In Sermon Illustrations: "Side"

Rubbing Shoulders With God

Contributed by Dale Pilgrim on Sep 5, 2011

RUBBING SHOULDERS WITH GOD We visited Our Lady of Quebec, the Cathedral Basilica in old Quebec City. I had a plethora of emotions upon entering this bastion of structures, dating back 365 years, having been built in 1647. It continues its stately gaze as the oldest parish church in North America. ...read more

Tags: God's Omnipotence

Denomination: Salvation Army

What Will You Need?

Contributed by Rick Gillespie- Mobley on Sep 25, 2011

WHAT WILL YOU NEED? Let's suppose for a moment you are in a place you have never been before. You have no idea how you got there. A person comes out and tells you, "You must go into that room and choose one of four things to take with you on your journey when you leave this place. You may not ask ...read more

Tags: Knowing God's Will

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

A Mother's Christmas Prayer

Contributed by Tim Smith on Feb 19, 2012

A MOTHER'S CHRISTMAS PRAYER On Christmas Day, Mike Nicholas, a tall and slim young man with dark hair was making his way south on I-85 just below High Point, NC trying to hitch a ride. For two years, he hadn't been home. His family had heard nothing from him. He and his mother had a disagreement ...read more

Tags: Christmas Eve

Denomination: Methodist

Hold Fast

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 1, 2012

HOLD FAST A ships crew can be suddenly obligated to ABANDON SHIP and take to the life boats. Such was the case of an American whaling ship in the South Seas. A huge leviathan of the deep, wounded by his pursuits, ran out the mile long line then returned again and struck the ship with incredible ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 4:10-19

Tags: Truth Of Christ

What Are You Afraid Of? The Barney Story

Contributed by Michael Deutsch on Sep 11, 2012

WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF? THE BARNEY STORY A few years ago, a church in Seattle, Washington was having a big kick-off Sunday. They wanted to do something for their children's programs. So they brought in Barney the Dinosaur. They learned, Kids like Barney when he’s on TV or in a stuffed animal. ...read more

Tags: Fear And Worry

Denomination: Baptist

We're On The Same Team  PRO

Contributed by Gaylon Clark on Dec 9, 2013

Richie Incognito and Jonathan Martin had every reason as teammates to be friends, but they were not. Incognito harassed and bullied Martin. He called him a racial slur in a voicemail played by every media outlet in the country. He threatened to kill him and his family. Incognito claimed all of this ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-6, John 17:20-23, Colossians 3:12-17, Psalm 133:1-3

Tags: Teamwork, Christian Unity, Church Unity, Christian Friendship

Denomination: Baptist

Who's Flying The Plane?

Contributed by Roger Whipp on Dec 31, 2014

I guess many here including me have in the past and if honest still do sometimes ask this question “Why God?” or “How can there be a God with all this suffering” Sometimes life hands us some tricky situations. Former President Ronald Reagan likes to tell a story which he says is true about a ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:18-31

Tags: Hope, Suffering

Denomination: *other

Joy Vs. Happiness

Contributed by Kerry Haynes on Dec 15, 2019

Joy (used in "Joy Born at Christmas" sermon - 12/11/2019) From Isaiah 35:8-10 (verses below) Someone once said, “The difference beween happiness and joy is that happiness comes from happenings and joy comes from Jesus.” A few years ago Michael Bublé wrote a song that became very ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 35:8-10, Philippians 4:4

Tags: Christmas, Advent, Joy

Denomination: Baptist

Spite Fence ...

Contributed by Roberta Karchner on May 2, 2020

I would like to tell the story of one of the most famous spite fences in the world. It is, by the way, one of the reasons why privacy fences are often limited to 6 feet. The story begins with two people. Nicholas Yung, an undertaker, who built a cottage in San Francisco in 1855 with his wife and ...read more

Tags: Grace, Anger, Retaliation, Neighbors, Spite, Fences  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Servanthood & Father Damien

Contributed by Clarence Eisberg on Aug 4, 2022

When visiting the Hawaiian Island many tourists will visit the island of Molokai. It has quiet charm, gentle breezes and a soft surf. Father Damien came to the island for a different reason. He came to help people die. He came there because leprosy came there first. No one knows how ...read more

Scripture: Acts 6:1-4, Mark 10:42-45

Tags: Evangelism, Servanthood

Denomination: Lutheran

Dead Man Walking

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Nov 25, 2025

In some of the Maximum-Security Prisons in the United States ... when a prisoner is taken to be executed ... the guard that is leading the procession continual shouts out, ... "Dead man walking". It means, ...to clear the way ... to quiet down ... for this prisoner is on their last walk ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 2:15, Romans 5:12

