In Sermon Illustrations: "Sharing Good Things"

Life With Eternal Value

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Aug 30, 2010

LIFE WITH ETERNAL VALUE I was talking with a Jewish friend at work the other day. She said "I don't like evangelicals!" I said that it was unfortunate because I was one, and that she was working for an evangelical organisation. She said "I don't like people trying to convert me!" I said that as I ...read more

Tags: Christian Witness

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Leaders At The Poles

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 7, 2011

LEADERS AT THE POLES In his book, Leading at the Edge, Dennis Perkins contrasts the leadership values of two different explorers: Earnest Shackleton and Vilhjalmur Stefansson. In 1914, Shackleton led a daring expedition to reach Antarctica in the South. A year earlier, Stefansson led an expedition ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:1-4

Tags: Leadership General

Love Of Money And How We Treat Others

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Jan 22, 2025

The debate between whether having money or loving money negatively affects our character is very much alive… Paul Piff of the University of California…organized a “driver-pedestrian” experiment… “... Who is more likely to stop for pedestrians, the rich or the poor? Drivers are legally obliged to ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:6-19

Tags: Money, Covetousness, Success, Materialism, Love Of Money, Loving Others, Money Versus People  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Building A Relationship With God (Running The ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 19, 2009

Building a Relationship with God (Running the Race) It was the summer before my Senior year at Jamestown College. I had taken up riding my bike several times a week and had gotten up to riding 10-20 miles in a single go. Needless to say… I was feeling pretty good about myself. So when school ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Tags: Sports

Light A Candle! (07.12.05--Tomorrow--John ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Jul 10, 2005

Light a Candle! (07.12.05--Tomorrow--John 21:18-19) You know what is the best thing about the future? The way things have been going lately I have no doubt. The best thing about tomorrow is that tomorrow only comes one day at a time. We’ve all had times in our lives when what we feared the most ...read more

Scripture: John 21:18-19

Tags: Death, Guilt

Denomination: Lutheran

Got My Life, Got My Jesus! (09.07.05--The ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Sep 5, 2005

Got My Life, Got My Jesus! (09.07.05--The Temporal Things!--Matthew 5:3) In order to have all things, you must forsake all things. Tell that to those struggling with forsakeness in flood-ravaged New Orleans or storm-crushed Gulfport this morning! My guess is that few if any would understand the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:3

Tags: Basics Of Christianity

Denomination: Lutheran

Way Cool! (09.26.05--Teach Me To Pray!--Ezra ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Sep 22, 2005

Way Cool! (09.26.05--Teach Me to Pray!--Ezra 8:23) What’s the one thing that we despise, but it is also the one thing we most dearly treasure? The answer? It is prayer. There isn’t one of us who really wants to do it; but, at the same time, there isn’t one of us who, once it is done, does not feel ...read more

Scripture: Ezra 8:23

Tags: Prayer How To, Prayer Answered

Denomination: Lutheran

Blessed Are The Poor In Spirit  PRO

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

Blessed Are the Poor In Spirit Seldom in history have so few words been spoken with so much meaning. The Beatitudes of our Lord are powerful, holding before believers and unbelievers alike a descriptive picture of the true disciple of Christ. The Beatitudes cover the glorious hope and are a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:3

Tags: Character

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

An Observation About Context

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Mar 16, 2020

Context is very important, even in the little things. For example, people have done a lot of damage to Bible verses, stories, doctrines, etc., because they did not or do not consider the context. Someone once remarked that a Bible verse out of its context is like a diamond away from a necklace: ...read more

Scripture: Luke 4:1-13, Matthew 4:1-11

Tags: Context, Temptations And Testings

Denomination: Baptist

Unsung Heroes: Nabal's Servant

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Apr 10, 2022

Introduction: David was God’s choice to be king over Israel, but that wasn’t going to happen as long as Saul was ruling as Israel’s first king. David had done some unusual, some might say questionable, things but at this time he and his men were protecting a large flock of sheep and goats. David ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 25:14-17

Tags: David, Nabal, Abigail, Unsung Heroes

Denomination: Baptist

Wait On The Lord - But In Silence

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on May 5, 2025

WAIT ON THE LORD - BUT IN SILENCE Waiting in silence with patience is almost foreign to most of us. We like action and love to be doing as Martha was in rushing around in service for her Lord, while Mary sat in silence listening to the Lord in communion. The concept of waiting on the Lord is a ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:38-42, Lamentations 3:26

Tags: Wait Silently, Mary, Silence, Martha, Wait On The Lord, Finches  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[114]. A Message From A Poem – Have You Studied A Fish’s Head?

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jun 22, 2025

[114]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – HAVE YOU STUDIED A FISH’S HEAD? Perhaps the title of this poem seems strange but the fact of it is not strange. God has put His stamp on all creation. All is so intricately designed and interlocked. Man can not create even a flea yet alone some godless evolution ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 14:1-2, Genesis 1:20-21

Tags: Fish Head, Darwin, After Their Kind, Symmetry, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, God Is The Creator, Evolution, Design, Perfection  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[255]. A Message From A Poem – The Blue Dragonfly

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 8, 2026

[255]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – THE BLUE DRAGONFLY Forget about man-made complexities of life, and the intrusion of humanism into people’s lives. Forget about the complications of life that western, and developed societies have made things to be. The Lord does not want us to be burdened by all ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:6-7, Matthew 6:25-30

Tags: Dragonfly, Lilies, God Created, Photography, Insects, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, Anxiety, Contentment, Care  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Second Thoughts Can Be Dangerous To My Health

Contributed by James Snyder on Mar 30, 2024

Many things in life can be rather dangerous. For me, the most dangerous things in my life are thoughts. I thought about this one day, and by the end of the day, I was in deep trouble. Thoughts have a way of doing that with me. My New Year’s resolution one year was to have one thought per day. ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 4:12

Tags: Obedience, Opinion, Thoughts

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

I Don't Believe In Hell

Contributed by Raymond Petzholt on Jul 5, 2023

Illustration: “I don’t believe in Hell.” The fact that a lot of people have a tough time believing in a literal Hell was brought home to me in a very meaningful way. When I pastored in Chino, CA we lived in a parsonage right next to the Church. I soon noticed that a certain man was walking up ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 10:28, Mark 9:43-45, Luke 16:23

Tags: Hell, Salvation, Facing Death

Denomination: Baptist

I’d Rather Kiss A Goat

Contributed by James Snyder on May 15, 2023

There are very few things in my life I regret; at least that I can remember. One of the good things about getting old is that you can forget many things. The important thing is to forget the right thing, which is a challenge. You can be sure I work on this all the time. It takes a really good ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 12:36-37

Tags: Kiss, Goat, Accountability, Excuses

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Clutching My Cane--Straightening The Derby!" ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Nov 25, 2004

“Clutching My Cane--Straightening the Derby!” Acts 8: 18-25 Key verse(s): 24: “Then Simon answered, ‘Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.’” There’s an old East Texas saying: “It doesn’t matter how much milk you spill just so long as you don’t lose the cow.” To ...read more

Scripture: Acts 8:18-25

Tags: Leadership General

Denomination: Lutheran

#8230;wickedness, When You Examine It, ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 3, 2001

“…wickedness, when you examine it, turns out to be the pursuit of some good in the wrong way. You can be good for the mere sake of goodness: you cannot be bad for the mere sake of badness. You can do a kind action when you are not feeling kind and when it gives you no pleasure, simply because ...read more

Tags: Kindness

The Guest Of Honor — Uninvited  PRO

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Dec 16, 2005

Illustration – e-mail letter I received As you well know, we are getting closer to my birthday. Every year there is a celebration in my honor and I think that this year the celebration will be repeated. During this time there are many people shopping for gifts, there are many radio announcements, ...read more

Tags: Christmas Advent

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Right Now I Am Reading Dale Carnegie's "How To ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 26, 2007

Right now I am reading Dale Carnegie’s “How to Stop Worrying and Start Living”. He has some good stuff. I typed up one of the pages and put it on my mirror. It’s called “Just for Today” it goes like this: “Just for Today” 1. Just for today I will be happy. Happiness is within. Happiness is a ...read more