In Sermon Illustrations: "Spirit Filled Life"

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

Gifted Does Not Equal "Successful"

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 12, 2009

"GIFTED" DOES NOT EQUAL "SUCCESSFUL" This week, I’ve begun reading a new book by one of my favorite authors, Malcolm Gladwell, titled "Outliers: The Story of Success." The premise of the book is simple: no successful person is a self-made man; everyone who gets to the top had a lot advantages, ...read more

Tags: Gifts General

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

We Lost The Farm

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 8, 2012

"WE LOST THE FARM" Richard Culp worked in the hot California sun as foreman of a large ranching operation. He and his wife, Geneva, also owned their own farm, consisting of 200 acres of almond trees. Then years of bad weather and skimpy harvests forced Richard to take on additional work, but even ...read more

Scripture: James 1:2-4

Tags: God In The Hardships

Teach Your Kids!

Contributed by Eduardo Quintana on Oct 4, 2015

God’s word instructs us to be teachers to our children. For the past 5000 plus years, children would help with the family business. If they were carpenters, the children would help doing work that was appropriate for them. As they helped, they would become masters at the skill that they were being ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 22:6

Tags: Fatherhood, Teach Children, Dirty Shoes

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Pressure Washing

Contributed by Jack Kale on Apr 6, 2016

Pressure Washing The wooden fence around our yard was black from mildew in parts, but it was mostly sun bleached gray. The grime was heaviest around the sprinkler heads where Florida humidity turns the porous wood into a mildew factory. I had grown accustomed to the funk and had gotten so ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 51:10

Tags: Pressure Washing, Spring Cleaning, Self Examination, Cleansed

Denomination: *other

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

In The Book

Contributed by Ken Pell on Oct 19, 2009

In the book “101 Romantic Ideas” Laura Jeanne Allen tells the following story. My Grandfather and Grandmother were married for over half a century, and played their own special game from the time they had met each other. The goal of their game was to write the word "SHMILY" in a surprise place ...read more

Tags: Marriage, Marriage General

Denomination: Nazarene

Popular Ideas Of Jesus  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 5, 2009

POPULAR IDEAS OF JESUS As we consider the risk of following Jesus, we must acknowledge the same thing; we must acknowledge that Jesus is THE Christ, not some popularized version we hear about today. In a posting just this last June, Kevin DeYoung, in his Restless and Reformed blog, describes ...read more

Scripture: Mark 8:27-29

Tags: Faith, Christ, Jesus, Culture, Jesus Christ  (view more)  (view less)

Reasons To Be ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 19, 2009

Reasons to be Thankful Let’s stop and think for just a moment. You are sitting in this service this morning listening to the Word of God being preached. How did you get here? Did the Father not give you the breath of life that brought you through the night and did He not give you the strength to ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Tags: Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Holiday

The Covenants

Contributed by Gordon Curley on Nov 27, 2010

THE COVENANTS Eternal covenant, Heb 13:20—The redemptive covenant before time began, between the Father and the Son. By this covenant we have eternal redemption, an eternal peace from the ‘God of peace’, through the death and resurrection of the Son. Edenic covenant, Gen 1:26-28—The creative ...read more

Scripture: 2 Samuel 7:1-16

Tags: Covenant

Denomination: Brethren

Love Beyond Sight

Contributed by Jm Raja Lawrence on Sep 23, 2023

Love Beyond Sight In a quaint village nestled amidst rolling hills, there lived a man whose love story would be told for generations to come. His name was Samuel, and he was known far and wide for his kindness and his love for his wife, Sarah. Samuel had met Sarah on a sunny day at the village ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:4, John 13:34, 1 Peter 4:8, Matthew 19:6

Tags: Love, Kindness

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

[135]. A Message From A Poem – I Will Still Praise God My Saviour

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jul 17, 2025

[135]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – I WILL STILL PRAISE GOD MY SAVIOUR Some people find it hard to be joyous a lot of the time and get despondent over various setbacks and trying circumstances in life. In fact I do not know a Christian who at some time has not been through this. Honesty will admit ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:13, Habakkuk 3:17-19

Tags: Praise, Setbacks, Christian Poems, Crops Fail, I Will Praise God, Exalt The Lord, No Fruit, Vine, Faithfulness, Fail, Fig Tree, Olive, Despondent  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

We Are Fearfully And Wonderfully Made!

Contributed by Rick Crandall on Sep 25, 2025

First in vs. 13, "LORD, You formed me." Or as David said: "You have formed my inward parts; You have covered me in my mother's womb." *LORD, YOU formed me. James Merritt explained that David knew we are a physical miracle created by the power of God. . . David was saying, ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 139:1-24

Tags: Fearfully Made, God's Omnipotence, Wonderfully Made, Nathan The Prophet, Solomon's Temple, Mother's Womb, Light, Darkness, Omniscience, Omnipresence, God's Presence, King David, Creation  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Pennies, Pluto, And The Things That Matter

Contributed by Todd Catteau on Dec 18, 2025

I just got back to my office after a quick stop for a soda and a snack. When the cashier gave me back my change, he rounded it to the nearest nickel. It looks like we're doing away with pennies. For some odd reason, I think that's sad. But it makes sense (pun intended). From what I hear, it ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:31-46, Mark 12:41-44

Tags: Pluto, Pennies, Kingdom, Kindness

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

[332]. A Message From A Poem - We Walk By Faith And Not By Sight

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Apr 8, 2026

[332]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - WE WALK BY FAITH AND NOT BY SIGHT This poem is about a Christian’s walk with the Lord. To walk by sight means our eyes are on the things of the world and have been removed from God. That is failure. To walk by faith means eyes on the Lord, and how do we do ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:9, 2 Corinthians 5:6, Psalm 119:143-144, Psalm 119:10, Hebrews 12:2  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Faith, Faithful, Walk, Guidance, Eyes On Jesus, Looking To Jesus, Walk By Faith, Look To Jesus, Walk With The Lord  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Tree Covered In Rags

Contributed by David Dunn on Jul 10, 2026

There is an old story that I have never forgotten. I have heard it told in different ways over the years, but the heart of it remains the same. A young man had a terrible argument with his father. What began as a disagreement eventually became a separation. Pride took over. Harsh words were ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:20, Jeremiah 31:3, Isaiah 1:18, Romans 5:8

Tags: Grace, Forgiveness, Hope, Reconciliation, Home  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Jason's Praying Pencils  PRO

Contributed by Scott Sharpes on Sep 7, 2006

Jason’s Praying Pencils How a student gave his teacher a special education by Hugh Chapman I was an hour-and-a-half into my new teaching career when I saw him at the other end of the hallway. He was the reason I almost didn’t take the job; before long, he became the reason I stayed. Though I had ...read more

Denomination: Nazarene

An Anonymous Story Which I Have Read Several ...  PRO

Contributed by Bo Dunford on Jan 25, 2006

An anonymous story which I have read several times is a supreme example of sacrifice! * It has challenged me and blessed my life and I’d like to pass it on to you to close this message. B) In a very large city there was a little newspaper boy, whose name was Johnny! * Early one chilly spring ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness In Jesus

Denomination: Baptist