Tags: Sin, Cross, Prison, Slave, Dead, Walking, World, Death  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Anglican

[336]. A Message From A Poem - What My Saviour’s Done (Version 1)

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Apr 17, 2026

[336]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - WHAT MY SAVIOUR’S DONE (Version 1) This short poem is constructed on the first word in each line rhyming. Not only that but the end of each line has an AABB etc. rhyme. The title is simple. {{Mark 5:19-20 and He did not let him, but He said to him, “Go home ...read more

Scripture: Mark 5:19-20

Tags: Jesus, Salvation, Great Things, Christian Poems

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Who's Going To Wake Jesus Up?  PRO

Contributed by Christopher Roberts (Barrister) on Nov 12, 2012

Who’s Going To Wake Jesus Up? The bible offers us a variety of types of prayer, which we can offer up to God, depending on what our circumstances are. We can pray for provisions, or lost souls, or that God might bring relief to the suffering. But what kind of prayer should we offer up to God when ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 8:23-27, Matthew 8:8

Tags: Peace, Trust, Worry, Assurance

Denomination: Christian Church

The Power Of The Holy Spirit To Change Lives

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Aug 27, 2023

Dr. Harry A. Ironside the great evangelist and Bible teacher was living in the San Francisco Bay area working with a group of believers called “Brethren.” One Sunday as he was walking through the city he came upon a group of Salvation Army workers holding a meeting on the corner of Market and Grant ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 19:7-9

Tags: Changed Lives, Power Of The Holy Spirit, Henry Ironside, Holy Spirit, Transformation, Agnosticism  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

[001] Message From A Poem - 20 Snippets Of Living

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Apr 30, 2024

[001] MESSAGE FROM A POEM - 20 SNIPPETS OF LIVING Sometimes we all like to put our thoughts to paper and this is what I have done here with this poem. I think we are quite familiar with the Proverbs and the wisdom contained there. I am at the latter end of my life and looking forward to the ...read more

Scripture: 3 John 1:3

Tags: Poem, Ways To Live, Living, Advice

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[128]. A Message From A Poem – His Hands, His Feet And His Brow

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jul 11, 2025

[128]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – HIS HANDS, HIS FEET AND HIS BROW Introducing the Poem: This poem underneath actually resulted from a true story. On 16 June, 1997 a news item came over the radio of an incident that happened in Saudi Arabia. This is the true incident: [[A Saudi-Arabian woman ...read more

Scripture: John 20:26-27, Zechariah 13:6, Isaiah 53:5

Tags: Hands And Feet Pierced, Saudi Arabia

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Today In Sunday School The Teacher Told Us A ...

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Jul 13, 2001

Today in Sunday School the teacher told us a story about Gaylord and his old dog that wouldn’t bite anybody. Seems that the dog liked to run alongside when Gaylord rode his bike. Gaylord either did not have a chain guard on the bike or this was in the days when they did not use them. Anyway, one ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 36:7, Revelation 21:4

Tags: Trust, Pain, Distrust

Denomination: Baptist

The Spirit Within Us  PRO

Contributed by Wayne Major on Oct 14, 2001

THE SPIRIT WITHIN US I was driving one day when I saw a hitchhiker by the side of the road, loaded down with a couple of large carrying bags. Now, I make it a practice normally not to pick up hitchhikers, which may in itself be a refusal to hear the cry of those needy of transportation. But in ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:38-42

Tags: Leadership General, Mercy

Denomination: Methodist

It Is Well  PRO

Contributed by John Williams Iii on Mar 14, 2002

IT IS WELL “H. G. Spafford was a businessman in Chicago. He was a dedicated Christian. [There were times in his life when the wisdom he followed was earthly, unspiritual, and subject to the enemy’s schemes]. He had some serious financial reversals, and during the time of readjustment, he lost ...read more

Tags: Peace, God Brings Hope

Denomination: United Methodist

Growing Up In Middle Georgia I Would Help Pick ...  PRO

Contributed by Howard Bagley on Apr 6, 2002

Growing up in middle Georgia I would help pick peaches during the summer to make a little spending money. And it was during that time that I learned the importance of "a time to every purpose under heaven". While working for this elderly gentleman, whom I will call Grif, He wanted to show me how to ...read more

Tags: Knowing God's Will

Denomination: Baptist