In Sermon Illustrations: "Set Free"

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

Denomination: Anglican

One Of The Most Touching Moment In The Sydney ...  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Emmert on May 29, 2001

One of the most touching moment in the Sydney Olympics was when Eric "The Swimmer" Moussambani of Equatorial Guinea swam in the 100-meter free style qualifying heat. The 22-year-old African had only learned to swim last January, had only practiced in a 20-meter pool without lane markers, and had ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:1, Ephesians 4:24-29

Tags: Transformation, Spirit Led, Friendship New Friends, Renewal, Church Small Groups, Church Body Of Christ  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: United Methodist

James Dobson, New Man, October, ...  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Aug 9, 2002

[illustration, James Dobson, New Man, October, 1994, p. 36.] This is an exert from an article that James Dobson wrote in 1994 about Stephen Hawking, whom I believe has since died… Stephen Hawking is an astrophysicist at Cambridge University and perhaps the most intelligent man on earth. He has ...read more

Tags: Fulfillment, Contentment

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Prayer For A Nation At War  PRO

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Mar 19, 2003

A PRAYER FOR A NATION AT WAR Our Father in Heaven, We thank You that You know exactly what is going on here on earth. We sinful human beings constantly find ourselves confused, distressed, and alarmed because of our own behavior and that of others. What miseries result from our sinful ...read more

Tags: God's Provision, War, Prayer Supplication

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Chasing A Wagging Tail  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Jun 17, 2004

CHASING A WAGGING TAIL Stephen Hawking is an astrophysicist at Cambridge University and perhaps the most intelligent man on earth. He has advanced the general theory of relativity farther than any person since Albert Einstein. Unfortunately, Hawking is afflicted with ALS Syndrome (Lou Gehrig’s ...read more

Tags: Faith, Joy

Denomination: Lutheran

I Met Rosemary When I Was 15 Years Old. Her ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 28, 2005

I met Rosemary when I was 15 years old. Her father was the proprietor of a pool hall called El Rancho Grande. He had two rules concerning me and the pool hall. Rule #1 was “If you play and lose, you pay.” Rule #2 was “If you play and win, you play for free.” Needless to say, I got as good as I ...read more

Tags: Evangelism The Lost

Once There Were These 3 Guys Who Needed To Get ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 2, 2005

Once there were these 3 guys who needed to get to a town called Perfection in one day. Perfection was 200 km away. One guy decided to save money and walk all the way. He started off at 6 in the morning. He only walked for a few hours and managed to cover 20 km. After that he was too pooped to carry ...read more

Tags: Call Of The Disciples, Love Of The Disciples

Game Of Chance

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Jul 9, 2010

GAME OF CHANCE A person recently said to me as they were dying that the Bible was just a series of myths and stories, and if I want to, I can choose to live my life assuming that it is. I can choose to treat heaven like a GAME OF CHANCE and the Bible as something less than a sure thing. I can ...read more

Tags: Judgment

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Make Your Home In Me

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 13, 2010

MAKE YOUR HOME IN ME If I’m not abiding in Jesus, then where is it that I abide? I once asked myself. I began to notice that when I was tired or anxious, there were certain sentences I would say in my head that led me to a familiar place. The journey to this place would often start with me walking ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:6-7

Tags: Anxiety

The Eden Project

Contributed by Ken Pell on Sep 13, 2010

In Cornwall, England, you can visit a place called “The Eden Project.” The Eden Project attempted to build the perfect environment in which plants and trees could flourish. Obviously named for the Garden of Eden, this collection of “biomes,” huge domes, provide a tightly monitored atmosphere with a ...read more

Tags: Stress

Denomination: Nazarene

In God We Trust

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 17, 2011

IN GOD WE TRUST I think it quite appropriate that on this day we celebrate who we are as a nation and reflect on how we came to be the nation we are. It is because we still stand firm in our national motto,” IN GOD WE TRUST”. Did you ever wonder where it came from – how did these words come to be ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 33:6-22, Proverbs 16:1-4

Tags: Independence Day

God's Chair

Contributed by Antonio Silveira on Feb 26, 2011

GOD'S CHAIR When I was small, I used to play a game with my friends called musical chairs. Do you remember it? The object of the game was to be in possession of a chair when the music stopped. All through life it often seems we’re caught up in this game. There are different kinds of chairs and in ...read more

Tags: Kingdom Of God

Denomination: Baptist

Church Asks Non-Participants To Leave

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 21, 2011

CHURCH ASKS NON-PARTICIPANTS TO LEAVE Just a few years ago, Larknews.com carried the following fictional piece of satire on its website. In the form of a news release, it reported: Julie and Bob Clark were stunned to receive a letter from their church in July asking them to "participate in the ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:15-16

Tags: Church Growth

Helping The Fallen

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 25, 2011

HELPING THE FALLEN One of the most touching moments in NBA history took place in a 2003 playoff game between the Portland Trailblazers and the Dallas Mavericks. Actually, it happened before the game began. Natalie Gilbert was a 13-year-old 8th grader who had won the chance to sing the national ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 2:5-11

Tags: Encouragement

What Really Matters  PRO

Contributed by Ronnie Miller on Jul 28, 2011

What Really Matters It was two weeks before Christmas and it began to start. Everyone was scrambling and rushing to get to Wal-Mart. Their credit cards were in the orange and checking account in the red in hopes that their rich uncle would soon be dead. Old Saint Nick sitting high on a mountain ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:1-40

Tags: Christmas, Tree, Poem, Santa Claus

Denomination: Baptist

An Attack Of Conscience

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 8, 2011

AN ATTACK OF CONSCIENCE This was the story in MYFOX Boston from Friday 15 April 2011 41 years after the murder of 15 year old John McCabe of Tewksbury, three suspects finally go before the judge. 60-year-old Walter Shelley, of Tewksbury, and 57-year-old Michael Ferreira of Salem. New Hampshire are ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 24:5-7

Tags: Conscience

America's Spiritual Bankruptcy

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 8, 2011

AMERICA'S SPIRITUAL BANKRUPTCY America is incrementally and systematically rejecting God. America’s moral bankruptcy is symptomatic of its spiritual bankruptcy. For example: • In 1962 the Supreme Court ruled against prayer in our schools. In 1963, they outlawed Bible Readings. • In Alaska public ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 14:34

Tags: America

Healing House: "I Thought You Were Dead."  PRO

Contributed by Tim Smith on Jan 6, 2013

HEALING HOUSE: "I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD." Healing House is in Kansas City, Ks. It's a home for drug addicts started by a woman named Bobbie Jo. Bobbie Jo had been walking the streets for many years but then someone cared enough to share the Gospel with her and she was born again. At the same time, ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 26:1-11, Ephesians 2:1-10

Tags: Giving General

Denomination: Methodist

The Other Day I Stumbled Across A Website Called ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

The other day I stumbled across a website called myheritage.com. The site is a genealogical database designed to help people reconstruct their family history. That in and of itself is nothing new, but this one is different because it uses face recognition software to do so. The idea is for people ...read more

Tags: Creation

On May 23, 1863, Nearly 30,000 Union Soldiers ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

On May 23, 1863, nearly 30,000 Union soldiers were camped in a semi-circle around one of the most unlikely places in the country. Just 35 miles north of where we are right now there was a fort built on a high bluff overlooking a sharp bend in the Mississippi River. From the earthen walls of that ...read more

Tags: God In The Hardships