In Sermon Illustrations: "Still God"

[062c]. A Message From A Poem – Does Suffering Cancel Out A God Of Love?

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Mar 14, 2025

[062C]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – DOES SUFFERING CANCEL OUT A GOD OF LOVE? THE POEM AS IT IS WILL NOT FIT IN THE ILLUSTRATION SPACE AVAILABLE. I HAVE HAD TO SPLIT IT INTO THREE PARTS. THIS IS THE THIRD PART. THE INTRODUCTION FOR THE POEM IS IN PART 1. PART 3 SECTION C - PART 1 (GOD ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 45:6-7, John 3:16, Exodus 34:6-7

Tags: Tragedy, God Of Comfort, God Of Love, Pain, Love, Christ, Compassion, Comfort, Suffering, Hurt  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Great Background On Psalm 37 - Having God's Peace In Horrible Times

Contributed by Rick Crandall on Sep 27, 2025

Background on Psalm 37 - How to Have God's Peace in Horrible Times Anyone who has read a good portion of God's Word knows that there are a lot of prayers provided for us in the Bible. The Dake Annotated Reference Bible lists 222 different prayers in the Bible: 176 prayers in the Old ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 37:1-11

Tags: Receive God's Righteousness, Cast Your Cares On The Lord, God's Righteousness, God's Rest, Hardships, Cares, God's Shelter, Horrible Times, Pain, Evil, Suffering, Trusting God, God's Peace, Rejoice In The Lord  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

No Rusty Promises In Heaven!" Leviticus 26: ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Jan 20, 2005

“No Rusty Promises in Heaven!” Leviticus 26: 40-45 Key verse(s): 45:“But for their sake I will remember the covenant with their ancestors whom I brought out of Egypt in the sight of the nations to be their God. I am the Lord.” If you are interested in learning about hope, take a walk sometime ...read more

Scripture: Leviticus 26:40-45

Tags: God Brings Hope

Denomination: Lutheran

The Ring In Witness Protection

Contributed by Austin W. Duncan on Apr 17, 2026

Have you ever had one of those moments where, as the words are leaving your mouth, you know you're making a terrible mistake? I had one of those back in 2014. I had just started my first real job at an advertising agency, and I was so excited that I went straight from work and bought an ...read more

Scripture: Mark 1:2-3, Isaiah 40:3

Tags: God's Timing, Waiting

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

When I Was 17 Years Of Age I Broke My Mother's ...  PRO

Contributed by Derek Jones on Feb 13, 2004

When I was 17 years of age I broke my mother’s heart. She had always taken us to church but by the time I was 15 or so, I lost interest. During the next couple of years I wandered farther and farther from the God who so passionately loved and sought me. Then one night, after an evening of ...read more

Tags: Promises Of God, Unconditional Love

Denomination: Baptist

That Is Nifty!" Psalms 66: 1-20 Key Verse(S): 3 ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 17, 2004

“That IS Nifty!” Psalms 66: 1-20 Key verse(s): 3 “Say to God, ‘How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you.” “The greatest single distinguishing feature of the omnipotence of God is that our imagination gets lost when thinking about it” –– Blaise ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

Tags: Glorify, God's Omnipotence

Dennis Said, "I Don't Think I've Ever ...  PRO

Contributed by Melvin Newland on Dec 22, 2000

ILL. Dennis said, "I don’t think I’ve ever experienced greater culture shock than what I experienced at the very first Thai village we visited. This was a village which the missionaries had not yet reached with the good news of Jesus. The people were still living with all their superstitions & ...read more

Scripture: Luke 6:20-26

Tags: God Brings Hope

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Take A Young Man From A Wealthy Family, Strip Him ...

Contributed by Tobin Crenshaw on Aug 15, 2010

Take a young man from a wealthy family, strip him of all of his money until he finds himself homeless and has to beg on the street, hold him in a cell as a prisoner of war in a foreign land, and turn his family against him and what are the odds you would give for him to impact the world? Or ...read more

Tags: Sports, Trust God

Denomination: Brethren

The Bruised Reed

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Sep 29, 2010

THE BRUISED REED As I talked with Nancy that day she said,"I pray to God every night and ask Him why He has been so unfair to me. Why did He leave me alive?" She is an elderly woman suffering the results of a stroke. She said "My Mother died of a stroke. Why didn't He take me too, instead of ...read more

Tags: God Brings Hope

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Case Of Margaret Ault

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 19, 2011

THE CASE OF MARGARET AULT In his book, The Jesus Creed, Scot McKnight shares the moving story of Margaret Ault. When Margaret was just about to complete her Ph.D. at Duke, something unexpected -- but quite welcomed -- happened: she fell in love. She went on a date with a man named Hyung Goo Kim, ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 10:23

Tags: God Brings Hope

Be Holy?

