In Sermon Illustrations: "Suffering Joy In"

A Thanks Offering For God's Grace  PRO

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

A Thanks Offering For God's Grace In this country, the entire nation celebrates Thanksgiving in November. Some celebrate by busily preparing food, watching football and gathering with family. These are great Thanksgiving celebrations. However, Christians have a greater blessing in the ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-10, Exodus 15:1-21

Tags: Lodebar, Thanksgiving Holiday

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Kierkegaard's Complacent Duck  PRO

Contributed by Dean O'bryan on Aug 25, 2008

Kierkegaard's Complacent Duck There was a Danish philosopher named Kierkegaard whose writings are weighty and tough to read. But that deep thinker one time told a simple parable that describes how easy it is to slide into complacency. According to his parable, one Spring, a duck was flying ...read more

Tags: Lazy, Sloth, Commitment To Christ, Complacency, Sleep  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

The Persistence In Forgiveness

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 12, 2008

The Persistence in Forgiveness After sixteen years as a missionary on the continent of Africa. David Livingstone returned Scotland to address the students at Glasgow University. His body had been ravaged by some 27 fevers that had overtaken him during his years of service. One arm hung useless at ...read more

Tags: Endurance

A Mother Dies So Her Boy May Live

Contributed by Dwight L. Moody on Jun 11, 2009

A MOTHER DIES SO HER BOY MAY LIVE When the California gold fever broke out, a man went there, leaving his wife in New England with his boy. As soon as he got on and was successful he was to send for them. It was a long time before he succeeded, but at last he got money enough to send for them. The ...read more

Scripture: Romans 5:8

Tags: Atonement

Denomination: *other

To Be Had For The Asking

Contributed by Bill Butsko on Jul 28, 2009

TO BE HAD FOR THE ASKING A few days after the Civil War had been officially ended a man was riding along a road in West Virginia. Suddenly a soldier, clad in a dirty and tattered Confederate uniform, sprang out of a thicket, seized the horses’ bridle, and with twitching face demanded, "Give me ...read more

Tags: God's Provision

Denomination: Christian Church

Keep The Lower Lights Burning

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 27, 2009

KEEP THE LOWER LIGHTS BURNING We must live as children of the light, not as children of the darkness. If we are dark and sorrowful, how is the world to know that we are children of peace, and joy, and gladness? Our determination must be to keep our lights burning. A few years ago, at the mouth of ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:16

Tags: Christian Witness

Do You Believe In The God Of ...

Contributed by Warner Pidgeon on Apr 3, 2010

Do you believe in the God of surprises? Now, let’s be clear, just in case anyone’s not sure. Although The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is one of my favourite books, and one of my favourite films, I know that it’s only make-believe; but just like the parables that Jesus told – the stories he ...read more

Tags: Narnia

Denomination: Anglican

It Seems To Me That It Is Accurate To Say Our ...

Contributed by Ed Sasnett on May 27, 2010

It seems to me that it is accurate to say our generation is in a relationship crisis. We have the highest divorce rate in the Western hemisphere, more couples live together than are married, absentee fathers or mothers are common, abortions that number into the hundreds of thousands ...read more

Tags: Unity, Immorality

Denomination: Baptist

If I Loved Him Better, I Would Paint Him ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 27, 2010

"If I loved him better, I would paint him better!”--Paul Gustave Doré Paul Gustave Doré was born in Strasburg, January 10, 1833. He was well-known for illustrating many works, including a version of the Bible. (You can download the set of pen and ink drawing from Project Gutenberg.) The story is ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 31:2-3

Tags: Jesus, Love For God

Make It Right

Contributed by David Moore on Aug 5, 2010

MAKE IT RIGHT The great evangelist D.L. Moody told a story of a lady in the north of England who said that every time she got down before God to pray, five bottles of wine came up before her mind. She had taken them wrongfully one time when she was a housekeeper, and had not been able to pray ...read more

Tags: Confession Of Sin

Denomination: Baptist

Life With Eternal Value

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Aug 30, 2010

LIFE WITH ETERNAL VALUE I was talking with a Jewish friend at work the other day. She said "I don't like evangelicals!" I said that it was unfortunate because I was one, and that she was working for an evangelical organisation. She said "I don't like people trying to convert me!" I said that as I ...read more

Tags: Christian Witness

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Staying In The Shallow End

Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Jan 28, 2011

STAYING IN THE SHALLOW END He stays at the shallow end of the pool for a long time, refusing invitations to come out into the deeper water, even with his dad. But after a long time considering it, my grandson Zion Brave Bennett thrusts himself into the pool, swimming underwater and then ...read more

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Supremacy Clause

Contributed by Jason Bonnicksen on Mar 15, 2011

SUPREMACY CLAUSE A number of weeks ago, I jokingly said that everyone in my family had a license for something in life. The one license my folks said was solely mine was the complaining license. Dad would say: “Stop your fussing,” and if I didn’t, he’d pick on me and saying: “I don’t like ...read more

Tags: Complaining

Denomination: Lutheran

Blind But Now I See  PRO

Contributed by Michael Buckingham on Jul 8, 2011

BLIND BUT NOW I SEE Peter spent a few years trying to cope with his blindness, learning ways of looking after himself so that he wasn’t so much a burden upon his family, although they still continued to visit on the odd occasion. He also learned how to read Braille. Then one day he was informed ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:13

Tags: Beauty

Denomination: Baptist

The Lost Camper: Making Yourself Available

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 6, 2011

THE LOST CAMPER: MAKING YOURSELF AVAILABLE One of my favorite sayings: "God doesn't want your capability. He only wants your availability. If you'll give Him your availability, He'll provide the capability." Availability is when you make yourself accessible for utilization. Availability is what we ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 6:8

Tags: Servanthood

When Do We Worship

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 7, 2011

WHEN DO WE WORSHIP Author Douglas J. Moo: "Worship is not merely, or even mainly, what we do on Sunday morning. Worship is a 24/7 matter. We worship God when we give ourselves to him in service. We worship God when we show love to others, when we do our jobs faithfully and with integrity, when we ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:1

Tags: Worship Definition

Go Find Something To Do For God

Contributed by Tim Smith on Feb 19, 2012

GO FIND SOMETHING TO DO FOR GOD Ruth Rettig tells the story of having gone through unsuccessful cancer surgery and following up with chemo in Houston, which meant 500-mile roundtrips from their home in central Texas. The trips were exhausting enough but the chemo made her feel sick to death. She ...read more

Tags: Birth Of Jesus

Denomination: Methodist

The Word Was Being Made Real In The Back Of His Church

Contributed by Tim Smith on Aug 13, 2017

Pastor Thomas Tewell tells the story of getting ready for their 11 p.m. Christmas Eve service. As the people were gathering, a man named Jim came in. Jim was a recovering alcoholic, sober just 6 months, but his disease had cost him his family, his job, just about everything. He went in to the ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-10

Tags: Christmas, Grace, Ministry, The Word Made Flesh

Denomination: Methodist

Another Time, Another Place

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Nov 14, 2021

ANOTHER TIME, ANOTHER PLACE I've always heard there is a land Beyond the mortal dreams of man Where every tear will be left behind But it must be in another time, There'll be an everlasting light Shining a purest holy white And every fear will be erased But it must be in another place, ...read more

Scripture: John 14:1-6

Tags: Heaven, New Jerusalem, Streets Of Gold, Songs Of Heaven

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Last Week, Bernie Came To The Church Door. He ...  PRO

Contributed by Bill Sullivan on Oct 9, 2002

Last week, Bernie came to the church door. He showed up about five minutes before I was getting ready to leave for an appointment, and my first response to his arrival was, oh, no, not now. Bernie had been drinking – I could smell it on his breath. He was sweating profusely and was a little bit ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:13-20

Tags: Fellowship

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational