In Sermon Illustrations: "Thinking"

They Took It Away!

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Mar 3, 2020

My parents used to operate a true “Mom and Pop” grocery store before I started school. I still remember some of the good times—and some of the bad times, too, unfortunately—from those days gone by. Some of the items they had for sale were plastic models. These were mostly Revell, Lindberg, or ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 3:22, 1 John 5:18

Tags: The Will Of God, Take It Or Leave It

Denomination: Baptist

The Difference Maker

Contributed by Ed Sasnett on Sep 16, 2020

My pastor, Wana Archer, tells about a time when he was a teenager and worked at a restaurant for .25 cents/hour. In this restaurant, there was a gambling machine that looked like a pinball machine. A player would deposit a nickel and get one shot to hit the jackpot or win some money. He noticed ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:1-11

Tags: Holy Spirit, Obedience

Denomination: Baptist

Eyes Wide Open

Contributed by Todd Catteau on Jul 6, 2021

It’s happened to me more times than I care to admit. My wife will ask me to get something out of the pantry or refrigerator and, after a quick check, I’ll report that the item she wants is not there. Then she looks and there it is, right where she said it would be. Right there staring me in the ...read more

Tags: Beauty, Hope, Blessings

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Dna And Stained Glass

Contributed by Dr. Bradford Reaves on Sep 2, 2021

Dr. Francis Collins’s credentials are impeccable: he is a physical chemist, a medical geneticist, and the former head of the Human Genome Project. He is also, by his own account, living proof that there is no conflict between science and religion.” “In 2006, he published ‘The Language of God,’ in ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 1:27

Tags: Creation, Dna

Denomination: Brethren

Unsung Heroines-Joash's Aunt And Nurse

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on May 2, 2022

Introduction: These two ladies risked certain death to save the crown prince (and, it might be added, the ancestor of the Messiah!) Text: 2 Chronicles 22:10-12, KJV: 10 But when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal of the house of ...read more

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 22:10-12

Tags: Joash, Unsung Heroines, Jehoshabeath

Denomination: Baptist

Unsung Heroines-Joanna, Wife Of Herod’s Steward

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Jun 22, 2022

Introduction: Joanna is only mentioned in two verses of Scripture. What she did for Jesus and the disciples truly shows she was an unsung heroine. Text: Luke 8:3, KJV: 3 And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their ...read more

Scripture: Luke 8:3, Luke 24:10-11

Tags: Jesus, Joanna, Unsung Heroines

Denomination: Baptist

Curse Turned Blessing

Contributed by Todd Catteau on Dec 7, 2022

Sometimes missing a flight turns into a blessing. My older son was flying from Little Rock to Kansas City through Dallas but missed his connection because the flight was late leaving Little Rock. He called from the airport bemoaning his fate but said that there was another flight he could book ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 50:20, Romans 8:28

Tags: Blessing, Joseph, Providence, Opportunity, Blessings  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Glory Of Springtime

Contributed by Todd Catteau on May 30, 2023

Don’t you just love spring? It’s simply glorious. Trees blooming. Plants blossoming. It’s all so beautiful. Unless of course you were looking at my front yard earlier this year. Last summer we bought three bushes that looked so promising. The leaves were supposed to turn all kinds of spectacular ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 10:23, Romans 5:2

Tags: Maturity, Fruit Of The Spirit, Trees, Galatians 5, Church, Spring, Perseverance, Hope, Fruit, Life, Bible, Grace, Forgiveness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Rapture Why God Doesn't Reveal When

Contributed by Raymond Petzholt on Feb 26, 2024

When I and my sister were young children we use to regularly have babysitters when our parents went out in the evenings. Some of the babysitters were fun! Some weren’t. The fun ones were the ones that let us play wild games that normally our parents would never let us do in the house if ...read more

Scripture: Mark 13:32, Matthew 24:36

Tags: Second Coming, Rapture, Judgment

Denomination: Baptist

This Life Is Just A Rental

Contributed by Todd Catteau on May 14, 2024

In the last few years when our family travels instead of booking a hotel we have used an Airbnb or a Vrbo. If you’re not familiar with this concept it’s basically people renting out their homes to tourists. It’s especially convenient if we have a lot of family to house. We can all stay together, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:19-20

Tags: Heaven, Worry, Rust, Possessions, Moths  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

An Illustration – The Coffee Cup

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on May 18, 2024

AN ILLUSTRATION – THE COFFEE CUP I don’t prefer strong coffee for it has a couple of effects on me. My wife bought these coffee bags that had “intense” on the packets. I know I might horrify some people but I found I could use these coffee bags 4 times. They only need to be in hot water for a ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 3:1, 1 John 2:16-17, 1 John 1:8-10

Tags: Coffee Mug, Adulterated, Sin Is Subtle, Sin, Deceived, Coffee  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[013] A Message From A Poem - Academic Christianity

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jun 14, 2024

[013] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - ACADEMIC CHRISTIANITY If you did a survey in universities and places of higher learning, and in liberal theological colleges in our days, you would find very few Christians. The mind of man today is bent on humanism and the search for rationalism in an existential ...read more

Scripture: Luke 13:3, 1 Corinthians 1:18-19, 1 Corinthians 1:23-25

Tags: Humanism, Academic Christianity, Professing Christians, Faith, Salvation, Foolishness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[018] A Message From A Poem - America, America, How You Blaspheme!

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jun 21, 2024

[018] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - AMERICA, AMERICA, HOW YOU BLASPHEME! I find it so offensive to hear cursing and the Lord’s name taken in vain by someone trying to be assertive or big note himself. In fact so much of the relatively modern cinema is full of blasphemy. I hear speeches and listen to ...read more

Scripture: Romans 3:13-14, Colossians 4:6, Leviticus 18:21, Exodus 20:7

Tags: America, Speech, Blasphemy, Cursing, The Name Of The Lord In Vain  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

An Observation About A Pair Of Hard Hats

Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Oct 15, 2024

Text: 2 Samuel 3:33-34, KJV: 33 And the king lamented over Abner, and said, Died Abner as a fool dieth? 34 Thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet put into fetters: as a man falleth before wicked men, so fellest thou. And all the people wept again over him. Have you seen any roadside memorials? It ...read more

Scripture: 2 Samuel 3:33-34

Tags: David, Death, Joab, Abner

Denomination: Baptist

[117]. A Message From A Poem – He Became Sin For Us

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jun 27, 2025

[117]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – HE BECAME SIN FOR US This poem resulted from some discussion in one of the Christian forums on Isaiah 52 and 53. I was thinking into the sufferings of the Lamb upon the cross trying to capture the stark reality of that sacrificial death. Of course God blotted out ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 53:4-5, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 12:2

Tags: Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, He Became Sin For Us, Sin, Salvation, Endurance, Cross, Suffering, The Cross, Christ  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[176]. A Message From A Poem – Lord, May I Share My Thoughts With You?

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Aug 26, 2025

[176]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – LORD, MAY I SHARE MY THOUGHTS WITH YOU? This poem is exactly what it says; my thoughts that I share with God. There is so much I don’t understand and too many problems to solve, but I think we are not meant to do that. We just need simple, uncluttered faith in ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 37:28

Tags: Christian Poetry, Guide, Knowledge, Share, Desires, Thoughts  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[184]. Poem – Mirror Mirror On The Wall, Who’s The Worst Of Us All?

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Sep 5, 2025

[184]. POEM MESSAGE – MIRROR MIRROR ON THE WALL, WHO’S THE WORST OF US ALL? This is an unusual poem I think, the name taken from the saying, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of us all?” Here we have a reflective poem and a challenging one in our personal lives. There is often so ...read more

Scripture: James 1:23, 2 Corinthians 3:18, Matthew 9:2, Revelation 12:10

Tags: Mirror Mirror On The Wall, Sin, Reflection, Shame, Disgrace, Mirrors, The Accuser, Forgiveness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[186]. A Message From A Poem – Musings On Being In Heaven

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Sep 5, 2025

[186]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – MUSINGS ON BEING IN HEAVEN This is a lovely poem FOR ME, which is why I wrote it. How much do we think of heaven? I am afraid some are so earth-bound that they give little thought to heaven. Do we know what heaven will be like? Of course we do not. We can only ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:2-4, 1 Corinthians 2:9

Tags: The Third Heaven, Jesus, Heaven, Center, Christian Poems  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[196]. A Message From A Poem – Not Worthy To Be Compared

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Sep 12, 2025

[196]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – NOT WORTHY TO BE COMPARED This poem has its basis in a few scriptures. This is one of them – {{Romans 8:18 “for I consider that the sufferings of this present time ARE NOT WORTHY TO BE COMPARED with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”}} Those who are like me ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 3:14-15, Philippians 3:12, Philippians 3:8, Romans 8:18

Tags: Christian Poems, Golf, Rubbish, Comparison, Press On, Goal, Christian Poetry, Glory, Worthy, Loss  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[246]. A Message From A Poem – Soon The Lord Will Come For Me

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jan 2, 2026

[246]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – SOON THE LORD WILL COME FOR ME Lines here can be reversed to make 9-7-9-7. (Change “Soon” Line 3 to “When”) The chosen metre for this poem in a more unusual one 7-9-7-9 as it does not follow the usual convention of having the first line longer than the second line. ...read more

Scripture: Hebrews 12:2, Titus 2:13, Revelation 4:1, 1 Corinthians 15:52-53

Tags: Christian Poems, Rapture, Blessed Hope, The Coming Of The Lord, Christian Poetry  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational