In Sermon Illustrations: "Thorny Ground"

Simeon The Pillar Hermit

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Aug 28, 2024

Simeon was probably like most boys his age in A.D. 403. The 13-year-old spent much of his time caring for his father's flocks on the hillside of Cilicia. But one day, while listening to a sermon on the beatitudes, stirred and changed he left his home and family and began a lifelong pursuit of ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 3:20

Tags: Finding God, Monks, Intimacy With God, Separation, Holiness  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

[111]. A Message From A Poem – Harvest Through Death

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jun 19, 2025

[111]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – HARVEST THROUGH DEATH This poem lay for 27 years waiting to be finished and now it is. Its theme is the fruit of Christ’s sacrifice as the Grain of Wheat. Jesus told to Andrew and Philip a truth I am sure the disciples did not understand. {{John 12:24-25 “Truly, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 16:18, John 12:24-25

Tags: Redeemed, Souls, Grain Of Wheat, Dying To Oneself, Harvest, Upon This Rock  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Donkey That Spoke

Contributed by David Dunn on Oct 24, 2025

My name? Oh, I’m Sassy—the braying donkey. Not the fastest, not the strongest… and definitely not the prettiest. But I’ve got a good heart — and a loud voice! (pause) Most days I carry my master, Balaam. He’s a prophet—important and proud. I don’t mind. I’m used to carrying heavy loads. But one ...read more

Scripture: Numbers 22:28-31, Psalm 32:8, Proverbs 16:9, John 10:27, 1 Corinthians 1:17  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Obedience, Faithfulness, Courage, Voice, Listening  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

A Boulder With Your Name On It!" Numbers ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on May 1, 2005

“A Boulder With Your Name On It!” Numbers 13:25-29 Key verse(s) 27:“They gave Moses this account: ‘We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But . . .” Sometimes the things that we are able to do surprise even ourselves. Have you ever had ...read more

Scripture: Numbers 13:25-29

Tags: Doubt, Faith General

Denomination: Lutheran

Oh Please Don't Hit The Ball To Me!" Psalm ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Feb 7, 2005

“Oh Please Don’t Hit the Ball to Me!” Psalm 116:1-6 Key verse(s): 3:“The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow.” There is no greater temptation than separation from God. There are many things in this life that appear tempting and ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 116:1-6

Tags: Innocent, Honest, Temptation Pride, Temptation Resisting, Truthful  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Lutheran

[233]. A Message From A Poem - Remember Me Until I Come

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Oct 21, 2025

[233]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - REMEMBER ME UNTIL I COME This poem was written as a Communion meditation with the view of being a Communion hymn. It uses a Metre 12 in the four lines. I adapted this for another poem based on this one using a Metre 10 that can be sung to various tunes. At the ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 2:20, 1 Corinthians 11:24-26

Tags: Passover, Cup, Remember Me, Christian Poetry, Christian Poems, Until I Come, Communion, Bread, Remember  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Orphaned Girl And Wounded Mother  PRO

Contributed by Ryan Yandris on Mar 8, 2003

ORPHANED GIRL AND WOUNDED MOTHER One day a little orphan girl who was about 5 years old had a visitor. The Nurse had pre warned the child that this wasn’t just any visitor. It was a lady who had severely crippled her back and her hands were withered. Her whole body was scared with deep wounds ...read more

Tags: Children, Christian Disciplines

Denomination: Pentecostal

Suppose Two Women Were Planting A Vegetable ...  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on May 21, 2005

Suppose two women were planting a vegetable garden. On the same day, they prepared the earth and planted their seeds. One then neglected her garden and waited for her vegetables to grow. The other woman worked in her garden regularly. She put cages around the young tomato plants, she drove in ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:24-27

Tags: Jesus, Midst

Paul Stanley Tells This Story From His Military ...  PRO

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Aug 28, 2005

Paul Stanley tells this story from his military experience: “As an infantry company commander in Vietnam in 1967, I saw Viet Cong soldiers surrender many times. As they were placed in custody, marched away, and briefly interrogated, their body language and facial expressions always caught my ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 3:9

Tags: Fear, Faith, Confidence, Control, Patience, God, Salvation, Repentance, Surrender, Wait  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Methodist

Pointed Sticks! (10.31.05--Faith That ...

