In Sermon Illustrations: "Steps"

Warm Hands And Hot Pants

Contributed by Loyd C. Taylor on Aug 8, 2024

Warm Hands and Hot Pants A Lesson Learned the Hot Way As a kid, I was always up for new adventures—especially if they involved tagging along with my dad to the country store on a brisk fall morning. The place smelled like fresh coffee, worn leather, and sweet pipe tobacco, and old-timers ...read more

Scripture: John 16:4, James 3:5, Ecclesiastes 7:25, 2 Timothy 3:7, Proverbs 13:16, Proverbs 12:1  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Father's Day, Wisdom, Wise, Experience, Fire, Nostalgia, Stupid, Lessons Of Life, Coutry Living, Country Boy  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Embracing God's Grace

Contributed by Rev. Randy Barker on Apr 2, 2025

Title: Embracing God's Grace: A Message of Hope from the Churches of Christ in Christian Union Introduction: Dear Friend, We are delighted to share with you the message of God's grace and the transformative power of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. In this gospel tract, we will ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8

Tags: Grace, Mercy

Denomination: *other

[082]. A Message From A Poem – For Men - The Three Gs

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Apr 14, 2025

[082]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – FOR MEN - THE THREE Gs There are 9 poems in this series. This poem is part of a Trilogy - three sets of three. The first set is addressed to MEN, the second to ALL CHRISTIANS and the third is SPECIFIC. This is the first one in the first set - FOR MEN. ALL ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:9-10, 1 John 2:16, Philippians 2:3

Tags: Glory, Gold, Strength, Poetry, Poem, Girls, Ensnare, For Men  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[138]. A Message From A Poem – If You Live In Sin You Will Never Win

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jul 19, 2025

[138]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – IF YOU LIVE IN SIN YOU WILL NEVER WIN There is nothing truer than the title of this poem. Those who live in sin and claim it as their own will never win in the end. Asaph who wrote Psalm 73 had a problem when he observed people. The godless were always ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 73:2-5, Psalm 73:9, Psalm 73:13-14, Psalm 73:16-17, Psalm 73:27-28  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Sin, Obedience, Judgment, Accountability, Asaph, Sinners, Live In Sin  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[231]. A Message From A Poem - Reflections In Older Life

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Oct 18, 2025

[231]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - REFLECTIONS IN OLDER LIFE This poem was completed in 2020 when I was 77 years old. I don’t think I am unique in any way. I believe as people get older and know that most of their life has already gone, there comes a time for reflection on one’s life. That is what ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 16:31, Psalm 71:17-18, Isaiah 46:4

Tags: Old Age, The Shepherd, Reflections, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, Grey Head, Old  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[308]. A Message From A Poem - This Sinful World Faces Reality

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 11, 2026

[308]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - THIS SINFUL WORLD FACES REALITY The opening line sets the theme of this poem – “The differential is greater now than ever it was,” and becomes a contrast of what is righteous and what is wicked. The gap is widening and wickedness is growing. The 6 stanzas - each ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:3, Revelation 21:1-2

Tags: World, Judgment, Reality, Decline, Coming Judgment, Sin In The World, Christian Poems  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Divine Appointment At Chair Number Three

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Apr 19, 2026

A pastor went for a haircut two weeks before officiating his son’s wedding. It was supposed to be routine. Sit down, clean things up, walk out ready for a big weekend. As he settled into the chair, he mentioned the upcoming ceremony. That simple comment opened a door he didn’t expect. The ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 3:20, John 4:4-26, Acts 8:26-35

Tags: Evangelism, Personal Evangelism, Divine Appointment

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Bob Russell Shared That Several Months Before ...  PRO

Contributed by Michael Demastus on Oct 22, 2001

*Bob Russell shared that several months before they moved into their new church building in 1998, their ministry staff met at the new site for a special staff meeting. Most of the building still wasn’t carpeted, and some of the rooms still had no drywall. They handed out hard hats, magic markers, ...read more

Scripture: Nehemiah 1:1-11

Tags: Bible Influence

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Experiences Of Mediocrity, Bob Russell, When God ...  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Nov 1, 2001

[Experiences of Mediocrity, Bob Russell, When God Builds a Church, Howard Publishing Co, 2000, pp 110-11] The experience for a first-time visitor in many … churches goes something like this: You drive into the parking lot of the church at 10:40 Sunday morning. You assume you’re five minutes early ...read more

Tags: Church Practices

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Teach The Children  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 10, 2002

TEACH THE CHILDREN Just a week before Christmas I had a visitor. This is how it happened... I just finished the household chores for the night and was preparing to go to bed, when I heard a noise in the front of the house. I opened the door to the front room and to my surprise, Santa himself ...read more

Tags: Christmas, Christmas Eve

From Chicago To Memphis  PRO

Contributed by Ray Pritchard on Aug 28, 2003

From Chicago to Memphis That’s always how it is in the life of faith. Many times you will be called to step out for God and you will be precisely where Abraham was—believing God but not knowing what the future holds. When I think of that principle, my mind goes back to a conversation I had ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 11:1-40

Tags: Examples Of Faith, Faith General

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Earlier This Month, The Siegfried & Roy Show In ...  PRO

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Oct 26, 2003

Earlier this month, the Siegfried & Roy show in Las Vegas was brought to a dramatic close when a seven-year-old, white Bengal tiger attacked Roy and drug him off the stage before an audience of 1500 people. It was Roy’s 59th birthday, and shortly after introducing the Tiger, it bit Roy on the ...read more

Tags: Sin Deceptive, Sin General

Denomination: Methodist

My First Assignment 35 Years Ago Was To An Inner ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 16, 2004

My first assignment 35 years ago was to an inner city parish in Wshington,D.C. Money was stolen from my room; the garage mechanic said my gas tank may have been sabotaged, destroying my engine; one weekend we had 34 windows broken in the school. When a new pastor was sent,the parish held a party ...read more

Tags: Christian Love, Forgiveness In Jesus, God's Love

Forgiveness In Action  PRO

Contributed by Paul Wallace on Sep 6, 2004

Forgiveness in Action Pastor Hayes a man in his middle forties, was well-loved by his congregation, and faithful to God and to his family. He enjoyed a successful ministry in an exuberantly vital, growing church. Just when everything seemed to be going well, a cloud came over this man and his ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness For Others

Denomination: Wesleyan

Pappy Was A Pleasant Fellow. His Face Was Quite ...  PRO

Contributed by Steve Heartsill on Oct 25, 2000

Pappy was a pleasant fellow. His face was quite drawn from age, but when he smiled, even his wrinkles seemed to smile with him. Pappy owned a pawnshop. Everyone who knew him respected and adored him. There was a room in the back of his shop where he spent time tinkering with his own precious items. ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness For Others, Parable Prodigal Son, Parenting

Denomination: Baptist

Comfortable Out-On-A-Limb!" Romans 11:33-36 Key ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on May 23, 2005

“Comfortable Out-On-A-Limb!” Romans 11:33-36 Key verse(s) 11:“For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.” Get real! When as a youth I heard this phrase, it often gave me reason to pause. If someone was insisting that I was caught up in a fantasy and ...read more

Scripture: Romans 11:33-36

Tags: Trinity

Denomination: Lutheran

God's Algebra!" Romans 8:9-17 Key Verse(S) ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on May 25, 2005

“God’s Algebra!” Romans 8:9-17 Key verse(s) 16:“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” One of the unchangeable and mysterious laws of mathematics is that whenever you multiply a positive number by a negative number you will always get a negative number. I ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:9-17

Tags: Wait, Promises Of God, God's Love, God's Omniscience, Perseverance, Patience  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Lutheran

Looking For Purpose In Life? Then Serve ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 22, 2009

Looking For Purpose in Life? Then Serve Others We need to ask ourselves on a daily basis the following questions: "What are we going to do to be a better Christian? What are we going to do to make our homes happier? What are we going to do to make our church better? What we are going to do to help ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1:6-7

Tags: Servanthood

The Authority Of The Believer  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 30, 2010

THE AUTHORITY OF THE BELIEVER In Santa Cruz there's a strip called Pacific Avenue, and there's a number of bars. And I remember walking down Pacific Avenue, and it was getting a little rowdy. And there was two or three very burly guys in kinda tight T-shirts that looked like they could kill you, ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:3-14, Luke 4:31-38

Tags: Authority

Say, "Yes"

Contributed by Tim Smith on Sep 25, 2016

Bob Goff tells of his love for playing practical jokes on his buddies. His friend Doug made the mistake of telling him where he was celebrating his 10th wedding anniversary and the penthouse suite he had prepaid for. A few days later, he and his wife checked into the hotel as Doug and his wife. ...read more

Scripture: Esther 4:1-16

Tags: Risk, Risk Taking, Say Yes To God

Denomination: Methodist