In Sermon Illustrations: "Science In The Bible"

Prophecies Of The Messiah

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Dec 21, 2020

The Bible Passes The Prophecy Test! There are literally thousands of prophetic predictions made in the Bible. Some of these prophecies are quite dramatic in nature. For instance, Isaiah mentions Cyrus the Persian King, by name, 125 years before he was born. Not a single one prophecy made in the ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:14-17, 2 Timothy 4:1-3

Tags: Inspiration, Inerrancy, Bible, Messiah, Christmas, Jesus, Prophecy  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Miracle Of The Dead Sea Scrolls

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 4, 2021

In 1947, Muhammad adh-Dhib, a twelve-year-old Arab boy, made one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of all time. While looking for a lost goat in Qumran, near the Dead Sea, he threw a stone into a cave and heard the sound of shattering pottery. Curious about the noise, he entered the cave ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Timothy 4:1-3, 2 Peter 1:21, Hebrews 4:12

Tags: Bible, Scripture, Truth, Miracles, Dead Sea Scrolls  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

How To Gather A Crowd At Church!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 25, 2021

How to Gather a Crowd at Church! A cattle rancher got saved and surrendered to preach. He went to a Bible conference which was all about how to build a crowd. Asked about it later, he said, "It was strange. In all my years as a cattle rancher, I never had to go to a conference to learn how ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Timothy 4:1-3

Tags: Bible, Teaching, Preaching, Word Of God, Pastors, Churches  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Macarthur On Contemporary Preaching

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 25, 2021

"Many churches today are filled to overflowing with those who want their ears tickled with the myths of easy believism and so called positive thinking. They come to have their egos fed and their sins approved, not to have their hearts cleansed and their souls saved. They want only to feel ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:6-17

Tags: Preaching, Pastors, Churches, The Word Of God, The Bible, Liberalism  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Is Jonah In Heaven Or Not?

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 25, 2021

Atheist to girl: “You don’t believe there is a real Jonah who was swallowed by a whale do you? No one believes that stuff any more!” Girl – “I sure do, and when I get to Heaven, I’m going to find Jonah and talk to him about it!" Then the atheist laughed and said mockingly, “And what if ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Timothy 4:1-3

Tags: Humor, Miracles, Atheists, Bible, Faith, Jonah, Preaching  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Power Of God's Word!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 25, 2021

How powerful is the Preached Word of God?  On October 7, 1857, C. H. Spurgeon preached to his largest audience ever, some 23, 654 assembled in the mammoth Crystal Palace for a national day of fasting and prayer. A few days before the event Spurgeon had gone to the huge hall to test the ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Timothy 4:1-3

Tags: The Word Of God, The Bible, Salvation, Preaching, Miracles, Pastors  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Grandma Is Cramming For Her Finals!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 15, 2024

Every time a little boy went to a playmate’s house, he found the friend’s grandmother deeply engrossed in her Bible. Finally, his curiosity got the better of him. “Why do you suppose your grandmother reads the Bible so much?” he asked. “I’m not ...read more

Scripture: James 1:9-16

Tags: Death, Children, Heaven, Judgment, Bible Reading, Grandmothers  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Compass And God's Truth

Contributed by Timothy Lueking on Jul 1, 2025

Let me tell you a story to bring this passage home. Back in the 1800s, the thick forest of northern Michigan there was a young logger, confident in his sense of direction, set out one crisp morning to scout new timber. The forest was dense, the sky hidden by a canopy of green. Hours passed, and as ...read more

Scripture: John 2:3-6, John 8:31-32

Tags: Compass, Waver, Bible, Direction, Truth, God's Word  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

A Daughter's Faith  PRO

Contributed by George Rennau on Mar 30, 2003

A DAUGHTER'S FAITH A young Colombian Girl who received a New Testament in her school. She read the New Testament until one day her father caught her reading it...and told her not to read it any more because it was full of lies and fantasy. But the girl kept on reading until one day her father ...read more

Tags: Bible Influence, Commitment, Community, Offering, Money, Giving, Tithe  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Isaiah's Prophecies And The Dead Sea Scrolls

Contributed by Mark Stepherson on Jan 14, 2017

There was a time when skeptics claimed that the prophecies in Isaiah 53 were too detailed, too specific, too accurate to be mere coincidence. I agreed. But then the skeptics argued that the ONLY logical explanation was that Isaiah was written after the gospels and patterned the suffering Servant ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 53:1-12

Tags: Prophecy, Reliability Of Bible, Fulfilled Prophecy, Dead Sea Scrolls

Denomination: Baptist

Do You Know How To Use The Sword Of The Spirit?

Contributed by Doug Fannon on Oct 26, 2020

Many years ago when I was in Army basic training, I spent many hours on the rifle range. Not just an afternoon on the range like many of you who experience Air Force Basic Training. I spent quite literally two-thirds of my training time on the rifle range. I was issued an M-16 assault rifle for ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:17, 2 Timothy 2:15

Tags: Bible, Scripture, Word Of God, Armor Of God, Sword Of The Spirit  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Who Tore Down The Walls Of Jericho??

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 4, 2021

A pastor entered a class as the lesson was in progress and asked, "Who broke down the walls of Jericho?" A lad answered, "Not me, sir." The pastor turned to the teacher and asked, "Is this the usual behavior in this class?" The teacher replied, "I believe ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Timothy 4:1-3

Tags: Bible, Scripture, Jericho, Humor, Miracles, Unbelief, Ignorance Of Scripture  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Swallowed By A Whale - The Sign Of Jonah

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Feb 13, 2025

Jonah was in the belly of a great fish for 3 days and 3 nights! A kayaker from Chile was in the mouth of a Humpback whale for about 3 seconds - before being spit out! The story was reported by CNN (February 13, 2025) A humpback whale briefly swallowed a 24-year-old kayaker last Saturday during ...read more

Scripture: Jonah 1:17, Matthew 12:39, Matthew 12:40

Tags: Bible, Jonah, Miracles, Rejection, Escape, Signs, Reliability Of Scripture  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Repent For Better Health

Contributed by John Bright on Mar 10, 2025

Since this is the season of Lent, it’s a good time to repent of the unhealthy habits we have developed over the years. That means we tell God: “You’re right, and I’m wrong.” That’s the beginning of repentance. Then we need to make a plan. There’s an old saying: Those who fail to plan, plan to ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 53:4-6, Acts 3:19

Tags: Diet, Food, Repent, Health, Sleep, Exercise, Bible Reading  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Methodist

[064]. A Message From A Poem – Dull The Sight - Life’s Not Right

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 21, 2025

[064]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – DULL THE SIGHT - LIFE’S NOT RIGHT This short poem is a bit like a person trying to read with glasses that are smeared and hazy. What is read will be distorted and the wrong message will be gained. If he/she tries to walk around then an accident is a ...read more

Scripture: James 5:19-20, Hebrews 10:25, 1 John 1:7

Tags: Poem, Dull, The Bible, Light, Vision, Prayer, Sight, Poetry  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Worship In Spirit And In Truth, By Leann Gabel ...  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Aug 3, 2001

[Worship in Spirit and in Truth, by Leann Gabel of Amarillo, TX] In Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman, it didn’t take long before their conversation turned to worship. I would guess that was as hot a topic then as it is today. The woman’s question was sincere, "I know there are two ways to ...read more

Scripture: Nehemiah 1:5

Tags: Church Practices, Bible Truth, Holy Spirit General, Woman At Well

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Selling Eggs For Bad Sermons

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 9, 2024

An elderly pastor was searching his closet for a tie before church one Sunday morning. In the back of the closet, he found a small box containing 3 eggs and 100--$1.00 bills. He called his wife into the closet to ask her about the box and its contents. Embarrassed, she admitted having hidden the ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:1-3

Tags: Pastor, Preach The Word, Pastor's Wife, Sermons, Preachers, Bible, Church  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Car Traveling On A Super Highway Needs To Have ...  PRO

Contributed by Jerry Flury on Jun 26, 2003

A car traveling on a super highway needs to have proper and balanced inflation in all four tires to travel safely. No one would venture to drive any distance with the left front tire inflated at 32 PSI, the right front at 28 PSI, the left rear at 36PSI, and the right rear at 10 PSI. That would be ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:41-42

Tags: Focus, Disciplines, Basics Of Christianity, Balance, Bible Study, Vision, Prayer General  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Motives For Meditation

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Mar 25, 2024

Dietrich Bonhoeffer required his seminarians to give half an hour each morning to scripture meditation. Many of the students struggled with this task, so he wrote these instructions to help them understand the importance of meditation and to help them learn how to meditate on God’s Word. Why do I ...read more

Tags: Prayer, Word Of God, Meditation, Quiet Time, Spiritual Discipline, Devotionals, Bible  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Have You Ever Heard Of The Woman Who Hated ...  PRO

Contributed by Andrew Chan on May 17, 2001

Have you ever heard of the woman who hated Mother’s Day? According to the Toronto Star’s website, there was such a woman. If you think the spirit of Mother’s Day has been spoiled by the commercialism of cards, flowers and once-a-year sincerity, you stand united with the woman credited with giving ...read more

Tags: Bible, Forgiveness In Jesus, Inspiration, Funny, God's Provision, Mother's Day, Taste, Spoil  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical Free