In Sermon Illustrations: "Selfish Love"

Promises Are ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 17, 2009

PROMISES ARE SACRIFICES Promises are funny things. They’re easy to make and often easier to break, but generally hard to keep. Robert Frost poetically captured that truth in his poem, Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening. He talks about how sometimes we wish we could be free, for just a little bit ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 119:140

Tags: Promises Of God

The Bible Challenge

Contributed by Dennis Selfridge on Jul 25, 2009

THE BIBLE CHALLENGE During a question and answer session at a recent speaking engagement, a university student asked, "Why do you believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God?" What is so special, so unique about the Bible that Christians believe it is literally the inspired word of God? ...read more

Tags: Apologetics The Bible

Denomination: Wesleyan

The Gift Of The Skates

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 19, 2009

THE GIFT OF THE SKATES So how do we recognize His authority in our lives? How do we express our faith and our love to Him? By committing ourselves to His mission. Jesus doesn’t say anything about saving sinners and getting them into heaven. The primary priority of his mission is to preach good ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 61:1-6

Tags: Christmas

Praying For The Lost

Contributed by Rick Crandall on Mar 15, 2010

PRAYING FOR THE LOST Lee Thomas is a great teacher on praying for the lost. Here’s part of a testimony from his book: When we begin to pray for someone’s salvation, God seems to draw a circle around that individual and then gets in the circle with him. That is what happened to Ricky Gresham when ...read more

Tags: Evangelism The Lost

Denomination: Baptist

Brad Pitt ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 1, 2010

Brad Pitt Interview Interview with the actor, Brad Pitt, in Parade magazine. Pitt grew up in Springfield, MO, the oldest of three children in a conservative, Southern Baptist family. His mother was a school counselor; his father ran a trucking company. "My dad made sure our needs were met," he ...read more

Scripture: John 17:17

Tags: Bible Truth, True Gospel

Power And Discipline  PRO

Contributed by Jeff Strite on May 5, 2013

POWER AND DISCIPLINE Over here is a wall socket. There is power in that socket. Because of that power, I can plug lamps, fans, microwaves and phone chargers into it and magically empower those devises. I can even plug a car charger into a wall socket and revive a dead car battery (like I’ve had to ...read more

Tags: Experience

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Parallels Between Isaac And Jesus

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 19, 2014

PARALLELS BETWEEN ISAAC AND JESUS There is no clearer picture of the Cross and the sacrifice the Father made for us in Christ than Genesis chapter 22. Notice the powerful parallels between Isaac and Christ. Isaac is one of the clearest types of Christ in the Old Testament. 1.Both fulfilled ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 22:1-14, Romans 5:8, John 3:16, 2 Corinthians 5:21

Tags: Typology, Christ, Salvation, Gospel, Cross, Isaac  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Say, "Yes"

Contributed by Tim Smith on Sep 25, 2016

Bob Goff tells of his love for playing practical jokes on his buddies. His friend Doug made the mistake of telling him where he was celebrating his 10th wedding anniversary and the penthouse suite he had prepaid for. A few days later, he and his wife checked into the hotel as Doug and his wife. ...read more

Scripture: Esther 4:1-16

Tags: Risk, Risk Taking, Say Yes To God

Denomination: Methodist

Prayer

Contributed by Tim Smith on Sep 25, 2016

Chris Jeffries tells the story of Roy who was feeling frustrated that he was not able to do what he felt he was born to do. So he prayed for Our Father to change something. Then there was a knock at the door and they met two strangers, a married couple. They invited them in and sat them down at ...read more

Scripture: Luke 11:5-8

Tags: Prayer, God's Will, Confidence In Prayer

Denomination: Methodist

Are We Forever Trapped?

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Feb 17, 2017

METAL BARS OR MENTAL BARS... There is a story that comes from Russia of the BEAR THAT WAS FOREVER TRAPPED. There had been a great fire that burned miles of forest in Russia. Much of the wild life had been destroyed. There was a truck traveling along the edges of the destruction and a ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 3:7

Tags: Opportunity, Open Door

Denomination: Assembly Of God

What Is Your Value?

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Jan 17, 2020

Matthew 16:25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? A boy asked a wise man: WHAT ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 10:29, Matthew 16:25

Tags: Value, Mirror

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Five Lies About Hell

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Apr 19, 2022

ON AN AMERICAN TROOPSHIP during World War II a new Chaplain came aboard. The rank and file of the sailors met him and they put to him this question, "Do you believe in Hell?" The Chaplain was a modernist and an unbeliever, and he said, "Men, certainly not." The men looked at ...read more

Tags: Preaching, Judgment, Lost, Inerrancy, Evangelism, Hell, Death, Truth  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Lazy -Apathy Cost

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Jul 22, 2022

STORY: ONE EVENING THERE WAS AN OLD WISE MAN SITTING ON HIS PORCH WHEN A YOUNG MAN APPROACHED HIM. The young man said: HOW I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOUR WISDOM, UNDERSTANDING AND RICHES. The sun was setting. The old man said saddle that horse. The young man saddled the horse. The old man gave him two ...read more

Scripture: Luke 12:17-19

Tags: Unfaithfulness, No Passion

Denomination: Assembly Of God

In The Name Of Jesus Stop!

Contributed by Steve Malone on Sep 7, 2022

Telemachus was a monk in the 4th century. One day in prayer, He felt called by God to leave immediately and head to Rome. So he put his possessions in a sack and headed out. Upon arriving in Rome, he was immediately caught up in the crowd. The crowd was immense and excited. Soon ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:9

Tags: Courage, Martyrs, Peacemakers, Telemachus

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Jewish Weddings Are A Portrait Of The Last Days

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 2, 2023

When a Jewish man found a woman he liked (and most times his father would pick one out for him) he would approach the young lady with a marriage contract (a covenant). In the contract were laid out the legal terms in which he would propose marriage. The most important part of this contract was ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Tags: Revelation, Church, Israel, End Times, Last Days, Rapture, Bride Of Christ, Weddings  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[029] A Message From A Poem – Be Still And Know That I Am God

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Feb 15, 2025

[029] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD This is a very special poem because in a time of great difficulty, the Lord woke me from irregular sleep to give me this poem at 3 o’clock in the morning. Of course the poem flowed along because it came from God. It was a message I ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 4:4, Luke 10:39-40, Psalm 46:10

Tags: Mary, Rest In The Lord, Be Still, Wait On The Lord, I Am God, Cease Striving, Seated At His Feet  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[181]. A Message From A Poem – Man’s Departure Is Away From God

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Sep 3, 2025

[181]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – MAN’S DEPARTURE IS AWAY FROM GOD We live in a world in decline and it was prophesied that way – {{2 Timothy 3:1-5 “Realise this, that IN THE LAST DAYS DIFFICULT TIMES WILL COME, for men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:1-5, 2 Timothy 3:13

Tags: Getting Worse, Sinful Nature, Departure, Old Nature, Christian Poems, Britian, Wales, Sin, New Birth, Tribulation  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[209]. A Message From A Poem – Our Pilgrim Journey Home

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Sep 23, 2025

[209]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – OUR PILGRIM JOURNEY HOME Here is an explanation – The title of this poem expresses the walk and life of a Christian who lives for a short time in this world and then is called home. There is a slight touch of Bunyan’s Pilgrim Progress here. The KJV is the only ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 1:20-21, Hebrews 11:13, 1 Peter 2:11

Tags: Light, Journey, Opposition, Crowd, Strangers, Pilgrims, Sojourners, To Live Is Christ, Aliens  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[262]. A Poem Message – The Election Will Spell Even More Wickedness

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 13, 2026

[262]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THE ELECTION WILL SPELL EVEN MORE WICKEDNESS In democratic societies people elect their national rulers, but what do you do when these rulers are all corrupt? How can you vote for them? I know some Christians have a battle with this. Some just refuse to vote. ...read more

Scripture: Romans 1:28, 2 Timothy 3:13, Genesis 12:3

Tags: Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, The United States, National Election, Evil, Politics, Wickedness, Elections, Betrayed, Bad To Worse  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[317]. A Message From A Poem - Transition In Time And Eternity

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 20, 2026

[317]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - TRANSITION IN TIME AND ETERNITY This poem’s title means the lifespan we have from childhood, through the years until old age, then after that lies eternity. There is a physical life and a spiritual life. The physical life we know but hardly anyone knows the ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 6:2, Matthew 7:13-14, Psalm 10:4, Psalm 14:1, Psalm 53:1  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Hell, Death, Eternity, Baby, Heaven, Afterlife, Salvation, Atheism, Transition, Enter, Narrow Gate, Forgiveness Of Sins, Growing Older, Christian Poems  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational