In Sermon Illustrations: "Spiritual Darkness"

Fooled By Our Emotions

Contributed by Alison Bucklin on Jun 17, 2023

One of the most difficult things, all Christians must surely admit, is to differentiate between a truly spiritual fervor and a carnal, animal zeal and enthusiasm. Natural animal spirits and temperament may very well make one fervent and zealous.... There is nothing of which a preacher needs to be ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:21, Jeremiah 17:9

Tags: Spirituality, Enthusiasm, Martin Lloyd Jones

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

My Six-Eyed Mother

Contributed by Austin W. Duncan on Apr 17, 2026

I grew up in Amarillo, Texas. And I remember watching my mom navigate the wonderful world of vision changes as I got older. First she started holding the newspaper at arm's length, squinting like she was trying to read smoke signals. Then came the reading glasses. Those little drugstore ...read more

Scripture: Mark 8:22-25

Tags: Faith, Spiritual Blindness, Seeking Jesus

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Cloudy Days

Contributed by Dr. Ronald Shultz on Sep 18, 2021

My wife told me about a dream where she is looking up at a cloudy sky with two arms sticking through the clouds and says, I love you. The arms sign back to her, "I love you." I am cautious about dreams and interpretations because most are just our brains doing what we call in the IT ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 13:5

Tags: Dark, Alone, Cloud, Silence, Sile, Arms, Love, Heart  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

[206]. A Message From A Poem – Opposition Is Here So Be Committed

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Sep 20, 2025

[206]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – OPPOSITION IS HERE SO BE COMMITTED There are two things I say over and over, that are expected from a Christian in these last days. One is FAITHFULNESS, and the other is COMMITMENT. In this poem the emphasis is on both. Too many Christians are “fair weather ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 2:10, Matthew 16:24

Tags: Commitment, Faithful, Faithfulness, Opposition, Dark Days, Christian Poems  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Many Men Of Science, Too Few Men Of God  PRO

Contributed by Ken Henson on Nov 4, 2012

MANY MEN OF SCIENCE, TOO FEW MEN OF GOD In 1948, at an Armistice Celebration, (Armistice was the declaration of peace at the end of World War I) it was declared on November 11 at 11.00 am. So 11, 11 at 11. They did that symbolically because they felt that they were at the eleventh hour. They ...read more

Tags: Peace, Called To Serve

Denomination: *other

Swimming With The Sharks

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 4, 2024

A millionaire decides to throw a massive party for his fiftieth birthday. During the party he grabs the mic and he announces to his guests that down in the garden of his mansion he has a swimming pool with two great white sharks in it. “The man who dares to swim across that pool gets 1 MILLION ...read more

Scripture: James 1:1-8

Tags: Spiritual Battles, Abraham, Spiritual Maturity, Trials, Problems, Temptations, Tests Of Faith, Faith, Discipleship  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Faith: Taking God At His Word

Contributed by Barry O Johnson on Jun 22, 2018

A little girl was walking through the hallway of her home and she came to the place where they had a cellar door, It was one of those trapdoors on hinges, and it was open. She looked down into the darkness, heard a noise down there, and said, “Who’s down there?” And her daddy said, “It’s me, ...read more

Tags: Faith, Strength, Darkness, Love, Father, Children, Light, Parents, Trust  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Devoting Yourself

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 21, 2014

DEVOTING YOURSELF When it says they "devoted themselves" it means they were steadfast or single minded in purpose or desire. They wanted it and they were going after it, so to speak. In 2008 Sanya Richards-Ross competed in the 400 Meter in Beijing. She started the race strong and built a ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:42-47

Tags: Devotion, Church Body Of Christ, Spiritual Discipline

Where Are You Leading?

Contributed by Davon Huss on Aug 18, 2014

David Wheeler tells of a funeral procession that illustrates a leader’s influence. David officiated at a funeral. In accordance with custom, after the funeral, the attenders filed out of the funeral home and into their waiting cars to form a processional to the cemetery. The hearse led the ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:1-13

Tags: Funeral, Role Model, Spiritual Leadership, Outhouse

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Singing

Contributed by Davon Huss on Aug 18, 2014

Do not neglect your gift. Susan Boyle, age 48, of Blackburn, West Lothian, Scotland. REMEMBER HER? She thrilled England and the world when she stood on that stage competing in the Britain’s Got Talent contest on April 11, 2009, and sang, “I Dreamed A Dream.” That was the most watched youtube clip ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 4:14

Tags: Spiritual Gifts, Using Talents, Gifts Talents

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Taste The Goodness Of The Lord

Contributed by David Simpson on Apr 17, 2018

We went out to eat the other night at Provinos and I ordered an Italian dish that was absolutely delicious, Cannelloni Genovese (pasta stuffed with ground veal, spinach, cheese, rosatella sauce and baked). It tasted so good that whenever I go back I’m ordering it again! There’s nothing like food ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:1-3

Tags: Taste, The Goodness Of The Lord, Crave Spiritual Milk

Denomination: Christian Church

Unexpected Answer

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Apr 26, 2021

My sister didn’t do as well on her driver’s-ed test as she’d hoped. It might have had something to do with how she completed this sentence: “When the ______ is dead, the car won’t start.” She ...read more

Tags: Spiritual, Power, Leadership, Animation, Empowered, Fiath  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible

The Spirit Of Fear

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 31, 2022

There was a lady who died in 1916 named Hetty Green. She has been called “America’s greatest miser.” When she died in 1916, her estate was valued at $100 million. But she was so miserly that she ate cold oatmeal in order to save the expense of heating the water. When her son had a severe leg ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:1-7

Tags: Fear, Satan, Spiritual Warfare, Spirit Of Fear

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The People Are Hungry...

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Nov 6, 2022

The people are hungry, and the empty religionist offers them some ceremony or empty words that can never satisfy. The people are hungry, and the atheists and skeptics try to convince them that they aren’t hungry at all. The people are hungry, and the religious showman gives them video and special ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 14:13-21

Tags: Ministry, Sheep, Pastors, Spiritual Hunger, Shepherds  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Soul

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Jan 11, 2023

John Ortberg describes it this way, “We each have an outer life and an inner one. My outer self is the public, visible me. My accomplishments, my work, and my reputation lie there. But inside is my soul that part of me that speaks in silence to others but yells at me. It's the inside stuff of ...read more

Scripture: John 10:10, Matthew 16:26, Matthew 22:37

Tags: Spiritual Growth, Soul Care, Inner Health

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Gang Member's Turf

Contributed by Richard Tow on Jul 9, 2024

We learned that the belt of truth is a belt of truthfulness. It is “speaking the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15). It is avoiding all forms of lies, hypocrisy, deception, and manipulation because that is the devil’s turf. Gang members in these big cities understand the value of staying on your own turf. ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-18, Ephesians 4:15

Tags: Safety, Spiritual Warfare, Truthfulness, Lies, Turf  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Charismatic

37,000 Species Of Fish And 400,000 Species Of Beetles!

Contributed by Alan Perkins on Apr 9, 2026

We all need to accept and value one another, in all of our glorious variety, and not try to fit people into a mold or expect them to be just like us. Because it is an undeniable fact that God loves variety. Consider the natural world, for example. In this world that God designed and created, ...read more

Tags: Spiritual Gifts, Uniqueness, Valuing One Another

Denomination: Baptist

Do You Have An Anchor? Do You Know How To Use It??

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Jan 4, 2024

The mighty Niagara River plummets some 180 feet at the American and Horseshoe Falls. Before the falls, there are violent, turbulent rapids. Further upstream, however, where the river’s current flows more gently, boats are able to navigate. Just before the Welland River empties into the Niagara, a ...read more

Scripture: James 1:1-8

Tags: Trials, Temptations, Tests Of Faith, Spiritual Battles, Faith, Trusting God, Troubles, Anchor, Spiritual Maturity  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Bill And Gloria Gaither Have Written Many ...  PRO

Contributed by Timothy Smith on Oct 12, 2002

Bill and Gloria Gaither have written many wonderful Christian songs. One that Gloria wrote in the late 1960’s came while she was expecting a child. The couple was going through some terrible problems. Bill had been seriously sick, their music had been attacked as not being spiritual. On new years ...read more

Tags: God In The Hardships, Spiritual Pride, Prayer Hardship, Human Body

Denomination: Christian Church

Blindness

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Feb 22, 2025

Aero Condor was experiencing money problems in Peru and needed to cut back expenses. So, rumor had it they hired two blind pilots. Story soon spread about these pilots, but no one believed it. So one day the plane was loaded and up came the two pilots, with dark glasses and walking sticks. The ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 6:10, Matthew 15:14, Matthew 23:16-19, Matthew 23:24-26, Luke 6:39, John 9:39-41, John 12:40, Romans 2:19, 2 Corinthians 4:4  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Blind, Spiritual Blindness, Hard Hearts, Not Understanding, Lack Of Discernment  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Independent/Bible