss. For my shackles broke and fell from me, When I knelt humbly ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:1-18

Tags: The Cross, Poems Of The Crucifixion, Salvation Poems, Chains Of Sin, Redemption  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Face The Music

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Dec 8, 2020

Many years ago a man conned his way into the orchestra of the Emperor of China, though he could not play an instrument or read music. Whenever the group practiced or performed, he would just hold his flute against his lips, pretending to play, but not making a sound. For years he received a good ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:1-3

Tags: Sin, Judgment, Pride, Luke 18, Ii Timothy 3  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

7 Ways That Eve Distorted The Word Of God

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Feb 27, 2023

Let’s go back to Genesis 2:16-17 to review exactly what God said and then we’ll compare it to the distortion Eve came up with: “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in ...read more

Tags: Eve, Sin, Evil, Satan, Truth, Temptation, Word Of God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Easter, Redemption

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Easter, Redemption The apostle Paul wrote about this redemptive work of Christ upon the Cross and victory that is available to the children of God through the resurrection of Christ. He writes, "So you are no longer a slave..." (Galatians 4:7) Jesus said, "So if the Son sets you free, you will ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 4:7

Tags: Easter Resurrection

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Mad Mike Hughes

Contributed by Roberta Karchner on Feb 26, 2020

Mad Mike Hughes had a mission, to launch himself into outer space. He believed the earth was flat, and the only way to prove it was to go up into space and take a photo of the flat earth. He did not trust others to document the truth, he would only believe it if he saw it with his own eyes. In ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:11-13

Tags: Sin, Foolish, Self Importance, Self Righteousness, Flat Earth  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Dual Citizenship In The Kingdom Of God And The Kingdom Of Darkness?

Contributed by Stephen Belokur on Feb 12, 2019

Try to imagine this. It is the year 1944 and Germany is at war with England. Now suppose you have dual citizenship in both Germany and England and you are living in Germany. How will you be treated? Conversely, suppose you have dual citizenship in both Germany and England and you are living in ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 3:4-10, Matthew 6:24, Romans 6:22-23, 1 John 1:6

Tags: In Christ, Living In Christ, Carnal Christian, Sinful Life, Holilness, Righteous Christian, Alive In Christ, Living In Sin, Living In Darkness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Nazarene