In Sermon Illustrations: "Trials Difficulties"

Rejected On Earth

Contributed by Garris Hudson on Feb 23, 2016

REJECTED ON EARTH... Campbell Morgan was one of 150 young men who sought entrance to the Wesleyan ministry in 1888. He passed the doctrinal examinations, but then faced the trial sermon. In a cavernous auditorium that could seat more than 1,000 sat three ministers and 75 others who came to listen. ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 3:1-10

Tags: Moses, Acceptance, Rejection, Calling

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

[025] A Message From A Poem - Balance Of God’s Attributes

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Feb 9, 2025

[025] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM - BALANCE OF GOD’S ATTRIBUTES One area where it takes deeper study to understand, is the attributes of God. The attributes are what is the completeness in God and they are many. It is what God is. We speak about love and mercy and compassion, but we also have ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 85:10-11, Exodus 34:5-7, Hebrews 2:17

Tags: Love, Forgiveness, Faithful, Judgment, Balance, Merciful, Attributes, Penalty, Poetry, Attributes Of God  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

In The Hard School Of Life God's Answer To Our ...

Contributed by Owen Bourgaize on Sep 29, 2005

In the hard school of life God’s answer to our problems don’t come in the form of neatly pre-packaged solutions, like strips of shrink-wrapped capsules labelled for each anxiety we have, carrying a certificate of immunity from the hazards of life. If I may give a personal illustration of this. ...read more

Tags: Hardship Of Life, Human Body

Denomination: Baptist

Always Pray And Don't Give Up  PRO

Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 11, 2004

ALWAYS PRAY AND DON’T GIVE UP Jesus taught that we should “always pray and not give up” · Not because God is hard of hearing · Not because God needs to be pestered into answering our requests · Not because God doesn’t want to answer us NO… Jesus taught us always pray and not give up because, ...read more

Scripture: Luke 11:1-18, 2 Kings 2:9, 1 Samuel 12:23-24, 1 Samuel 12:23-24, 1 Samuel 12:23  (view more)  (view less)

Tags: Prayer General, Prayer Persistence, Parable General

A Few Weeks Ago I Visited My Family Physician, ...

Contributed by Terry Cavanaugh on Jun 2, 2007

A few weeks ago I visited my family physician, Dr. Stuckert. After a few minutes in the waiting room the nurse took me back. The first thing she did was weigh me, then she took my temperature. Then she asked, why I had come to see the doctor. I told her, I was having headaches for the last ...read more

Denomination: Methodist

In 1929, The Berlin Municipal Council Recognized ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Jun 18, 2007

In 1929, the Berlin Municipal Council recognized Dr. Einstein’s 50th birthday by awarding him a country villa with a lake view. But on visiting the house, his wife found it already occupied and the occupants unwilling to move. An embarrassed Council discovered it had previously given the ...read more

Tags: Faith

A Young Police Officer Was Taking His Final Exam ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Apr 8, 2008

A young police officer was taking his final exam for the police academy And he read the following question in the exam paper: “You are on patrol in the outer city when an explosion occurs in a gas main in a nearby street. On investigation you find that a large hole has been blown in the ...read more

Dwarfish Christianity

Contributed by Sermon Central on Aug 24, 2011

DWARFISH CHRISTIANITY Charles Spurgeon, the famed pastor of the Metropolitan Baptist Tabernacle in London made this observation in the late 1800’s when he came in contact with a community of small framed men. "There was once in London a club of small men, whose qualification for membership lay in ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:10-20, 1 Timothy 3:10-12

Tags: Growth In Christ

Divorce Doesn't Mean Happiness

Contributed by Jeffrey Wildrick on Jun 29, 2009

DIVORCE DOESN'T MEAN HAPPINESS Survey of those who had been seriously considering divorce. Five years later, revisited. Some had divorced, some had done hard work to stay together. On repeat survey, those who had done hard work and stayed together rated their lives as happier than those who’d ...read more

Tags: Divorce

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

A Superior Love

Contributed by David Tack on Sep 18, 2024

“The strenuous Christian mandate to extend unconditional love towards those that hate you is a fatiguing duty for the soldiers of the cross of Christ! In the heat of a damning spiritual warfare, when the spiritual defensive battlefronts are diminishing, the fleshly armaments derived from the human ...read more

