In Sermon Illustrations: "Spiritual Goal"

All Bets Are Off!" Matthew 28: 1-7 Key ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 8, 2004

“All Bets Are Off!” Matthew 28: 1-7 Key verse(s): 5&6 “The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.’” “When the game begins, all bets ...read more

Tags: Easter Resurrection

How Dare You Accuse Me!" 1 Corinthians 15:55-58 ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Feb 8, 2005

“How Dare You Accuse Me!” 1 Corinthians 15:55-58 Key verse(s): 57:“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” How dare you? Indignation. Though I have few hairs left on this bald pate, the few that I have will come to attention pretty quick should my dignity be ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:55-58

Tags: Greed, Sin Exposed, Sin General, Submission

Denomination: Lutheran

Don't Give Pain The Short Shrift!" Luke 13:10-17 ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Mar 9, 2005

“Don’t Give Pain the Short Shrift!” Luke 13:10-17 Key verse(s): 16:“‘Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?’.” Many things in this life get short shrift. Perhaps its the lot of the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 13:10-17, Luke 13:6-9

Tags: Forgiveness In Jesus, God's Creation

Denomination: Lutheran

I Have Pain, It Doesn't Have Me!" Matthew ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Apr 25, 2005

“I Have Pain, It Doesn’t Have Me!” Matthew 24:1-13 Key verse(s) 13:“‘. . . but he who stands firm to the end, will be saved.’” Tolerance for pain. Some of us have more than others and I doubt there is any among us with unlimited ability to bear pain. To observe the many and varied reactions to ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 24:1-13

Tags: Christian Disciplines, Endurance

Denomination: Lutheran

Nobody Ever Tells Me That!" Ezra 5:1-2 Key ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on May 5, 2005

“Nobody Ever Tells Me That!” Ezra 5:1-2 Key verse(s) 2b:“And the prophets of God were with them, helping them!” When was the last time that you went out of your way to encourage someone? I’m not talking about the little remark or that wink of an eye. While these things encourage, they are ...read more

Scripture: Ezra 5:1-2

Tags: Christian Love

Denomination: Lutheran

Successful Businessman--Modern Day Rich ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 30, 2009

Successful Businessman--Modern Day Rich Fool John Ortberg tells the story of a successful businessman. He worked 14 hours a day, even on weekends. He thought the 40 hour work week was such a good idea he would often do it twice a week. His goal was to be the best businessman he could be. Even when ...read more

Scripture: Luke 12:16-19

Tags: Parable Rich Fool

Sully And Second Nature

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 30, 2011

"SULLY" AND SECOND NATURE Thursday, January 15, 2009, was another ordinary day in New York City. Or so it seemed. But by that evening people were talking of a miracle. They may have been right. But the full explanation is, if anything, even more interesting and exciting. And it strikes just the ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23

Tags: Fruit Of The Spirit

See Cookie Will Sneak

Contributed by James Snyder on Oct 29, 2022

For more years than I care to remember, I have been on a diligent pursuit, and I won’t stop until I reach my goal. My quest is to find a cookie I don’t like. Throughout the years, I have eaten every cookie I could find and loved them all. My biggest obstacle in this pursuit is The Gracious ...read more

Scripture: Mark 14:38

Tags: Temptation, Humor

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Another Turkey In The Oven

Contributed by James Snyder on Nov 25, 2023

What would Thanksgiving be without a turkey? I read somewhere that over 45 million turkeys are purchased during the Thanksgiving holiday. I’m unsure if that’s correct, but I believe it comes close to the mark. Thanksgiving is always my favorite time because the focus of Thanksgiving is food. ...read more

Scripture: Mark 4:23-24

Tags: Hearing, Turkey, Listening, Thanksgiving

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

[169]. A Message From A Poem – Lessons We Learn From Spiders

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Aug 18, 2025

[169]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – LESSONS WE LEARN FROM SPIDERS The word “spider” is mentioned in the Old Testament in the following verses, all of which have a common theme – {{Job 8:13 “So are the paths of all who forget God, and the hope of the godless will perish, whose confidence is fragile, ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 59:5-6, Job 27:18, Job 8:13

Tags: Nature, Spiders, Christian Poems, Spider Webs, Clever Teachers  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Knock, Knock; Someone’s In Trouble

