In Sermon Illustrations: "Satan Is Real"

Casual Is Not Always Appropriate

Contributed by James Snyder on May 2, 2020

If confession is good for the soul, I would like to give my soul a little treat. During this "stay-at-home" phenomenon, the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage and Yours Truly, have been enjoying our time alone. We certainly have taken advantage of it. Not too long ago, my wife came up ...read more

Scripture: Luke 6:31

Tags: Casual, Humor

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Will There Be Television In Heaven?

Contributed by James Snyder on Jun 6, 2020

If anybody can ask hard questions, the award has to go to the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage. She knows how to ask a question and, more importantly, when to ask a particular question. Throughout our marriage, she has become an expert in the area of questionology. There is not a question I can ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 10:4

Tags: Television, Questions, Politicians

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Well, Here We Go Again

Contributed by James Snyder on Jan 9, 2021

I have lived long enough to know that the only change that has any kind of reality is the change in my pocket. I keep track of that change with great supervision and count it every day. When people tell me that this is a New Year and there will be a lot of changes this year, I search my pocket ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 1:9

Tags: Old, Humor, Change, New Year

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

That’s Why Doctors Call Us Patients

Contributed by James Snyder on Apr 17, 2021

For the past month I have been engaging with my eye doctor. I've had two cataracts removed which isn't a serious thing in itself. But what goes into this surgery is what baffles me. I've often wondered why doctors call us patients. I have figured out that the doctors are not patient, ...read more

Scripture: James 5:7

Tags: Surgery, Relationship

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

A Great Testimony Of Salvation

Contributed by Rick Crandall on Apr 20, 2021

A Great Testimony of Salvation *William MacKay had a great testimony about how God rewrote the story of his life. In the mid-1800s, as a teenager in Scotland, William left home to go to college. *His mother was greatly concerned about his spiritual life, so she gave him a Bible and printed a ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:23-25, Romans 1:15-17, Romans 10:8-15

Tags: Salvation, Gospel Power, God's Work, The Bible, Christian Testimonies, William Mackay, Revive Us Again  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

What A Crazy World We Live In

Contributed by James Snyder on Feb 26, 2022

Driving home from an appointment across town, my wife and I encountered some crazy driver weaving in and out on the road in front of us. The fact that there was not an accident was somewhat surprising. “What,” The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage exclaimed, “is wrong with people?” Looking at ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Tags: Family, Crazy

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

See Cookie Will Sneak

Contributed by James Snyder on Oct 29, 2022

For more years than I care to remember, I have been on a diligent pursuit, and I won’t stop until I reach my goal. My quest is to find a cookie I don’t like. Throughout the years, I have eaten every cookie I could find and loved them all. My biggest obstacle in this pursuit is The Gracious ...read more

Scripture: Mark 14:38

Tags: Temptation, Humor

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Misapplied Scriptures, Psalm 137:9

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Oct 3, 2023

Introduction: Yahoo! ™ used to have a section or forum where people could ask and answer questions about any of many topics. One of my favorites was the “religion and spirituality” section. Some people were genuinely interested in spiritual matters. It goes without saying there were a number of ...read more

Tags: Punishment, Babylonian Captivity, Misapplied Scriptures

Denomination: Baptist

I Don’t Believe In Superstition…but

Contributed by James Snyder on Nov 4, 2023

I don’t believe in any of the superstitious nonsense that seems to be going around these days. Some people have a fear of numbers like 13 and 666. What in the world does a number have to do with anything? When I am around people who are superstitious like that, I’m afraid I lean toward the ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 6:9

Tags: Secrets, Superstitious

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

[009]. A Message From A Poem - A Tree Climber

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jun 6, 2024

[009]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - A TREE CLIMBER Some people have a burning desire to go to see someone or some event important. Look how many turn out to a Trump rally, or a football final, or who go to see some vain film star. However, some people have a real need and want to meet someone to see ...read more

Scripture: John 1:3, Luke 19:1-6, Luke 19:8-9

Tags: Zaccheus, Tax Gatherer, Tree Climber, Salvation, Repentance, Sycamore Tree  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Ministry Of Truth And Honesty

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Dec 6, 2024

Introduction: If there’s one thing that’s sorely and surely needed these days, it’s truth and honesty. It’s no secret that both and each are in short supply. Just look at some of the so-called testimony which “witnesses” utter before either house of the U S Congress, for example. The concept if not ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 8:21

Tags: Paul, Truthfulness, Honesty

Denomination: Baptist

[061]. A Message From A Poem – Do You Love Me More Than These?

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 14, 2025

[061]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – DO YOU LOVE ME MORE THAN THESE? How sound is our love? How enduring is it? How sturdy is it – does it flicker on and off like some lights? Is your love for the Lord, your Saviour, prepared to go to a martyr’s death? The inspiration for this poem came from that ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 2:4-5, 1 John 4:19, John 21:15-17

Tags: Love, Friendship, Poetry, Poem, First Love  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[062a]. A Message From A Poem – Does Suffering Cancel Out A God Of Love?

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 14, 2025

[062A]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – DOES SUFFERING CANCEL OUT A GOD OF LOVE? THE POEM AS IT IS WILL NOT FIT IN THE ILLUSTRATION SPACE AVAILABLE. I HAVE HAD TO SPLIT IT INTO THREE PARTS. THIS IS THE FIRST PART PART 1 INTRODUCTION TO THIS POEM This is my most serious poem because it addresses ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 45:6-7, John 3:16, Exodus 34:6-7

Tags: Comfort, Suffering, Tragedy, God Of Comfort, God Of Love, Hurt, Pain, Love, Compassion  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

It Was A Snarly Kind Of Day

Contributed by James Snyder on Apr 26, 2025

Last week The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage had another one of her girl days with our daughter and granddaughter. Don’t let this get around, but it is one of my favorite days of the year, including my birthday. It’s a day on which I can do what I want to do. That doesn’t come often; when it ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 14:29

Tags: Wrath, Patience, Reward

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Oh No, Not Another Day

Contributed by James Snyder on Oct 18, 2025

I thought got over the problems I had two weeks ago. I thought I stepped onto new ground and everything was going to be fine. Very few times am I right, and this wasn't one of them. A couple of weeks ago, I had a terrible day. Our electricity was off for over six hours. My printer died, and I ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:13

Tags: Victory, Struggle

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Story Behind The Hymn "when Peace Like A River"

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Oct 21, 2025

Story: The last but one time that I went to Israel , when we went to the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem our Guide pointed across Jersualem to some buildings and told us that is where Horatio Spafford used to live. Many on our trip didn’t know who Spafford was. Horatio Spafford, a well-known Chicago ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:24-34

Tags: Peace, Worry, River, Perspective, Horatio Spafford  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Anglican

[292]. A Message From A Poem – Arise, You Sleepy Unproductive Servant

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Feb 18, 2026

[292]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – ARISE, YOU SLEEPY UNPRODUCTIVE SERVANT It is time to be serious about the faith we profess. The western world is awash with wishy-washy Christian profession. Too many are asleep instead of being active for Jesus, the Lord of our faith. This poem is a challenge ...read more

Scripture: Romans 13:11-14, 2 Peter 1:5

Tags: Ashamed, Unprofitable, Serve The Lord, Servants, Christian Poems, Faithful, Devotion, Arise, Priorities, Laziness, Asleep, Service, Servant  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Monk Story  PRO

Contributed by Andrew Hamilton on Sep 29, 2002

Monk Story There is a story told of an old monastery that had fallen upon hard times. It was once a great order, but as a result of waves of anti-monastic persecution in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and the rise of secularism in the nineteenth, all its branch houses were lost and it ...read more

Tags: Christian Love, Romantic Love

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

That Is Nifty!" Psalms 66: 1-20 Key Verse(S): 3 ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 17, 2004

“That IS Nifty!” Psalms 66: 1-20 Key verse(s): 3 “Say to God, ‘How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you.” “The greatest single distinguishing feature of the omnipotence of God is that our imagination gets lost when thinking about it” –– Blaise ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

Tags: Glorify, God's Omnipotence

Sweeping Closer To Home!" 2 Samuel 12:1-8 Key ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Jan 16, 2005

“Sweeping Closer to Home!” 2 Samuel 12:1-8 Key verse(s): 5-6:“David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.’” The old fix-it ...read more

Scripture: 2 Samuel 12:1-8

Tags: Leadership General

Denomination: Lutheran