In Sermon Illustrations: "Three"

Saving Private Ryan Tells Us About Our Need For Grace

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Oct 24, 2022

Saving Private Ryan is one of my favorite World War II movies. Three out of four brothers are killed in action, and then a search is launched to find the fourth, Private James Ryan, so that he is not killed, leaving his mother childless. Eight men are sent out to find Private Ryan, who is missing ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-9

Tags: Death, Grace, Fear, Salvation, Legalism, Works  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

You've Got To Earn This!

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Nov 20, 2022

Saving Private Ryan is one of the best World War II movies. Three out of four brothers are killed in action, and then a search is launched to find the fourth, Private James Ryan, so that he is not killed, leaving his mother childless. Eight men are sent out to find Private Ryan, who is missing ...read more

Tags: Grace, Law, Salvation, Gospel, Merit, Works  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Deceitful World We Live In

Contributed by Paul Robinson on Mar 7, 2023

In 1939, Hollywood gave the world "The Wizard of Oz." Since then, the movie has become a classic. It tells the story of Dorothy, who is whisked away to the land of Oz, where she meets three friends, faces a wicked witch, and must find how to return home. The movie is filled with colorful ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 2:2-3

Tags: Deceit, The World

Denomination: Baptist

Seeking God

Contributed by Richard L. Brown on Aug 6, 2023

“Seeking God” Isaiah 55: 1-9 08/06/23 When my grandson Isaiah was three years old, he had a problem of wandering off and hiding. One day my daughter Maeghan and my wife Becky were shopping at a local mall and of course, he slipped off. All of a sudden, they realized he was missing. They ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 55:1-9, Luke 11:9, Jeremiah 29:13, Deuteronomy 4:29-31

Tags: Seeking God, Obeying God

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Herod The Great

Contributed by Martin Spoelstra on Dec 15, 2023

"In modern research on Herod, the most discussed issue concerns the impact of his reign on his Jewish subjects. Opinions vary. Some scholars paint a picture of a cruel tyrant, even a maniac suffering from a personality disorder, who introduced the ancient version of a Gestapo state with an ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 2:1-13

Tags: Christmas, Herod The Great, King Herod, Wisemen, Wiseman  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

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

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

An Underground Missionary Of Sister Grace Chen's Story.

Contributed by Jm Raja Lawrence on Jan 8, 2025

Sister Grace worked as an underground missionary in a country where Christian activities were heavily monitored and restricted. She operated a small sewing business as her cover, which allowed her to build relationships with local women while secretly sharing the gospel. Despite facing constant ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 2:5-6, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, 1 John 4:19-21, John 13:34-35, Ephesians 5:1-2, John 14:31, John 5:19, Philippians 2:8, Hebrews 5:8-9, John 8:29, John 13:14-15, Philippians 2:3-7, Matthew 23:11-12, Mark 10:45, Philippians 2:5-8, Matthew 11:29, John 13:12-15, Matthew 14:29-31, Mark 11:22-24, Romans 1:17, Acts 10:38, Galatians 5:16, John 14:12  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Disciples, Church Members, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Power, Divine Love, Christian Living, Daily Christian Walk, Daily Christian Practice, Practical Theology, Biblical Ethics, Spiritual Seekers, Christ Like Character, Sacrificial Service, Personal Transformation, Biblical Obedience, Following Christ's Example, Humble Leadership, Christian Believers, Christian Service, Spiritual Disciplines, Biblical Faith, Spiritual Transformation, Christian Discipleship, Character Development  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[129]. A Message From A Poem – Historic Glimpses - Past, Present, Future

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Jul 12, 2025

[129]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – HISTORIC GLIMPSES - PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE The bible is so true that we can count the future as historical. The title of this poem is Historical Glimpses and is in three sections – what is past; what is present; and what is future. God knows the end from the ...read more

Scripture: Romans 8:35-39

Tags: Jesus, Earth, Future, Past, Historic, Christian Poems  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Lost Donkeys That Found A King

Contributed by David Dunn on Oct 24, 2025

The Lost Donkeys That Found a King My name? Oh, I’m Dusty—one of the donkeys that belonged to Kish, a farmer from the tribe of Benjamin. Life was simple for us: graze, walk, carry, rest, repeat. I never imagined I’d be part of something royal! But one morning, our fence gate swung open, and off ...read more

Scripture: Numbers 22:28-31, Genesis 22:3, 1 Samuel 9:3-20, Judges 15:15, Matthew 21:1-7  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Purpose, Faith, Service, Humility, Obedience  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Love Loves To Give

Contributed by Wade Martin Hughes, Sr on Dec 6, 2025

My first love was my MOM. For Mother’s Day, I worked for a few dollars and we went to Western Auto. They had three little handkerchiefs and a little pearl necklace in a fancy box. I knew I loved my Mom and I wanted to give her a token of my love. The fancy little box was more than I had. I told the ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16

Tags: Love, Give

Denomination: Assembly Of God

37,000 Species Of Fish And 400,000 Species Of Beetles!

Contributed by Alan Perkins on Apr 9, 2026

We all need to accept and value one another, in all of our glorious variety, and not try to fit people into a mold or expect them to be just like us. Because it is an undeniable fact that God loves variety. Consider the natural world, for example. In this world that God designed and created, ...read more

Tags: Spiritual Gifts, Uniqueness, Valuing One Another

Denomination: Baptist

"see? I Was Right."

Contributed by Austin W. Duncan on Apr 17, 2026

I've been in a discussion with my wife, and we'll call it a discussion, where I have looked at her and said four words I should not have said: "See? I was right." Now, if you've ever done this, you already know the problem. The look on her face made it very clear that being ...read more

Scripture: Mark 15:31-32

Tags: Pride, The Gospel

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

When The Door Opened

Contributed by Austin W. Duncan on Apr 18, 2026

Before Cassy and I moved to Middle Tennessee, we were in West Texas. I was running a pretty small graphic design business and driving for Uber and Lyft in the evenings, and I was frustrated overall. Not because anything was particularly wrong, but because I kept feeling like I wasn't doing what ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 3:8, 1 Corinthians 16:9

Tags: God's Timing, Calling

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Charles Colson Told The Following Story In An ...  PRO

Contributed by Paul Wallace on Oct 12, 2005

Charles Colson told the following story in an address at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi: I love the illustration about a man named Jack Eckerd. A few years ago I was on the Bill Buckley television program, talking about restitution (one of my favorite subjects) and criminal ...read more

Tags: Commitment To Christ

Denomination: Wesleyan

The Best Gift

Contributed by Sermon Central on Dec 28, 2008

THE BEST GIFT Bobby was getting cold sitting out in his back yard in the snow. Bobby didn't wear boots; he didn't like them, and anyway he didn't own any. The thin sneakers he wore had a few holes in them, and they did a poor job of keeping out the cold. Bobby had been in his backyard for about ...read more

Tags: Compassion

The Parental Challenge Of Helping Teenagers

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jul 30, 2010

The Parental Challenge of Helping Teenagers Face Their World And I wanna share a story with you. It’s a traumatic one and one that actually happened. I did a funeral about four or five years ago and in this funeral it was really bizarre, because as the high schoolers came in about a third of them ...read more

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12

Tags: Death, Parenting

The Ring Of Salvation  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 1, 2011

THE RING OF SALVATION It began at West Point in 1835. It is a practice that has endured almost 200 years. You may have chosen to obtain one, and undoubtedly you waited anxiously for it to arrive. Others of you weren’t really that into it and decided to pass. Some of you in the room may still wear ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:22-24

Tags: Easter Good Friday

A Story Of Doubt

Contributed by Troy Borst on Mar 1, 2012

A STORY OF DOUBT The little boy cried out over and over, "Mom where are you?!" He was walking back and forth in the front of the store. People with shopping carts full of milk, bread, fruit, and other household items rattled past the frantic boy as they raced to wait in line for a check out ...read more

Scripture: James 1:5, John 20:27

Tags: Doubt

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Vernon And Joey

Contributed by Josh Hunt on Oct 13, 2012

It is fitting that we begin with a true story involving three main characters: an elderly man nearing death, a kindhearted woman in robust health, and a deceased boy very much alive. Five months earlier, physicians had diagnosed sixty-five-year-old Vernon Samuels with terminal lung cancer. They ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 21:3-4

Tags: Death

Denomination: Baptist

The Power Of Presence

Contributed by Eduardo Quintana on Jun 12, 2017

Long before I became a Dad, I had strong opinions about fathering. Perhaps it’s because I came along quite late in my father’s life. He was 47 years old. To say I was a surprise would be an understatement! But, my Dad rose to the challenge! Like my sister and brother before me, I became his pride ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 1:3

Tags: Parenting, Legacy, Fatherhood

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational