In Sermon Illustrations: "Received To Him"

The Hebrew Writer Wrestled With That Question ...

Contributed by Scott Bradford on Apr 13, 2005

The Hebrew writer wrestled with that question too: "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." (Hebrews 11:6). Recently I had telephoned my mother to tell her that I was going to be ...read more

Tags: Faith General

Denomination: United Methodist

Thank You, Sensei Don

Contributed by Chuck Sligh on Feb 12, 2012

THANK YOU, SENSEI DON Dr. Don Sisk, the former president of the mission board I'm with, BIMI, tells of winning an old "papa-sahn" to Christ, the father of one of the ladies in his church. He had such a grateful spirit for Dr. Sisk, whom they referred to as "Sensei Don" which means "Teacher Don." ...read more

Tags: Missions

Denomination: Baptist

Pray And Read Your Bible

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Feb 29, 2012

PRAY AND READ YOUR BIBLE A man was in prison and was in need of some money. He wrote his mother and asked her to send five hundred dollars immediately. Soon after, he got a package in the mail. It was a Bible. On the top of the Bible, there was a letter that said, "Son, I love you. Pray and read ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:19

Tags: Men's Day

Denomination: Baptist

The Way Of ...

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

The Way of Cain by Henry Morris, Ph.D. USED BY PERMISSION (© 2007 by ICR. All Rights Reserved. http://icr.org) "Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain" (Proverbs 25:14) Cain initially was a religious man, evidently proud of his achievements as a "tiller of the ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 11:4

Tags: Truth

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Happiness... Or Holiness?  PRO

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Happiness... or Holiness? We Christians have sometimes made a mistake when leading others to Christ in allowing (or encouraging) them to believe that, once they are born-again children of God, there will no longer be any trials in their lives. This may be especially true when they come to ...read more

Scripture: Nehemiah 8:10

Tags: Holiness

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Unsung Heroines-Peter’s Mother-In-Law

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Jun 14, 2022

Introduction: She’s only mentioned once, but in three of the Gospels. Look what happened to this lady after she received healing from Jesus! Text: Here are the texts from each of the Gospels where this event is mentioned: Matthew 8:14-15, KJV: 14 And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 8:14-15, Mark 1:29-31, Luke 4:38-39

Tags: Healings, Ministering, Unsung Heroines

Denomination: Baptist

[160]. A Message From A Poem – Jesus So Loved Me

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Aug 9, 2025

[160]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – JESUS SO LOVED ME We have here a poem that covers some of the great and important aspect of the gospel. The Lord died for my sins. We ask why the innocent One has to die for the guilty. Jesus is the Substitute and love was behind that. {{1 Corinthians 15:3 “I ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:3, Romans 1:21, 2 Corinthians 5:6-8

Tags: Christian Poems, Christ The Sacrifice, Sin, Heaven, Guilty, Substitute, Substitutionary Atonement, Christian Poetry, Love, Jesus  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Be An Encourager, Fathers Day - My Relationship With My Son

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Nov 25, 2025

God the Father ... Loves His Children ... and He is also quick to .... encourage His children. (Long Pause) And ... I learned that ... the hard way. As a father ... you want the best for your children ... you want them to succeed. To succeed ... at everything they do. Kristin ... our first ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 1:9, Ephesians 4:29, Romans 8:38-39, Romans 5:8

Tags: Prayer, Encouragement, Friend, Encourage, Father, Children, Son  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Anglican

Unwanted Donations!?

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Dec 10, 2025

Unwanted Donations!? Introduction: What kinds of materials were needed for Israel to make the Tabernacle? Text, Exodus 36:2-7, KJV: 2 And Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whose heart the LORD had put wisdom, even every one whose heart stirred him up to come unto ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 36:2-7

Tags: Tabernacle, Freewill Offerings, Material Offerings

Denomination: Baptist

My Penance  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 17, 2002

MY PENANCE The story of George C. Wallace sounds like something from Paul Harvey’s “the Rest of the Story.” It comes in two parts: the sad, earlier life and the hard but hopeful remainder. Even more dramatic is a tragic event in the middle that brought life-changing consequences for the man ...read more

Rach And I Have A Friend Who Is A Source Of Grief ...  PRO

Contributed by Christopher Lanham on Feb 17, 2005

Rach and I have a friend who is a source of grief for us. It is not that he has done anything to us – he is quite dear to us actually. Rather it is what he has done to himself, what he has chosen to believe. About ten years ago, this friend began absenting himself from church. He was getting ...read more

Tags: Worship Purpose

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Worship Of Creation

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2009

WORSHIP OF CREATION How many of you watched the PBS series last month on the National Parks? Besides the fabulous visual images of some of America’s most beautiful scenery, the documentary gave a very interesting perspective on the history of our national parks. Did you know that Jim Grinnell’s ...read more

Scripture: Romans 1:21-25

Tags: Idolatry

The Story Of George C. Wallace Sounds Like ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 31, 2008

The story of George C. Wallace sounds like something from Paul Harvey’s "The Rest of the Story." It comes in two parts: the sad, earlier life and the hard but hopeful latter life. A dramatic and tragic event in the middle brought life-changing consequences for the man from Alabama. In 1962, ...read more

Tags: Repentance

[257]. A Message From A Poem – The Bridegroom Prepared His Bride

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 8, 2026

[257]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THE BRIDEGROOM PREPARED HIS BRIDE The fact of Christ and His Church is a remarkable story of love. It is the pursuit of a Bride for God the Son. That Bride was purchased from the slavery of sin by the highest price and that was the death of the Lord Jesus ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:26-27, Revelation 19:7-9

Tags: The Bride, The Bridegroom, Christ Prepared His Bride, Bride For Isaac, Bride For Boaz, The Bride Is The Church, Ruth, Marriage Supper Of The Lamb  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Parable Of The Fig Tree  PRO

Contributed by Ty Tamasaka on Jul 26, 2011

THE PARABLE OF THE FIG TREE 6 "Then Jesus told this story: 'A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came again and again to see if there was any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed. 7 Finally, he said to his gardener, 'I’ve waited three years, and there hasn’t been a single fig! Cut it ...read more

Scripture: Luke 13:6-9

Tags: Suffering Joy In

Denomination: Other

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

Our Transformed Lives Should Drive Us To Want To ...  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Feb 5, 2004

Our transformed lives should drive us to want to do what is good in our lives. Christianity Today / Sports Spectrum an Article by Rick Weber notes: Bob McNair the man responsible for Super Bowl 38 being hosted in Houston has this to say about his faith in Jesus Christ and unfinished ...read more

Tags: Growth In Christ, Direction, Sharing Your Faith

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Illustration] Some Of You Are Aware That Robin ...

Contributed by Mark Opperman on Jan 3, 2008

-[Illustration] Some of you are aware that Robin and I are in the middle of a house hunt. We would like to buy a house, and live there for quite awhile, if the Lord is willing. We have wanted to buy a home all along, but I just always assumed that we did not really have the buying power to purchase ...read more

Denomination: Assembly Of God

It All Happened On A Subway

Contributed by Dr. Bradford Reaves on Mar 10, 2022

Marcel Sternberger was a methodical man of nearly 50, with bushy white hair, guileless brown eyes, and the bouncing enthusiasm of a czardas dancer of his native Hungary. He always took the 9:09 Long Island Railroad train from his suburban home to Woodside, N.Y.., where he caught a subway into the ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:10

Tags: Grace, Mercy, Salvation, Chance, Divine Appointments  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Brethren

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: Trust, Hudson Taylor

Denomination: Anglican