In Sermon Illustrations: "The Blessed Man"

The Inner Life - To Few Who Love The Cross

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Feb 22, 2019

Thomas a Kempis wrote: Jesus today has many who love his heavenly kingdom, but few who carry his cross; many who yearn for comfort, few who long for distress. Plenty of people he finds to share his banquet, few to share his fast. Everyone desires to take part in his rejoicing, but few are ...read more

Scripture: Mark 8:34-38

Tags: Submission, Carry Your Cross

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Cast Your Bread

Contributed by Rev. Dr. Andrew B Natarajan on Feb 1, 2021

True Story: There was a boy who lost his parents when he was about thirteen years old. He has left an Orphan without hope of continuing his education. He was brought to a care home run by a Pastor. He was given food and education. The Pastor who believed in investing in young boys and girls, ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 11:1-2

Tags: Care For Poor, Give Gospel

Denomination: Methodist

Would Your Child Write ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 26, 2009

WOULD YOUR CHILD WRITE THIS? Bub Roussel was only 17 on Sunday morning in 1941, when Pearl Harbor was bombed. A few weeks later, he was drafted and ended up in the Army Air Corps, assigned as a radio operator on a B-29 bomber. The youngest in his crew, Bub and many like him had to grow up fast ...read more

Tags: Parenting

The Price Has Been Paid For You

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Aug 28, 2024

The story is told of a young man who left the old country and sailed to America to make a new life in the new world. Before he left, his father pressed some money in his hand. It wasn't much, but it was all he had. He hoped it would tide the boy over until he found a job. His mother handed him ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:13-14

Tags: Good News, Barriers, Intimacy With God, Missing Out

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Tell Mommy I Love Her  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 17, 2002

Tell Mommy I love Her. John had been on the road visiting clients for more than three weeks. He couldn’t wait to get back to Ohio to see his wife and children. It was comoig up on Mother’s Day, and he usually tried to make it "Back home",but this year he was just too tired. He was in a small town ...read more

Tags: Children

The Colonel Sanders Story  PRO

Contributed by Lonnie Erwin on Oct 26, 2007

Illustration: The Colonel Sanders Story Here’s a man sitting on his porch in Kentucky. He’s only recently retired from the post office, and he’s sitting there when his first Social Security check is delivered. He’s very, very discouraged. He thinks to himself, "Is this what life is going to be ...read more

Tags: Discouragement

Denomination: Baptist

The Knowledge Of Good And Evil  PRO

Contributed by Lalachan Abraham on Jan 8, 2014

THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL Viktor Frankl in his book, "Man's Search for Meaning," describes the reactions of two brothers with the same heredity, the same environment, in the same concentration camp under the Nazis. One became a saint and the other a swine. Frankl tells us the reason why. He ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 30:19

Tags: Good And Evil, Life And Death, Forbidden Fruit, Knowledge Of Good

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Misapplied Scriptures: The "Mizpah” Moment

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Sep 17, 2023

Full disclosure: Sermon Central has accepted and posted a complete message on this text and context called “Jacob-His Mizpah Moment”. This illustration is not an abbreviated form of that message, only a brief attempt to post some highlights. In addition, this verse/passage was featured back in the ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 31:49

Tags: Laban, Jacob, Mizpah

Denomination: Baptist

Susannah Wesley, Mother Of John Wesley Spent One ...  PRO

Contributed by Evie Megginson on May 7, 2001

Susannah Wesley, mother of John Wesley spent one hour each day praying for her 17 children. In addition, she took each child aside for a full hour every week to discuss spiritual matters. No wonder two of her sons, Charles and ...read more

Tags: Parenting, Mother's Day, Prayer Adoration, Faith, Commitment, Submissive, Time  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Now If You Are Like Me, You Have Found Reading ...

Contributed by Jim Kane on Jan 7, 2008

Now if you are like me, you have found reading through Leviticus and other front-end Old Testament books to be a bit tedious with all of those laws. Let me give you a big picture view of all those laws: They describe the ...read more

Denomination: Church Of God

Some Jewish Rabbis Write Up Isaac And Jacob And ...

