In Sermon Illustrations: "Stretched Out Hand"

The Church Without Outreach

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 26, 2011

THE CHURCH WITHOUT OUTREACH Fred Craddock tells the story of his first church. It was a beautiful little white church on a hill in Oak Ridge, Tenn. The church was beautifully maintained. The pews had been hand-hewn from giant poplar trees that had grown nearby. Little kerosene lamps on the walls ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 3:14-22

Tags: Church Purpose Of

The Invisible Enemy

Contributed by Sermon Central on Sep 7, 2011

THE INVISIBLE ENEMY "Good night, sleep tight, and don't let the bed bugs bite" has been spoken by loving mothers to their children for decades as they gently tucked their little ones to sleep and wished them a good night. The phrase itself carries within it the gentle reminder of a younger age and ...read more

Scripture: James 1:19-27

Tags: Sin Bondage To

The Cave Dwellers” By Max Lucado. ...

Contributed by Derrick Tuper on Dec 4, 2012

“The Cave Dwellers” by Max Lucado. “Long ago, or maybe not so long ago, there was a tribe of people in a dark, cold cave. The cave dwellers would huddle together and cry against the chill. Loud and long they wailed. It was all they did. It was all they knew to do. The sounds in the cave were ...read more

Tags: Unbelief

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Praying The Beatitudes

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Jan 15, 2020

PRAYING THE BEATITUDES Blessed are the poor in spirit. Matthew 5:3 Heavenly Father, I want the humility not to be impressed with myself and my accomplishments. Increase in me (John 3:30). More of You, God, none of me. I am overwhelmed with the sense of my spiritual need. I recognize my true ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-12

Tags: Prayer, Beatitudes, Poor In Spirit, Blessed Are The Meek, Matthew 5, Blessed Are The Pure In Heart  (view more)  (view less)

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

Bible Verses On Forgiveness

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Apr 10, 2022

There are 119 verses in the Bible that contain a form of the word forgiveness. Here are some famous Bible verses that center on the importance of forgiving others. Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness, Forgiving Others

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Why Palm Sunday Is Important

Contributed by Richard L. Brown on Mar 26, 2024

In 1997 I traveled to Pittsburgh to attend a Promise Keepers Meeting at Three Rivers Stadium. Men from the Ashland Area Churches rented a bus and traveled there together. Promise Keepers was created to issue a calling to men to live up to their biblical responsibilities to be good Husbands, ...read more

Scripture: Mark 11:1-11, Isaiah 50:5-7

Tags: Faith, Palm Sunday

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Smart Phone Theology

Contributed by Todd Catteau on Oct 29, 2024

Smart phones are really smart. Even smarter than I know. I use my phone for so much more than calling and texting but it’s not uncommon for me to learn new features and abilities my phone has that I previously had never known. Over the years I’ve learned that my phone is a compass, can take video ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:13, 1 Corinthians 10:13

Tags: Service, Holy Spirit, Power, Temptation, Gifts, Giftedness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

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

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

When They First Manufactured Golf Balls, They ...  PRO

Contributed by Bruce Howell on Jan 3, 2001

When they first manufactured golf balls, they made the covers smooth. Then they discovered that after a ball had been roughed up one could get more distance out of it. So they started manufacturing them with dimpled ...read more

Tags: Endurance, Growth In Christ, Trials Mature Us

Denomination: Wesleyan

Jesus . . . Wants Us To See That The Neighbor ...  PRO

Contributed by Steve Hereford on Oct 25, 2001

"Jesus . . . wants us to see that the neighbor next door or the people sitting next to us on a plane or in a classroom are not interruptions to our schedule. They are there by divine appointment. Jesus wants us to see their needs, their loneliness, their longings, and ...read more

Tags: Evangelism How To, Sharing Your Faith

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Body Of B. Franklin, Printer  PRO

Contributed by Michael Gibney on Mar 30, 2002

The Body of B. Franklin, Printer Like the Cover of an old Book Its contents torn out, And stript of its Lettering and Guilding, Lies here, Food for Worms, But the Work shall not be wholly lost: For it will, as he believ’d, Appear ...read more

Tags: Easter Resurrection, Death Nearness, Heaven

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

We Are Sometimes Like The Man Who Was Eating ...  PRO

Contributed by Ed Wood on Jun 7, 2002

We are sometimes like the man who was eating Limburger cheese and got it in his mustache. He first stated that the room smelled rotten. Then the front porch, he then stepped out into the yard and exclaimed, “The whole world is ...read more

Tags: Sin General, Sin Deceptive

Denomination: Baptist

John Maxwell Tells A Story About 2 Boys On Their ...  PRO

Contributed by Mike Harris on Sep 24, 2002

John Maxwell tells a story about 2 boys on their way to school…and –talking about their families.. One boy said—“I’ve figured out a SYSTEM for getting along with my MOM…. ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 6:1-3

Tags: Faith, Commandments Parents, Children

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Some Time Ago The Airline Industry Produced A ...

Contributed by Kenneth Squires on Aug 24, 2005

Some time ago the airline industry produced a study on mean-spirited customers at ticket counters. One agent flat out said, “If people treat me rude, the flight is always oversold. If they ...read more

Tags: Christian Disciplines, Christian Love

Denomination: Pentecostal

One-Liners About Baldness

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 12, 2005

One-liners about Baldness “Don’t regard it as losing hair. Think of it as gaining face.” “The good man always comes out on top.” “At least it’s neat.” “God only made so many ...read more

Tags: Men And Women

A Pastor-Preacher Of Another Generation, James ...

Contributed by Jim Kane on Sep 4, 2008

A pastor-preacher of another generation, James Stalker, says that wisdom is ‘partially an intellectual virtue, but it consists much less in knowing than in doing’ as it, ‘slowly accumulates by experience’ and is also ‘learned through imitation.’ He also ...read more

Tags: Wisdom

Denomination: Church Of God

The Dreamer They Said: He Is Only A Dreamer Of ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"The Dreamer They said: He is only a dreamer of dreams, And passed him by with a smile; But, out of his dreams he fashioned a song That made life more worthwhile. And who shall say he was less a part Of the universal ...read more

Tags: Dreams

In Order To Be Successful In Any Kind Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"In order to be successful in any kind of undertaking, I think the main thing is for one to grow to the point where he completely forgets himself; that is, to lose himself in a great cause. In proportion as one loses himself in ...read more

Tags: Workplace Success

Through The Week We Go Down Into The Valleys Of ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 12, 2007

"Through the week we go down into the valleys of care and shadow. Our Sabbaths should be hills of light and joy in Gods presence; and so as time rolls by we shall go from mountain top to mountain top, till at last ...read more

Tags: Commandments Sabbath