In Sermon Illustrations: "Salvation By Grace"

I Was Wrong  PRO

Contributed by Rick Stacy on Mar 24, 2002

I WAS WRONG Jim Bakker is back in the pulpit again. "It’s awesome to die and come back," he told about 400 worshipers at Way of Life Church, where he was the guest speaker Sunday. The former PTL Ministries leader presided over a multimillion dollar TV ministry until he resigned amid a sex and ...read more

Tags: God's Love, Great God, Grace, Impact, Repentance, People  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Wrong Way Roy Riegels

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Nov 13, 2022

In the 1929 Rose Bowl, Georgia Tech was playing the University of California when the ball popped out of the hands of a Georgia Tech back. Roy Riegels, the University of California center, scooped it up and cut across the field. Then, finding himself hemmed in, he reversed his field. It was at this ...read more

Tags: Grace, Repent, Legalism, False Teaching, Football, Sermon Introduction  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[038] A Message From A Poem – Can They Really Know?

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Feb 26, 2025

[038] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – CAN THEY REALLY KNOW? This poem is derived from thinking about the songs of several decades ago, (50-70 years) especially in the American Southern Gospel Quartets. Needless to say I love those old singers especially The Cathedrals. The poem is quite simple and is ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 20:1-15, Ephesians 2:4-7

Tags: Hell, Grace, Glory, Heaven, Know, We Can Know  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Stop Offering A Comfortable Christian Message

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 4, 2021

Most evangelistic appeals today pitch the gospel as the way to have an abundant life. “Jesus came to offer you abundant life. Trust in Him and He will give you peace, joy, and a truly happy life.” While all of those claims are true if properly defined, what the salesman hasn’t told the potential ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:12, Luke 9:23, Galatians 2:20, Romans 12:1-2, Romans 1:16  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Commitment, Discipleship, Truth, Suffering, Greasy Grace, Comfortable Christianity  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

God The Father In The Old Testament

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Mar 12, 2022

God is only referred to as "Father" fourteen times in the Old Testament's thirty-nine books, and even then, rather impersonally. In those fourteen occurrences of Father, the term was always used with reference to the Nation of Israel, not to individuals. In the entire Old Testament, ...read more

Tags: Old Testament, Grace, Father, Law, Prayer, Lord's Prayer  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

How To Catch A Monkey  PRO

Contributed by Doug Sanders on Jan 2, 2001

HOW TO CATCH A MONKEY Native hunters in the jungles of Africa have a clever way of trapping monkeys. They slice a coconut in two, hollow it out, and in one half of the shell cut a hole just big enough for a monkey’s hand to pass through. Then they place an orange in the other coconut half before ...read more

Scripture: Mark 6:38, Matthew 8:5-13

Tags: John Wesley, Lost, Need, Grace, Human Value, Course, Church, Business And Marketplace, Encouragement, Sovereign, Support, Riches, Salvation, Sacrifices, Wisdom, Track  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

You Are Not A Christian Until You Receive A New ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 2, 2005

You are not a Christian until you receive a new nature and if you receive a new nature there will be evidence. You can educate a pig to stay out of the mud and eat differently but on a hot day with fellow pigs he will resort to his normal nature and dive happily into the mud. If you could give ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17, Proverbs 26:11, 2 Peter 2:22, 1 John 3:7-8

Tags: New Creation, New Life, Nature, Salvation, Repentance  (view more)  (view less)

I Was On My Honeymoon In The Bahama's When A Man ...  PRO

Contributed by John Mayes on Nov 1, 2005

I was on my honeymoon in the Bahama’s when a man walked up to me and said, "Would you like to buy some cocaine? You can tell everyone how much you really enjoyed the Bahama’s." After I said "No!" and got over the shock of that man’s boldness, I wondered how Jesus would have responded if someone ...read more

Scripture: John 4:7-15

Tags: Evangelism, Evangelism How To, Evangelism Fear Of, Salvation, Witness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Pentecostal

Back In 1830 George Wilson Was Convicted Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Steve Malone on Apr 7, 2001

Back in 1830 George Wilson was convicted of robbing the U.S. Mail and was sentenced to be hanged. President Andrew Jackson issued a pardon for Wilson, but he refused to accept it. The matter went to Chief Justice Marshall, who concluded that Wilson would have to be executed. "A pardon is a slip of ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 10:35-36, Hebrews 10:23, Hebrews 2:2-3, Hebrews 2:2-3

Tags: Faith General, Assurance Of Salvation, God's Provision, Justice

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Years Ago There Was A Woman Crossing The Hills ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Years ago there was a woman crossing the hills of South Wales on foot in the midst of a blizzard but she was not as fortunate as my wife and I were in South Dakota. She never made it to her destination. When they found her frozen body they did not understand why in that climate she was not wearing ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:8, John 3:16

Tags: Atonement, Salvation, Cross, World Religions, Eternal Life  (view more)  (view less)

James S. Hewett, Former Pastor Of Saratoga ...  PRO

Contributed by R. David Reynolds on Mar 23, 2008

James S. Hewett, former pastor of Saratoga (California) Presbyterian Church shares this story: “A little boy and his father were driving down a country road on a beautiful spring afternoon. Suddenly out of nowhere a bumblebee flew in the car window. Since the little boy was deathly allergic to ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:22, Luke 24:4-6

Tags: Atonement, Sacrifice, Salvation, New Life, Apostles General  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Methodist

Identity

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Jul 13, 2022

An engineer had this note taped inside his desk drawer at his office: "This is not my life. This is my job. Christ is my life." (Upon his tragic death in ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 1:21, Galatians 2:20

Tags: Faith, Career, Salvation, Discipleship, Work, Legacy, Identity  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Martin Luther And The Gospel

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Jul 20, 2022

Martin Luther: 1483-1546 In 2017 – the 400th anniversary of the Reformation, I had the privilege to visit Wittenberg, Germany, birthplace of the Reformation. I walked the cobblestone streets, and even toured Luther’s home. The prodigious Martin Luther appeared headed for the legal profession but ...read more

Scripture: Romans 1:17, 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, Galatians 1:1-9

Tags: Faith, Salvation, Gospel, The Cross, Reformation, Justification By Faith  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Powerful Illustration For A Funeral

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Dec 13, 2022

There is an old story of a king and his clown or “jester” who sometimes said very foolish things. One day the jester had said something so foolish that the king handing him a staff, said to him: “Take this, and keep it till you find a bigger fool than yourself.” “Some years later, the king lay on ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 14:1

Tags: Evangelism, Death, Salvation, Lost, Time, Fools, Funerals  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Dangers Of Toying With Sin

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Mar 12, 2023

Several years ago our family visited Niagara Falls. It was spring, and ice was rushing down the river. As I viewed the large blocks of ice flowing toward the falls, I could see that there were carcasses of dead fish embedded in the ice. Gulls by the score were riding down the river feeding on the ...read more

Scripture: Romans 3:23

Tags: Sin, Salvation, Temptation, Deceit, Sinners, Sin Nature  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Johnny Appleseed Gospel

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Feb 22, 2024

Demond Wilson was a TV actor in 1970's He starred along with Redd Foxx on the TV show, "Sanford and Son." Later in life Wilson became a gospel preacher. He made this beautiful statement: “I’m just a nobody telling everybody about Somebody who ...read more

Scripture: Romans 1:16-17, John 14:6, 1 Timothy 1:15

Tags: Preaching, Witnessing, Jesus Christ, Evangelism, Salvation, Gospel  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

In The Hole You Go!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Feb 22, 2024

As a minister, I conduct many baptismal services. My denomination baptizes in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. One Sunday, my family and I went to a friend’s home in the country. Our four children went outside to play with the others. After a short while, we heard only silence ...read more

Scripture: Acts 16:25-34

Tags: Faith, Baptism, Church, Children, Great Commission, Salvation'  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Are You Ready To Meet The Lord?

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Aug 22, 2024

Text: Proverbs 29:1, KJV: 1 He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. Thrift and second-hand stores are good places to find items like Bibles and other Christian material—no offense to bookstores, of course. One day I was searching for ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 29:1

Tags: Thrift Shops, Death, Salvation, Ready To Meet God

Denomination: Baptist

[074]. Poem Message – Excerpts Certain Psalms Part 5 – Psalms 9, 27, 100

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Apr 4, 2025

[074]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – EXCERPTS FROM CERTAIN PSALMS PART 5 – PSALMS 9, 27, 100 {{Psalm 59:16-17 “As for me, I SHALL SING OF YOUR STRENGTH. Yes, I SHALL JOYFULLY SING OF YOUR LOVING-KINDNESS in the morning, for You have been my stronghold and a refuge in the day of my distress. O my ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 59:16-17, Psalm 27:1, Psalm 9:9, Psalm 100:3, Psalm 100:4  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Gates, Light, Praise, Salvation, Thanks, Stronghold, Trouble  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[315]. A Message From A Poem - Thoughts Prompted By Romans Chapter 1

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 20, 2026

[315]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - THOUGHTS PROMPTED BY ROMANS CHAPTER 1 This is not taking the bible’s verses for Romans 1 and refashioning them for a poem as I do sometimes. The poem is based on thoughts from the reading of the chapter, not on exposition of the chapter. The opening chapter of ...read more

Scripture: Romans 1:15-16, Romans 1:18

Tags: Salvation, Gospel, Righteousness, The Wrath Of God, Christian Poems  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational