In Sermon Illustrations: "Suffering Joy In"

A Prayer For Wells Of Salvation

Contributed by Richard Francis on Mar 29, 2008

A prayer for wells of Salvation: Lord God, amighty God I ask by your creative power that you would open the hearts of all who hear and read these words to your son Jesus Christ, Lord Jesus I pray that we would let you into our hearts by faith and surrender to you and Lord I ask as you promise that ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

What Is Christmas Is Really About? I Would Say It ...

Contributed by Mark Eberly on Dec 15, 2008

What is Christmas is really about? I would say it is not about simply being filled with joy and singing and family and relationships as the Whos seem to think Christmas is about. In fact Christmas is about a person: Jesus. It is about the one who was born as an outcast. His mother and father ...read more

Tags: Birth Of Jesus

Denomination: Church Of God

Joni Eareckson Tada

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Dec 22, 2008

Joni Eareckson Tada In 1967, a diving accident left Joni Eareckson Tada paralyzed from the neck down. She has had no feeling or movement in her arms or legs. She uses her mouth to paint and write. God used her greatly. She has been a great witness for God and an encouragement to many. She has ...read more

Tags: Affliction

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Rick White ...

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Jun 10, 2009

Rick White states: Today is mother’s day and we have the joy of honoring our mom’s on this special day. For some it is a day filled with all kinds of emotions because of the special relationships that we have to our mothers.For some the word mother, conjures up images of June Cleaver, complete with ...read more

Tags: Mother's Day

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Young Girl Got Saved In A Powerful Revival That ...

Contributed by Steven Spence on Jul 20, 2010

A YOUNG GIRL GOT SAVED IN A POWERFUL REVIVAL THAT WAS BEING HELD AT HER CHURCH. AND THAT AFTERNOON SHE WAS RUNNING THROUGH THE HOUSE SINGING AND DANCING AND JUST FULL OF JOY. WHEN HER GRANDFATHER STOPPED HER. AND SAID... “YOU OUGHT TO BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF. YOU JUST JOINED THE CHURCH AND ...read more

Tags: Religion

Denomination: Nazarene

You Think You Can Do Better?

Contributed by Christian Cheong on Feb 4, 2011

YOU THINK YOU CAN DO BETTER? A young boy complained to his father that most of the church hymns were boring to him. They were far too behind the times, tiresome tunes and meaningless words. He kept talking about it, for many weeks. One day his father put an end to the discussion by saying, "If ...read more

Tags: Doing God's Will

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Swimming With The Sharks

Contributed by Guy Mcgraw on Jul 2, 2011

SWIMMING WITH THE SHARKS There's an old story of a rich guy who threw a party at his mansion. One of his pride and joys was his new saltwater pool in which he had the ability to let swim in various specious of ocean fish. He had the party assemble along the edge of the pool as he ...read more

Tags: Faith Vs. Works

Pleasure Comes From Pain  PRO

Contributed by Alan Perkins on Feb 7, 2002

PLEASURE COMES FROM PAIN The world's best cyclist, Lance Armstrong, says this about pain: I become a happier man each time I suffer. Suffering is as essential to a good life, and as inextricable, as bliss. The old saying that you should live each day as if it’s your last is a nice sentiment, ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 46:1

Tags: Endurance, Disciplines General, Human Body

Denomination: Baptist

Timothy Mcveigh. Six Years Ago, On April 19, ...  PRO

Contributed by Alan Perkins on Apr 22, 2001

Timothy McVeigh. Six years ago, on April 19, 1995, at 9:01 a.m., Timothy McVeigh detonated a bomb which destroyed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. In doing so, he ended the lives of 168 people, nineteen of them children, and became the worst mass murderer in American history. ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 21:1-29

Tags: Forgiveness In Jesus, God's Provision, Grace

Denomination: Baptist

In Late Fall Of 1777, Gen. George Washington And ...  PRO

Contributed by Anonymous Contributor on Jul 20, 2001

In late fall of 1777, Gen. George Washington and has rag tag army of militiamen suffered 2 defeats at the hands of the British at Brandywine and Germantown. He and his 11,000 men retreated to Valley Forge, PA to establish winter headquarters. It was a dark time for the revolution. Many died of ...read more

Tags: Sharing Your Faith, Endurance, Fulfillment

Denomination: Disciples Of Christ

Strike While The Iron Is Hot. Did You Ever ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Strike while the iron is hot. Did you ever wonder what that means? The blacksmith heats his iron red-hot in the fiery forge. It requires time to heat the iron up and time for it to cool down once it is plunged into the cooling water. But, in between, is the single moment when the iron is perfectly ...read more

Tags: Parable Vineyard

A Thanks Offering For Heaven  PRO

Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Aug 11, 2008

A Thanks Offering For Heaven Philippians 3:20 says, "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:20

Tags: Thanksgiving Holiday

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Dr. Viktor Frankl Was An Austrian Physician Who ...

Contributed by Mike Kern on Jun 30, 2002

Dr. Viktor Frankl was an Austrian physician who was imprisoned in one of Hitler’s death camps. He and his fellow Jewish people suffered unbelievable atrocities. Everything about their living and working conditions were deplorable, including their medical care. Dr. Frankl offered what little medical ...read more

Tags: Christian Disciplines, Forgiveness General

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Paul

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 15, 2002

Paul Paul, the apostle, who before was called Saul, after his great travail and unspeakable labors in promoting the Gospel of Christ, suffered also in this first persecution under Nero. Abdias, declareth that under his execution Nero sent two of his esquires, Ferega and Parthemius, to bring him ...read more

Tags: Apostles General, Paul

Jesus Did Not Ride Into Jerusalem On A White ...  PRO

Contributed by John Stevenson on Dec 26, 2004

Jesus did not ride into Jerusalem on a white stallion, leading His forces against the Roman Empire. And He doesn’t work that way today, either. He comes in a spirit of gentleness. And then He was arrested and dragged before the Sanhedrin and later before Pilate. He was falsely accused, mocked, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 21:5

Tags: Christian Love

Denomination: Evangelical Free

God's Love

Contributed by David Ward on Jan 23, 2006

Frederick Buechner in "The Magnificent Defeat": ß “The love for equals is a human thing—of friend for friend, brother for brother. It is to love what is loving and lovely. The world smiles. ß The love for the less fortunate is a beautiful thing—the love for those who suffer, for those who are ...read more

Tags: Christian Love

Denomination: Baptist

The May 1984 National Geographic Showed, Through ...  PRO

Contributed by Tony Searles on Nov 24, 2006

The May 1984 National Geographic showed, through color photos and drawings, the swift and terrible destruction that wiped out the Roman Cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in A.D. 79. The explosion of Mount Vesuvius was so sudden, the residents were killed while in their normal routines of life: men ...read more

Denomination: Other

Ethical Dilemma Prospective Parents Using In ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 19, 2007

Ethical Dilemma Prospective parents using in vitro fertilization have been using a procedure, known as preimplantation genetic diagnosis (P.G.D), for more than a decade to screen for genes certain to cause childhood diseases that are severe and largely untreatable. A growing number of couples (some ...read more

Before Making Sony One Of The Most ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Feb 26, 2007

Illustration: Before making Sony one of the most consistently inventive companies in the world, founder Masaru Ibuka suffered a number of setbacks. Remember the electronic seat warmer? Or the first electronic rice cooker? These were from the same mind that dreamed up the pocket-size transistor ...read more

Reformation's Two Martins

Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Apr 2, 2007

Reformation’s Two Martins At the beginning of the Reformation, Martin of Basle came to a knowledge of the truth, but, afraid to make a public confession, he wrote on a leaf of parchment: "O most merciful Christ, I know that I can be saved only by the merit of thy blood. Holy Jesus, I acknowledge ...read more

Denomination: Other