Contributed by John Kilough on Apr 24, 2014

"Be holy, for I am holy." For most people this can be a very intimidating statement. The Lord God says, "Be holy, for I am holy." The issue with that is, well God is God and I am not. It is easy for Him to say be holy, but I just have way too many faults. However, we love the Lord and we are ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:16

Tags: Holiness, God's Commandments

Denomination: Assembly Of God

The Mirror  PRO

Contributed by Eric Ferguson on May 21, 2008

THE MIRROR Author Robert Fulghum tells this story of one of his professors, a wise man whose name was Alexander Papaderos: At the last session on the last morning of a two week seminar on Greek culture, Dr. Papaderos turned and made the ritual gesture: "Are there any questions?" Quiet quilted ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:16

Tags: God Brings Hope

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

They Took It Away!

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Mar 3, 2020

My parents used to operate a true “Mom and Pop” grocery store before I started school. I still remember some of the good times—and some of the bad times, too, unfortunately—from those days gone by. Some of the items they had for sale were plastic models. These were mostly Revell, Lindberg, or ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 3:22, 1 John 5:18

Tags: The Will Of God, Take It Or Leave It

Denomination: Baptist

The Christian Hope Is The Hope Which Has Seen ...  PRO

Contributed by Brian Mavis on May 10, 2001

"The Christian hope is the hope which has seen everything and endured everything, and has still not despaired, because it believes in God. The Christian hope is not hope in the human spirit, in human goodness, in human endurance, in human achievement; the ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:12

Tags: Faith, God Brings Hope

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

It’s Closer Than I Thought!

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Feb 7, 2020

My wife and her parents used a certain brand of ketchup for many things over a long period of time. They hadn’t had any of it, though, in maybe 30 years or so. They believed this brand wasn’t available, locally, so they never got around to finding any more of it. Now, I grew up in a different part ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:3, 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Tags: God's Will, Discovery, Sharing

Denomination: Baptist

The Late Supreme Court Justice Oliver Holmes Was ...  PRO

Contributed by Richard Crow on May 21, 2001

The late Supreme Court Justice Oliver Holmes was on a train when the conductor came through collecting tickets. Holmes couldn’t find his ticket and became rather distraught. The conductor tried to console him by saying, "Mr. Holmes, don’t worry. When you find your ticket, just mail it in. We trust ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:2

Tags: Direction, Bible Influence, God's Will, Knowing God's Will

Denomination: Baptist

Refuse Good Advice And Watch Your Plans ...  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Emmert on May 22, 2001

“Refuse good advice and watch your plans fail; take good counsel and watch them succeed” (Proverbs 3:21). We can say it another way: Heed wise counsel, or watch your hopes be cancelled. The hard won truth of this proverb is evident in an experience that riveted my generation. In January of 1985 ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 1:1

Tags: God's Forgiveness, God's Omniscience, Leadership General

Denomination: United Methodist

A Young Lady Was Speaking To An Evangelist About ...  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Howell on May 30, 2001

A young lady was speaking to an evangelist about consecration. She said, “I dare not give myself wholly to the Lord, because He might send me out to China as a missionary.” The evangelist said, ‘If some cold, snowy morning a little bird should come, half-frozen, pecking at your window, seeking ...read more

Tags: Promises Of God, Growth In Christ, Doing God's Will

Denomination: Wesleyan

The Touch Of The Master's Hand  PRO

Contributed by Elliot Ross on Jun 5, 2001

The Touch of the Masters Hand. It was battered and scarred, and the auctioneer Thought it scarcely worth his while, To waste much time on the old violin, But held it up with a smile. "What am I did for this old violin? You will start the bidding for me? A dollar, a dollar, who’ll make it ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17, 2 Kings 13:16, 1 Peter 5:7-8

Tags: Forgiveness General, God's Forgiveness, God's Omnipotence

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A.w. Tozer Attempted To Reconcile These ...  PRO

Contributed by Kenneth Henes on Jun 21, 2001

A.W. Tozer attempted to reconcile these seemingly contradictory ideas of God choosing or calling us and our choosing God with this illustration: "An ocean liner leaves New York bound for Liverpool. Its destination has been determined by proper authorities. Nothing can change it. This is at least ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:1-10

Tags: Certainty, God's Omniscience, God's Sovereign Will, Sovereign

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