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Oct 27, 2005

Pointed Sticks! (10.31.05--Faith That Flies!--Judges 6:25-30) “If you walk around with a pointed stick you are liable to hurt yourself.” There was something about a pointed stick that just put mothers on edge. Pointed sticks weren’t risky from our perspective at all. As boys we were willing to ...read more

Scripture: Judges 6:25-30

Tags: Faith General

Denomination: Lutheran

A. Linda Down Discovered Real Power And She ...  PRO

Contributed by Davon Huss on May 25, 2004

A. Linda Down discovered real power and she needed it. She had dealt with the limitations of cerebral palsy all her life. One day, she got this crazy idea of running the New York Marathon. But Linda walked with difficulty, so running seemed out of the question? She used canes with arm clamps to ...read more

Tags: God's Omnipotence

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

I Say, "My Car," But It's Not Really My Car, It's ...  PRO

Contributed by Timothy Smith on Aug 22, 2004

I say, "my car," but it’s not really my car, it’s the Lord’s. He has just loaned it to me to use for Him. Every bit of metal, plastic, every bit of glass and for my car, every bit of rust belongs to God. And someday my car will be dropped into some giant compressing machine, be folded up into about ...read more

Tags: Money

Denomination: Christian Church

The Gift

Contributed by Peter Loughman on Dec 21, 2007

THE GIFT A professor of mine from seminary told us this story: When he was a young man, all of 23, he had the opportunity to take a summer tour of Europe as a graduation present, he was from a well to do family. He traveled about Europe by train, boat and sometimes by bicycle. Finally he ended up ...read more

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I Recently Read A Peculiar Story About A Family ...  PRO

Contributed by Paul Dietz on Jun 21, 2008

I recently read a peculiar story about a family in Lander, Wyoming that had gone to their local refuse dump to dispose of some unwanted family items that were either busted or greatly abused. As they were emptying there junk into a large dumpster, the man of the home saw something that caught his ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 51:1-17, Psalm 81:16

Tags: Blessing, Wrong Value

Denomination: *other

The Benefits Of The Repel Tower

Contributed by Chris Surber on Mar 9, 2009

THE BENEFITS OF THE REPEL TOWER I am not a fan of great heights. I have never been able to stand on the edge of a high cliff or at the top of a tall building without a quick heart beat and a dry throat. I have no problem with climbing a high hill or mountain, but to stand on the edge of falling ...read more

Tags: Fear And Worry

Denomination: Christian Church

Living Together And Divorce

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 11, 2009

LIVING TOGETHER AND DIVORCE A recent study by the Penn State University interviewed 92 couples found, in general, those who lived together before marriage were • more verbally aggressive, • more hostile and • less supportive than those who waited until marriage to live ...read more

Scripture: Malachi 2:16

Tags: Divorce

Augustine And The Four States Of Man  PRO

Contributed by Terry Barnhill on Mar 5, 2012

AUGUSTINE AND THE FOUR STATES OF MAN In the 5th century AD, St. Augustine wrote about the "4 States of Man": * The first state of man (the haec sunt prima) is "living according to the flesh -- with reason making no resistance." This can be seen in so many ancient cultures and religions (and ...read more

Scripture: John 14:1-15

Tags: Allegory

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Feel Free To Interject Your Own Experience Into ...

Contributed by Kelly Mitchell on Aug 22, 2012

(feel free to interject your own experience into this pattern) One Christmas on a road trip with the my wife and kids to my parent’s home I decided to take them on a "scenic loop" through the Mississippi Delta. Its where I was born and raised and my parents still live there. To me, it is the ...read more

Scripture: Acts 3:19-20

Tags: Repentance, Forgiveness In Jesus, Millenial

Denomination: Baptist

The Locust Plague Described

Contributed by Thomas Cash on Jan 29, 2013

THE LOCUST PLAGUE DESCRIBED The judgment in the book of Joel centers on the warning of a plague of locusts. Now you may think, "Ah, little grasshoppers. Not much of a problem, eh." History records a similar event. Let me read to you: In 1915 a plague of locusts covered Palestine and Syria from ...read more

Scripture: Joel 1:4

Tags: God's Judgment

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Gift Of Grace And Forgiveness In Our Time Of Greatest Need

Contributed by Tim Smith on Aug 13, 2017

Julian Silva tells the story of working in a Volunteer Corp’s Chaplain Office in Frankfurt, Germany where he met a German named, Carl Scholtz. During WW II, Carl served as a Nazi soldier but not believing in what he was doing, he tried to desert. He failed in his attempt, was captured and thrown ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-10

Tags: Grace, Forgiveness

Denomination: Methodist