Contributed by Ed Vasicek on Nov 24, 2008

Some Jewish rabbis write up Isaac and Jacob and Rebekah as saintly and filled with good intentions. For example, one Rabbi writes, "…we read of Isaac’s plan to give his son Esau the material blessings, so that he could protect and support ...read more

Tags: Truth

Denomination: Independent/Bible

"When We Give Our Hearts To Christ In Salvati...

Contributed by Bradley Kellum on Aug 25, 2009

“When we give our hearts to Christ in salvation, we experience “peace with God” (Romans 5:1); but the “peace of God” takes us a step farther into God’s blessings. This does not mean the absence of trials on the outside, but it does mean a quiet confidence within, ...read more

Tags: Thought, Heart

Denomination: Baptist

[175]. A Message From A Poem – Bema – The Judgement Seat Of Christ

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Aug 22, 2025

[175]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – BEMA – THE JUDGEMENT SEAT OF CHRIST What do Christians think of the judgement that is coming for Christians that is outlined in these very telling verses? – {{1 Corinthians 3:11-15 “for no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:11-15, 2 Corinthians 5:10, 1 John 2:28, Revelation 4:10-11, Matthew 10:42, Revelation 22:12  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Reward, Cup Of Cold Water, Bema, Judgment Seat Of Christ, Judged, Judgment, Shame, Penalty, Judge, Rewards, Ashamed, Heaven  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Robert Robinson Had Been Saved Out Of A ...  PRO

Contributed by Ted Sutherland on Apr 24, 2001

Robert Robinson had been saved out of a tempestuous life of sin through George Whitfield’s ministry in England. Shortly after that, at the age of twenty-three, Robinson wrote the hymn Come, Thou Fount. Come, Thou Fount of ev’ry blessing, Streams of mercy, never ceasing, Call for songs of loudest ...read more

Tags: God's Forgiveness, Promises Of God, Repentance

Denomination: Baptist

I Am Always Kind Of Leery About The ...

Contributed by Larry Jacobs on Jul 7, 2005

ILLUS: I am always kind of leery about the complements I receive as a preacher of the gospel. I know that many of them are very sincere but I always feel a little unworthy when someone really brags on a message that I have preached. The greatest complement that I ever received was in a ...read more

Tags: Fulfillment

Denomination: Baptist

Robert Robinson Had Been Saved Out Of A ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

Robert Robinson had been saved out of a tempestuous life of sin through George Whitfield’s ministry in England. Shortly after that, at the age of twenty-three, Robinson wrote the hymn Come, Thou Fount. Come, Thou Fount of ev’ry blessing, Streams of mercy, never ceasing, Call for songs of loudest ...read more

Tags: Stubbornness, Parable Prodigal Son

Our Daily Bread

Contributed by Richard Goble on Nov 4, 2007

Our Daily Bread A guy from Tyson Foods arranges to visit the Pope. After receiving the papal blessing he whispers, "Your Eminence, do we have a deal for you. If you change The Lord’s Prayer from "give us this day our daily bread…" to "give us this day our daily chicken…" we will donate $500 million ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

Waiting Vs. Watching For Him

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jan 23, 2011

WAITING VS. WATCHING FOR HIM The Lord told us not only to wait for him but to watch for him, and he has pronounced a special blessing on those who watch. The difference between waiting and watching is illustrated in a story told of a Scotch fishing village. After days at sea, the skipper of a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:1-13

Tags: Second Coming

She Did Not Know Who She Was Talking To

Contributed by Glynda Lomax on Mar 2, 2025

One day I called at the counter of the tiny post office in rural Arkansas to pick up a package they were holding for JPH (my company). When the lady bringing my package looked at the PO Box address on it, she said Oh good, you work for JPH. And I said Yes maam I do. She had been watching for ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 10:19, Proverbs 13:3, Ephesians 4:29

Tags: Words, Speech, Tongue

Denomination: Charismatic

The Antonym Of Joy  PRO

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Jun 9, 2001

THE ANTONYM OF JOY Discouragement is dissatisfaction with the past, distaste for the present, and distrust of the future. It is ingratitude for the blessings of yesterday, indifference to the opportunities of today, and insecurity regarding strength for tomorrow. It is unawareness of the presence ...read more

Tags: Discouragement, Doubt, Disappointment, Faith

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational