In Sermon Illustrations: "The Name Of The Lord In Vain"

An Observation About Eternity

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Feb 5, 2024

Text, Ecclesiastes 3:11, American Standard Version: He hath made everything beautiful in its time: also he hath set eternity in their heart, yet so that man cannot find out the work that God hath done from the beginning even to the end. Every day we live takes us one day closer to the end of our ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:11

Tags: Hell, Eternity, Salvation

Denomination: Baptist

A Good Start Matters

Contributed by Todd Catteau on Mar 19, 2024

I can remember it like it was yesterday. It was my sixth-grade field day when all the elementary schools gathered for a series of track and field events at the town’s high school track. It was a sunny New England spring morning and I was representing Glen Forest Elementary School in the 50-yard ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:17, 1 Timothy 2:8, Ephesians 5:15-17, Colossians 4:5

Tags: Prayer, Meditation

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

When I Passed Out Preaching On Death!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Mar 25, 2024

I met Christ as my personal Lord and Savior when I was 15 years old. I had grown up in church and had faithfully gone to church 3 or 4 times per week my whole life......but I did not have a personal relationship with Jesus. After trusting Him as my Savior, I felt that God spoke to my heart ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 9:27

Tags: Pastors, Churches, Fainting, Death, Heaven, Preaching, Humor  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

So God Made A Farmer

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Apr 6, 2024

In James chapter 5, we see a comparison between the patient farmer in the field waiting for his crops and the waiting believer in Christ preparing to meet the Lord at His return. Paul Harvey did a masterful job of describing the life of the farmer years ago. And on the 8th day, God looked down ...read more

Scripture: James 5:7-12, 1 Thessalonians 5:13-18

Tags: Return Of Christ, Prophets, Farmers, Waiting, End Times, Prophecy, Second Coming, Last Days, Rapture, Patience, Job  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Miracles Through Prayer In China

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Apr 15, 2024

In his book Sit, Walk, Stand, Watchman Nee describes a preaching mission to an island off the South China coast. There were seven in the ministering group, including a sixteen-year-old new convert whom he calls Brother Wu. The island was fairly large, containing about 6,000 homes. Nee had a contact ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 33:3

Tags: Prayer, Miracles, China, Rain, Elijah, Missions  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Why Isn't The Book Of Enoch In Our Bible?

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Aug 24, 2024

This question illuminates one of those painful intersections between theology and church history: the canonization of Scripture. Throughout church history, many books have been scrutinized by theologians, and before those theologians, other theologians, and before such, were the members of the ...read more

Tags: Scripture, Holy Spirit, Inspiration, Enoch, Inerrancy, Church History, Canon, Book Of Enoch  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Was Jesus Involved In Politics?

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Nov 4, 2024

WAS JESUS INVOLVED IN POLITICS? I hear that all the time as the excuse for Christians not voting. Is that biblically true? I spent hours searching through the Gospels for the truth and found these key teachings that describe Jesus' attitude and involvement toward the issue of government and ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 21:1, John 10:10, Isaiah 9:6

Tags: Jesus, Evil, America, Corruption, Elections, Rulers, Presidents, Politics, Second Coming, Government, Return Of Christ, Voting, Kings  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

A Lesson From A Band Concert

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Dec 19, 2024

Introduction: Sometimes you can find an example or illustration from places you wouldn’t normally expect. Such an instance happened to me recently, Here’s the verse that came to mind when I saw what took place: Text: John 16:13, KJV: 13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide ...read more

Scripture: John 16:13

Tags: Holy Spirit, Teaching, Encouragement

Denomination: Baptist

Unwanted Items-Fresh Meat On The Street?

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Apr 2, 2025

Introduction: This illustration is the first in a series about things that either aren’t wanted, left behind, or otherwise abandoned. Here’s hoping some of these illustrations will be useful! Text: 2 Kings 7:7, KJV: 7 Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their ...read more

Scripture: 2 Kings 7:7

Tags: Caution, Meat, Unwanted, Abandoned Things

Denomination: Baptist

[094]. A Message From A Poem – Forgetting The Past, Look Ahead

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Apr 30, 2025

[094]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – FORGETTING THE PAST, LOOK AHEAD Someone posted to a Christian forum I was on, a four line stanza once, that in effect said that you can not go back and fix the past, i.e. to go back and alter the beginning but you can start from here and make a brand new end. I ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:16, Matthew 11:28-30

Tags: Regret, Hope, Past, End, Failure, Start, Look Ahead  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Be An Encourager, Fathers Day - My Relationship With My Son

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Nov 25, 2025

God the Father ... Loves His Children ... and He is also quick to .... encourage His children. (Long Pause) And ... I learned that ... the hard way. As a father ... you want the best for your children ... you want them to succeed. To succeed ... at everything they do. Kristin ... our first ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 1:9, Ephesians 4:29, Romans 8:38-39, Romans 5:8

Tags: Prayer, Encouragement, Friend, Encourage, Father, Children, Son  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Anglican

Troubling Thoughts?

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Dec 14, 2025

Troubling thoughts Introduction: What might make your thoughts cause you trouble? Text, Daniel 5:5-9, KJV: 5 In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the ...read more

Scripture: Daniel 5:5-9

Tags: Daniel, Belshazzar, Thoughts

Denomination: Baptist

Getting Away With It Is Half The Fun

Contributed by James Snyder on Sep 19, 2020

I must admit I don't get away with very much, and I never have. It's not that I never try. It's just that whenever I try to get away with something, it always backfires. I wish there were a class somewhere entitled, "How You Can Get Away with Anything." I certainly would sign ...read more

Scripture: Numbers 32:23

Tags: Sin, Humor

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

What’s So Bad About A Knucklehead?

Contributed by James Snyder on Aug 26, 2023

Dr. James L. Snyder As I got older, the least little thing brought back memories from a lifetime ago. From some of the memories, I must have had an incredible boyhood. Too bad I can't live it again. I might improve those memories. Who knows. For some reason, I remembered the word ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 3:5-6

Tags: Crazy, Knucklehead

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

Making Decisions Is The Hardest Part Of My Life

Contributed by James Snyder on Feb 3, 2024

If it were not for decisions, my life would be perfect. After all these years, I still wrestle with decision-making. I admit that I often don’t make good decisions. I'm not sure, so don't repeat this, but I think The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage knows this and uses it to her ...read more

Scripture: Proverbs 3:5-6

Tags: Decisions, Choices

Denomination: Christian Missionary Alliance

[179]. A Message From A Poem – Lost Three Things - Lost One Coin

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Aug 27, 2025

[179]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – LOST THREE THINGS - LOST ONE COIN In this trilogy of poems we are looking at three objects lost – a sheep, a coin and a son. All three were loved and precious and the owners knew stress at the lost. When each was found it resulted in great rejoicing. These three ...read more

Scripture: Hosea 11:8, Genesis 6:6, Luke 15:8-10

Tags: Lost And Found, Rejoicing, Heart Of God, The Heart Of God, Grieved, Christian Poems, Parable, Lost, Lost Coin  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[180]. A Poem Message – Lost Three Things - One Son – The Prodigal Son

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Aug 29, 2025

[180]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – LOST ONE SON – THE PRODIGAL SON The third of the lost parables is the son. It is the best know. Gospel preaching has made use of this parable over and over and that is fair enough. However its greater meaning is a wayward son of the family, who entered into a ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 6:18, Luke 15:11-12, Luke 15:11-32

Tags: Repentance, Lost, Love Of The Father, The Prodigal Son, Parable Of The Lost Son  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

In 1899 Four Newspaper Reporters From Denver, ...  PRO

Contributed by Ted Sutherland on Feb 11, 2001

In 1899 four newspaper reporters from Denver, CO, set out to tear down the Great Wall of China. They almost succeeded. Literally. The four met by chance one Saturday night, in a Denver railway depot. Al Stevens, Jack Tournay, John Lewis, Hal Wilshire. They represented the four Denver papers: the ...read more

Scripture: James 3:1-18

Tags: Faith, Truth

Denomination: Baptist

In 1994, Two Christian Missionaries Answered An ...  PRO

Contributed by Rob Short on Apr 7, 2001

In 1994, two Christian missionaries answered an invitation from the Russian Department of Education to teach morals and ethics in a large orphanage. About 100 boys and girls who had been abandoned, abused, and left in the care of a government-run program were in the orphanage. It was nearing ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 1:18-22, Luke 2:1-7

Tags: Always, Beginning, Birth Of Jesus, Memorial, Memories, Loved Ones, Look, New Beginning, Survival, Remember, Russian, Search  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Baptist

Lessons From A Tavern, Citation: Charles ...  PRO

Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Jul 5, 2001

[Lessons from a Tavern, Citation: Charles Swindoll, Leadership, Vol. 4, no. 1.] An old Marine Corps buddy of mine, to my pleasant surprise, came to know Christ after he was discharged. I say surprise because he cursed loudly, fought hard, chased women, drank heavily, loved war and weapons, and ...read more

Scripture: Romans 1:1

Tags: Church Body Of Christ, Church Small Groups, Compassion, Fellowship, Friendship General, Understanding  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational