In Sermon Illustrations: "Saint Patrick"

Handel's Messiah-The Back Story

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Dec 9, 2023

George Frideric Handel's Messiah is one of the most beautiful musical renditions of Scripture ever created. What we don’t often hear about is the troubled back story during the writing of the Messiah. It was at this time that Handel was struggling financially because there was a shift in music, ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 9:1-7, Isaiah 53:3, 1 Timothy 6:15-16

Tags: Rejected, Despised, Christmas, King Of Kings, Handel's Messiah  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

The Cross At Ground Zero After ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 9, 2009

The Cross at Ground Zero After 9/11 A testimony from a worker at ground zero on 9-11 testifies of God’s transforming power. I’m an excavation laborer, and a member of union local 731. Pick-and-shovel work is my trade. I live in New Jersey, but I’m a New York City native, Brooklyn born and bred. ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:16-17

Tags: Cross

George Floyd

Contributed by C. Philip Green on Jun 11, 2020

God can use you to make a difference in our broken world no matter your past. Just commit your way to the Lord like Jephthah did and depend on His Holy Spirit. When I think about Jephthah, I think about George Floyd, who was recently murdered in Minneapolis. George was a towering 6-foot by 6-inch ...read more

Scripture: Judges 11:1-3, Judges 11:29, 1 Corinthians 1:26-29

Tags: Transformation, Grace Of God, George Floyd

Denomination: Evangelical Free

Hot-Sync Your Marriage!

Contributed by Mike Fox on Feb 23, 2008

Hot-Sync Your Marriage! "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." Proverbs 18:21 We used to have just PDA’s. Now, like most, we’ve updated to PDA Phones, mainly for business. But when we had our PDA’s, we had a feature called "Hot-Sync". The ...read more

Denomination: Apostolic

Christina Recently Gave Birth To Our First ...

Contributed by Chris Surber on Jun 17, 2010

Christina recently gave birth to our first daughter. After three sons I am very pleased to have a little girl. Recently I was speaking to the academic dean of the seminary where I am pursuing doctoral studies. The school had asked for individual and family photos of students like me who are ...read more

Tags: Suffering Joy In

Denomination: Christian Church

Ravi Zacharias: Changed Lives Show The Truth Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 9, 2011

RAVI ZACHARIAS: CHANGED LIVES SHOW THE TRUTH OF CHRIST In his book Has Christianity Failed You? Ravi Zacharias points to one of the greatest proofs for the truth of Christ and the reality of his resurrection: the changed lives of Christians. He writes: "During the course of nearly 40 years, I ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:13-16

Tags: Christian Witness

No Replacement Refs  PRO

Contributed by Tim White on Oct 6, 2012

NO REPLACEMENT REFS Matthew 7:22 On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.' One week ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:22-23, 2 Chronicles 29:35-36

Tags: Salvation, Trusting God

Denomination: Baptist

Euodia And Syntyche - Conflict At Philippi

Contributed by Sam Mccormick on Dec 24, 2016

EUODIA AND SYNTYCHE We can’t help wondering what caused disharmony between two women in the church at Philippi, but we will not find the answer--only that Paul urged these women to live in harmony. That’s all we know. Yet until the Lord shall return, Bible-readers everywhere will know there was ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:2-3

Tags: Disagreement, Agree, Argument, Conflict

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

An Observation About Immanence

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Mar 12, 2020

One of my favorite pastimes is playing some computer games, especially the ones where you make money—okay, run a business, simulation, or that kind of thing. In one of these you, as manager of a transportation company, have the opportunity to choose how best to serve the industries and communities ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Tags: Immanence, Return Of Christ, Rewards For Believers

Denomination: Baptist

Some Thoughts On The Death Of A Child

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Nov 1, 2024

Introduction: The death of a loved one is never easy to bear. The death of a child is no doubt even worse. Not counting wars, murder, enslavement, or any other heinous act, there were a number of people in both the Old and New Testaments who suffered the death of a child. Thanks be to God, I have ...read more

Scripture: 2 Samuel 12:22-23

Tags: David, Children, Death Of Infants

Denomination: Baptist

[047]. A Message From A Poem – Christians Who Are And Who Are Not

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 6, 2025

[047]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – CHRISTIANS WHO ARE AND CHRISTIANS WHO ARE NOT The main idea in this poem is the contrast between Christians in places of persecution who are committed and real, and the many Christians of the West who are lax and non-committed, who are asleep. It is a shame this ...read more

Scripture: Romans 13:11-12, Romans 15:26-28

Tags: Persecution, Support, Sleep, Awake, Voice Of The Martyrs, True Christians  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[093]. A Message From A Poem – Foraging In The Depths Of Scripture

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Apr 30, 2025

[093]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – FORAGING IN THE DEPTHS OF SCRIPTURE This poem deals with getting into the heart of scripture. There are images and techniques and encouragement in these stanzas. I actually make the comparison between a mudskipper that flits across the shallows on the water, and ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 4:12, Psalm 119:27, 2 Timothy 2:15, 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Tags: Buried Treasure, Inspired, Dig Deep, Eel, Mudskipper, Scripture, Word Of God, Workman  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[123]. A Message From A Poem – He Will Receive Us To Himself

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jul 8, 2025

[123]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – HE WILL RECEIVE US TO HIMSELF Time for confession. It is no secret that the theme that occurs in a few of my poems (sometimes only a brief mention) is that of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in Person for all His disciples. That coming is soon and is ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

Tags: Jesus Receives Us, Received To Him, Caught Up, The Coming Of The Lord, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[125]. A Message From A Poem – He’s Risen – Easter Poem For Resurrection

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jul 8, 2025

[125]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – HE’S RISEN – EASTER POEM FOR RESURRECTION This poem is an Easter poem featuring the Resurrection. There are 7 stanzas and the first line in each gives the theme of the stanza. The first one is, “He is risen from the dead.” That must be first for all the other ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:20, 1 Corinthians 15:17-19, Luke 24:5-6

Tags: Risen From The Dead, Christ Is Risen, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, Easter Poem, Resurrection, He Is Risen  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[186]. A Message From A Poem – Musings On Being In Heaven

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Sep 5, 2025

[186]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – MUSINGS ON BEING IN HEAVEN This is a lovely poem FOR ME, which is why I wrote it. How much do we think of heaven? I am afraid some are so earth-bound that they give little thought to heaven. Do we know what heaven will be like? Of course we do not. We can only ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:2-4, 1 Corinthians 2:9

Tags: The Third Heaven, Jesus, Heaven, Center, Christian Poems  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

One Of The Best Ways To Bear Everlasting Fruit Is ...

Contributed by Rick Crandall on Apr 19, 2010

One of the best ways to bear everlasting fruit is to share your Christian testimony with other people. This morning we have a YouTube clip with part Drew Brees’ Christian testimony. Drew gave this testimony earlier this season in an interview with Jill Ewert from the Fellowship of Christian ...read more

Tags: Testimonies About Jesus

Denomination: Baptist

Numbers Of The Bible  PRO

Contributed by Stephen Schwartz on Dec 17, 2001

Numbers of the Bible” One The number one is for God. We must begin with number one or we cannot have number two or any other number. Mathematically speaking we cannot get anywhere without the number one. We must begin with God. Two The number two is for man. Man as an individual. God made ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 18:21, Matthew 17:1-9

Tags: Future, God's Omniscience, Kingdom, Tomorrow

Denomination: Methodist

Heaven, A Personal Place

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Heaven, A Personal Place Jesus said, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me. In My Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and ...read more

Scripture: John 14:1-6

Tags: Heaven

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

How God Protected David Brainerd During ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 30, 2010

How God Protected David Brainerd During Missionary Work American history tells of missionary saints who interceded for those of this land too. In answer to the question, "What can be done to revive the work of God where it has decayed?" John Wesley once said, "Let every preacher read carefully ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 5:6-10

Tags: Missions

[017] A Message From A Poem - Altogether Lovely One

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jun 21, 2024

[017] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - ALTOGETHER LOVELY ONE There are times when we feel our hearts going out in worship to our Lord. What is the difference between praise and worship? This is not a sermon so I won’t be answering that question here, but I hope you think on it and that it might warm ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 2:11, Isaiah 53:3-4, Psalm 150:1-3

Tags: Worship, Praise, Gold, Magi, Sorrow, Frankincense, Myrrh, Lovely One  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational