In Sermon Illustrations: "The Heart"

Ravi Zacharias Tells The Story Of A Man Who Went ...

Contributed by Ken Henson on Aug 7, 2012

Ravi Zacharias tells the story of a man who went to School in Wheaton with Billy Graham and later entered into politics. He was a popular man and rose to become the Prime Minister of Canada. In the process of going down that way, to fame, to popularity and power, he began to sacrifice his ethics ...read more

Tags: Temptation General

Denomination: *other

Pax Romana  PRO

Contributed by Jeff Strite on Dec 30, 2012

PAX ROMANA About 27 years before Jesus was born Rome experienced something unique that history has called Pax Romana = the peace of Rome. Beginning with the reign of Augustine, Emperor of Rome and lasting till about 180 A.D. (a period of 200 years) Rome was at peace. They had few internal ...read more

Tags: Peace

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Carrying What I Don't Need  PRO

Contributed by Kelly Benton on Jan 29, 2013

CARRYING WHAT I DON'T NEED I think back to my Army days. All those foot marches and all the pain associated with them. As a young private I packed pretty much everything I could before we went out. I wanted to make sure I had all the comforts to help make life easier. I made sure to have extra ...read more

Tags: Forgiveness General

Denomination: Other

Susie The Savior  PRO

Contributed by Ken Pell on Mar 30, 2013

SUSIE THE SAVIOR The story is told of a certain 9-year-old who is sitting at his desk in school when all of a sudden there is a puddle between his feet, and the front of his pants are wet. He thinks his heart is going to stop, because he knows when the boys find out, he'll never hear the end of ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 53:4-5

Tags: Atonement

Denomination: Nazarene

The Final Play Of The Game  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 7, 2013

THE FINAL PLAY OF THE GAME It's never too late to trust Jesus. Oops, I need to qualify that. There IS a time when it's too late to trust Jesus. If you die without putting your faith in Jesus, then it's too late. Someone observed about the thief on the cross that there is one deathbed conversion in ...read more

Scripture: Luke 23:39-43

Tags: Becoming A Christian, Salvation

Daddy, Tell Me About The Facts Of Life.

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Apr 18, 2017

Corrie Ten Boom’s father was being pursued by German authorities for housing Jews, which was a punishable crime under Hitler. He had to hurry away from the home one evening after packing his bag for a long, unknown trip to hide away. At the train station and in the middle of a highly tense ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:28

Tags: Father In Heaven, Will Of God, Where Is God, Father God, Waiting On God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Christ's Love And Cursive Handwriting

Contributed by Bobby Oliver on Sep 11, 2017

When I was in Kindergarten, the teachers taught me the Alphabet. Obviously, before you can learn how to spell, you have to learn the alphabet. As you learn to spell words, you learn that the letters are written separate, so you lift your pencil up every time you write a letter. Then, when I was ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 2:7-11

Tags: Love All, Love Of God, Love, Love God

Denomination: Baptist

God Is Your Father

Contributed by Barry O Johnson on Jul 25, 2018

As a child, before my brothers and sisters and I would sit down for breakfast, we would ask our father what we could do to please him so that he would let us eat breakfast. He’d tell us. If we wanted lunch money for school we would ask our father what would please him. He’d tell us. At supper time, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:24-33

Tags: Father, God, Kingdom, Master, Seek, Gentiles, Reap, Take No Thought, Lillies  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Eight Tests Every Christian Will Face

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Nov 20, 2019

Below are brief descriptions of eight types of tests that every Christian will likely face: • Fiery trials: intense encounters or struggles; bursts of anger, grief, or lust • Infirmities: physical limitations and illnesses • Reproaches: ridicule and rejection on account of faith or ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:1-9

Tags: Faith, Tribulation, Tests, Trials, Temptations  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Auctioneer And The Old Violin

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Dec 20, 2020

Twas 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 bidden, good folks,’ he cried, ‘Who’ll start the bidding for me? A dollar, a dollar,’ then ‘Two; Only two? Two dollars, and who’ll make it ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, John 3:1-7

Tags: New Birth, Jesus, Salvation, Cross, Redemption, Change, Transformation  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Christmas Significance

Contributed by Sourav Dasgupta on Dec 30, 2021

*Josiah and Jesus* (Significance of Christmas) At 8 yrs. he became King - Josiah and reigned for 31 years @Major Changes @One of the best Kings of Israel @Similarities with Jesus Christ 2Kings22,23 His father was Manasseh and was a bad example but Mother was a good example **(my nature is ...read more

Tags: King's Responsibility, Reference To Christ

"grudgitis" Killer Disease

Contributed by David Parks on Jan 14, 2022

"GRUDGITIS" ... KILLER DISEASE "Fret not thyself because of evildoers..." (Psalm 37:1). A grizzly bear lumbered into a clearing where garbage had been dumped. Tourists noticed that there was only one animal the grizzly would permit to eat with him - a skunk. Doubtless he ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 37:1, Colossians 3:12

Tags: Forgiveness, Revenge, Malice, Grudges

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Macedonian Vision Sent The Gospel Westward!

Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on May 4, 2022

Perhaps Paul found it somewhat difficult at first to understand the reason for the blocking of his way in Acts 16. However, he was not long in doubt. For Paul had a vision in the night, and there stood before him a "man of Macedonia" beseeching him, and saying, "Come over into ...read more

Scripture: Romans 12:1-2

Tags: Evangelism, America, Gospel, Missions, Will Of God, England, Sovereignty Of God, Global Outreach  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Marathon

Contributed by Dr. Fred W. Penney on Oct 17, 2022

On Sunday, October 16, 2022 my daughter, aged 25, ran her first marathon – the Toronto Waterfront marathon. Though I’m currently living 3000 kms away in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada – I was there at the race to cheer her on. I was not prepared for the emotional intensity of the ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-2, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Philippians 3:14

Tags: Salvation, Perseverance, Gospel, Discipleship, The Cross  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Give Thanks

Contributed by Jonathan Meade on Nov 18, 2023

At 16, a mission to Honduras with my father was an eye-opening experience that left an incredible mark on my soul. I found myself in a foreign land, surrounded by poverty and heart wrenching realities that I had never encountered before. One particular night, our bus pulled into a dimly lit gas ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Tags: Thanksgiving, Missions, Gratitude

Denomination: Independent/Bible

Humanity's Quest For Moral Understanding

Contributed by Jung Lee on Jan 19, 2024

I recently watched a video by Pastor David Wilkinson discussing the innate human understanding of good and evil, heaven and hell. Based on this, I believe that our inherent moral sense inevitably drives humanity to create various religions. Hinduism, with its openness to diverse divine forms, and ...read more

Scripture: Romans 2:14-15

Tags: Religion, Good, Moral Compass, Innate Morality, Moral Understanding, Jesus' Impact, Hell, Evil, Heaven  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Sin No Nym

Contributed by David Dunn on Sep 29, 2025

Sin No Nym Josie loved words. She liked to clap their sounds and spell them out. One day she wrote a big word on her paper: S I N N O N Y M She giggled. “Listen! It sounds like sin–no–name.” --- Word Play at Home Daddy peeked over. “That’s funny,” he said. “What do you think it ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 1:9, Psalm 103:12

Tags: Forgiveness, Grace

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

The Bridge Operator

Contributed by David Dunn on Oct 5, 2025

There was once a man whose job was to operate a drawbridge for passing trains. Most of the time the bridge stayed raised to allow ships to move freely along the busy waterway. But when a train was scheduled to cross, he would lower the bridge, lock it in place, and signal that the way was ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16, Romans 5:8

Tags: Grace, Atonement, Sacrifice, Redemption

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

I Surrender All – Judson W. Van Deventer, 1896

Contributed by Richard Goble on Mar 19, 2008

I Surrender All – Judson W. Van DeVenter, 1896 Van DeVenter beautifully describes the process of absolute surrender in his timeless hymn I Surrender All. If I may impose my perception of this hymn, I would suggest that He reveals the struggle involved in surrendering all that he is to the Lord. ...read more

Denomination: Baptist

The Queen's Christmas Tree

Contributed by John Moyer on Dec 16, 2008

THE QUEEN'S CHRISTMAS TREE Among the cards we've received over the years, some were those Guidepost Christmas cards with stories in them. This is one of those stories. It was the first Saturday of the Advent season in Europe. The Queen’s royal woodsmen were searching the royal forest for the ...read more

Tags: Christmas

Denomination: Holiness