Contributed by James Snyder on Feb 27, 2021

For some reason, the last several weeks we have been getting many visitors at our door. I'm not sure if this is a general trend or if it is just our door. Some of them have been salesmen, religious people, scam artists, and a host of other people. They only had one goal in mind, and that was ...read more

Scripture: Luke 6:31

Tags: Money, Telemarketers, Knocking On Doors

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Soap Isn’t Always Soap

Contributed by James Snyder on May 16, 2026

After several months of mayhem in our house, things began to quiet down. It was beginning to get back to our normal way of life. Of course, because of the mayhem, many things that needed to be done did not get done. That made The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage jump in line to try to catch up ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 27:14

Tags: Helping, Washing

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

[052]. A Message From A Poem – Creation Then - Not Evolution

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 9, 2025

[052]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – CREATION THEN - NOT EVOLUTION This poem began one Saturday afternoon when I was waiting outside a church in Atherton, waiting for Committee Members to arrive for a meeting. I had to travel a longer distance and allowed time but actually arrived early. I was ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:45-47, Matthew 19:4, Genesis 1:26-27

Tags: Creation, Evolution, Poetry, Poem, Reproduction, Scientific Principles, Symmetry  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

To Say The Least, I Was At First Shocked To Read ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 26, 2001

To say the least, I was at first shocked to read the headline, Baby Ate Cocaine Dad Left Nearby. According to the Associated Press a father from Ravenna, Ohio was sentenced to one year in prison for endangering his daughter, who was six-months-old at the time of the incident. He evidently stashed ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 127:1

Tags: Children, Father's Day, Parenting

I Will Close With A Record Of Something God Did ...  PRO

Contributed by Michael Belcher on Nov 26, 2001

I will close with a record of something God did 130 years go in New York City. It illustrates how God has started every harvest time in history, through the concerted prayer of his people. Toward the middle of the last century the glow of earlier religious awakenings had faded. America was ...read more

Tags: Prayer General, Prayer Adoration, God's Omnipotence

Denomination: Baptist

Randy Comes To Our Young Adult Ministry Every ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 29, 2004

Randy comes to our young adult ministry every week. He has a speech impediment and usually stands in the corner by himself. When I go to greet him and tell him how glad I am to see him, he says the same thing to me every week. “I almost didn’t come tonight, and I don’t think I’ll be coming ...read more

Tags: Christian Liberty

I Read A Recent Magazine Article About A Pastor ...  PRO

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Apr 10, 2005

I read a recent magazine article about a pastor and his encounter with some unbelievers while having breakfast. Here is how he tells the story: “My wife and I were vacationing in Estes Park, Colorado, and had breakfast in a coffee shop. It was empty except for four men at another table. One was ...read more

Scripture: Luke 6:17-31, John 13:34-35, Jude 1:3-16, Galatians 5:6, Luke 16:1-15, Acts 2:1-4  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Faith, Determination, Surrender, Truth Of Christ

Denomination: Methodist

A Winning Streak Of One!" 2 Corinthians 4:16-17 ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Jun 1, 2005

“A Winning Streak of One!” 2 Corinthians 4:16-17 Key verse(s) 16“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” It’s important to make sure that every day of our lives we practice gladness and condition ourselves to finding ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:16-17

Tags: Doubt

Denomination: Lutheran

Many Turns–one Road! (07.01.05--Direction--John ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Jun 29, 2005

Many Turns–One Road! (07.01.05--Direction--John 21:20-25) Like life, most highways that we find ourselves on aren’t always straight and true. In fact, what makes some highways fun to drive is that they give you the opportunity to make a turn here and there from time to time, just to break up the ...read more

Scripture: John 21:20-25

Tags: Knowing God's Will

Denomination: Lutheran

Too Easily Pleased! (07.06.05--Joy Every ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Jul 5, 2005

Too Easily Pleased! (07.06.05--Joy Every Day--Ecclesiastes 9:7-10) I was happy with things the way they were. Why should I go to any great length to make them any better when, as it were, I was contented with how my car looked and drove? This was my response about a year ago when my wife ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 9:7-10

Tags: Fulfillment

Denomination: Lutheran