Scripture: John 3:16, Romans 5:7-8, Ephesians 2:4-7

Tags: Love, Unconditional, Soldier

Denomination: Baptist

65279;a Minister Named Russ Blowers Was Once ...  PRO

Contributed by Dennis Selfridge on Feb 27, 2002

A minister named Russ Blowers was once asked to speak at Rotary Club about his profession. He wanted to say more than “I’m a preacher.” So this was his talk, “Hi, I’m Russ Blowers. I’m with a global enterprise. We have branches in every country in the world. We have representatives in ...read more

Scripture: Luke 6:27-36

Tags: Misconceptions, Call Of The Disciples, Church Body Of Christ

Denomination: Wesleyan

God Promised Peace To Those Whom His Favor Rests. ...  PRO

Contributed by Dana Chau on Dec 23, 2002

God promised peace to those whom His favor rests. Let me close with the words from a hymn that Annie Johnson Flint wrote: "What God Hath Promised" God hath not promised skies always blue, Flower strewn pathways all our lives through; God hath not promised sun without rain, Joy without sorrow, ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 4:2-9, Galatians 6:8-9

Tags: God Brings Hope, Peace, Promises Of God

Denomination: *other

What Is The Church?  PRO

Contributed by Troy Borst on May 28, 2003

What is the church? Russ Blowers is a minister who is active in his local Indianapolis Rotary club. At club meetings each week a member gives a brief statement about his job. When it was his turn, Russ said: "I’m with a global enterprise. We have branches in every country in the world. We have ...read more

Tags: Church Body Of Christ, Church General

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Two Stories Of Injustice

Contributed by Sermon Central on Mar 12, 2009

TWO STORIES OF INJUSTICE In 1984, James Ealy was convicted in the 1982 brutal murders of 33-year-old Christine Parker, her two children and one grandchild. Two years later, the Illinois Appellate Court overturned the conviction - even as justices acknowledged Ealy almost certainly was guilty. They ...read more

Tags: Justice

8226; It Is Easy To View Sin Lightly In A World ...

Contributed by Larry Wilson on Jul 30, 2010

• It is easy to view sin lightly in a world that sees sin as inconsequential, but we should view sin as seriously as Ezra did. (LAB) • When we see those around us in sin, we must fall on our knees as did Ezra! WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs ...read more

Tags: Sin General

Denomination: Baptist

Elizabeth Elliot On His Sufficient Grace For ...

Contributed by Sermon Central on Nov 22, 2009

Elizabeth Elliot on His Sufficient Grace for Discipleship It’s the anticipation of that “glory of victory” that helps us to persevere in the hard times. It’s the assurance of that coming crown that helps us bear our cross today. Just one year after her husband was slain in Ecuador, along with ...read more

Scripture: Luke 14:26-27

Tags: Discipleship, Count The Cost

A Bug's Life: Small Steps Of Faith

Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Mar 15, 2010

A BUG'S LIFE: SMALL STEPS OF FAITH A Bug’s Life, Start time 6:30 Overview from Belknapp: Dot complains to Flik about her underdeveloped wings. She wants to fly now! Flik encourages her, showing her that a seed that starts out small eventually grows into a towering tree-it only takes time and ...read more

Tags: Faith

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

My Daughter Served As A Camp Counselor This ...  PRO

Contributed by Sheila Crowe on Aug 26, 2003

My daughter served as a camp counselor this summer. It is a camp in which there are several camps contained in one location. She was a gap counselor and therefore served in several different ones. One camp is called Camp Sparrowood. It is a camp for the mentally challenged ages 8-99. She was ...read more

Scripture: Galatians 2:20

Tags: Love Of The Disciples, Discipleship

Denomination: United Methodist

Ask The Coach! (10.27.05--Making It!--Joshua ...  PRO

Contributed by Mark Brunner on Oct 25, 2005

Ask the Coach! (10.27.05--Making It!--Joshua 9:14-15) I grew up in a time and place of heroes. Mostly my heroes were TV cowboys like Roy Rogers or the Cisco Kid. In those days there was something common to nearly every TV show--the hero had someone else standing beside him. Roy had Dale, his wife; ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 9:14-15

Tags: Character, Peace

Denomination: Lutheran

[026] A Message From A Poem – Based On Psalm 17

Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Feb 9, 2025

[026] A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – BASED ON PSALM 17 The Psalms are always wonderful. Each one has come from the emotional positions of the writers. They represent worship, praise, request, history, prophecy, and prayer, among other things, such as the great Psalm 119 uplifting the word of ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 17:8-9, Psalm 17:6-7, Psalm 17:15, Psalm 17:12-13

Tags: David, Poetry, Prayers, The Psalms, Song Book, The Apple Of The Eye  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational